Name: Faye Higgins
Nationality: British
School of Study: School of Languages and Social Sciences
Degree Programme: French and Spanish
Did you undertake a placement year, if so at which organisation? British Council
Year of Graduation: 2014
Current Job Title/ PG Course: MFL Teacher
Current Company/Institution: Dormston School
Industry: Education
My Story
Share your story…
Provide a brief overview of your career path and work experience or further study to date including
details of your current role:
I recently completed my School Direct PGCE course through the University of Worcester, where I shall
graduate in November. I trained at South Bromsgrove High School and became familiar with the unseen
side of teaching- so much goes on outside of the classroom and school environment. I secured a job at
Dormston School in February, and thankfully it was my first job application! I worked there for a week
before the summer holidays so I could familiarise myself with the school and to meet my new form group,
who are current Year 6s also new to the school and will be moving to secondary school in September. I
look forward to my Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) year.
The best thing about your current role is…
I am no longer going to be a trainee! I will have my own classroom and groups which will be great, but I am
really excited about being a form tutor. I will be the first port of call for my form group, and will get to see
them every day and watch them develop as learners and citizens.
Most valuable skills…
What do you think are the most important skills/strengths you need to make a success of what you do?
Patience, fairness and firmness. Everyone learns at different rates, which I need to account for in my lesson
planning- this will become easier as I get to know students as individuals. You must also not have any
obvious favourites in the class. It is important to start each lesson afresh and not hold any grudges as this
does not benefit anyone. Finally, as a teacher, you have to be firm. Students appreciate when you can have
a laugh with them and show your human side but you need to set high expectations and remind students
to aim for them.
My golden nugget of advice would be…
What advice would you share with students considering a similar path, or is there one invaluable thing
you have learned, gained or experienced to give your career/further study a boost?
Teaching is not for the faint hearted. Working hours are not shorter than average. You often find yourself
working in holidays; my “holidays” were spent writing assignments for my PGCE course, planning lessons
and creating resources. Hopefully I will find more of a work-life balance during my NQT year, and if I don´t,
I hope that it will come with experience.
Teaching is, however, a very rewarding career. Not every child is academic, but I am in a position to
encourage them to work hard, put 100% effort into what they do, be a respectful citizen and encourage
them to be more open-minded. Even if they leave school without being able to conjugate “tener” in all of
the subject pronouns in the preterite tense, hopefully I would have had a positive impact on the attitude
they take forward and have for the rest of their lives.
Give us a quote!
Impart your words of wisdom with fellow students and graduates. Provide us with an inspirational
quotation that we can share with others.
"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language,
that goes to his heart.”
aston.ac.uk/careers