Jodie Morris - Bachelor of Education
The positive experience made me feel confident that Derby was the right learning environment for me and that I would be able to succeed in the supportive environment.
”Jodie is a mature student currently studying our Bachelor of Education and she is in her fourth and final year.
Before university
After completing A Level's in English Literature and PE at the age of 18 I was confused about which next step to take, I knew I wanted to teach but wasn't sure about which age group or which subject to specialise in and to be perfectly honest I needed a break from learning and exams. Also, at that point I doubted my ability to succeed at University which was partly due to the friendship circle I had. I also had a part time job in a well known retail shop and was known to be a hard worker which meant more and more hours were thrown my way. Experiencing earning a good wage for the first time felt rewarding and so I continued to work with the brand for the next five years working my way up to an assistant manager within the company.
Change of direction
Once I had my seven year old son at the age of 22 I started to re-evaluate my life and realised I was extremely unhappy in my job and I had become a shadow of the bubbly, self-motivated person I once was. I felt I had lost all my sparkle as well as my creativeness and determination to achieve at something I believed in. My confidence and self-esteem had hit an all time low which was partly due to knowing that I wasn't reaching my full potential. I felt if I didn't take the opportunity to chase my dream of teaching at this point in my life it would then be too late to and I would always regret it.
Applying for university
This was the best decision I have ever made and honestly I have never looked back! I broke free from everything that was holding me back and began an Access to Teaching course at my local college in September 2007 as a single mum. Completing the Access course was a great stepping stone into University and in turn a whole new life for me. It provided me with the confidence to apply to study at the University of Derby and also helped me to start believing in myself once again whilst I also made new friends who have a similar outlook on life as me some of which are also currently studying at Derby University.
I first visited the University of Derby when I attended an interview for a place on the course and I can honestly say I immediately felt at home. All the staff I met on that first day from the teaching team on the course to the café workers were all exceptionally friendly and very welcoming. The positive experience made me feel confident that Derby was the right learning environment for me and that I would be able to succeed in the supportive environment. I have found the open door policy the teaching team at Derby have is one of the biggest assets to the University as it really helps to know that you can knock on any door at almost any time of the day and speak to any one of the teaching staff about anything however big or small the problem is.
Highlights of the course
I chose to use the above photograph as it shows one of the many highlights I've had over the past couple of years. It was taken during an extra-curricular day which gave us an extra opportunity to work in conjunction with one of the many fantastic partnership schools. It was a Science learning day held at an Infant School which is based in the city centre of Derby and it reflects my biggest learning journey of last year. I started the year feeling nervous about working with children who have English as an additional language as I knew my placement would really challenge me in this field and I didn't want to fail the children. The placement certainly did challenge me and it was very hard at times but the deep and meaningful learning I undertook through exploring a whole range of different teaching strategies have made me much more confident in my practice as well as more resilient which I feel will help me become a great teacher in two years time when I qualify.
