Peter Wood - Geography trainee

Year of study

2016/17

Tell us about your route into teaching...

I've worked in the food industry for over 20 years after falling into hospitality after university. It's now 18 years since my degree, but, since I started the course, everything has come flooding back. Being "slightly" older can help when it comes to the general knowledge needed!

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I've got two great kids at home who are now at school. Helping them at home was exciting and I realised that I was good at it. It made me remember that when I was at school, great teachers were good at explaining content. They were also patient yet rm and always fair. They set high expectations, knew how to motivate and, most importantly, they made a difference. That's what I want to do. I feel that I can make a difference in this job.

Why did you choose Shotton Hall SCITT?

I drove past the Shotton Hall SCITT sign outside The Academy at Shotton Hall every day for years and I kept thinking, "should I do it?". I finally decided to ring up and have a chat. From there it got lots easier and the next thing I knew, I had a place on the course. Shotton Hall SCITT was my only choice, their professionalism was brilliant and I got the feeling that I would be well looked after and trained to a high standard.

What would you say to anyone else thinking of becoming a teacher?

Do it, do it now. It's never too late! You'll honestly have the best time. It's hard work but massively rewarding.

What has been your favourite part of training so far?

The varied mini-placements are great - they give you a flavour of all different types of schools and students. I've done Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND), alternative provision, A-level, faith schools and English as an additional language. It gives you experience of travelling to different schools and getting into the routine of the school day.

How does teacher training differ from your previous career?

It's massively different! I owned a restaurant company based in the north east. My days were varied with some days spent in the kitchen, finance, office admin, customer care, staff training or doing company development. It was a highly pressured job which set me up in a great position for my teacher training.