Opening the Door to Teaching - Naomi Chapman-Cotter

Opening the Door to Teaching

When Naomi joined NITE in September 2024, she brought over twenty years’ experience in primary teaching and four as a headteacher.

As a headteacher, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some truly extraordinary colleagues: support staff, coaches, and classroom assistants, whose passion for education is undeniable. Many of them have often expressed a deep desire to take the next step… to become teachers themselves. Yet, for many, the path into teaching can seem out of reach, especially while juggling family commitments or studying while still working within a school.

Moving from Support Staff to Teacher

I’m excited to be part of the team developing the new undergraduate course in education, specifically designed with these dedicated individuals in mind. It’s more than just a qualification! It’s a carefully crafted route into teaching for both those who already work in schools, or those with a desire to be a teacher and who have a school ready and able to support them. While developing the course, I am thinking about the talented individuals who love the learning environment, who share the successes in the classroom and who make a difference to pupils. This course is rooted in real classroom experience.

Feeling Nervous About Teaching? You're Not Alone

Being worried about taking the leap is totally normal, and it’s a concern I have mentored many trainee teachers to overcome. Teaching involves a mix of theory, self-reflection, and real-world application, which can feel overwhelming at first. Here are some practical tips to help ease the anxiety:

1. Start with a Growth Mindset
   Approach the course as a chance to learn and grow, not to be perfect. Teaching is a skill developed over time, not overnight. Remember, teachers are always learning, evolving, and adapting, both for their pupils and for themselves.
2. Engage
   Don’t be afraid to ask questions or join discussions. You’ll find many others are feeling the same way, and collaboration helps build understanding, develop ideas, and build confidence. Effective teaching is rooted in collaboration and teamwork - there is a whole community to engage with who can support your journey into teaching!
3. Relate It to Real-Life Situations
   When you study theories or strategies, connect them to real classrooms you’ve been in or situations you have observed. Experiences outside the school environment can be of equal value. This makes the academic content more meaningful and less abstract.
4. Remember Why You Chose This Path
   Keep your motivation in the forefront of your mind. Whether it’s a love of learning, a desire to help pupils, or a personal goal, remind yourself why you’re taking the course.
5. Be Patient with Yourself
   You don’t need to be the perfect teacher on day one - and with almost 25 years of teaching experience, I am certainly not perfect! Be patient with yourself and reach out when you need help and support. You will have support from your school, peers on the course, and the university course team!
6. Time Constraints
   We’ve designed the program to be flexible, supportive, and deeply connected to school life. The aim is to bridge the gap between aspiration and qualification, offering a clear, achievable way to transition into teaching without having to step away from the pupils and school you already love.

How Can Schools Benefit?

For school leaders, it’s a unique opportunity to grow talent from within and to invest in those who form the heartbeat of our schools. I was always eager to observe and interview the trainees we had on placement. Not just because the school had already invested in their training, but because they were already aware of the key fundamentals and aims of the school. They were already part of the community and, therefore, had built important relationships, understood the school culture, and knew practical things like how the curriculum builds, what happens at lunch, and how we ensure pupils’ safety.

But more than that, I loved sharing a classroom and my expertise with a trainee and watching them grow from trainee to teacher to mentoring others! Emma, the last trainee I mentored before I joined NITE, was a breath of fresh air for my own teaching. Her research, knowledge of current theories and pedagogy, fresh ideas, enthusiasm, and drive to improve made my own teaching better! She valued the mentorship that a school-based route provided, and most importantly, she’s still an excellent educator who continues to hold the same values.