Haddy Jeng started her Postgraduate Certificate in Education with Qualified Teacher Status with NITE in September 2020 in our first cohort. She qualified to teach secondary maths in July 2021 and is currently teaching maths and business studies in the school in which she completed her training. Here she reflects on her how she reached this point.
Finding my passion early on
I've always found a great sense of satisfaction from teaching at a very young age. Teaching at that point meant rewording everything my maths teachers taught me and explaining it back to my peers who struggled with the work. I never thought of it as a career at a time; however, as I grew older and went through university, the idea of teaching as a profession was a big consideration.
Facing the doubters
However, the people around me, my family included, were always very discouraging about teaching as they believed it to be just an impossible job with the way behaviour is. I was never entirely convinced by their arguments, but these conversations did delay my start in this profession.
Taking the bold step
It was not until after I had my first child, during my maternity leave, I said to myself, ‘all the people trying to dissuade me from teaching are not teachers themselves so, how can they tell me what teaching is or will be like?’.
So, without telling a soul, I took the bold step of applying for PGCE with QTS at Coventry University’s National Institute of Teaching and Education. It was not until few days before I actually started the course that I told my family.
A rewarding start at St Thomas More
I was very lucky and privileged to complete my training at St Thomas More Catholic School and Sixth Form college in Warwickshire. I was meant to be here for my main placement of two terms but due to the covid pandemic, changing schools for my second school placement was not possible. So, I ended up doing all three terms there and, at the end of my training, I was offered an employed role. I'm still at St Thomas More and am now in my 5th year of teaching, the journey has been so rewarding and provided me with so much satisfaction.
Continuing to learn and grow
Getting into Teaching was one of the best decisions I've made, and I've never looked back. St Thomas More is simply the best environment for any new teacher, starting from the Headteacher, who is so fabulous at what she does, so approachable and reachable.
My journey is still ongoing as I am still learning every day; but I am enjoying every bit of being a teacher and the challenge the role brings.
