Teacher Takeaway with Rosie Smyth

What were the highlights of your studies at the UCL Institute of Education?

In 2011 I completed my PGCE through the Institute of Education as part of the Teach First programme. Each half term I would spend a day at the IOE with the Teach First Maths cohort to develop our subject-specific skills. In what was a very challenging first year of teaching, I always looked forward to these days; not only did I have chance to step back from the classroom and reflect on my practice but they allowed me to form relationships and a camaraderie with other teachers who were having similar experiences.

My tutor, who both ran the days and visited me regularly at school, was an incredibly supportive and inspirational figure. His enthusiasm for the subject and the potential of young people guided and galvanised me in those first few months of teaching when the role and its responsibilities could, at times, feel overwhelming!

How has your career developed since you graduated?

My first school offered me a fantastic foundation in teaching and education. However, after three years there, I found myself feeling disillusioned with the exam-factory style of education and wanted to see how things might be done differently. This led me to apply to a small, new and innovative all-through free school, School 21. I was appointed as a Maths teacher with additional responsibilities in September 2014.

I was attracted by the vision and curriculum pioneered by School 21; their focus on developing students' skill in oracy and the use project based learning were particularly intriguing to me. It was, initially, challenging to fit my experience around these new approaches. However, through engaging in collaborative projects and embracing the opportunity to be creative, the School 21 model has greatly supported the development of my teaching craft. In addition to the rigorous expectations placed on academic achievement, I was impressed by School 21's commitment to student well-being.

Since September 2016 I have fulfilled the role of coaching and well-being co-ordinator; I have responsibility for overseeing the 5-year programme of well-being for pupils in years 7-11. Every child receives 3 lessons a week of coaching in a group of 12, as well as a one-to-one coaching conversation with their coaching teacher, at least once per half-term. I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge of honing the well-being curriculum, planning and running training for staff and implementing ways to measure the impact of coaching on pupils wellbeing and attainment.

What drives your passion for teaching?

My passion for teaching started as a germ of discontent at the inequality in our society and has grown into a forest of anger at the way poverty and parental background is a clear indicator of a child's future chances. While education is only one of the ways that a child's future can be affected and improved, I believe it is the area that I can have the most impact at the moment.

What I love most about my job is the potential for creativity and the fact that no day is the same. Each child is different, with varying pre-conceptions and attitudes towards Maths and school in general; I enjoy the challenge of working out the best way to get through to them, whether teaching them how to solve a difficult maths concept, or how to manage their emotions and behaviour. When I consider many of my friends who aren't teachers, I feel incredibly lucky to have a job where I am constantly challenged and where I am encouraged to grow as a practitioner and as a person every day.

What are your plans or goals for the future?

In the immediate future I am concentrating on my role in School 21 and the development of the well-being programme. My goal is to ensure that it fulfils its promise, for every student to develop their grit and help them to find their voice in the world. In addition to this, I am currently completing a Masters in Education and Conflict, which I hope to use in the future to inform teacher training and curriculum development in post-conflict societies.

My passion remains as it was at the beginning of my career: to ensure that every child receives the highest quality education possible. Therefore, longer term, my goal is to positively influence the education landscape. I would like to work in a role influencing policy makers, with a view to ensuring that the unacceptable situation of pupils leaving school without sufficient knowledge of literacy and maths becomes a relic in the history of our education system, not the current condition.

More information

Rosie is part of the UCL Professional Learning Network for teachers and led the last Teacher Takeaway CPD Event. The session introduced Carol Dweck's ideas around 'growth mindset', and explored a range of different 'growth mindset' classroom strategies designed to support student progress, attainment and wellbeing.