Marriam Anwar

Teaching is a great passion of mine as it allows me to share knowledge and learn fascinating concepts while doing so. I aim to create an inclusive classroom where children feel safe and nurtured. As well as providing my students with opportunities to excel at their best. I have already started achieving these goals through university led placements and tutoring online. Due to my experience I have a broad skill set varying from use of online resources to subject knowledge and pedagogy. As a mathematic specialist I want to show children that they can strive in STEM while enjoying themselves. I want to help tackle mathematics anxiety in both students and teachers. I would love to work in a school that places their students at their heart and influences a generation of strong minded and accepting individuals. Regarding my studies, I am currently in my final year of university where I study an undergraduate degree in primary education with mathematics and QTS at Manchester Metropolitan University. I also take part in multiple extra-curricular opportunities which I have been awarded a gold award for my participation from my university. Through which I have gained skills such as communication, teamwork and many more.  

I deliver personalised, high-quality mathematics and English tuition for children weekly via zoom. Whilst tutoring online I work with groups of children helping develop their understanding of topics they may not have fully grasped. As I tutor online a limitation is not being able to physically engage with them. To overcome this, I plan my lessons to engage children online and feel as if they are learning with me in the classroom. I start by talking through key vocabulary that links to the upcoming work then continue onto a group activity that allows me to assess children's pre-existing knowledge of the topic. After this, I model the learning by either breaking down the procedure to find the answer or by showing students what a good one looks like and how to achieve it. Following on from this we work through scaffolded group activities where children work together to figure out the answer, I use this time as an opportunity to correct any misconceptions that children may have. Finally, children are given independent work differentiated into easy, medium, and hard where they can decide where to begin marking the answers together. This lesson structure has proven itself successful with children as they show an understanding of the topic which is assessed through starter activities. When being observed I was told that my “use of questioning throughout the lesson ensured that all the children were engaged and participated.” Part of my job is to also evaluate individual learning styles and then cater the lesson for the children allowing them to achieve maximum understanding. I make sure to create a calm and positive environment for my students allowing them to focus and try their absolute best. Also making sure to praise children for excellent work and effort to boost confidence levels.

During my second year at university, I completed a placement with a primary school where I was placed in year 2 to continue working towards achieving my QTS. I observed lessons and saw the approaches used in Key stage 1, recognising how they differed from key stage 2. I also taught a series of lessons focusing on my mathematics specialism. It was nice to see how mathematics worked in key stage 1, particularly looking at the Singaporean Maths no problem scheme. Whilst on placement I was presented with many professional development activities. One activity was to create a reward system. For this task, I decided to create two systems that would recognise individuals and the class. My reasoning behind this was to allow me to recognise two students every week that would become class role models for the rest of my students setting a good example. Also, I found it was important to create a whole class system to encourage my students to work together and communicate positively. Children who were chosen for the weekly reward would receive a personalised postcard from me. When the class would show good behaviour and effort, they would earn a marble. Once the class earned twenty-five marbles, they would receive a class surprise which I had decided would be goody bags. Once I had presented my reward systems to the class it proved to be a success. Behaviour tended to regulate itself as children would look up to the class role models and the class would work together dealing with issues by going to an adult and then talking to one another with the conversation being facilitated by an adult. During the period when I was using my reward system, I was praised for my behaviour management skills being told by the deputy-head that I had the "least intrusive strategies and predictable system of rewards".

My university experience has been extremely eye-opening and has already opened so many doors for me. The majority of my first year of university was spent online with lectures and seminars being hosted on Microsoft teams due to the pandemic. Despite this year being a roller coaster for everyone, it created many opportunities. Online learning allowed me to become more proficient with tools such as Microsoft, creating virtual lessons, and being able to establish online communication skills. I have found all these skills have added to my now in-person learning, creating a greater experience. During my second year, I completed five units. These units allowed me to evaluate education and teaching by completing small-scale research projects directed at a particular focus. My focus for this project was on working memory and the impact it has on students learning within mathematics. I developed an understanding of multiple theories, particularly cognitive load theory linking my work with an educational policy such as the core content framework. I have also been able to explore topics critically by creating a presentation exploring how theory and policy influence how we form an inclusive school culture. Particularly looking at special educational needs and creating more opportunities for children alike in the classroom. As a mathematics specialist, I also studied a dedicated unit that explored mathematical pedagogy and critically evaluated mathematics schemes from around the world. Currently, I am preparing for my third-year dissertation research project. For my dissertation, I am exploring how multilingual students approach mathematics. As well as this I am looking further into foundation subjects and my own teacher identity as I finish off my final year of university.