Noor Akbar

During my independent studies, I shadowed one of the SENCO teachers to find out more about the ways in which support is provided to children with special educational needs. I noticed the way in which the teachers' teaching style varied according to the children's needs allowing them to engage and make progress at a faster rate. During one of my observations, I witnessed the change in behaviour management when a child with ADHD was having difficulties focusing and kept calling out. Instead of giving warnings, the teacher took a different approach by maintaining calm and working with the child to get them to focus. This allowed me to witness the importance of identifying children particularly at KS3 and intervening to ensure that children of all abilities receive adequate support.

Working in the classroom assisted me in developing interpersonal skills, such as patience, building effective student relationships and the necessity of active listening. Also, the advance planning that was expected of me forced me to manage my time properly, indicating my readiness to tackle a higher workload to grow in my career. Working in a fast-paced atmosphere has taught me how to perform well under pressure, as a result, I am able to fulfil deadlines.

My A level choices have prepared me with skills such as time management skills, which will benefit my further education and work with young people. Doing English Literature has allowed me to learn key skills such as different social perspectives and analytical techniques as well as empathy which is needed in order to understand the author's perspectives and is also vital for caring for children