Why did you choose a career change into teaching?
Initially, I worked as a journalist for the BBC. I left school at 19 and I did an apprenticeship scheme, so I'd never been to university before. I worked as a journalist for six years and then decided that it didn't really suit me anymore; it wasn't fulfilling me. I wanted to do something that would allow me to actually make a real difference to people's lives, which led me to the idea of wanting to become a teacher.
Why do you want to be a teacher?
I want to be a teacher because I think it's a really amazing career where you can actually make a hands-on difference in people's lives. Working with children is such an incredible opportunity, as you get to impact little lives and help them grow and develop on their path. Seeing their progress throughout the year, and knowing that as a teacher, you have helped them to achieve that. I think it's busy and difficult, but what a fulfilling career, and I can't think of anything better.
Why did you choose the University of Cumbria?
When I was considering what university to attend, it was really important to me to find the right balance between an excellent academical degree and the right environment to study. The University Cumbria offered an excellent academic degree, providing me with qualified teacher status that would enable me to launch straight into my career afterwards. Additionally, it gave me access to the Lake District, Cumbria, and even Scotland. It offered a really nice mix of university life with that rural twist that I was really excited about.
"The University of Cumbria offers a good blend of brilliant academics while also recognising that you need to have fun and be creative as a teacher. I highly recommend studying teaching at the University of Cumbria for all these reasons."
What have you enjoyed the most about your studies, so far?
The best part of my studies was going on placement in local schools, where I could apply the theory I had learned in lectures and put it into practice in a real world classroom. We do this degree because we want to work with children, so any opportunity to go into schools was always a highlight for me.
How have the tutors supported you during your studies?
The teaching staff at the university have been amazing. I was really nervous when I started, particularly with academic writing, meeting university deadlines, referencing, and all these new challenges. However, the staff were nothing but helpful. They were always an email away and willing to give me time at the end of a lecture if I needed to ask a question. Additionally, the wider university staff have also been really helpful. The Library Skills at Cumbria, who assist in reviewing assignments before they are handed in, have just been absolutely amazing.
What's been the most difficult obstacle you've overcome in your student journey, so far?
I think the most difficult obstacle that I've had to overcome has definitely been balancing the workload whilst on placement. It's a really busy course with a lot of academic tasks to keep up with, alongside the pressures of teaching in schools. So, it was a big obstacle making sure that I was succeeding at both and not letting the ball drop with anything. However, that's where the support and facilities at the university came into play. I was able to get help from my lecturers, utilise the library, and receive advice when struggling with workload. I feel better going into second year, and a lot more prepared to juggle those two workloads.
As a mature student, have you faced any challenges getting back into education?
It's been it's been a difficult learning curve in some ways, coming back into education as a mature student. I haven’t written an extended essay since I was 18, and starting university at 25 meant getting back into the swing of studying, which was definitely something that I might have underestimated a little bit. However, I had full support of all of my lecturers helping me get back up to speed and it's been something that I'm really pleased that I've done. I've not at all looked back and thought that was a silly mistake. The Union has really embraced and welcomed me here and I've loved getting to try something a little bit different and bring skills from an old career and see how they can benefit my new career.
What was the moment when everything fell into place for you?
Everything fell into place during my final placement. It was a lengthy stint, and I was in an amazing primary school when a pupil came up to me and said, “Miss Burns, I really like it when you teach maths because you make it really simple”. I make no pretence that maths is my favourite subject; it is actually probably the subject that I struggle with the most! So, to have a pupil come up to me and say you've actually made that really easy for me to understand, was when it all clicked into place. It was then I realised the things that I'm learning at university and making me a better teacher, and that genuinely is going to impact children, enabling them to progress with the lessons I've taught them.
Tell us about your experiences on placement
Placement has been an amazing experience; an incredible part of my time at the university. I think this course is unique as you’ve got that balance of university lectures and actual hands-on school opportunities. I definitely learnt more about teaching once I went into the classroom. I loved every single second of it. It was busy and stressful at times, but being in school really confirmed that this is what I want to do.
What advice would you give to others looking to get into teaching?
I think the advice that I would give to any of the students, either already studying at university or considering coming to the university, would be to give things a go, to say yes. There were so many opportunities that I've had at the university that I've only experienced by pushing myself out of my comfort zone, by saying yes to things that I might not ordinarily during a placement. I was offered to go to Newcastle for a couple days with some of the students, and that that was something that kind of terrified me slightly. I didn't know if I was ready for that level of responsibility, but I said yes, and it ended up being one of my absolute highlights of my first year. To anybody coming here or already studying here, I'd definitely say ‘yes’ and push yourself a little bit out of your comfort zone.
What is student life like in Carlisle?
Student life is really good in Carlisle. I think it's a good mixture of the city, the nightlife, and lots of events. Carlisle is a buzzing, bustling place, so there's always lots happening and lots of events that you can get involved with. The university also offers a wide range of societies that you can get involved with. You also have the amazingly unique aspect of being able to hop onto a bus and be halfway up a fell in an hour and half. Having the Lake District on my doorstep has been really amazing, and I believe that's completely unique to this university.
How is the course preparing you for your future in teaching
The course is really preparing me for my future by allowing me to go into schools and apply what I've been learning in lectures, and actually see how that will play out in real classroom settings. It's good to understand why I've been learning certain things in lectures that might not have made sense at the time, but once I'm in schools, seeing how it applies is invaluable. I believe this course is definitely preparing me for a future teaching career.
What are you looking forward to the most with regards to the career in teaching?
The thing that I'm looking forward to the most in my teaching career will be the little victories. These are moments of breakthroughs where a student who has been struggling with something for a while finally gets it, and you know that it's a result of your perseverance, hard work, and ability to think outside the box to help them. When something clicks for them, it feels amazing and brings brilliant moments as a teacher. While there are school trips and productions with big, showy moments, it's those quiet little victories that I believe I will love the most about being a teacher.
Tell us about the outdoor classroom; what is it used for, and what are the benefits of using it.
The outdoor classroom is a resource that we have here at the University of Cumbria, which allows students to practice what it would be like to teach children in a slightly unconventional setting. We learn a lot here; teaching is not always best done at a desk with pen and paper. Children actually learn a lot more through exploring, adventure, play, and making mistakes while learning how to fix them. An outdoor classroom provides an amazing space where children are able to do just that.
At the university, we've had lectures in the outdoor classroom. We spent our Freshers week in the DEM building, which was hilarious and provided a great team-building opportunity for the rest of my students to get to know each other. We've also held math lessons out there, and I've had the opportunity to work alongside a local primary school in their early years, nursery, and reception classes, going out there with them to do some planting and learn about life cycles, looking at tadpoles and frogs. It's just a really brilliant space where you can diversify your teaching and bring it to life by actually being outside, rather than being stuck in a classroom.
What advice would you give students who are comparing universities?
The advice I would give to anybody looking to pursue a teaching degree would be to carefully consider the universities. Make sure that they offer a good mixture of placements and actual lectures, ensure that you will attain qualified teacher status at the end of the course, and verify that the academic program provides you with everything you need. Additionally, make sure that the university fosters a mix of fun. Teaching is not only a fun career but also an amazing one. The University of Cumbria offers a good blend of brilliant academics while also recognising that you need to have fun and be creative as a teacher. I highly recommend studying teaching at the University of Cumbria for all these reasons.