JT SCITT Ten Year Logo

My Journey into Teaching: Ten Years in the Making

Gemma Pearson
JTSCITT Trainee Teacher

In 2016, I decided to apply for a Foundation Degree in Education after working in a pre-school made me realise that teaching was what I really wanted to do.

At the time, I was working full-time and had two young children, aged seven and nine. The next two years were challenging. Like many parents, I was trying to juggle work, family life and studying. There were evenings spent writing assignments instead of watching my children’s activities, but I knew I was working towards something that mattered to me.

When I graduated, I remember jokingly telling my lecturer that she’d never see me again!

Finding My Place in School

In November 2019, I started volunteering as a reader in a Year 3 class at William Shrewsbury Primary School. It didn’t take long for me to realise that being in school every day was exactly where I wanted to be.

Soon afterwards, a SEND Teaching Assistant role became available and I was lucky enough to be offered the position. In January 2020, I began supporting children in Year 1, helping them manage their emotions, understand boundaries and feel ready to learn.

Not long after, COVID-19 changed everything. Because I have asthma, I couldn’t return to school straight away, but once I was able to, I joined a class bubble supporting the children of key worker families. It was a very different way of working, but it reinforced how much I enjoyed being part of a school community.

Building Confidence

When schools returned to normal, I continued as a SEND/Class Teaching Assistant before progressing to a Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA).

As an HLTA, I had the opportunity to teach across different year groups and was eventually trusted to cover the same class for a full day every week. Those experiences helped me build my confidence and made me start thinking that perhaps becoming a teacher really was achievable.

JTSCITT Primary Teacher Trainees during one of their training sessions at the hub.

Taking the Leap

It was with the encouragement of my colleagues in Year 2 at William Shrewsbury that I finally decided to go for it.

By this point, my children were older and understood why I needed to spend evenings studying again while continuing to work full-time. During the summer of 2024, I also retook my Biology GCSE because I needed a science qualification before I could begin my SCITT training.

From September 2024 to July 2025, I returned to Burton College to complete my BA (Hons) in Education through Staffordshire University. My lecturer wasn’t at all surprised to see me back – and thankfully she was pleased that I had returned!

After completing my degree, I started my JTSCITT training in September 2025.

A Challenging Year

I knew this year would be difficult. To complete my training, I had to leave my job and take an unpaid year. At the same time, my son was starting university and my daughter was preparing for her GCSEs.

There were definitely moments when I questioned whether I could do it. Balancing family life, finances and the demands of teacher training hasn’t always been easy. But with the support of my family and friends, we’ve managed to get through it together.

The Difference Good Mentors Make

One of the biggest positives of this year has been the support I’ve received from the people around me.

My JTSCITT mentors – Vic, Steve, Lou and Mike – have been incredibly supportive throughout the year. They’ve always been there to offer advice, encouragement and honest feedback when I’ve needed it. Vic, in particular, has really helped me believe in my own abilities.

I’ve also been very lucky to have a fantastic mentor at my placement school, who has encouraged me, challenged me and always made time to support my development.

Looking for more information?

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Looking Back

Looking back, it’s taken me ten years to get here. Between working full-time, raising two children, running a home and living through a pandemic, it certainly hasn’t been a straightforward route into teaching.

But I wouldn’t change it.

Every stage of the journey has helped shape the teacher I’m becoming, and if my experience shows anything, it’s that there isn’t one single route into teaching. Sometimes it takes a little longer to get there, and that’s okay.

Ready to take the next step? Apply now and start your journey towards becoming the teacher you’re meant to be.

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