Jordan Edgington

My name is:

Jordan Edgington

I am training to be a:

Science teacher at a secondary school

I chose to be a teacher because:

Working with young people is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. Despite the daily dose of challenges and high demands, every day is unique and exciting, and a great opportunity to offer something positive to the community.

The reason I chose to train with Manchester Nexus is:

Though a SCITT seemed more daunting than the PGCE route, ultimately I believed it would be the best way to prepare myself for a career in teaching, especially having been away from the school environment for 15 years. From day one I have been completely immersed in schools and treated like a member of staff and it is the best rehearsal for life as a teacher.

I chose Nexus specifically because ever since the day of my interview, I have been made to feel valued and supported, and that has been the case throughout the year. The Nexus team really care about us as trainees, and our wellbeing, as well as our development, is clearly their priority, and it’s a great feeling to have that support behind you.

The thing I find most challenging about the course is:

Time management. There is a lot going on, with PGCE assignments, lesson planning, the stresses of everyday school life, and this is all before anything going on in your personal life. It’s definitely a challenge, and a skill you really get the chance to develop, however, throughout all the challenges, I’ve been able to approach it with confidence knowing I am in safe hands at Nexus and my placement schools.

But the way I am supported with that is:

The mentors are incredible – and it truly feels like time has been taken to think about what the best school environment is for me, and who would be best placed to be my mentor. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to build strong relationships and feel emboldened.

The most enjoyable thing about the course is

Coming home every day and feeling proud of what I’ve achieved. It’s a cliche in teaching, but truly, every day is different and for all the planning you can do, you will never be able to fully predict what a day will look like. That can definitely feel overwhelming at first, but once you find your confidence and enhance your ‘teacher’s toolkit’ to be able to deal with certain situations, there’s such power in the excitement of improvising and problem solving.

The best thing about working with children

Children are incredible – they are fun and frustrating, endearing and enraging – you will never be bored! Watching these young people grow and develop, as subject specialists, community contributors, and simply as independent people, is an incredible privilege.