Tim
Dawson

What inspired you to pursue a career in teaching?

"Most recently, I’ve been working in the Public Transport sector, including a number of years within Management – quite literally keeping the wheels turning!

Teaching has always been something to which I’ve aspired.  Indeed, when I was completing my Undergraduate degree, I was lucky enough to participate in a ‘Students in Classrooms’ scheme, which involved completing a work placement within a Secondary School in the City.  It was an overwhelmingly challenging environment with some wonderful colleagues and pupils, but Secondary teaching never felt right and for many years I never thought that teaching in a Primary School would be right for me.

I became a dad for the first time in 2023, and talking to one of my managers, who had been a Deputy Head of a Primary School, was talking to me about the challenges of bringing up boys – not to mention teaching a class full of them(!) – and it began to feel like something was falling in to place.  When we found out that my wife was expecting again, it just somehow felt like the time was right, and so I applied for the course and here we are!"

Why did you choose to study at NTU?

"I had graduated from NTU back in 2010 and I remained fiercely proud of the University as my alma mater.  The University has grown from strength-to-strength since that time, and the Teacher Training courses have long had a strong reputation for delivering great teachers – including many of my own!  The University’s network of partnerships with local Schools and Trusts was also highly appealing to me, as I knew that these partnerships would result in great mentoring, and professional learning."

What has been your experience of your course?

"The course has been superlative.  The opportunities within the year to deepen my understanding of subject knowledge and the best practice methods of imparting that to a classroom full of students are incredible and hands-on.  There’s been a lot of support from the staff and the University to develop things like reflective practice which has been hugely valuable both within my teaching practice and within my family life.

The structure of the course is really well crafted, meaning that we have gained an understanding of learning theory, and strategies for behaviour management really early on to support us in our early forays into our placement classrooms, whilst knowledge of other areas such as inclusion, working with families and SEND children have been built up throughout, with theoretical sessions being supported by experiences within placement Schools and beyond.

The assignments have been challenging but they’ve also helped us to consider aspects of learning theory, teaching and research which will continue to benefit us as teachers, and our learners for decades to come."

How did you find your placement experience?

"The placements have been incredibly rewarding, and I have been extremely lucky to be placed within two wonderful, diverse but extremely supportive Primary Schools in the Nottingham area.  Both Schools have had very different dynamics but I have been fortunate to have the support, not only from my incredibly supportive mentors, but also from the wider staff teams and leadership, who have been ever-ready to give advice and guidance, and with whom I’ve had some really encouraging professional conversations.
The connections between the University and the placement Schools has meant that feedback and target setting have been really well adapted to me individually, and I’ve been able to build my confidence and expertise as the year has progressed."

Do you have any memorable moments from your placements?

"During my placements, I’ve been lucky to be able to support my mentors with parents evenings.  These have provided a great insight into the wider responsibilities of teachers and have helped me to better understand the value and significance of having an effective channel of communication between home and School.  The impact for children of this relationship between parents and teachers is more significant than I’d ever expected, and that’s definitely something that I hope to build upon in my future career."

How did this course help you prepare for your time on placement?

"The structure of the course is really well designed, as knowledge is built in a sequential way which ensures that before we set foot in our placement Schools for the first time, we have an understanding of how children learn, how best-practice dictates the structure of lessons to ensure that learning is maximised, and – arguably most importantly – how to manage behaviour to avoid disruption and enable a positive and calm learning environment for all!

As the year progresses, subject knowledge and pedagogy are built with some excellent ideas to use with our own classes; whilst sessions on how best to plan sequences of learning to maximise learning are also built in a logical and progressive way."

What do you think of the support available from tutors and staff at NTU?

Did you find it easy to settle in at NTU? Do you feel like part of a community?