What I wish I knew with Amy Jeffree

Did Amy always want to be a teacher? No. She did a degree in Fine Art with Art History and thought about going into museum and gallery education. But after university she volunteered in a school, the teaching bug bit, the classroom beckoned, and 6 years later she is still teaching and absolutely loving every minute of it ... well almost every minute.

In this podcast we talk about ...

• How training to teach was a baptism of fire but so enjoyable.
• The cyclical nature of schools means each year is highly motivating as there is always a new challenge.
• Why finding a school that matches your personality enables you to be the teacher you want to be.
• Setting up your classroom at the start of the year and getting the tables in just the right places is not easy!
• Winging it isn't a bad thing, it shows that you have developed into a confident, knowledgeable teacher and it is a key component of reducing workload as you become more experienced.
• What do you do when the hamster has escaped! Should I tell the Headteacher?
• The importance of coping with feelings of being overwhelmed not just accepting them as part of the job.
• How much credibility you gain with the children when you let a tarantula crawl on your head!
• Why creative chaos is not really chaos at all but essential for productive learning.
• The value of learning alongside the children when working in areas where they may have more knowledge than you, such as using certain Apps in computing.
• Realising every teacher has insecurities even if they don't show them and how essential it is to discuss yours with someone you trust who works in a school setting.