Meet the Team - Catherine, Teacher - The Eaves Learning Centre

What inspired you to become a teacher?

When I left university, I studied Japanese and got a job in the city advising Japanese expatriates on their UK personal tax. I soon realised this job wasn’t for me so I went and did some work experience in a primary school. I immediately loved it and went on to do my PGCE from there.

What do you love most about working for WG?

For me it’s the kids, the kids are amazing and the relationships you form with them. Seeing them making progress, is such a celebration.

How has working with WG enhanced your skills and professional growth?

I’ve learnt so much during my time here. I was quite an experienced teacher when I came in as I’ve taught primary, secondary and overseas. I had never worked in a SEN setting before, so when I moved back to the UK from Japan, I thought I would love to give it a try. It was very different to my previous settings, going from massive classes to just having three or four in a class. It’s great, but it’s very intense and you learn lots of new tools for behaviour management in that setting. The great thing is that you are working with an experienced team, you have the pastoral team, as well as so many people who can support you and give you ideas and really develop those skills. You also have PRICE training which goes alongside trauma informed practice. I’ve also been very lucky to be promoted to deputy head teacher which has been a learning curve, but amazing. I’ve learnt so much in this role and as I’m also the deputy DSL now, I’ve had lots of training alongside a great induction programme.

What do you find most rewarding about working with children and young people in your role?

I think it’s seeing the successes, witnessing them doing well and having those relationships with them. It’s really special when they come to you to talk about their day or what they’ve been up to. It’s making those connections as it’s such a huge step for our young people to be willing to trust and it can absolutely make your day.

Can you tell me about a HSV you’ve had whilst you’ve been at WG?

There are so many, everyday there are those little things which make it so worthwhile. One of my pupils still finds it a bit difficult with what we’re doing at the moment, he’s still very new and we’re still making him feel safe here. He’s got a real passion for Japan which I share, so I’ve been teaching him little bits of Japanese, so we start off each day saying hello in Japanese and it’s such a little thing, but it’s having that connection which has been fantastic.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming a teacher?

It’s great being a teacher and there are challenges all the time, but the best advice I got is that some of the most important people to be friends with in a school is the housekeeping and maintenance teams. If you are kind to those individuals, they will look after you and make sure that your classroom is always ready for the students. They play such an important role in school and it’s important to make connections with them and value their work.

If you want to learn more about life in our education teams, explore below.