"We had a great bond as a class, and our course tutor was always willing to go the extra mile to support learners. I feel that I have really grown both personally and professionally."
Saikou Sanyang, a Lecturer in Health and Social Care at St Patricks College in Tower Hill, was already in the teaching profession when a colleague recommended that he take a PGCE course to improve his career prospects. Saikou decided to enrol at Lewisham College because of the flexible course options on offer.
“The part-time evening session structure really worked for me as it meant I could attend classes after finishing work,” says Saikou.
“My main motivation for doing the course was to open up more opportunities for me to teach in Further Education and Higher Education colleges. Eventually I would love to teach at an established university, and with this in mind, I’m currently pursuing a one-year Postgraduate certificate in Higher Education teaching course.”
Saikou found that sharing teaching experiences with others on the course helped him to understand the theories that underpin effective learning, and to feel more confident about the learning activities he uses.
“We had a great bond as a class, and our course tutor was always willing to go the extra mile to support learners. I feel that I have really grown both personally and professionally.
“One of the things I enjoyed most was the Curriculum module where we worked in groups of seven to develop a curriculum on study techniques for GCSE maths and English.”
Now a Lecturer, Saikou says that the most challenging aspect of his current job is motivating the learners to meet profession targets, but the best thing is the appreciation he gets back from students.
