Page 40: The End of BA2

 Page 40: The End of BA2 ...

Writing this, it stuns me how we are already here. As I begin to pack my bags heading into my final year of university and teacher training, I felt a no more perfect time to reflect and briefly sum up a fantastic year. BA2 is over, and I am now a third year training teacher, on that final step of my journey to that end point I have been striving towards for so long. With out a doubt, it has been a whirlwind of a year - I personally believe this will be a stand out year I will never forget. From starting the university year in person, to 2 more national lockdowns, catching COVID, the best placement to finally achieving my first first in an assignment, something I had been striving and tried so hard for throughout all of my training, what could be said as a slow and daunting start of the year, could not have ended any better! I also have to note how we have made it to page 40! 40 posts, tips, experiences and reflections shared, alongside my 'teachergram' @_missyeoman the platform I have began to build, I am proud and passionate for. I really am looking forward to furthering this throughout my last year of training and then into my career!

So lets start with September! It was a strange start to the year, we all very much knew we were in a state of pandemic, coming out of our first national lockdown, even making it back to university seemed the impossible. Starting with a mixture of in person and online learning, we were starting to establish what we believed was that famous phrase 'the new normal'. As patterns were forming, started working on my first assignment, I caught COVID. It was a challenging time, as I talked in surrounding posts, I struggled with my assignment at the time, as well as feeling a guilt for making my university group have to switch to online learning from in person, as I knew how much to me like fellow trainee teachers how the in person sessions were vital to our training and development. As always, everything works out and happens for a reason, I was proud of my desire and dedication to my studies whilst unwell to achieve a good grade under the circumstances. From here, we continued learning, delving into a range of units as we entered another national lockdown, converting fully to online learning. This was not just challenging for us, but the tutors too. We were all learning, adapting and becoming more confident in this way of education. It wasn't easy, and I think any student would say over these past two years, we would have liked some of our university time back, being adaptive and flexibility we demonstrated through responding to the constant government changes and requirements, allowed us to further develop those skills so vital for teaching. I love education, learning and teaching so I throughly enjoyed researching a range of areas from key educational theories, theorists, groups of pupils and curriculum areas, to further develop my interests and understadning, incorporating so into my writing and then my practice. This is something I really noticed when we FINALLY got to start our placement in February. I was able to draw from my wider reading and understadning to supplement my understadning of pupils, teaching and pedagogy, and continue to do so throughout placement.

PLACEMENT! wow. My time spent on placement this year was incredible, every day I felt so grateful that I was in the lucky position I was, having the ability to teach our most youngest and impressionable learners as I was in the EYFS. When I initially got allocated my placement I was scared and nervous. I had never experienced teaching early years before and I did not know what to expect. Following my BA1 placement in year 6, it could not have been more different and my expectations were all over the place. After that first day, all those worries, nerves and unexpectedness were thrown out the window! I loved it. Teaching and having the ability to shape and learn alongside these youngest pupils setting them on their path for their education and lifetime is incredible. I felt and still feel so lucky for being able to share my passion for learning in this way, and provide these opportunties for the pupils. So where placement begin.When placement started, it was at the hight of the second wave of the pandemic. I was teaching with a bubble of 12 and I had the best time. Working with this smaller group allowed me to form strong relationships quickly, build a foundation with these learners and teachers and allowed me to really find my feet in the EYFS. I blended into routine and started teaching small group sessions, so on that day in March, when schools finally reopened and we had our full class - I was ready and confident. Through a range of observations both from my mentors and SLT I was further developing my teaching in the EYFS, as well as getting to grips with tailoring continuous provision both indoor and outdoor too. I taught lessons that I was proud of and I really became part of the school team and community. When this first block ended at the Easter holidays, I was gutted and counted down to getting to return to Miss Yeoman in June!

After the Easter break, I returned to university and it was slightly a struggle. It was great to share placement experience, tips and and stories with our peers. However, I was at such a high and positive point from placement, and it was time to get back to university and to our evaluating unit - the one I found the most interesting but also the most challenging. Knowing I would be back to school , and teaching again soon, I cracked on to produce my best and most proud assignment - ending the year when I got my results for this research paper with a grade of 75/100, my first first! I decided to base my research project on pupils with autistic spectrum disorder and how teachers incorporate these pupils into mainstream learning and whole class routine. I throughly enjoyed producing and working on this piece and it is defiantly a passion area of mine I would like to research and explore more through my studies and practice.

Last assignment wrote, I was back to school. I was so excited. The second I walked in I felt I had never left, greeted by a sea of pupils as happy to see me as I was the see them! I slotted straight back into teaching, and on this section of placement really focused on my planning and delivery of phonics, for a range differentiated groups throughout the class. However, with COVID restrictions at this point beginning to ease, rates were rising, which resultantly caused many bubble closures - for me it was two. Alongside the staff and students, we were devastated to have to isolate and switch to learning online, I missed teaching the pupils face to face and learning from them and my mentors, however, through this resulting online learning, I was really able to develop my teaching and pedagogy further. I produced a daily high quality phonics lessons covering all areas from nursery rhymes and songs, alliteration, FRED talking, learning simple sounds and handwriting. I also posted a daily story time, sharing key stories suitable for the EYFS that I cherished and loved from my own childhood and had happened to bring to university with me, in the hope to get to share the passion and love with my students! The pupils responded well, and it was extremely rewarding when parents would send in videos of their children engaging and participating to the sessions. Through working online, responding and communicating with parents, I was able to form stronger connections with parents - a vital and integrally important role as a teacher! It was reaffirming to me, that I could do it and was in control and I am being that teacher I have always desired to become. We finally returned to school, where I taught, observed and 'played' more. This placement experience was fantastic for me and I really fell in love with teaching EYFS. I am excited to hopefully return to teach Early Years in my career and sharing and shaping the start of children's educational journey. I decided to stay until the end of term and volunteer at my school continuing to develop both my teaching and learning. The opportunities given to me through my school were incredible, and has really shaped to where I am today. An example of so was being able to attend the schools camping trip. I had the best 4 day 3 night adventure, consisting of hiking, swimming, campfire singing and much more. The relationships I was able to build with the students on the trip, and the life lessons I had the pleasure of being a part of that they will take for life, I will always remember.

Talking about placement and my time actually being Miss Yeoman I could talk and share my passion and enjoyment for, for ages, so I better sum up this very long reflection of BA2.

I generally cannot believe that this time next year, I will hopefully (officially) be Miss Yeoman, have a class and school of my own to be heading to start my NQT and early teaching journey. I have for sure talked enough, so I will just simply end today with a thank you! Thank you for supporting and being a huge part of my journey this year. Sharing and having the time to reflect and hopefully inspire or help at least one other person I have throughly enjoyed. Roll on third year, and closing my chapter to become ...

- Miss Yeoman