Joseph Armstrong

Whilst working at Woodlands, I managed to keep up to date with the current curriculum, as well as honing my skills in pedagogical research.

I collaborated well with colleagues by working on work scrutiny, such as conducting exercise book checks to ensure that my work aligned with the school's teaching and learning policy.

I also attempted to use technology where and when possible. This included the use of laptops and other facilities to conduct both assessments, such as coursework, and to do research.

Whilst working as a history teacher, I managed to not only sustain students' subject knowledge, but I also promoted literacy skills such as the PEEL format, and taught them new skills such as source analysis and how to structure essays properly. By also running revision sessions for the students, this allowed for students to fully prepare for their examinations, ensuring high pass rates.

Progress reports were written for the students as well as parents' evenings, so that the progress of the students was transparent.

ALN and inclusive classrooms were fostered by differentiating and offering sentence structures that students could follow for them to be able to access the work set for them. This co-aligned with the strategies that were in place to empower students with ASD & ADHD, such as smaller tasks and giving breaks to students, and slowing down my pace when pitching questions and differentiating questions for students when teaching so that they could fully grasp the lesson's objectives.

I assessed students properly after the end of each unit, and I gave them a marking scheme so that they could fully understand where they were at, and also gave them a chance to peer assess each other's work so that students could understand where they might have gone wrong in their work. Classroom behaviour was met with the school's policy and thus was enforced as such, sending students to isolated education if needed.

The reason for leaving the position was due to not being able to complete my NQT with the school as it was a private institution.

Whilst working as a cover supervisor, for the teaching agency, rTribe, I wanted to hone my skills in teaching further to excel my skills further in preparation for my PGCE.

I was placed into a school in Rhyl, Christ the Word Catholic High School. There, I worked well with peers and teaching staff, and I enforced the classroom management and followed the behavior policy of the school. This included using ClassCharts, so that any behavioural issues could be monitored and addressed by the behavioural team.

I was required to work through the set work for students whilst also monitoring the progress of the students, and I was also ensuring the smooth operations whilst their teacher was absent.

I facilitated group discussions and promoted peer learning, and collaborated with the students to ensure they got a fully enriched education.

I also collaborated with staff and other cover supervisors if I struggled a little, to make sure that any issues could be addressed accordingly. Whilst working at Christ the Word for rTriibe, I managed to develop and progress my classroom management skills well to make sure that the students understood what it was they were required to do.

Before going to university to complete my PGCE, I believed it was appropriate to obtain some classroom experience. Below are some of the responsibilities I undertook whilst working at the school:

• Promoted inclusive learning by adapting teaching methods to cater for varied needs.
• Liaised between staff and pupils, reinforcing open communication channels within the institution.
• Collaborated with teachers to develop curriculum materials.
• Managed classroom resources effectively for efficient teaching-learning process.
• Fostered a positive learning environment by assisting with classroom management.
• Supported students with special educational needs, ensuring equal access to education.
• Reinforced classroom learning through homework assistance, improving comprehension and retention of concepts taught in class.
• Aided teacher during examinations; ensured fair practice was upheld throughout.

Whilst at Ysgol Bryn Elian, I also worked as an exam invigilator, where I assisted in the smooth running of exams taking place. I also assited in breaking down work for students with ALN requirements such as; ASD by explaining work to students and ensuring that they were not overwhelmed with work and kept healthy relations with students, whom I was supporting.

I began working at Bargain Booze for work experience at the age of 16, where I quickly developed full employment whilst there for many years. As I was working and became more confident in my skills at Bargain Booze. The skills I developed whilst working at the store include:

• Collaborating effectively with team members to meet sales targets.
• Maintaining knowledge of current sales promotions, helping customers make informed buying decisions.
• Addressed customer needs promptly, resulting in positive feedback and loyalty.
• Built strong relationships with regular customers for repeat business.
• Demonstrated products effectively, leading to increased sales conversions.
• Training new staff members, fostering a supportive working environment.
• Handling cash transactions swiftly, ensuring accurate accounting at the end of each shift.
• Ensuring stock replenishment in a timely manner to maintain product availability.
• Utilising excellent communication skills to provide detailed product information.

As I was working at Bargain Booze, I was soon given the responsibility of key handler, where I would be required to open up the store and also close it. By doing this, I learnt a great deal of organisation and also held onto this until I went away to university.

Any gaps between 2017-2021 were mainly due to being in university or in college.