“As a teacher, you have to remember that with every hardship comes opportunity. Learning from these challenges is what makes us better at what we do. We are educators and we are here to make a difference.”
From classroom support to leader of lessons
When the headship of her school changed one year into her first job as a Teaching Assistant (TA), Wahida Parveen had no idea it would be the first step on the road to becoming a fully qualified teacher and an inspiration to hundreds of children in her home city of Bradford.
In a journey that has seen her rise through the ranks from TA to Cover Supervisor and Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) before collecting a First Class Honours Degree in Supporting and Managing Learning in Education, Wahida has shown that with the right level of dedication and support, anyone can fulfil their teaching dream.
“I really enjoyed being a TA but when the new head joined the school it became clear that she thought I had the potential to take on more responsibility,” explains 33-year-old Wahida, who teaches at the Co-Op Academy Princeville school in Lidget Green area of the city.
“I’d got to the point in my career where I could understand how schools work, how the classroom works and how children learn, which is the point at which the head told me she thought it was time to take the next step.
“She eventually pushed me to the point where I couldn’t say no any more – so I decided to go for an open day at Bradford College, who were offering a Foundation Degree for Teaching Assistants and people who worked in volunteer roles within schools.”
Wahida, who left school at 16 before taking her A Level exams, completed the course within two years whilst continuing to take on more responsibility at Princeville.
Then, supported by her family and her teacher colleagues at the school, she enrolled in a one year honours top-up course, which she successfully completed in 2016.
“The next step for me was the actual teacher training,” says Wahida.
“There were a few different options open to me and I decided to take the School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) route, which allows you to gain a PGCE qualification whilst at the same time working towards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
“It was a challenging time but once again the support I received from colleagues was fantastic and I eventually gained a trainee place at my current school.
“It was during this year that the mentorship really made a massive impact, both from my tutor at the SCITT and the personal mentor I was appointed by the school.
“I worked with a Year 6 teacher who really helped me to understand not just what I was doing in the classroom but also why I was doing it – observing my lessons and being really specific about what went well and where I needed to focus to develop my teaching skills further.”
Now in her fourth year as a qualified teacher, Wahida looks back on her journey fondly and believes that with the right determination and mindset, anyone can find a route into teaching that suits their personal ambitions and circumstances.
She says: “The first questions to ask yourself are ‘do I have the passion and determination to make a difference to the lives of children?’ and ‘am I willing to work hard to help children achieve and be the best they can be?’
“All teachers face different challenges at different points in their careers, whether that’s marking and feedback for pupils, workload, planning a completely new unit of work, adhering to new policies and practices, managing challenging behaviour or dealing with difficult parents.
“As a teacher, you have to remember that with every hardship comes opportunity. Learning from these challenges is what makes us better at what we do. We are educators and we are here to make a difference.”
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“As a teacher, you have to remember that with every hardship comes opportunity. Learning from these challenges is what makes us better at what we do. We are educators and we are here to make a difference.”