Manchester Metropolitan | 2.

6 wanted

Here at Manchester Metropolitan, we do everything that we can to support our undergraduate and
postgraduate teacher training students to secure their first job and to make sure that they've got that

newly qualified teacher post. And this year more than ever, there's been a nervousness amongst our
students about starting their first post and whether they're actually ready.

We work really closely with our partnership schools, and we've spoken to lots of head teachers, both

this year and in previous years, and they are always so excited to have new teachers coming onto

their staff. They bring an energy, a freshness, new ideas and just new ways of working to the schools.

And they really want them to be part of their staff. And this year, perhaps more so than ever, because
of some of the challenges that the schools are facing. And they've got to have whole new ways of

working in some situations.

So what I would say to you is try not to be nervous about starting your first post. The head teachers

are really looking forward to welcoming you to be part of the staff. And I think this year, there is
actually a learning curve for really experienced staff, as well as the new teachers. So it actually gives
a different proposition around working together with more experienced staff to come up with new

ways of working.

Your experience and your newness to the profession will bring a huge addition to that process.

Particularly because you will have an empathy around some of the experiences that the pupils may
have had themselves. So for example, you might have had your own placements cut short. You might

have had some of your learning at university switch to being online, which then means that you can
relate to some of those things that the pupils might have experienced. And so therefore, where

schools are trying to think about how they address the gaps, how they support those pupils to catch
up, you will actually be able to see it from their perspective, and perhaps actually bring some ideas

and some suggestions that schools might not have otherwise thought of.

That said, head teachers are fully aware that you may have had some gaps in your own courses,

yourselves. So you might have had placements cut short. You might not necessarily have had all the

classroom experience that previous new teachers have had. So don't ignore that. Think back to the

last time that you were on placement, the last conversations that you had with your mentors. What
were your targets? Where were your areas that you were working? Revisit those and be honest when

you start your new post and share those.

As we thought about in Week 1, there was a huge support network in a school of people who would

like to support you and help you in terms of developing your own experience and your own expertise.

And so when you actually know where those gaps are, then you can be pointed in the right direction
to get that support.

So the key message from this video is to think about, what are your strengths? What is your
experience? What are those new energies that you can bring to the school? But also, be honest.

Think about where are those potential gaps. Where are you most nervous? And then share those, so

that the school can help you to find the right support and to help you catch up, if that is something
that they think you need to do.