Financial capability - students

I'd wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember so always knew I needed A Levels to go to university. I'd originally planned to work with primary school children as I felt with this age group I could really make an impact on their educational development, while I knew secondary students were more challenging!

In my last year of A Levels I decided to volunteer one day a week at a local school in a year one class to find out what teaching is really like, and to get some experience that I could add to my CV. I figured this would help on my personal statement for UCAS applications, as well as on my CV for any future jobs I apply for.

At the school I was working in, there was a child who was deaf and needed extra support with his reading and writing skills. I spent a lot of time with him on this and learnt how physical, emotional and learning difficulties can impact on a child's development.

The experience was really great, and also made me realise that I wanted to work specifically with children who have learning difficulties. I was grateful for the learning opportunity as I wouldn't have realised I wanted to specialise in this area of teaching without volunteering.

I have enrolled on a Special Needs and Inclusive Education degree so that I can develop my skills prior to starting my teacher training. It was the best career decision I could have made!

Activity:
Thinking about your choosen career, research what qualifications you need and what additional skills might help you improve your job prospects.

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