Tell us about you, why you opted for a career in education, and why you chose to study with Tes Institute
My name is Tsaeling and I live in Dubai, UAE. I'm from India and this is my 12th year working as a teacher. I've studied and worked in schools with different curricula like Montessori and IB in India and Indonesia and am currently working as a primary SEN teacher in a British curriculum school in Dubai.
To be able to develop my career further and be internationally qualified, I chose to pursue the iPGCE course. This course helped me further understand and learn about teaching pedagogies and how my role as a teacher can bring about a deeper and more engaging learning experience for my students.
How I got into teaching was quite unplanned. After college, I wanted to take some time to figure out what I really wanted to pursue. Then one day, I saw this job vacancy in a Montessori school where they were hiring freshers and also providing in-house training. I took it up not realising it would change my life in such a positive manner.
Whilst working there, I realised that I love working with children, and the feeling of fulfilment I got from the love shown by my students and their parents was truly magnificent. I realised how impactful this profession is and, therefore, I went ahead with my Bachelor of Education. Since then, I haven’t looked back or considered wanting to be anything but an educator.
Were you familiar with Tes before you applied? If so, what did you use Tes for before? If not, what was it about Tes Institute that stood out for you?
I came across the Tes website when looking for resources and worksheets back in 2016. Over the course of a couple of years, my school started organising / supporting teachers who were interested in taking up courses with Tes. That's what got my attention as I was curious to know if there was a course for me. Coincidentally, a friend of mine had taken the iPGCE and she had very good feedback about the course content, it’s genuineness and the significance of its certification. So, in 2020, I too signed up for the iPGCE and it was definitely one of the most valuable decisions of my life.
How did you find the application process?
The application process was easy and straightforward. For people who are on a tight budget like me, it was good to find out that I could save some money on VAT if I made the payment with the help of my school via monthly salary payback. That process took some time, of course, as it had paperwork to be processed and verified, but all things considered, it was a fairly smooth process.
What did you enjoy about how the course is delivered?
Once the application process was completed, the communication from Joanne Coles, the Programme Director and Joanne Knight, the Deputy Programme Director was very clear and prompt. They were always very approachable and helpful throughout. The calendar for the entire programme was shared right at the start so that helped me to better plan my course submissions and personal commitments. There were frequent Zoom sessions for both formal content delivery as well as casual meet and greets where I could chat with fellow learners around the world.
What types of support did you receive as a Tes Institute learner and how has this helped you progress?
We were assigned two mentors that helped us throughout the course. One mentor was assigned in school who would observe my lessons regularly and provide developmental feedback, and the other was assigned via Tes who would grade my learning diaries (assignments) and also provide developmental feedback.
It was beneficial for me to get an opinion on how I was applying theory into my classrooms as well as what I had understood and done to achieve my targets through my learning diaries. It was very helpful and motivating to have these two mentors guiding and supporting me from different aspects and this was definitely one of the best things about this course.
What would you tell another person who is thinking of applying for this course?
When I tell others about this course, I tell them about how engaging and enriching this course was and how it has boosted my confidence and knowledge in this field of education.
How would you sum up your experience in a sentence?
If I had to sum up my experience in one sentence, I would say – I’ve gained an incredible amount of transferable skills that have opened doors for me …something I wouldn’t have ever experienced.
