Meet an Astra Trainee: James

James is currently a trainee on our Secondary Biology course

Tell us a little about your journey to becoming a teacher.....
I hadn't ever really thought about becoming a teacher until my final year of university when it came to applying for graduate roles. Through this process, I reflected on what I wanted to get out of my career and came to the conclusion that I wanted to do a job that I thought was important. Given the impact that teachers can have on the life chances of young people, I thought there would be no better next step for me than entering a career in education. 

What have been the highlights of your training?
For me, the highlights of my training year has been the relationships that I have fostered with my students. The conversations in the corridors, the excitement they get when you share similar interests and the passion you can instil in others constantly remind me why I chose this career.

What have been the challenges?
Managing the workload has been the biggest challenge this year. Also during the first term, dealing with the imposter syndrome that follows difficult lessons. 

Top advice for anyone considering teaching?
Always try and keep things in perspectives. At times it feels like there is so much work that you will never get it done, but ensure you are organised and tick things off piece by piece and the to-do list quickly shrinks. Sometimes done is better than perfect!

You can meet more of our trainees here.