Rowan Whitelock - Bachelor of Education
The whole staff team really understand that each student is an individual and work with you to build your confidence and competence
”Background
I have always worked with children in one capacity or another through paid or volunteer work such as Scouting and Guiding. After finishing A level's I wasn't ready to go straight to University and still needed to be sure about what path I wanted to take, even though I wanted to work with children I wasn't sure if teaching would be right for me so I worked within Childcare for three and a half years. It was in this time that I found my passion for being a part of children's development and sharing learning experiences with them, I then decided to take my career to the next level.
Going to University
Applying to University has been one of the best decisions I have made, I have enjoyed every moment within the B.Ed programme. The lecturers invest so much time in the students and the course, developing people both academically and professionally. My outlook has changed so much throughout my time at Derby and the lecturers have been there every step of the way. The whole staff team really understand that each student is an individual and work with you to build your confidence and competence, they have always made me feel well supported and a valued member of the 'B.Ed family'.
Opportunities at University
There are always opportunities to take advantage of, such as voluntary school experiences, opportunity to support and fundraise for charities and voluntary training workshops. One of the highlights over my time at the University of Derby has been taking an opportunity to do a voluntary 4 week placement in a Special Educational Needs school. This was never an area I had considered before University but this experience has definitely given me a fresh outlook on my future in teaching. I thought I'd be out of my depth but my school mentor and the class team while I was on placement were a fantastic support and really helped me build confidence to take risks and develop my own 'teaching style' within the classroom. The opportunity to work with children with a wide range of needs was a challenge, but extremely rewarding and confirmed to me there is nothing else I would rather do than teach. The excitement and enthusiasm children showed in response to lessons I planned and taught alongside the class team was a wonderful feeling that will stay with me always.
