Frances Taylor

NAME Frances Taylor
SCHOOL Birch Copse Primary School LOCAL AUTHORITY West Berkshire AREA OF WORK
Primary education
QUALIFICATIONS MA French, Glasgow University (2008); PGCE primary with French, Institute of Education, University of Reading (2009)

It was while doing voluntary work as a student classroom helper that I realised I liked working with children so much I wanted to make a career of it. I travelled south to England to train, due to the wider job opportunities and the government’s strategy for modern foreign languages.

Time management skills are key to a teaching career

I teach for four school days a week and spend half a day on NQT training and half a day on planning, preparation and assessment (PPA time). I use my PPA time to plan my lessons, then adapt them throughout the week depending on the children’s progress. Marking is done in my own time for between 30 minutes and two hours a day. I would like to get involved in extra-curricular activities and clubs in the future, but at the moment I am concentrating on settling into my teaching career.

Make time to be creative and ask for support

I have quickly learned that the induction period is all about learning to prioritise – there’s simply not enough time in the day and it’s a myth that a teacher’s work ends at 3.15 pm! I have also discovered that I am more creative than I first thought and enjoy making learning fun for the children by getting them off their seats to do drama or play outside. My top tip for NQTs is to never feel you have to go it alone or be afraid to ask for help – make the most of support from more experienced teachers.