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Notes from a primary ECT: what I wish I'd known before my first year

Having spent a year teaching Year 4 after graduating from the University of Reading BAEd Primary Education with Music (QTS) programme, James Smith shares some words of wisdom for any early career teachers (ECT) plunging into their teaching journey this September.
‘I will be that teacher,’ I thought to myself, ‘The one who can impress all the other teachers’.
‘I will be that teacher,’ I thought to myself, ‘The one who can impress all the other teachers’. - NicoleTaionescu/AdobeStock

If you're about to embark on your first year of teaching, there are a lot of different things that a lot of different people will be saying to you. With all the clichés and anecdotes, it can be hard to decipher any sense from this torrent of noise. I remember this feeling; in fact, I still feel it today – one year on from where you are now. It is important to remember that each experience, including yours, is unique and valid – only you will know what's best for your situation. That being said, here are some clichés and anecdotes of my own that I would like to share.

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