A month into this autumn term, a fresh first-year lecturer talks about lessons learned, things that have worked, or not, in class and the unexpected pressures and rewards of teaching sociology to 16-18s and beyond.
However much I prepared and expected, apprehension was always there during my initial weeks as a college teacher. I had mixed emotions. I knew about the workload and went in with my eyes open. I was also buoyed up by the fact I’d proved myself a strong communicator after several years’ teaching people how to scuba dive - an activity where communication is essential for people’s safety. And I’d taken on a wide variety of job roles, including several years in large-scale conference/events management where, again, liaising and communications skills were essential to get shows on the road - one day it could be dealing with 600 African ladies from the Congo and then a boxing match the day after . . .
Some people might think my approach in class is a bit unusual - I treat my classes as almost ‘democracies’ - “We’re all equal in this room,” I’ve told my students. “Please don’t think just because I’m standing at the front that I am somehow above you.” My college serves a socially and economically deprived area so maybe some students find formal education a bit alien. I see myself as the person who welcomes them and gets them up and running.
From my very first lesson, what I hadn’t expected was the sheer burden of responsibility I began to feel towards my students, many of whom had to attain certain grades to progress in their chosen careers. What I did impacted greatly on other people’s lives and nothing could have prepared me for that - something some people may not consider when thinking about an FE career.
My background has helped me settle in and build rapport with the students. Six years ago I too had taken the same course at the same college as a mature student. I’m also from a working-class background which has guided my approach to icebreaking in the first week of term.
Early on I helped learners find a voice as many will not have had a very positive educational background or had much confidence instilled in them. My priority was to enable them to feel at ease and find their voice as they would need to speak for themselves during their course.
In our first session, I’d get them to introduce the person next to them; in the next, I’d urge them to say something positive about themselves and then in the third - and because I’m teaching psychology - I’d ask them to speak again but this time reflect for a minute on what they wanted to say before speaking. I would, for instance, ask new students to give me a fun fact about themselves, and tell me what they do and something about their background.
We’d draw up a five-year timeline on a whiteboard detailing where they were now through to when they might graduate with a degree. I’ve told them not to expect to be the finished article just three weeks into their studies. It’s all about managing expectations. So far, student feedback has been positive.
I have also had two teaching observations in the form of ‘learning walks’ - someone turns up at a lesson unannounced and observes your teaching - but nothing has been highlighted that has needed my attention. The walks are not, anyway, designed to be judgmental but aim to build up and develop teaching skills.
Two things that take up so much of my time are administration and understanding new IT systems, which I currently often have to spend many late weekday evenings catching up on. Sadly, both areas have never been my strengths - although our trainers wrongly seem to assume they should be. So I have to work on them which means that since taking this job I have not yet taken a single day off from personal development and catchup work I undertake to keep my head above water and fulfil my teaching duties.
I’m working around 60 hours a week in college and at home, though I’m currently only contracted to do 21 hours. My timetable seems as busy as most teachers, but you have to put the hours in during your first year. This week, for instance, after getting home about 5pm, I had a meal and worked till 10-11pm every day.
Last weekend I got up at 6am and didn’t finish all the tasks I had to do till 8pm on Saturday, although Sunday was a bit lighter. Here though I admit this is not just a job to me - I’m not here for the money - it is about responsibility. For now, I’m keen to go the extra mile. Then I’ll find my feet and hopefully rein in the number of hours I’ve been working. I have to admit this is the first time in my life I have ever worked in an office environment. I’m also dyslexic so I do take longer to fully work through problems.
But the rewards are special. Every day when the penny drops with someone and lightbulbs go on, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever experienced. One of my classes two weeks in was not quite there on one topic so I spent a whole evening struggling to think how I could communicate things better next time around. Though the lesson was pre-structured, I deviated slightly from what I’d been doing. We had a five-hour session spread across a day, and two hours in I was still wondering if I’d judged it right. An hour later the pennies started dropping, the students started engaging with each other and I could hear that what they were saying was absolutely spot on - it was so rewarding! And a huge relief as I’d used up all the weapons in my as yet small teaching armoury.
I’ve also had to manage my own expectations. I’ve been amazed by the work rate of colleagues and what they can physically get done in a week. My mentors’ workload is far greater than mine but whenever I’ve approached anyone with a problem, no one has said they are too busy to help. Teamwork may be just a buzzword in some institutions but the culture of teamwork genuinely exists in our department.
Anything I would do differently? Content in social science can be a bit close to home for some people and in one particular lesson I wish now I had given my students a much stronger warning of working on material that might risk upsetting or victimising somebody. I should have asked anyone affected to feel free to leave class for a few minutes if they found anything difficult that we’d be discussing. Marital rape, suicide . . . I’d no idea what my students might have experienced. But I am now very much aware of this going forward.
I’d encourage those considering teaching in FE to prepare to be unprepared - even if you think you have got all your ducks in a row. You can do as much background work as you like but things can shift round in lessons. But rest assured - you do get quicker at working; I’m now twice as fast as I was when I started just four weeks ago. It’s where all that initial late evening and weekend working can make all the difference.
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