In September 2018 Luke joined both the Alumni Association and the School Staff as a Teaching Assistant. Below he talks about his experiences during his first year. .jpg)
Coming to the end of my degree at the University of Chichester, it was time to decide what career path I wanted to take. I heard of the first Corpus Christi Alumni event from my mum and we decided it would be a good idea to attend, as I have always been interested in teaching. During the evening it was good to catch up with some of my teachers such as: Mr. Calvey, Mrs. Connery and Mr. Coyle. I stated my interest in wanting to be a teacher and questioned what I needed to do in order to be one. All the teachers suggested it would be great to get more experience in the school environment and to apply for a teaching assistant role (to see if I enjoyed working in KS1 and KS2).
When all of my university assignments had been completed, at the end of May, it was time to pack up my stuff in Chichester and move back to London. I was back home in sunny South London for only a week, as my flight to New York was quickly approaching. I was flying to America as I had applied to work at a camp in the summer of 2017. My application was accepted in February by the International Sports Training Camp directors to work in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Days before jetting off to the U.S.A I received a phone call from Mrs. Connery offering me a place at Corpus Christi as a teaching assistant when I returned from camp in September. I delightfully accepted and had a new challenge awaiting me after my return.
The camp ran for nine weeks plus an induction week. Each week a different group of up to 300 children attended. Some children would pay to stay two, three or even four weeks long! It was an intense summer, working very long hours, but the intrinsic rewards gained will be cherished forever. Additionally, my visa wasn’t to expire for a couple of weeks after camp, allowing me to travel before my return flight to London. I was able to visit Philadelphia, Miami, Orlando, Folly Beach, Charleston and New York. It was definitely the best summer I’ve ever had and would recommend it to any young adult (especially after your final year at university).
My first day at Corpus Christi was the start of the fourth week of the school year. All the teachers and children seemed to be settled in their new classes. It was always going to be tough joining the school a few weeks after the start, as it meant I needed to catch up in learning all of the names and getting to know all of the pupils. I unfortunately missed out on the year six trip to help the teachers, children and support staff bond at the beginning of the year. Therefore, I had to work even harder to create a rapport with the year group. A few months later, I had applied to do my PGCE for the 2018/19 academic year. Due to my interest in becoming a teacher, Mr. Kelleher and Mrs. Smart have trusted me with many responsibilities in year 6, such as: covering class, leading specific class based activities (Maths, English, and Science) and leading small focus groups. I also help to co-ordinate the school’s extra-curricular activities and external competitions, while currently teaching year five P.E every Friday. This has given me an insight into teaching and hopefully I will be lucky enough to become accepted onto the Primary Teaching post graduate degree.
I look forward to the rest of my year at Corpus Christi school, and excited for the opportunities ahead.
Luke successfully applied for his PGCE place and was given a training position at Corpus Christi, we will follow Luke's progress as he embarks on his teaching profession. Why not share your stories as you embark on your new phase at University or in employment.
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