B.Harvey – Teacher of Religious Studies at St. Mary’s Catholic High School and Sixth Form College
Teaching is a career choice that runs through my family, however I still believe it to be a vocation. I knew that I wanted to be a teacher from a young age, through my own love of school and the outstanding example that my teachers set me. I decided to train with WWLCSD as I was already familiar with some of the schools involved, and felt that the emphasis on the Catholic nature of these schools being celebrated was important to me. Throughout my training year I was fully supported at every stage, by the brilliant mentors at both my ‘home’ and ‘away’ schools, and the friends that I made whilst on the course.
Having just finished my 3rdweek as an NQT, I still wholeheartedly believe that this is the right career for me, and that WWLCSD fully prepared me for the job. Over the past 3 weeks I have gotten to know my Y7 form well, met and taught my ten classes, and been fully immersed into school life – I have absolutely loved it. Of course, each day has its challenges, but I feel that I have learned from them and am becoming a better teacher every day. The support from my training year has continued into my NQT year. I feel blessed to be in a lovely department and enjoy each day that I am spending in school.
A highlight of the past couple of weeks has been a comment made by some students in my form. When asked who had supported them during their transition to high school, they responded with “Miss Harvey”. This was the moment that made me feel like a ‘proper teacher’, and brought it home to me that you can make a difference to the lives of young people. This is something I feel very passionate about.
I am under no illusions that the rest of the year will not be filled with challenges, but I feel that I am ready to face them because of my training with WWLCSD, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year will bring.
