Archie's Teacher Training journey video transcript

[Throughout the video we see overlays of Archie teaching his year 4 class - in the classroom, on the playground. Archie sits in the school library from where he shares his story.]

Archie:

"After the three years I’d done at Derby, I was very prepared for my teaching, I knew what to expect as I walked through the doors as a class teacher, and I think I know now that in my heart I'm ready for this. It's what I want. It's what I've wanted for a long time, and I've worked for it for a very long time.

But now I'm feeling prepared and I know I'm ready for that next step. So I'm Archie Deakin. I studied BEd of Primary Education at Derby and I am a class teacher at Mosley Academy. So I applied for the University of Derby through clearing. And then when September came around to enrol, it was really seamless and really easy. I can't really fault the process to be honest.

Yeah, if you're not sure, you can look at the different courses that are available through clearing. And that's what I did. I always wanted to be a teacher, but I wasn't 100% sure. And then I saw that it was on clearing and I was like, absolutely. So yeah, I definitely recommend it. And then I started my course, and I've loved my course for the three years that I've done it.

I'm graduating at the end of this year. All of my lecturers were incredible. I was able to ask them any questions any time of day, and I'd always get an answer regardless of what the question was. I think all the staff are a credit to the University of Derby to be honest. The way that the uni had shaped the course is that we had lots of knowledge before we came on placement and then when we came onto placement, we could apply all of that directly into our placement schools.

That's what shaped me, I think, is that I had all that learning. I could put it straight into practice and lesson ideas and everything like that. Definitely boosted my confidence massively. I loved my placement. I can't fault any of my placements. I really, really enjoyed it and it's given me that experience in a classroom ready for when I qualify.

When I was offered my job, it was very early in the recruitment drive for teaching. I'd had a good placement and it was recognised by members of staff in this school. And to be honest, I feel really, really glad, really, really grateful to all of my lecturers and all of my previous mentors that I'm in this position I'm in now.

I'm working in a primary school, a very amazing primary school, I must say, working with an amazing staff team, and I'm teaching children every day and making an impact on their future. So I would say I'm probably already living my dream. To be honest, it's amazing and I love what I do every single day."

[We end on the University of Derby logo]

Archie's Teacher Training journey video

Back to Primary Education with Qualified Teacher Status (5-11) BEd (Hons)