Lydia Wakeham

After completing my undergraduate degree, I knew I wanted to complete my postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) next. I have always wanted to contribute to educating young children. I have volunteered in schools since I was 15 and met lots of inspiring teachers.

Edge Hill University has a fantastic reputation especially for education and teaching. After visiting an open day and meeting the lecturers I knew that Edge Hill was the place I wanted to study. Not to mention the beautiful grounds too.

I thoroughly enjoyed my placements. I fully immersed myself when starting at my placement schools. I wanted to continually develop and better my teaching so asked lots of questions and worked hard to get the most out of my placement experience. My last placement school offered me a teaching job!

Being a teacher is the most rewarding job, I love seeing children develop and talk about what they have learnt. Children walk in through my door with a smile on their face and are so enthusiastic about wanting to learn. I feel really proud that I have made an impact on their educational life.

Believing in yourself is so important. To be a successful teacher you need to be hardworking, prepared and dedicated to educating and supporting every child. A successful teacher is also kind, caring and loving.

If you are a good communicator and can show leadership, teaching incorporates these strong qualities every day. A successful teacher aligns their philosophy into their teaching. Creativity and adaptability are also an important trait in the teaching profession when planning lessons, teaching creative tasks or having to adapt to last minute changes out of your control.

My biggest challenge is how to communicate with parents. During my placement my school mentor helped me when speaking with parents. They helped me when I needed to talk to them and included me during parents’ evenings.

I would absolutely recommend Edge Hill for teacher training. I am continuously learning how a reception classroom works and developing myself as a teacher by attending lots of continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities to further my learning. I would eventually like to become an early years lead.

My top three tips for others thinking about becoming a teacher:
1. Ask lots of questions
2. Be prepared and organised
3. Celebrate successes

Teaching is the best job. You must put in the hard work and be passionate about wanting to teach. Every day a child makes you smile. It is so rewarding.