James Townsend
Studied: Modern History – Oxford University
Joined: 2003
Taught: History and Music at Morpeth School, Bethnal Green, London
Now: Institute for Philanthropy
My main advice for anyone thinking of applying for Teach First is that you should like the idea of being a teacher – even if you only plan to do it for a limited time. It’s fine to see yourself moving on, but you have to have a vision of yourself in the classroom.
My motivation for joining Teach First was that I’d been really fortunate to have the education I’d had and I wanted to help some other people access that. And I found the newness, the challenge and the opportunity to explore other career paths very appealing. I had no clear idea of what I wanted to do in the long term and I thought this would give me an opportunity to gain some valuable experience and make a more informed decision.
I remember laughing a lot – there was no day when something wasn’t hilarious. The students are so full of energy and wit and that really helped me through when I was feeling especially challenged or tired, which happened a lot.
As soon as you go into your first lesson you have this sudden realisation that it is just you and the class, and that to a large extent you have to work it out yourself. Of course, I was nervous but I was also very excited. I made a lot of mistakes in those first weeks, getting the level of the lesson wrong, speaking to one side of the class more than the other – there’s a lot to remember and you are learning all the time.
The kids are very interested in you and where you come from so you have great opportunities to find common ground – whether that’s a TV programme you all like, a rugby or football match. It’s all about engaging with them and building a rapport, especially with your form group who you see twice every day.
Your fellow teachers are such an important resource. They’ve all been there and are full of tips on how to deal with different situations, or just to offer a sympathetic ear. I also found that I relied quite heavily on the other Teach First participants in my school. There were four of us and we’d quite often be in the pub after work. We shared a lot of the same excitement and also some of the challenges – partners in adversity you might say.
I know a lot of people will have talked about the difficulties and I had my fair share of them – swearing and chair throwing. But there were also a lot of really positive things going on and it’s up to you to focus on them, stay calm, get the disruptive elements away for the lesson and then concentrate on teaching.
For me the key was to remember what their experience of life was like and how different it was from mine. That helped me to be patient but there’s no doubt, staying calm is the hardest part and I wasn’t always successful.
As well as teaching I helped to run a school jazz band and helped to launch a rugby club at the school. We secured sponsorship from PowerGen and I know that the club is still going three years on.
One of the high points for me was right at the end when the GCSE results came in. My department’s results went up by 20%. Another was overhearing one kid in my GCSE group saying to another ‘I love History’. It’s just very satisfying when you can create a calm atmosphere and get kids engaged with a subject you feel passionate about.
I’m still very engaged with Teach First even after finishing the programme. I did a sabbatical year as Teach First participant president and I know I wouldn’t be here at the Institute for Philanthropy if I hadn’t done Teach First – plus I still live with three participants and have recently been made a trustee for the charity.
The bottom line is you’ll meet a fantastic group of people and you may surprise yourself about your future direction.
