Sarah Hessing

Name: Sarah Hessing 
School: Ferryhill Primary School 
Local authority: Aberdeen 
Area of work: Early years provision
Qualifications: BSc environmental sciences, University of East Anglia (1999); primary PGCE, University of Dundee

I used to be an outdoor instructor in Aberfoyle and spent a couple of years working at the UK Sailing Academy on the Isle of Wight. It was a great lifestyle but I needed to find full-time work and I thought that I would enjoy teaching. The pay is much better and the holidays are fantastic! Applying for the course turned out to be a good move as I really enjoy it. The PGCE year is really hard work but there is a rewarding job at the end of it and good support available during the probationary year.

Teaching in a nursery in Scotland

I work in the nursery class. My job involves planning, teaching,marking, assessing and reporting. The pastoral aspect is also very important – looking after young children and helping them to learn how to get on with on another. I have 22.5 hours contact time per week.

I think the most important skills in this job are patience and caring about what you do and for the children. It is particularly important to lead by example with this age group as you have so much influence. You also need to be flexible, as things change by the minute, and to work well as part of the school team.Young children are physically demanding and tend to want everything right now. They also have a love for learning, are eager to please and absorb information, change quickly and delight in the world, so are very rewarding to work with.