Lola Massey

I had the aspiration from a young age to be a primary school teacher. The degree enables me to build on my skills each year and learn the craft of teaching in detail to ensure I am prepared to embark on my teaching career in the future. This degree also incorporates academic learning alongside the practical placement aspect and the assignments are specific to teaching, enabling me to build my wider knowledge around education and think critically.

My decision to study at Edge Hill was made after I attended an open day. I absolutely loved the campus, the facilities on offer and could see myself settled into university life in the amazing accommodation options they have. After attending a talk about my course and speaking to members of staff and current students, I was impressed about the level of support that they offer to students from personal tutors, who regularly hold meetings and check-ins with you, to student mentors who support you initially settling in to uni and are available throughout the year for academic or social support. The whole environment of the university is friendly and positive, and it was somewhere I could see myself thriving. It has certainly lived up to this expectation and I am loving my time here.

The top three skills I have developed during my degree are:

Confidence: Through completing professional placements, I have improved my confidence delivering to a class of children and my self-confidence that I can become a good teacher.

Resilience: Whilst training to be a teacher is enjoyable and rewarding, it does come with challenges such as presenting a good impression on placement, taking on constructive criticism and handling the academic and social demands of being at university. Building up my resilience and motivation has enabled me to thrive throughout my degree.

Collaboration: Throughout university, I have learnt how to work alongside many different people in a professional environment and ask for support when needed. Training to be a teacher is very much about learning from others and Edge Hill supports you in this journey to be the best teacher you can be.

The most memorable moment of my degree so far was probably my last day of one of my professional placements. My mentor, who was the class teacher, told the children to go round and say something they enjoyed about my teaching or my time at their school and it was just amazing to see what an impact I had had already in the few weeks. It solidified my ambitions to go into a career in teaching where I can truly make a difference and inspire children in the time that I am teaching them.

My favourite thing about my degree is being constantly surrounded by other like-minded people who are passionate about education. Whether that be tutors or peers, the whole environment on my course is positive and ambitious and I always feel like I am on my way to achieving and doing something worthwhile.

My best thing about Edge Hill University is the opportunities they offer and the positive, safe university environment. Throughout my degree, there are many voluntary opportunities to get involved with such as conferences, volunteering with schools, becoming part of the student mentor team, engaging in wider placement experiences and exploring learning outside of the classroom. Throughout the course itself, Edge Hill ensures that you stand out through delivering engaging and interesting modules and enabling you to specialise in a subject that you are passionate about. It is such a supportive and friendly environment, full of people striving for you to achieve your best.

My favourite place on campus is the university library, the Catalyst. It is a lovely place to focus and work on your assignments or to socialise and meet with friends. The different noise levels on different floors ensures you can choose somewhere you would be best suited to work and the small, privately booked rooms can help you focus more or be somewhere for you to do online interviews or webinars.

The support at Edge Hill, and specifically on this course, is amazing. Something I find really valuable is having a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT), which is your first point of contact for support. My PAT has really supported me whether that be academic support or responding to any concerns or worries I have. They are always on top of emails and have regular check-in meetings with you. As well as that, there are Student Academic Mentors (SAMs) who are another point of contact for support who are students also on your course normally in a year above you. These are the people who have been in your shoes. My SAM helped me so much in my first year and I am now a SAM myself, offering support and guidance to others. When you are on professional practice, Edge Hill allocates you a mentor who supports and guides you throughout your placement. As well as this you have your year lead and tutors who are always on hand to answer any questions and are very approachable. Outside of my degree, Edge Hill offers additional mental health support which we are always reminded of.

When I graduate, I hope to get a job as a primary school teacher. Tutors have also talked about their experiences throughout their careers, and I feel inspired to teach abroad possibly in a couple of years’ time. Whilst this course does lead directly into a career as a primary school teacher, we are made aware of different career paths we could take with a degree in education, and it is certainly not limited to what you can do.

I would advise anyone looked to study this course to make the most of all the opportunities on offer because there is so much you can get involved with to help you learn and grow and add to your CV and references. I would encourage you to ask questions and reach out for support if you need it- constantly connect with those around you and learn from their experiences. Most of all, keep in the back of your mind your reasons for wanting to be a teacher and allow this to motivate you throughout the degree.