Liverpool John Moores’ Initial Teacher Training group is one of CampusConnect’s liveliest groups of people, with prospective students providing each other with moral support and having their questions answered by reliable Admissions Lead Jenny. We spoke with three of its members to find out how being a part of this community has been beneficial to them in the run up to their course.

By Lauren Valentine

Meet some members of the group:

Isobel

• Studied: Biology and Psychology at Liverpool Hope University

• Chosen route: Schools Direct

• Wants to teach because: “Growing up, I’ve had loads of different career plans, but teaching was consistently at the back of my mind. My mum and dad work in schools too, so I’ve seen how teaching is also a steppingstone to so many other opportunities. You can make real progress and have the chance to make a difference.”

Helen

• Studied: Applied Social Studies with History at the University of York

• Chosen route: Schools Direct

• Wants to teach because: “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, but with two children, felt as though I never had the time. Now my children are grown up, I thought ‘if not now, when?’ It feels like the right time!”

Becca

• Studied: Psychology at LJMU

• Chosen route: PGDE Primary with Maths Core

• Wants to teach because: “This might sound cliché, but teaching is something I’ve always wanted to do. Even when I was a child, it was always the imaginary game I’d play. I’ve chosen to teach because you get to make a real difference in a child’s life every single day.”

How has being in a group chat before starting your course been beneficial to you?

Helen: Being in touch with students has been really helpful in that you feel you get to know people as you go along. It takes away that nervous first day feeling where everybody is new! It’s also a lot less formal: you get to know people’s sense of humour and have a laugh with them. You also chat to people you might never actually meet, such as those taking a different teaching route, which is interesting because you come to understand the challenges or requirements of each.

Becca: It’s been really beneficial. We’ve been able to ask questions to a staff member whose responses are always so quick! Also, many of us struggled with enrolment, so being able to discuss it meant there was less panic for us individually.

Isobel: I agree – I feel like you need that support group, especially for teaching courses. It can be daunting because this is more than just a course – it’s an actual job too. Having the group has given us a head start now because we’ve already got those support networks in place. There are so many people in the group that somebody is bound to have an answer to your questions. We’ve extended into a WhatsApp group with about 86 people – it’s sometimes hard to keep up with the messages!

What topics do you discuss together?

Becca: We’ve spoken about virtually everything under the sun: where we’re from, all our favourite things, the different routes we’re taking, what we’ve studied or worked as before, accommodation, placements, the books we need to buy. We’ve also shared tips for teaching when we’ve found them, like wall art displays or a good website for resources - it’s like we all want to make sure each other succeeds.

Helen: We discuss things like interviews, as having other people share their experiences really calms your nerves. Recently, there’s been a lot of questions about course tasks that some people were set to do before August. We also enjoy a good chat about what we’re doing that evening - even which gin we’re drinking! To be honest, my husband has even commented on how much time I spend in ‘that teacher chat’!

Has there been anything important that you’ve learned that you might have missed otherwise?

Helen: As a mature student, knowing that I’m not the only one (nor the oldest!) I have taken on a bit of a mother hen role, and it’s lovely because everyone looks after each other. This group will continue beyond our training, even beyond our NQT year; we’ll be friends for life.

Isobel: Just knowing that I’m not in it alone, especially with the difficulties during the pandemic. Although we’re in touch with other teachers in our school on the Schools Direct route, they’re not going through the learning process like us so it’s a different type of support.  

Becca: By having the group, I was able to ask questions to the staff members about potential bursaries that I didn’t think I fit the criteria for, but it has become apparent that I might! The group has also allowed me to connect with people like Izzy and Helen that I otherwise wouldn’t have got the opportunity to as we’re taking different routes.

What are you most looking forward to about your course?

Becca: Being around the children every day and feeling like I can achieve a dream I’ve always had. I am extremely apprehensive and nervous about starting but I’m hoping that’ll soon disappear and the excitement will take over. Having the group there has already lessened my worries about the start.

Helen: I can’t wait to finally be of use! This is a complete career change for me: I’ll be going from helping people with their debts to teaching young people. Thankfully, I have a good understanding of young people at the moment as I have two children.

Isobel: I’m looking forward to having a hands-on job instead of just doing lots of theory in uni. I feel more like an adult earning money and having responsibility. Oh, and buying teacher clothes!

We also spoke to staff member Jenny, who has been praised by students for being “helpful beyond description” in responding to queries in the group. Her views on being in touch with students via the platform were as follows:

“CampusConnect has proven invaluable due to the ability to chat with applicants in real time and out of hours, which allows for instant conversations in which you see applicants chat and support each other. I know applicants who have used CampusConnect will have someone familiar upon starting their course, which will hopefully make it less daunting for them!

From a staff perspective, I have found it useful to key information to applicants informally and check they are completing things that the Education Admissions Team need them to do. In the ITT group, this includes their medical questionnaire and DBS check, which was more apparent due to COVID and lockdown.”

Though these students are yet to meet each other, real friendships have already been formed. Becca emphasises that “the support we have given each other has been a real comfort”, whilst Helen reflects on their journey so far: “We’ve helped each other along through any doubts about grades, lockdown morale, exams, coursework and more. We’ve cheered each other on and just become a real community.”