Steafan Deery loving life in the classroom at Arkholme primary school, in north Lancashire
探花视频 PGCE student Steafan Deery had a privileged career in his native Northern Ireland.
He was a PE specialist with the Irish Football Association, a role created by NI鈥檚 Department of Education to tackle child obesity and support teachers in delivering effective games lessons.
Before that, he worked for his local authority in Tyrone as a Gaelic games officer, developing the sport in primary and secondary schools across the country.
Steafan has a master鈥檚 degree in sport and exercise psychology and a big ambition, to be a seriously good primary school teacher because, in a nutshell, 鈥渋t鈥檚 the best profession in the world鈥.
With a wife and three sons, the youngest just six months old, back home in Strabane, becoming a full-time student again took some thinking about.
Steafan turned down two other PGCE offers to study at UoC, even though the logistics take some sorting. There鈥檚 no denying, it鈥檚 a challenge. Weekday study in Cumbria, followed by weekends at home supporting his family, isn鈥檛 easy, but he says it was absolutely the right decision.
鈥淚鈥檓 loving every minute of my time here,鈥 he says. 鈥淚n the long-term, this is going to be very beneficial for myself and my family, even though it鈥檚 pretty difficult at times right now.鈥
鈥淢y former role was under threat and twice I鈥檇 faced redundancy. That made up my mind, it was time to move on. I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 any other career that matches teaching. Being surrounded by youth keeps you young and energized and no two days are ever the same.
鈥淯oC was absolutely the right choice. Tutors are brilliant. From the first day, they have tried to make things as easy as possible for me, going above and beyond their roles. It鈥檚 that connection with the tutors that will make you an effective teacher.鈥
Steafan says it鈥檚 the wide variety of content and creative delivery by lecturers that have influenced his teaching style.
鈥淪tudents feel more prepared and competent to teach through the modules provided, alongside School Embedded Learning topics and the gradual increase in teaching time and expectations as the year progresses.鈥
His first placement in the Cumbrian village of Orton was the best introduction to teaching you could get, he says.
鈥淚 taught years 5 and 6 and they certainly made a lasting impression on me. I had so much support and that really helped me to grow during my time there. I鈥檒l definitely be back to visit!
鈥淟ife is good at the Lancaster campus, it鈥檚 small, and you鈥檙e always bumping into people from your course, including tutors, so you build good friendships, which makes it easy for a mature student like myself.
鈥淯oC will play a huge part in how my life now unfolds. I鈥檝e always wanted to be a PE or primary teacher and hopefully I will get a job where I can spend the rest of my career contributing to the local community back home.鈥
For now, Steafan continues his weekly juggling act. He missed his five year-old鈥檚 nativity play and first parent teacher meeting. Matthew, 14, will be at university himself before too long and the baby changes almost every day.
Steafan with sons Mathew, holding baby James, and Tom at favourite weekend haunt Portnoo in Donegal.
Wife Ciara is a teacher, currently on maternity leave, and a massive support as she keeps the family going.
鈥淪he鈥檚 brilliant, but it鈥檚 very hard for her. It鈥檚 the first time we鈥檝e been apart since we were teenagers and this is a big shock to the system. We make the most of our weekends and know it鈥檚 a short time until I鈥檝e finished.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping to work as close to home as possible. In my last job I always enjoyed seeing a child progress in their chosen discipline, whether that was football, athletics, or whatever. As a teacher, I want to see what they become as people.
鈥淢y ultimate ambition is to retire from teaching with the same passion and enthusiasm on my last day that I will have on my first.鈥
Steafan urged others who felt they had a vocation and were able to connect and make a real difference to children鈥檚 lives to think about a PGCE course at 探花视频. Could there be a better place to study? Absolutely not, he reckons.
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