King Edward VI College Work Placement Report

In January 2013, I spent two weeks at King Edward VI College in Stourbridge, gaining some insight into the career of teaching. Being a teacher is a possibility for me, so I thought getting some hands on experience within the sector would be vital and insightful. 

As a previous student at this third placed sixth form college nationally, I studied the subject of Communication and Culture. This is where I first discovered my passion and interest for media study. I enjoyed this subject so much that I achieved an A* at A Level, indicating that I had a natural flare for Communication and Culture.

During my two weeks at King Edward VI College, I assisted in Communication and Culture lessons, as well as some Film Studies and English classes too. I talked to AS and A Level students about their coursework and used my knowledge and experience of media to help them improve their writing. Watching over a lesson being taught has also provided me with a vast amount of information about teaching skills and techniques.

I challenged and pushed myself during my two weeks of work experience. I never thought I’d teach a lesson in just three days of settling back into King Edward VI College. I led two Communication and Culture extension classes to A Level students, by helping them analyse and understand academic readings. I hoped my experience of university work and an A* grade would significantly help the students with their studies. I was a bit nervous about this task, but it went extremely well. I also gained an insight into the lesson planning process when preparing for these extension classes.

In just two weeks, I learnt a vast amount about teaching techniques and what being a teacher involves. Being a journalist is still my most desired career but teaching will definitely act as a back up.

Abbey Hartley