James Harrington
Why did you decide to train as a teacher?
Teaching has always been a career I feel like I would enjoy working in. I find a lot of pleasure in helping others succeed, especially in mathematics.
Why did you choose to train with the University of York?
I did my undergraduate here in York so I had already been here for a few years and it is an amazing place to study. On top of that, I have friends who did their PGCE here last year and they all absolutely loved the course. So the University of York was the obvious place to train!
What have been particular highlights of your training so far?
Working in the classroom has been by far the biggest highlight. After a long day, it is such an amazing feeling seeing the work you put into a pupil paying off and they've learned something new. On top of this, all of the staff are brilliant! Everyone has their own gold nuggets of advice and I feel help is always there if I need it.
What advice would you give to current University of York undergraduates in your subject area who are thinking of teaching and considering doing their training at York?
Definitely get some experience in the classroom before you start the course. Having a rough idea of what working in a school is like makes settling into placement school a lot easier. YSIS is a great idea; I would definitely recommend doing some placements before you graduate.
James Harrington
PGCE Mathematics
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