Jodie Morris - Bachelor of Education
The abundance of support given to us all throughout the duration of the course has really helped me to be successful
”Background
Following the completion of my 'A' Level studies in English Literature and PE at the age of 18 I was very confused about which step I should take next. 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 felt I needed a break from learning and exams. I 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. Once I had my son at the age of 22 I began to re-evaluate my life and realised I was extremely un-happy in my job and I realised I had become a shadow of the bubbly, self-motivated person I once was. 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.
The change
I 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 many new friends who have a similar outlook on life as me, some of which are also currently studying at Derby University.
The University of Derby
I first visited the University of Derby when I attended an interview for my place on the course and I can honestly say I immediately felt welcomed and at home. All the staff I met on the initial day from the teaching team on the course to the café workers were exceptionally friendly and very friendly. The positive experience made me feel confident to decide that Derby was the right learning environment for me and I knew I would be able to succeed in such a 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. The abundance of support given to us all throughout the duration of the course has really helped me to be successful in both the academic challenges we have faced and in my teaching practice over the past three year's something which terrified I was terrified about at the start of the course.
Highlights
The picture on the right was taken at 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 so far. I started my second year feeling extremely nervous about working with children who have English as an additional language as I knew my second year 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 through the deep and meaningful learning journey I undertook have become much more confident in my teaching practice as well as a much more resilient person which, I feel will help me to become a better teacher in a year's time when I become an NQT with my first class.
