Georgia Read

Secondary Drama - PGCE

Georgia considered teaching from a young age. As a trainee secondary school Drama teacher, she’s found she’s grown into the creative freedom allowed within the subject area, using drama to both connect with her pupils and help them to connect with the world around them. Now she has her sights set on taking her passion for creative expression across the globe.

Teaching has been a pathway I wanted to explore from a young age. I would like to inspire and engage students with the arts in the same way teachers inspired and engaged me when I was in school. I am passionate about teaching students the importance of self-expression and I believe Drama and the Creative Arts are subjects which enhance this. 

During the course it has been a challenge to keep on time with assignments and lesson plans. However, the mentors at my placement schools have been fantastic in helping me juggle workloads in regard to university work. They have provided me with tips and meaningful advice, which has helped me greatly to develop my theoretical responses. 

Through my training I’ve learnt that it is not necessarily a negative that Drama has no National Curriculum. In fact, it can be seen as positive as it allows teachers to create a curriculum around their students and the socio-political world around us. For example, I’ve taught students topics which focus on the world around us (Documentary Theatre) and helped to educate them on these topics, such as refugee crises and domestic abuse, helping them to enhance their knowledge and make subjective discoveries in their own learning. By teaching students topics like these, it allows them to observe different viewpoints through different perspectives as well as learn and explore work in a safe and nurturing environment.

My subject mentors have allowed me to workshop, discuss and explore new and creative ways of exploring dramatic work, providing me with critical feedback to improve my teaching practice and developing my confidence levels within the classroom.

Since becoming a trainee teacher at BCU I’ve become much more resilient within my teaching practice. I can take on board constructive, critical feedback and have learnt how to put my students at the heart of what I plan, teach and do. The course is helping me to explore my teaching philosophy; I now consider what I do – and don’t – want to promote in my classrooms. This comes from wanting my students to succeed and develop those professional working relationships with me as their teacher. Allowing students to feel comfortable enough within your lessons to approach you with new ideas, responses or issues which can be explored and resolved calmly and professionally is something that will underpin each and every one of my lessons.

Once I’ve completed my course, I want to travel and teach around the world, facilitating the learning and understanding of new information for students across the globe. I am incredibly passionate in using the creative arts to connect with, respond to and create work. I would love to travel to Italy or Brazil and work with a variety of students there to educate them and show them different ways they can create, respond and share their work.

To me ‘I AM BCU’ is about resilience, independence and integrity. This course has allowed me to develop strength and determination within my teaching persona and identity and has furthered my passion to teach and educate students about the wider world around us.