Em Taylor

Hi! My name is Emily, I am a soon-to-be graduate NQT primary teacher at Edge Hill University! Please enjoy my blog as I navigate how to be an NQT Teacher.

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Working during quarantine

So, it is my first time back on this blog since I started year two of my degree over a year and a half ago. I am now in my final year and was supposed to be graduating this July, which doesn’t look like the ceremony is happening at this rate.

I am currently completing all my final pieces of work for my degree so I can focus on applying for jobs and thought why not use this time to revive my tumblr! 

Today I have completed my final Computing Portfolio!(Woop, Woop!). I am now moving on to my Mathematics portfolio and trying to find my evidence from my first setting of me doing additional maths work (unfortunately, couldn’t find it but that’s alright!). 

Anyone else stuck in the same boat i’m in with additional university work during quarantine? 

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Year 2

So today was my 1st day in my second year at Edge Hill University as a trainee teacher. I was a fairly easy day and it enjoyed it overall. I met my new APD Tutor Sarah; she is very nice and seems very supportive! 

I am excited to go back next Monday, I’m not excited that I don’t really start until late October/early November as I just want to go back to Uni.

Over the summer I kept my hands dirty by volunteering at the professional practice school by helping out with their school pantomime. I may email and see if I can come help out once twice a week while I am waiting to go back to Uni.

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My Reflection

This first year of University and trainee teaching has been amazing. It has gone by so fast and I have learnt things I never knew I would. 

I have made so many new, amazing friends who have helped me become the trainee teacher I am today and have helped me focus on tasks when I get distracted. 

Being in front of a class and acting as the teacher somewhat scared me but after being on professional practice my fear has completely vanished. I am now not only more comfortable in front of a class but enjoy doing so more than I ever dreamed I would.

This first year at Edge Hill has not only taught me skills needed to become a teacher but to grow as a person. I am very grateful for this first year at university, the people I have met here and I am looking forward to my next two.

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Also in our English Major Specialism today, we sat around in a circle setting and took turns adding to our story (about a princess who lived in the woods and her magical pet slow worm). We used inspiration from our surroundings and Claire’s story about the long worm.

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I had my second English Major Specialism session today. We took our buckets and went into the nearby woods. In our groups, we explored to woods for objects we could use in a story. It was a cool session, I was able to attempt (and fail) to reach a broken tree swing, the rope was too high for me. I also went down a muddy hill on my butt because why not. I really enjoyed this session and it reminded me of how much fun I used to have exploring nearby woodlands as a child. I also really enjoyed sitting with Claire and learning about slow worms (They’re not snakes but they look like them). 

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Today in our Science seminar, we participated in our second LOTC bucket school. Our group had a go at the “Hug a tree” game. I was blindfolded and Amie led me to a tree to hug. However, I didn’t trust Amie and was extremely terrified she would walk me into the lake. While this was a fun activity, I would do it in a safer environment for children where they won't fear danger. 

We also took a look at minibeasts in the area and tried to identify them using a guide. 

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Our final History seminar!

Last Friday was our final history seminar, we spent the day walking around the Walker Art Gallery and each of us presented a piece of art or a model to the rest of the group, and discussed what we would teach children from it. I chose the dresses made by gay designers and talked about how the clothes can be used to talk about progression of fashion throughout the decades and centuries, comparing clothing from Roman or Anciebt Greece times to the 60’s and now. We also had a look at famous pieces of work and some of us tried on costumes available to us.

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In our maths seminar (15), we had a go at making a fun and engaging LOTC lesson, we used the idea of measurement and created a plan on how children can measure trees outside and work out how old that tree is based on the results. This was fun as it allowed us to explore our creative thinking and gave us more ways to help children learn that didn’t involve paper and pencils, but other things such as trees, nature, meter sticks etc.

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Seminar 15 of APD we discussed methods of teaching EAL children such as ways on incorporating their language and culture into the classroom and introducing it to the other students, this can make the child feel more welcomed into the school and more comfortable. This seminar was very helpful as it allowed a discussion to be created that can only benefit us when we become teachers.

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In our 15th session of science, we talked about living creatures and we can teach children about them. Part of our seminar was spent playing headbands and asking yes/no questions about the animal on our head. Amy and I had a mouse and we were able to guess our animal fairly quickly. The other part was spent looking at caterpillars and planning ways in which we could teacher their life cycle to children in a fun and engaging way. I enjoyed this seminar as I enjoy learning about new and engaging ways to teach children about fun topics.

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In science session 13 we created “chocolate rocks” (and failed miserably) we did struggle doing this and we didn’t have enough white chocolate to complete it properly and we didn’t fully understand the actual instructions. But if we managed to complete it properly it would have been good! It was enjoyable and I would possibly do this again in a school if I learnt how to do it properly!

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In Maths season 14 today, we took part (and solves) different word problems and games. This was fun as got to have a go ourselves meaning we could really identify the pros and cons of the different activities!

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I’m computing session 13, we learnt about the different photo editing tools available for children to use in schools. We researched the different ways and topics we can use to teach children picture editing skills. I came up with the idea of cross curricular with History, researching the wives of Henry the 8th and their portraits and creating their own! I did enjoy this seminar because I was able to edit a photo of my choice and it came is the freedom to do explore the applications.

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Historiography! 

A while ago in History, we worked in groups to create a puppet movie informing children of the difference between Historiography and History. I played the (Very over acted) girl in the middle asking about drugs. This was really enjoyable and also informative as prior to this lesson I had never heard of historiography! I also had a really fun time creating this with my friends, even if my acting was atrocious. 

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This is my final sound clip I created using Auditory. I used sound clips from YouTube and added them together to create this sound clip.

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Today in computing we created different sound clips using different applications that would be available to children. This is my third Purple Mash application sound clip from 2Sequence!  

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Today in computing we created different sound clips using different applications that would be available to children. This is my 2nd sound clip; 2Beat!