Meet Ryan, a Maths Teacher

When I was in Year 7, my school was in a TV series about a group of Teach First trainees. My science teacher, Miss Williams, was one of the group. I re-watched the programme during the Covid pandemic, and it reminded me that Teach First was one of the routes into teaching. Later, Teach First came to do a recruitment event at university, I spoke to one of the recruitment team, and I decided to apply. I now think of teaching as my calling.

I studied economics at university and did work experience at two finance firms. When I thought about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, I realised the finance industry was not for me at all.

While I was at university, I worked for the National Citizen Service as a team leader, at a summer camp for foreign students learning English, as an exam invigilator and, in my final year, when I could, I worked as a cover teacher. When I was teaching, I really wanted my own classes, with kids whose names I knew.

Teaching came naturally

It was having that independence that really attracted me to Teach First; trainees literally come straight out of university and start teaching their own lessons. The highlight of Summer Institute was the week I had in a local school, teaching a few episodes.

Come September, I don't remember my first lesson exactly. I don't even know who I taught but I do remember it was all positive. I had no anxiety standing in front of people, especially kids, because I had so much experience of doing it – it came quite naturally from the start.

Support from all fronts

During the programme you get support from all angles. Claire, my development lead, was incredible. She was so supportive and helpful. You could message her at any time and she would get back to you or jump on a call and support you. My initial teacher training coordinator at my employment school was also amazing – supportive and someone I can always go to for help and guidance. My school mentor guided me through my training year and is now a good friend. Of course, my mum helped me in so many ways, I would not be where I am today and have the confidence I do without her.

The challenges are worth it

One of the challenges was establishing myself at my employment school, allowing the pupils to get to know me and to show them my human side. All the while I was getting to know them and how they learn effectively.

In terms of the teaching, it was all about getting to know the scheme of work very quickly, especially for the GCSE content that I hadn’t covered recently. I wanted to ensure that I could teach to the highest standards possible.

At the start of my second year, a deputy head at school told me that, as a country, we ask less difficult questions of pupil premium pupils or ask them fewer questions in general. I was shocked by that. I thought of my own teaching and whether I did that subconsciously. I couldn't think of an occasion I had done that but have taken this information and used it to this year to make sure that I ask every pupil in my classroom questions in every lesson. I make sure that the difficulty is there as well, because I want to challenge and stretch all of them equally. I don't want anyone to be left behind.

Watching pupils grow

The most rewarding thing is seeing the progress my pupils make over a short period of time. With my now year 11s, seeing all their efforts showing up in their results or in their confidence or, even if it's not maths related, in their social life, for example. Seeing them grow and mature; some of them are completely different to when I first met them.

Miss Williams is an inspiration

"It was cool to see my school on TV, but even cooler that it was my own science teacher, and it really humanised all my teachers for me"

You saw their vulnerability on that programme. When you're little, you don't really think of a teacher as a person.

Miss Williams taught me in Years 7 and 8. I remember her being really strict. We share a similar educational background; going to a Russell Group university and everyone asking why we are going into teaching. If I met Miss Williams now, I would ask her how, all by herself, she overcame the challenges that were put in her way by other people. And about succeeding in a field that people don't necessarily strive towards.

Teach First trainees are different – in a good way

Teacher First trainees are, I think, very resilient people. They are people who have the determination to tackle educational inequality. Anybody fighting for that mission is going to do well for their pupils because of course they are there to teach the content effectively, but also to tackle the inequality. I think Teach First teachers are different. And different in a good way.