Making the transition into teaching;
Ken Boyle
What did you do before training to teach?
I was head of sales and operations planning for British Steel. I managed a team responsible for planning all aspects of the business, reported progress and implemented improvements.
What inspired you to get into teaching?
I'd talked about teaching since university, but I wanted some life experience first. My most influential teachers all had 'real' jobs before teaching and it meant that they could talk about life after school - which I was certainly interested in! As a teacher you need to be super organised, and both short and long-term planning were key aspects of my previous role. You need to be resilient and treat each lesson/day as a fresh start; leave your mistakes behind and always move forward.
How has Transition to Teach supported you so far?
My Guidance and Development Adviser (GDA) has always been there for me, listening to my problems and signposting helpful resources to save my sanity. She's been a rock!
Where do you see your career in five years' time?
I just want to be an excellent teacher and hopefully a subject specialist in chemistry. Coming from previous senior management roles, I'm in no rush to re-climb the ladder.
Finally, please sum up your experience for us!
You'd be a fool not to give yourself the best support network you can as you enter teaching. Transition to Teach was an important part of that network for me. What have you got to lose?