Sam Matthews

Professional Autobiography

Background

Having always been passionate about learning, I am determined to use my enthusiasm and knowledge to lead learning within the primary classroom. Whilst I was still at school, I volunteered weekly with my local Sea Cadet group. This rewarding experience highlighted to me the importance of children having positive role models and the role of adults building positive relationships with them.   After completing my degree in English, I spent a year as a teaching assistant in a secondary school.  In this role, I worked alongside several pupils with Special Educational Needs and I began to recognise that each child has individual needs, which a teacher needs to cater for to support their learning.  From my experiences, I know that education is central to a successful society and that it can transform lives. This is the reason I have chosen to undertake my PGCE. I want to be part of a system, which encourages children to have high aspirations and provides opportunities for everyone to access quality learning experiences, regardless of any disadvantages they may face.

Why I want to teach

While volunteering in a local primary school, I gained experience of the full primary age range by observing the teaching and learning in each class and by supporting small groups of children. This has supported me in developing a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a teacher. I have noted that careful preparation is an important factor in creating successful lessons and my observations have highlighted how teachers not only plan for a wide range of learning needs but also collaborate closely with classroom staff to support all students. Both the creative arts and building a sense of community were regarded very highly in the school and this philosophy has also added to my own ideas about the purpose of education. During the coming year, I hope to put these into practice and I aim to explore my identity as a teacher. I also hope to improve my subject knowledge and to discover exciting ways of teaching maths and science. Above all, I look forward to seeing progress in pupils, playing an active role in their development and promoting a life-long passion for learning.