Teaching in a pandemic

Hope Stanger graduated from Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2019, with a degree in Sport and Exercise Science. However, unsure that this was a career she wanted to pursue, Hope completed a PGCE in Primary Education.

This allowed her to find her passion and she trained as a primary school teacher. She currently teaches a year four class in Wales - yet her first year in the teaching profession was disrupted by COVID-19.

Hope talks about her experiences as a first year teacher during a pandemic.

What motivated you to become a teacher?

When I was in primary school, my year five teacher made a big impact on my life. Not only did he help me to become better at maths, he made school enjoyable and I would look forward to coming in. Even now, many years later, I remember the way he taught and this inspired me to become a teacher.

Hope on her first day of school compared to her first day as a teacher [Photo: Hope Stanger]

How do you think your first year as a teacher, spent during a pandemic, has shaped you for the future?

It has given me confidence that I would be able to adapt and overcome issues that can occur in the teaching profession, as well as improving my digital skills to a much higher standard.

But it has also made me realise how important it is to work in a good community. Throughout lockdowns, I missed the staff and other teachers, which highlighted to me the importance of fun and supportive work environments.

What has been the hardest challenge of teaching online during a pandemic?

One of the hardest challenges of teaching online is the children’s engagement. They are only young and keeping their attention for the duration of a lesson through a screen could be difficult. I was only able to phone home when there was a problem in a lesson, instead of being able to talk to the child one to one, which was made engagement a lot harder. It was also difficult to tell whether the child was completing their work or whether their parents were doing it for them! This could be frustrating as it doesn’t help the child in the long run.

What changes did you notice in your pupil’s behaviour when the schools reopened again?

I was surprised at how well they settled! They seemed more motivated and were clearly so happy to be back in school with their friends. I think they really missed being able to socialise in person during lockdowns.

How do you feel about online teaching being a permanent feature in the future of education?

I don’t think it should be a priority; however, it is good to have as a backup. Teaching online is not as effective as face to face, yet it was better than nothing.

Hope graduating in 2019 from Cardiff Metropolitan University [Photo: Hope Stanger]