We caught up with Christobel back in 2018, when she was completing her trainee year as a maths teacher at Manchester Academy. Here's what she said:
Hello, my name is Christobel Gondwe, and I'm a trainee teacher of mathematics at Manchester Academy.
What did you do before starting your training?
My background is mainly to do with research. I did my undergraduate degree at Manchester, then I did my master's, and I've just finished my PhD.
Why did you choose United Teaching?
I found, compared to other training programmes that I'd looked at, I felt that United Teaching provided a more of a comprehensive and holistic teaching approach - it wasn't just about learning to impart knowledge, it was about developing as a teacher.
How have you found being a trainee so far?
I'm training to teach maths in secondary. It's absolutely fantastic, I've got so much support - I've got the Principal, the Head of Department just dropping into my lessons, making sure I'm OK. Any time I need any resource, or I need to check up on something I'm not sure about, I can just walk into a classroom and ask one of my colleagues. I know support can be a big concern for a lot of training teachers, but the level of support I've received with United Learning is exceptional.
What advice would you give to potential trainees?
I think teaching is quite challenging, but because of that you can grow. I think you should get into teaching if you're passionate about it. Think about the reasons why you want to get into teaching, and generally United Learning will put you in the place where you can grow as a person. That, I think, is what sets United Learning apart.
