Maddie: Teaching

What did you most enjoy about the Integrated Natural Sciences course?
The small size of the course meant that staff and students formed a close community. This was fantastic for learning as science is a collaborative process! I had a strong support network throughout my time on the course. I also loved that the course felt modern. The course was taught from the ‘front line' of science, and it was interdisciplinary. It really makes sense for a 21st century science degree course to be structured and taught like INS.

What are your next steps?
This year I will be starting a PGCE to teach secondary school science (focusing on physics) with the University of Bristol. I hope to start teaching next year.

Why did you choose to teach science as a career?
To me, science is the most interesting, exciting and important subject to learn about, which is why I chose to study it myself. I have been considering teaching as a career since before I started university. During my time at university, I found that I really enjoyed helping others and sharing the scientific knowledge and techniques that I was learning, so teaching seemed like a good career choice. As a teacher, I hope to be able to share my enthusiasm for science.

How do you think your degree has prepared you for this role?
Integrated Natural Sciences has been a brilliant and very unusual degree course. It’s given me a really good overview of how science actually works so I can teach from experience. The interdisciplinary nature of INS means I feel confident teaching all sciences, maths and coding. Additionally, I hope to apply the ethos of INS in a secondary school environment, to get young people thinking about STEM subjects in an interconnected and relevant way.