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How I did it
How I did it
Judges described him as ‘exceptionally gifted’, his head says his teaching is ‘electric’. The Teacher talks to NUT member and Assistant Head Nathan Kemp, winner of the 2012 Pearson Teacher of the Year award.
I started teaching at Tollgate Primary School in Newham, east London, six years ago when in the final teaching placement of my BEd primary degree.
I always wanted to be a primary school teacher and completed my four-year degree in Plymouth, my home town.
Tollgate is in one of the most disadvantaged areas of the country and 70 per cent of our 460 pupils do not have English as a first language. Pupils share 48 different mother tongues between them. We are currently working with other local schools on a project to help vulnerable pupils close the attainment gap.
At Tollgate we don’t put any additional barriers in front of the children. We believe our children have something valuable to offer the world when they are older. We work exceptionally hard as a school staff, ensuring that the standard of teaching and learning is at its highest. We want to make every lesson count.
The school ethos is to create a classroom that celebrates the children’s work with pride and admiration. We show the learning surrounded by 3D and awe-inspiring displays. These allow the children to see how proud we are of them. Children feel they have helped to create the room where they will be for that particular academic year.
The Teaching Awards were absolutely phenomenal. It would be easy to say they have had a massive impact on my life/career, but to be honest it has just made me a more refl ective practitioner. I haven’t got carried away by the accolade, as the real honour is representing the effort made by every citizen of our Tollgate family.
My professional plans are to stay at Tollgate. I have seen the school grow from my NQT year to now, and want to continue to have an impact on the future of the school. It’s a great place and I love it dearly.
I think teachers should take every opportunity given to them. Teaching is a rewarding profession, and if you want to have an impact on those that are the most important (the adults of the future) then this is the best career to be in.
If you are having doubts about being a teacher, volunteering at a school can soon give you a good idea of what to expect. I truly believe that passion is the most important factor to becoming an effective teacher. If you have passion it allows you to be your own critic and enthusiastic silent partner, leading you to explore different ways to deliver lessons to your pupils in the most effective way.