www.liv.ac.uk/careers Examples of PGCE personal statements

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Examples of personal statements Primary (example 1) I believe teaching is an essential profession and that those in it, along with a school’s support staff, have a great responsibility as educators. Teaching will offer me the challenge and diversity I seek from my career. I feel I have the right abilities to make that difference in a young person’s life. I also feel I possess the skills that will enable me to make a positive contribution to teaching. I have had placements in 2 schools, Liverpool High School and St Helen’s Primary School. Having worked within both primary and secondary age groups I have found that I got more enjoyment dealing with the formative years. I felt more satisfaction at seeing younger children grasp the fundamentals behind a topic. For example how a particular student with encouragement and patience can come to terms with the idea of doubling and halving or how easy it was for the students in year 9 to use a search engine to find out facts in an I.T. lesson. I particularly enjoyed the results of instilling confidence and self belief in students, seeing them feel they can achieve and should try to do so. Watching the teachers at work has illustrated that children respond differently to a variety of teaching methods. I observed that a teacher’s approach to the class can have a profound effect on the learning ability of those children. The teacher constantly changed the way she taught the class to maintain their interest and focus on activities. She encouraged and praised children who were finding activities difficult giving them confidence to try and in many cases achieve. Her positive attitude towards the children gave them belief in themselves leading to a positive learning environment. These experiences have also opened my eyes to the demands put on teachers outside the classrooms: the struggle for financing, pressures on time management and dealing with the teacher/ parent relationship. There are also clerical duties, which need to be completed whilst not taking away from the teacher’s effectiveness within the classroom, which is where I believe they make the greatest difference Providing this variety represents a huge challenge in an environment with more than thirty pupils, but I am confident that it is a challenge I will be able to meet. Through my role as an admin assistant for my local council and through being secretary of a drama society I have developed the skills which will enable me to cope with the challenges facing those in the teaching profession. I have learnt to be organized and to manage my time in order to meet the demands of my degree and extra-curricular activities. I also ensure that in all my roles I communicate with colleagues in an appropriate manner. My studies to date have given me a firm grasp of my subject, examining the ancient history of several civilisations (including Greece, Rome, Egypt and ancient Britain) which are all relevant to the national curriculum for Key stages 1 and 2. I was also required to study literature and extrapolate relevant information as a core part of my course which coupled with my previous experience at GCSE and A level has given me a good grasp of English. A module of my course together with my current employment has also developed my computer skills. I would like to make a contribution to the wider school community by continuing my interests in sports and music. I have played netball throughout my time at school and university and feel that sports in schools are essential as they encourage team work, as well as being crucial for health and fitness. I have qualifications in flute and saxophone and would welcome the opportunity to develop pupils’ musical education. From my experience I have seen that teaching provides extensive and sometimes exhausting challenges for which the rewards more than justify the effort. It is a profession which I would relish, giving me the chance to make a difference in the lives of others at their most impressionable. Primary (example 2) I am passionate about teaching children and my extensive experience in a classroom environment has demonstrated that I will find working with children extremely rewarding and that I would be well suited to being a primary school teacher. My studies to date have given me a firm grasp of my subject, examining the ancient history of several civilisations (including Greece, Rome, Egypt and ancient Britain) which are all relevant to the national curriculum for Key stages 1 and 2. I was also required to study literature and extrapolate relevant information as a core part of my course which coupled with my previous experience at GCSE and A level has given me a good grasp of English. A module of my course together with my current employment has also developed my computer skills. I have a good understanding of core subjects including Mathematics, English and Science and feel that I would be able to convey these subjects to children in a creative, enjoyable and exciting way.
I have had two periods of relevant classroom experience since 2008. I have had a total of five weeks experience as a Classroom Assistant in Liverpool Primary School where I worked with a mixed class of year 1 and year 2 children. Within this role I listened to pupils reading one to one, supervised smaller groups within the classroom situation to complete set tasks and helped the children to complete work in the classroom. Between March and June 2009 I undertook a position as a classroom assistant in St Gregory’s, a challenging Liverpool primary school, for an afternoon a week. I was working with a mixed class of year 5 and 6 pupils, assisting the Teacher in the classroom with all lessons. I also helped to supervise the children on a trip to a local art gallery which they very much enjoyed. I found the contrast between this school and the other primary school I have had experience in interesting, and found that different styles of teaching were used for different children. Attending the school over a long period of time enabled me to see the development of the children in the class. Many of them were working towards their SAT exams and I saw them develop their skills during the time I was working with the class. These experiences have shown me the demands put on teachers both inside and outside the classrooms, for example pressures on time management, dealing with the parents and undertaking administrative duties, whilst still maintaining effectiveness within the classroom. Through my roles both as a classroom assistant and events organiser for a small charity I have developed these skills which will enable me to cope with the challenges facing those in the teaching profession. I am a confident person, with good communication skills. I am organised and punctual, qualities which I feel would be vital to both the PGCE course and the role of a teacher. Secondary (Modern Languages) I have been interested in a career in teaching for some years and over the last year in particular have endeavoured to develop the qualities necessary to be a successful teacher and now believe I am in a position to develop as a Spanish and French teacher within the framework of a PGCE. Modern Languages is a subject that can be immensely rewarding for children at all levels and an extremely relevant life skill in the modern world. Secondary level is particularly crucial for both developing the ability of pupils to complete basic linguistic tasks as well as stimulating their interest to pursue their study of language further. With Spanish and French no longer compulsory at Key Stage 4 it is essential that language teachers can convey the excitement of learning languages and maximise their accessibility to students. I hope to be able to convey my own passion for languages in a context that will appeal to the diverse age groups in secondary schools. This will require a number of core skills. Observing lessons and discussions with a number of teachers has emphasised the importance of class room management. Having coached football to groups of children during my time in Latin America I have an understanding of the balance required between maintaining discipline without stifling individuals. I am qualified as an FA level 1 football coach and a number of the skills integral to that course will be beneficial in a classroom environment. These include Child Protection, Best Practice and perhaps most importantly the ability to plan lessons and evaluate your own performance and that of the children. This is vital to ensure a consistent provision of quality structured lessons. Watching language teachers at work has also illustrated that children respond differently to a variety of teaching methods. Providing this variety represents a huge challenge in an environment with more than thirty pupils, but I am confident that is a challenge I will be able to meet. After four years at university studying Spanish, I believe that my technical level is such that I could teach pupils up to and beyond A Level standard. As well as a class room education in the subject I have used Spanish extensively in different situations during a year in Argentina undertaking research for my dissertation, 3 months travelling in South America during my gap year and a number of trips to Spain. I also have an A level in French which will enable me to offer a second subject as a language teacher. I read French language newspapers and watch French language films in order to improve my knowledge and understanding of the language and I am confident that I will be able to teach French alongside Spanish as part of the school curriculum. I hope to contribute fully to school life and to continue coaching sports. As not all students learn languages formally I would welcome the opportunity to run language clubs so all students can enjoy learning about language and culture in an informal setting. I would also hope to take a role in drama productions, something I enjoyed greatly during my own time at school and sixth form.
Page 1: Examples of PGCE personal statement
Page 5: to learn without disruption. I have

www.liv.ac.uk/careers Examples of PGCE personal statements

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?