First visit to the Isle of Wight.

5:50am start. And I'm not joking. This is how early I had to wake up in order to catch a 7:30am hovercraft to Ryde.

Though this very early morning was definitely compensated by the exiting things happening all throughout the day. We've been blessed with great weather and some very exciting stuff going on all through the day.

First, it's been quite an experience to be on the hover. I would compare it to an aeroplane. It's a bit bumpy, but 10 minutes of the journey flied by and before we knew it, we were on the island! For my very first time.

Second adventure of the day was the trip on the Island Line train. Well, it's really two old underground coaches. Traveling on it feels like a ride on a rollercoaster. It's brilliant and the views of the countryside are beautiful. I quite like the perspective of taking it every day for the next two years.

And I've finally visited the school where I will be teaching and it's fantastic! The facilities are great, the staff is friendly and helpful and apparently the children are very amicable too. So I believe I will have a fantastic time there. We've been taken for a drive round the local area to get to know it better by two lovely local councillors. Now I know where the best playground is, know the story of most of the derelict buildings round there and I know where the most beautiful beach on the island is.

I'm due to meet my Maths mentor on Monday and I'm really excited about that. I really want to get my hands dirty and get some serious work done. I need to learn so much, from simple practical stuff about where the loos are, through the layout of lesson plans, schemes of work, behaviour policy, to departmental meeting times and so on. It will be a great two years. Or maybe more. I can see myself staying on the Isle, it's so beautiful and just already feels like home.

In the afternoon I've visited Shanklin and I've absolutely fell in love with it. It's small enough to be cosy, but at the same time there are plenty of shops and cafes, the beach is just round the corner and apparently there is a charming old town here as well. I have a lot of exploring still to do, yet to visit the beach, but I've found a nice cafe for a morning coffee on Saturday and I now know my way round the centre of the town. I can imagine myself living there. Definitely a serious contender.

I'm really happy after today's trip. It just feels like a dream come true really. Maybe living on the Isle of Wight is a bit crazy, but, well, life needs to be crazy sometimes. Tomorrow is another day of exploring the island. I'm loving my life.

First few days in Portsmouth - #TFSI2016

I've realised that maybe not everyone is clear about what Teach First does and what Summer Institute is and since this will definitely dominate the next six weeks of my life (and be a big part of the next two years), I thought it would be helpful to write a few words about it before I update you on what actually has been going on across the last few days.

Teach First is an organisation which works towards a vision that no child's educational success should be limited by their socio-economic background. There is still a long way to go in that respect. UK is a country where the gap in educational achievement between pupils from more affluent families and those from less well-off families is greatest in the developed world. TF is driven by five values: collaboration, commitment, excellence, integrity and leadership. These guide everything that people involved in TF do. Summer Institute, on the other hand, is an intense, six-weeks programme which is designed to prepare new Teach First participants for their teaching role. It includes talks, lectures and workshops. I won't lie, it is demanding. We need to cover a wide range of topics in a very short space of time. No time to waffle. But it is also hugely enjoyable, because you feel like you are learning every minute and what you learn will be really helpful in your practice.

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Since I've arrived in Portsmouth four days ago, I've been bombarded with information about what to expect during the Summer Institute, what is expected of me as a teacher, what teaching techniques I might want to employ, the assignments I will need to write to get a PGCE, standards, policies, the importance of reflection and the community. The days are really long and full on, 9am until almost 6 pm, but I'm really enjoying it.

And the people are fantastic. Really optimistic, passionate about education and young people, willing to go an extra mile to address this pressing issue of educational disadvantage. I think we will form strong friendships during this programme. Because it will be tough. But I'm up for it.

Today we visited a school to observe some outstanding practice. It is such a weird feeling to observe in practice some of the techniques we were taught about. I've made extended notes on what teachers say, how they behave, how they move about the classroom and how they make sure that pupils stay focused on the task in front of them. There was also a student panel where we had an opportunity to ask pupils some questions about teaching and learning, their life outside the school and what they make of Portsmouth. It was really interesting to hear directly from them. And interestingly we had some pupils who loved Maths in that group and some which absolutely hated it. From my point of view it is interesting to explore why there is this dramatic difference in order to try to bridge the gap in engagement in my classroom.

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Next week will be particularly exciting, because I'll be visiting my new school on the Isle of Wight! I will meet my new colleagues, my potential pupils, all the staff, will find out how exactly the school is run and how they expect me to work. I really can't wait for it, I'm really really looking forward to it. And the teachers I've already spoken to are really excited about having the four of us (Maths, Science, RS and English) at their school. Apparently there are two, potentially three other trainee teachers coming to the school in September as well, which should be fantastic, we will have a little community of newbies.

Famous hovercraft. Quite a sight live.

Enough for now, need to get ready for another long day. Ahoj!

How to be a great teacher?

I sometimes worry whether I can be a great teacher. I'm rather shy and not always confident. But apparently I don't need to have an expressive personality to change pupils' lives (see the video below). I need to remind myself, that I have to have faith in the Teach First assessment process. They've chosen me for a reason. And I can make a difference to the young minds I meet in my classroom. Thankfully, it appears that you don't need to behave like a celebrity to win the hearts of your pupils and help them to learn effectively. You need to work hard and keep and open mind, always willing to change your plans and adapt to the needs of the children. 

And a certain amount of acting skills is also required. This is actually my favourite part. You stand in front of the classroom and you're not Kat anymore. You're Miss Z, and Miss Z is whomever you decide her to be. She can be funny, she can be strict, she can be demanding, she can be bouncing, whatever I want to do in the moment. And it is fantastic to be able to do that.

Apparently parents prefer their children to be taught by "qualified" teachers (see here). I won't be qualified when I start in September, as a matter of fact I haven't even studied Maths at university. But I hope I can make up for that by my enthusiasm and continual development of my subject knowledge and my caring nature. 

One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child. --- Carl Jung

There is a lot of things I hope to incorporate into my teaching. I really like the idea of checks for understanding which are visual, although it might be easier to employ them with younger years. I will definitely set high goals. I'm not a fan of ability setting and would rather teach mixed groups, but you need to play with what you've got, so I will just expect a maximum effort from all of my students, regardless whether they have been labelled as low-ability or high-ability.

I want to be a great teacher. Not because of my own personal ambition. But for the sake of the children. I want them to have a good start in life. I won't be perfect, probably some of the time I will have no idea what I'm doing, but I will do my best, will always try. 

A good teacher is a determined person. --- Gilbert Highet

Things I'm looking forward to.

Having finished my exams on Friday, I can finally think about pleasant things I'm looking forward to. And there is plenty of those, since I have exciting times ahead.

Mr Magic's visit

After weeks of waiting, he is finally coming, so we can celebrate my finishing of exams and spend some time together. This will be my rest time. Time of joyous bouncing around, long night talks and other shenanigans. It's a highlight of my post-finals period and I'm so excited for it.

Moving to the Isle of Wight

I've dreamt about living on the Isle of Wight and I'm so happy that I got allocated to the school there. It will be fantastic to live in such a beautiful part of the world, with miles of beaches, charming coastal walks, the Benedictines of St Cecilia, the Dinosaur Island, Isle of Wight Zoo and the sea all around. And I'm really looking forward to finding my own place, moving the furniture, arranging my posters and pictures, finding out my nearest shop and so on. It's completely new life waiting ahead now.

Summer Institute

This is a vital part of Teach First training and will probably be super-intense. I'm a little apprehensive at the moment. My Maths is not up to scratch quite yet, but I have almost three months to work on it. I'm really looking forward to meeting like-minded people who also believe that every child should receive excellent education. I'll be visiting my school for a week and it will be a great opportunity to get used to  it, settle a bit and work out how that place is run.

Now I'm off to my law picnic followed by drinks and Finalists' Dinner. It's time to celebrate!

Finals in tweets and pictures.

One down, eight to go #finals

— Katarzyna Zielinska (@katzielinska7) May 30, 2016

Second exam gone fine despite migraine and a ridiculous amount of painkillers I had to consume in the last 24h #finals #iamblessed

— Katarzyna Zielinska (@katzielinska7) May 31, 2016

Another exam done. Was actually fun to write plus I had time for some doodling #finals pic.twitter.com/7xRxpOXSpA

— Katarzyna Zielinska (@katzielinska7) June 1, 2016

Ugh, at least I don't have to do a land exam ever again #finals

— Katarzyna Zielinska (@katzielinska7) June 2, 2016

Finals isn't about knowledge of the law any more. It's now a physical endurance test.

— Riane Trotman (@riane_trotman) June 2, 2016

#finals day 6. The state of my pink carnation symbolises my physical and mental exhaustion. 3 more to go! pic.twitter.com/ngoxzodZTy

— Katarzyna Zielinska (@katzielinska7) June 4, 2016

Juris exam in a nutshell: there's a general duty to obey the law of a reasonably just legal system & law should not enforce all of morality

— Katarzyna Zielinska (@katzielinska7) June 6, 2016

#finals nearly over, two more to go! Woohoo!

— Katarzyna Zielinska (@katzielinska7) June 6, 2016

#finals nearly over, two more to go! Woohoo!

— Katarzyna Zielinska (@katzielinska7) June 6, 2016

Red carnation day finally. In four hours #finals will be over! #hooray pic.twitter.com/8wcMQwTKuh

— Katarzyna Zielinska (@katzielinska7) June 10, 2016

Made it to the end of #finals!!! pic.twitter.com/5YV3gMN3zc

— Katarzyna Zielinska (@katzielinska7) June 10, 2016

Time flies: my fours years at Oxford are nearly over.

It's strange to think that in a couple of weeks I will no longer be a student. Real life will begin, with bills, banking, weekly food shopping, waking up for work and being a responsible adult. It's both exciting and scary at the same time.

On numerous occasions I complained about Oxford. We do not get many contact hours, my degree is judged exclusively on the basis of nine exams crammed into two weeks at the end of my final year, Oxford is hugely male-dominated and mental health issues are not tackled enough.

At the same time, I will be sad to leave. I will miss Oxford so much. 

Oxford has taught me to be independent. Not only in my studies, since I had to find my own way through endless reading lists and stacks of books, but also in life. I've learnt how to deal with people, how to work in a team, how to care for my friends and how to care for myself. It's been a very fruitful four years. I've met so many wonderful people. I really hope that they will remain a  part of my life, even though we will be all over the place.

I'm immensely thankful for these four years. I'm thankful for each opportunity I had to challenge myself. I'm thankful for my fantastic friends. I'm thankful for the most wonderful man in the world.

Veni. Vidi. Amavi.

I'm starting my Teach First Summer Institute at the end of this month. I will be moving to the Isle of Wight in August and this is something I dreamt of for a long time. I didn't mind where exactly I would work, but I really wanted to by the sea and, well, you cannot get much closer to the sea than live on an island, right? I suppose the title of my blog will gain a new meaning, I will truly be on a small island then.

Almost there.

I've done six exams in the past six days and, gosh, I have enough! Thank god there's only three more left now, including a short juris exam and my favourite PIL.

My body is at the brink of exhaustion and I'm so looking forward to being free again (for a week, haha, but better this than nothing at all). Waking up every day at 6am is not fun, but I'm slowly getting used to it, since it will be my routine once I start working at school. A friend of mine commented that these finals are no longer a test of knowledge of the law, but a physical endurance test and this is really true. We are all just tired at this point, so no wonder that examiners' reports for subjects examined at the end always voice a disappointment at the standard of the scripts. Well, no wonder really, since you subject us to so much pressure in such a short space of time. But at least it will be over soon, it's much better than if exams stretched across a good few week as some people's do.

I need to say that I am very proud of myself that I survived last week and that I am in a decent mental state. Given that I thought about suspending my studies, I've made an incredible progress, thanks to all the support that I've received.

And I've learnt two things from this emotional roller-coaster that I've been on in the past couple of months. First, you need to really believe in yourself. Whatever happens, just do your best, push through and keep believing that it will somehow work out in the end. Second, don't be scared to ask for help. Don't be afraid to depend on somebody. Make this leap of faith and open yourself up. Because others are there for you, you just need to talk to them, since sometimes it is not at all obvious that you need help (unless you are sobbing in the library, yep, that happened too). Somewhat I'm even happy that it was so difficult to get through. I have even more reasons to be proud. And a lot to talk about.

I'm almost there. Five more days.