Harry
- Subject area
- Teacher Education
I chose the Loughborough Mathematics PGCE because the teaching was informed by the latest educational research and best practice. Loughborough's green, conveniently located campus was another major attraction for me. It offers a welcoming learning environment with plenty of opportunities to get involved in student life, as there is something for everyone.
One aspect that sets the Loughborough PGCE apart is the strong foundation it provides in subject knowledge and a broad range of practical teaching skills including lesson planning, behaviour management, task design and delivering effective explanations. During the course, students also have opportunities to visit schools, observe lessons and work with small groups of pupils. This gradual introduction to the classroom helps build confidence and develop practical experience before taking on greater teaching responsibilities. In addition, being able to apply what we learned directly in the classroom strengthened my understanding and helped me feel more prepared and confident as a teacher. Another valuable skill I developed was the ability to reflect critically on my practice. The PGCE instilled a mindset of continuous improvement and encouraged me to explore new ways of supporting my students and enhancing their learning.
During my studies, I received strong support from my tutors, who were approachable and supportive throughout. I always felt comfortable reaching out for guidance, whether I had a question about University work or my school placement.
If you are considering training to become a Mathematics teacher, I would highly recommend Loughborough. The PGCE in Mathematics gave me the best possible start to my teaching career and I am incredibly grateful for the experience. I often hear teaching colleagues reflecting on their teacher training experiences and those who trained at Loughborough consistently speak highly of the programme. It's common for teachers to discuss a strategy or technique they have recently discovered and I frequently found myself thinking, "we covered that during the PGCE at Loughborough."
Although I had some previous experience teaching in a SEND school before starting the PGCE, standing in front of a class of Year 9 students for the first time was definitely nerve-racking. To be honest, the second and third lessons felt much the same but the support you receive whilst on placement is excellent and makes those first teaching experiences much easier to navigate.
One of the most important things I learned was that your early lessons do not need to be perfect. It is completely normal to feel nervous and make mistakes. The key is to learn from each experience, build your confidence over time and recognise that becoming an effective teacher is a gradual process. By the end of my first placement, I felt I had become fairly confident in many aspects of teaching. However, I quickly realised there was still a great deal to learn. Every school and class is different and every student brings their own unique needs and experiences.
During my second placement, I was teaching a particularly challenging class, which meant I had to rethink and adapt my behaviour management strategies. At times, this was difficult but it proved to be one of the most valuable learning experiences of the course. Thankfully, my placement mentor provided excellent support and guidance throughout. By the end of the placement, I had worked hard to build positive relationships and improve behaviour within the class. It was incredibly rewarding to feel that I had made a genuine difference, not only to some students' progress in mathematics but also to their engagement and behaviour in lessons.
Loughborough's strong sense of community helped us build close friendships and I am still friends with many of the people I met during my PGCE. Simple things, such as meeting for a coffee between seminars, created opportunities to connect and get to know one another. Those relationships became especially valuable during our placements, as we were able to support and encourage each other throughout the year. We also had the opportunity to attend the Teaching Mathematics Conference through the University. It was a fantastic experience to share together and gave us the chance to network with teachers and education researchers, as well as learn about the latest developments in teaching and learning.
After I graduated from the PGCE in July 2024, I decided to continue my studies at Loughborough by undertaking the Research Project in Education (Mathematics) master's programme. My experience on the PGCE was so positive that it inspired me to stay on and continue learning from the lecturers and mentors who had supported me throughout the course.
The master's programme complimented my PGCE perfectly, allowing me to specialise in effective communication techniques while developing my research skills and further enhancing my teaching practice. My research focused on questioning in the classroom, which gave me a deeper understanding of a specialist area of teaching.
I completed my master's thesis alongside working full-time as a Mathematics teacher, which was not always easy. There were times when being motivated to study was hard but looking back at a completed thesis now fills me with a real sense of pride.
I am so pleased that I chose to pursue a career in teaching at Loughborough, as it has given me the knowledge, skills and confidence to make a meaningful contribution in the classroom. What I enjoy about teaching are the moments where you feel a huge sense of pride. For example, seeing students open their results on results day and hearing them thank you for the support you provided. This is particularly meaningful when you have invested significant time in helping your students, whether in lessons or through additional support after school and you can see the positive impact that effort has had on their success.