"The first day you come in, you meet your new class and they're just so interested to get to know you."
Newly qualified teachers talk about remember what is was like to be the new person at school.
From dealing with impostor syndrome to going through the wrong gates - newly qualified teachers tell us what it was like to literally be the new person at school.
Lee is a 26-year-old Physical Education and Geography NQT, teaching Years 8-14 in Northern Ireland.
This is Lee’s first job as an NQT and has always enjoyed sports and being in the school environment and decided to do a PGCE.
He says he was really nervous on his first day teaching, and that he has had a lot of support from his head of department.
Emily is a 23-year-old Year 1 teacher in London.
She is originally from Middlesbrough and getting her first teaching job in London during lockdown was quite a challenge since she was moving to a city far away from home and without being able to visit her school or even have a look around her new flat before moving.
She remembers her first day going to school and not knowing which gate to go through, and the sense of feeling overwhelmed when she went into the classroom. She went to her Key Stage 1 phase lead who offered her support and guidance.
Pavan is a Year 2 NQT and started teaching in the autumn term.
He was drawn to teaching following great experiences volunteering on projects involving children abroad.
He remembers how the children in class are amazed at having a new teacher and are interested in getting to know you and are always asking questions.
There were a couple of other new starters when he started teaching, and says it was good to form a support bubble so they could all offer each other advice and tips.
Sancha is an English NQT teaching Years 7-10 in Croydon.
She wanted to play an important role in society helping shape young people by becoming a teacher.
She felt like she had imposter syndrome when she first started teaching because the PGCE class of 2020 didn’t get to finish their placements before starting their first jobs.
She has found working in a close-knit team has been beneficial as she can get advice from fellow teachers.
More from this series
The career changer. video
Greg decided to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a teacher when he was made redundant after 20 years in the print industry. What did he take from his previous career into his new one?
My pandemic year. video
Newly qualified teachers discuss the challenges and triumphs of starting their teaching careers during the global pandemic.
What no one tells you. video
Our newly qualified teachers share their secrets on discipline, planning and building rapport with pupils.
