SISL: The diary of a 'Teach First' teacher Carla Shanley

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The diary of a 'Teach First' teacher
Carla Shanley

Click here for a print version of this article.

Click here to read Remembering Mr Firth by Gervase Phinn

Part 1
6.59am, 3rd September 2007, Commercial Road, Whitechapel. I walk through the school gates, with an air of confidence yet trembling with fear. Can I be ‘Miss Shanley’? Can I pull this off?

I receive my registers. I look down one of the lists: Farjana Begum, Farhana Begum, Farzana Begum, I could go on – I had a class of 30 of which 22 had the same surname. Is this a mistake?

I stand at my door eagerly awaiting my new recruits, smiling nervously as they bundle through the door, rushing for the back row. I take my authoritative stance at the front – noise is coming at me from all angles – but they spot me – perfect – they are silent – this is going well. However, suddenly amnesia takes hold. I’m like an actor with stage fright.

This was the start of a long term. Dark mornings…12 hours in school…dark evenings. First in – last out. In order to wrestle a few precious moments away from the London traffic I even began cycling to school, much to my pupils’ amusement.

There were many times during this first term when I felt out of control – both outside the classroom with planning and marking, but also more worryingly inside the classroom. I can recall several lessons where I felt like the most insignificant thing in the room and could have turned into an alien from outer space and still no one would have noticed. On one occasion my maths lesson transformed into Top of the Pops, with performances taking place all over the classroom.

After a 3 year pleasure cruise at university I channelled every ounce of energy I had accumulated into this job. This has left me with coffee addiction, sleep deprivation and a redundant hairdryer and straighteners, but learning was starting to happen in my classroom.

Part 2
I came back to school in January bubbling with optimism. My energy levels were renewed. I was ready to go again. Things were starting to happen; teaching had become more natural, pupils were starting to respond, progress all-round.

Learning about learning became my focus. I became fascinated in working out how to break down the barriers that can prevent learning from happening. I realised that my learners needed to experience success; I worked hard on providing opportunities for such an outcome by developing a safe learning environment with a strong emphasis on collaboration.

Alongside developing an understanding of my pupils’ mathematical abilities (or lack of), learning to understand them as individuals was critical in establishing myself as their teacher. I started to learn more about their lives outside of my classroom and came to the conclusion that it’s amazing that some pupils actually arrive at school fully dressed. This makes me question; should I be mad when they have forgotten their books? I have high but realistic expectations.

Despite these encouraging steps forward ‘cause for concern’ lessons still slipped in here and there, reminding me of how the success of a lesson at times hinges on the weather, friendship fluctuations and the previous night's TV.

Part 3
As I near the end of my first year I can look back over the last 10 months with a huge smile. I have learnt a great amount. This journey has been so much more physically and emotionally draining than I ever could have imagined.

I would like to share my top 5 reasons why you will know that you have joined one of the best graduate programs in the UK:

You will be challenged – ‘Miss, can you…?’ approximately every 30 seconds for 7 hours, almost daily observations, written assignments, parents evenings, reports, subject studies, form filling, trips, interactive lessons and so much more.
You will be a learner – The year is like a vortex learning cycle which is moving so fast that you have to keep going round. Your main teacher will be your pupils. They will surprise you.
You will be a leader – of a 30 strong team which changes every hour. You will be the person who facilities change and enthuses energy and excitement and ultimately impacts your team’s destination. The responsibility is immense.
You will be creative – you will be lacking some key ingredients – time, resources, space, expertise, knowledge and obviously experience - but you are still going to have to deliver. This will involve you drawing on levels of creativity from inside you that you did not know existed.
You will be rewarded – there are going to be times when you feel like giving up, when you feel like you are hopeless, when you feel like you have failed. But then you walk down the corridor, you are greeted with smiling faces ‘Miss Shanley, how are you?’ That’s when you know you have made the right choice.

Carla Shanley is entering her second year of teaching.

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