It is funny how your focus can change

It has been 5 years since I was last in a classroom

5 years since I was last immersed in education

Part of a teaching and learning team

I am getting ready to go back to school and I am so excited

I have loved, I do love, being a Mummy

But my goodness I have missed education

I had forgotten how passionately I feel about teaching and learning

I had forgotten this other side of me

The teacher me

Professional me

I have been reading back through work I did as a teacher

And I barely recognise me

But as I read and find old materials

I am slowly putting the pieces back together

And remembering me

Teacher me

I am so glad to be getting her back

I am so looking forward to reconnecting with education

Being part of a team working hard to do good

I am glad to have that part of me back

Remembering where I have come from

And imagining where I might go

This is a glimpse of teacher me

I quite like the sound of her!

Do you?

I am an enthusiastic, passionate, committed and creative teacher. I am a dedicated subject leader. Within my present role I have; supported colleagues, attended regular courses, monitored planning, teaching and children’s work, analysed SATs and optional SATs data, written subject development plans, completed budget bids and ordered resources. I have also run INSET training and staff meetings for my curriculum areas. However, I feel there is more to education than just the curriculum subjects, for example I believe we should develop team-work, listening skills, reasoning skills, decision-making, courage, patience, self-belief, understanding and forgiveness, to name but a few. I believe very strongly in developing the whole child and in giving them the skills they need to develop into a responsible young adult.

I am now in my fourth year of teaching. I love all the different aspects of my job and relish the challenges that they present to me on a daily basis. No two days are the same and that is one of the many, many things I love about teaching.

During my four years in school I believe that I have made a real difference to the children that I teach and I feel that I have made valuable contributions to the teaching teams at xxx and xxx. I would like to share with you some of my proudest achievements during my teaching career and would be happy to elaborate on any of these points at interview.

Coordinated, marked and moderated Year 2 SATS

Produced and directed the KS1 Nativity Production

Supported a struggling NQT during my own NQT year including observing lessons, team teaching, assisting with planning and assessments

Run various lunch time clubs including Punctuation Patrol, Reading Room, Computer Art

Run a range of after school ICT Clubs for all age groups including animation, computer art and web design

Developed, planned and taught a World Cup Cross Curricular Enrichment Programme for KS1

Planned And taught a KS1 ICT Day as part of a cluster based G&T Enrichment Week

Took 6 x Year 5 G&T writers to Crabble Mill in Dover to take part in a literacy and ICT project with appx 20 other schools from across Kent

I short listed, interviewed and appointed ICT Technician with the Headteacher

Developed use of ICT Suite for lessons, clubs, school newspaper and for Christmas Bizarre – emailing Father Christmas

Led Gifted and Talented INSET morning for all teaching and support staff

Organised and led various ICT staff meetings including: Exploring animation, Podcasting, maximising the school website, embedding ICT across the curriculum, Internet Safety

Trialled, evaluated and promoted the use of a range of strategies for creating challenge in the primary classroom

Reported back to Governors about ICT and Gifted and Talented

Written new policies for my subject areas

Organised school newspaper trip to the Kent Messenger Offices

Run the school newspaper

Organised trips to Tyland Barn and Leeds Castle, and this term Dover Victorian Festival

Multicultural Week

Arranged for our school to be part of the Bubble Blowing World Record Attempt

Carried out a parent talent survey in order to target support in the classroom in different curriculum areas and encourage parents to run lunch time and after school clubs

Attended Cluster Moderation Meetings for KS1 SATs

In conjunction with ICT Technician led a Parent Meeting / Workshop re ESafety

Led parent meetings / workshops relating to KS SATs

Involved with development of new school website

Organising and managing ICT Support staff from local IT Support Company when we had no full time technician

This year producing and directing whole school performance of Alice in Wonderland

Organised Book Day and visit by author Stewart Ross for the whole school

Run a reading workshop for parents with Stewart Ross

Experience of teaching a class with a high level of learning difficulties – 1/3 of my current class are SA or SA+

Extended resources in ICT Suite and liaised with ICT Technician to ensure smooth running of all school ICT

Kent Learning Zone training levels 1 and 2 – feel able to confidently train others to use KLZ and would enjoy the challenge of setting up school and class sites

Working closely with County ICT Advisors on projects such as Weather Watch, DIG IT and SCE Video Conferencing

Responsibility for performance management of KS2 teaching staff and support staff

Run a range of clubs including Creative Writing and Animation

Children in my class have entered and achieved prizes in a range of competitions including The Big Green Poetry Machine, BBC Off By Heart Poetry Competition and the Kent TV Animation competition

I have led INSET in our small school collaborative on Video Conferencing and organised a Video Conference between local Y6 classes linked to the Myst Project

Undergone a successful OFSTED and Section 48 inspection

Described by OFSTED as a ‘strong and supportive key stage leader’.

Together with a colleague set up a Paired Reading Initiative and Learning Mentors / Target Time between our Y5/6 and Y1/2 classes

Worked together with National Trust Education Officers on a Guardianship Project. Our children have a vegetable plot in the castle gardens where we grow produce and then sell it at the Farmers’ Market. As part of this project we visit the castle regularly throughout the school year and carry out a range of cross curricular activities.

Have written and directed Y6 Leavers’ Service selecting appropriate materials for Church service

Brought in specialist visitors to support class work – animation workshops, Nuns to talk about pilgrimage to Lourdes, ICT experts to lead sessions on Video Conferencing and Podcasting

Developed an understanding of Guy Claxton’s Building Learning Power and how this can be applied in the classroom

Supported Cluster Year 6 Transition Project with xxx School

These bullet points give a brief outline of some of the things I have done over the past few years, what I hope my enclosed personal statement will do is give you an idea of the things I believe and an overview of what I hope you would be able to see and feel within my classroom. As a teacher everything I do is for the children in my care, in my class and in my school, and indeed the community around. I want to enable children to fulfil their potential by developing a love of learning and promoting good self esteem. I want to encourage children to become responsible, independent people, who are able to look at and think deeply about the world around them. I hope to develop a positive sense of moral responsibility and self-discipline. I try to develop spiritual awareness and an awe of the universe. I endeavour to make a difference.