My higher education journey : Sara

Sara is a former recipient of Walsall College’s Jack Broomhall Award for student achievement.  The award recognised her initiative, willingness to support her peers and overall dedication to her studies.  Her drive and commitment was seen by everyone when she attended her higher education awards ceremony for a BA Hons for Business, while already well into a teacher training course.

As her teaching career gets underway at Walsall College, she explains why building on her industry knowledge and teaching experience is more important than ever.

I expected my graduation ceremony to be about catching up with my friends, classmates and teachers.  Receiving an award was a big shock.  Although an exciting one.

Studying has always come naturally to me.  I’m one of those people who see the library as a second home.

I always wanted to be in a role where I was helping others.  Maybe even inspiring them.

This is something I mentioned to my business lecturer in my final year.  He told me about the Post Graduate Certificate in Education and it sparked my interest.

Over this last year, I’ve been experiencing classroom and online teaching.  In both cases,

I’ve taken the time to expand on my knowledge and engage with all my learners.  I’m always conscious of sharing the right information and applying examples in the right way.

My mentor and my teaching course lecturers give me lots of helpful advice.  There’s also a big professional development programme available to the college’s teaching staff.

I’m becoming more confident in how I carry myself and in the way I deliver lesson activities.

I’ve valued everything the college has been offering me as a higher education student.  Support whenever I needed it and study resources available ahead of time.  And lecturers took the time to get to know you personally.  It’s not as easy to get all these things when you’re in a university.

A few years from now, I hope to be a lecturer with a full teaching schedule.  Having a good student-teacher relationship is important to me.  I hope I’m strict and friendly.  While of course, helpful and inspiring.