With this being one of my last diary entries for SecEd, I thought I would leave you with some of my highlights from being an NQT – and also some things to watch out for if you are about to take the NQT plunge this coming September.
My own groups
The first highlight of my NQT year was having my own groups. While teachers say in your training year “this is your group now”, you never really feel ownership over that group because you know you will only be with them for a few weeks.
Having a group all to yourself is great. You can set expectations and students know who you are and why you are there. Having this ownership of a group and getting to know them throughout the year is really rewarding. I have groups that I thought were going to be difficult to teach at the start of the year, but now I genuinely look forward to these classes.
A real teacher
The NQT year is great not least because students will now see you as a real teacher. It is lovely having some authority in school. There is a mutual respect when the students know you are a teacher at their school which sadly just isn’t there when you train.
This is even better with the new intake year 7. As far as they are concerned you have been at that school since time began and they will not see you as a new member of staff. This makes behaviour management and general school life a lot easier than it is during your training year.
Your own classroom
Another big plus about your NQT year is that you (hopefully) get your own classroom. I used to spend so much time in my training year finding somewhere quiet and organised to get my plans or lessons done.
It is great to have a space to call your own where you can arrange all your resources and items needed for the day/week/term.
For example, currently on the side in my room I have loads of revision resources so that if any student comes and asks for help with any module I can pull out the correct resource immediately. This time last year I would never have been able to be that organised, with work being instantly available. It is incredibly useful for the students and saves me loads of time.
Advice to new NQTs
There are a few things I would also watch out for during your NQT year. Things that I knew I would have to deal with but which I didn’t fully consider.
Taking over groups
The first piece of warning advice is about taking over groups from another teacher – this is especially difficult with year 11 groups and I have mentioned this before in my previous diary entries for SecEd.
They are set in their ways, can often feel deserted by their previous teacher who left at the end of summer and are used to how that teacher taught. I don’t think I had thought about this before I started in September and some days it was a real struggle. The groups can be really challenging and often dismissive.
The thing that I have learned this year is to always persevere. You have your expectations and you should never waver on these. Stick to your guns and make sure that they know how you teach and what you expect in your classroom.
By May I really enjoyed teaching my year 11 groups and was incredibly sad to see them go. But be prepared for the September mutiny when they appear at your door.
Tutor groups
I love having a tutor group and when I was told I would have my own this year I was really excited. However, I did not appreciate how much work being a tutor can be. I overlooked the issues that need to be followed up and the contact you need to be having at home. Sometimes in the school day a student will get a behaviour event that I have not witnessed, been a part of or even heard about, but I will still get an email from the head of year to chase it up with them the next time I see them.
This can take up a lot of your time and if you have one or two students in your form who often misbehave or have homework/detention issues it can become something of a nuisance. This is something I was unprepared for and I think I went into my tutor roll thinking that I would just need to take a register in the morning, but it is so much more...
Conclusion
Whether you are an NQT preparing, like me, for year two in September, or a trainee ready to start their NQT year, I wish you all the very best of luck!
- SecEd’s NQT diarist this year is a teacher of science from a school in the Midlands. You can find his previous diary entries at www.sec-ed.co.uk/blog
NQT Special Edition
This article was published as part of SecEd's NQT Special Edition on June 30, 2016. Published with support from the NASUWT, the Special Edition features eight pages of best practice and advisory articles aimed at NQTs as they come to the end of their first year of teaching, and trainee teachers as they prepare for NQT life in September. Download a free pdf of the Special Edition, via our Supplements page at www.sec-ed.co.uk/supplements or directly via http://bit.ly/290nqhD