How I Got Here

After looking at the marking criteria I realise that although this blog was meant to be reflections on my experience of teaching and learning I am also supposed to look at how I got here. I have previously looked at how, through my career, I have ended up in this role but not truly reflected on it.

When I began working at UCLan it was as a support assistant offering alternative accreditations to the young people the Centre for Volunteering and Community Action (CVCA) worked with, this was within my comfort zone and meant I was still working with young people. I had previously left a job in which I was the victim of workplace bullying and was so happy to have found a new job, although the role when I started was a fixed term contract for 6 months. After starting I soon learnt the CVCA has the sort of leadership which means if you fit into the team, they will do anything possible to ensure your contract is ended and you progress within your role. Within the first 6 months of my employment I had the opportunity to attend 2 conferences and went on 4 external training courses enabling me to deliver various forms of accreditation and even write my own forms of accreditation. Towards the end of my contract the centre was successful in gaining a contract to deliver 'energisers' to NEET (not in education, employment or training) young people and I interviewed to run the project, I was successful, meaning I had a contract for another 2 years. At the beginning of this contract I had an appraisal, I suggested to my manager that as I was now going to be working with notoriously difficult young people that I would like a qualification or training in youth work or advice and guidance. At the time I also felt that a qualification like this would mean I would be able to get a new job should my contract not be extended for a second time as developments in the youth service meant I would be unable to get a job without one. My manager agreed and I completed a NVQ level 4 in IAG (information, advice and guidance). On reflection, this course was a fantastic development opportunity, it was funded through UCLan and I had the chance to learn from peer observation and those who work in the field to complete it, I got on brilliantly with my NVQ assessor and completed the qualification in just over 3 months. During the time I was running the NEET project the CVCA was writing a degree in Volunteering and Community Action, I was aware of this but at the time was much more focused on the project management which was a huge challenge, one I was entirely unprepared for and which without the support I received from my management could have been a huge disaster. The degree began and the first year ran, obviously I was aware of the students, as they were usually in our office, but I paid little attention until my manager mentioned that as there was now going to be two years of students I might be needed to teach on the degree. I remember going home that night and wondering if this was really happening to me, I was 23 years old, with an undergraduate degree and a few years of experience in the field. Was I really the right person to teach other students? The first year I taught I took over a module from a colleague who was on maternity leave, luckily public speaking has never bothered me and as all the experience of HE teaching I had previously was large lectures with a tutor talking in front of a powerpoint I imagined it would be the same. My first lecture was daunting, the students were surprised to see me and I found it difficult to ensure my lectures lasted for the correct amount of time (a problem which has followed me through my teaching). That first year I received really positive MEQ's and started to realise that this might be the career for me, more than anything I really, really enjoyed teaching. Since then I have taken on my modules each year, this year I was module leading 5 modules and teaching on another 2 in addition to my project work. This meant I had the opportunity to change modules, re-write lectures and give students different learning experiences. This is not to say there was not problems, I was only given 2 of the modules I led on a week before teaching started as previously these modules had been taught by an hourly paid lecturer who was no longer employed. This was daunting and meant I was not able to change the lectures as much as I would have liked, however feedback has been good and I am generally happy with how it went. Through, what I feel is an incredibly fast rise from a support worker to a lecturer I have tried to 'go with the flow', at times I have been overwhelmed by the whole thing and have constantly struggled to define myself as an academic, or see myself as a lecturer. I feel lucky to be in the role and conflict with colleagues who have been in the role for a long time and do not seem to appreciate how incredible it is. I am lucky to have an incredible line manger who challenges and pushes me every step of the way and doubt I would feel so confident was it not for her. I am determined to enjoy every part of the role and push myself further. In my next blog I am hoping to set out the future, where I want to go with my learning and teaching.