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Our Alumni Share their Experiences
Our Alumni Share their Experiences
It’s always great to hear from our former students and catch up with their personal and professional developments. Where are you now? Email us your news at education@sheffield.ac.uk!
Lindsay Hirst (BA Education, Culture and Childhood)
Lindsay Hirst (BA Education, Culture and Childhood)
I graduated from the School of Education in summer 2018, so it really hasn’t been that long since I left Sheffield! I’d hoped to go straight onto a master’s after graduating but had to take a year out after I was unsuccessful in obtaining funding. Although I was disappointed at having failed to win a postgraduate scholarship, it actually worked out pretty well in the end. Taking time out of my studies enabled me to return to work with the aim of saving up money for the 2019-2020 academic year, but more importantly it gave me time for making stronger funding applications. It’s true what everyone says when they tell you how much work third year is, and to make things worse, funding deadlines at postgraduate level tend to close quite early - usually when you’re up to your ears in essays and dissertations - which left my applications kind of rushed, and definitely not as good as they could have been. This year, however, I put a lot more effort into persuading the people who hold the pursestrings why they should give me money to do an MA, and it actually worked!
I reapplied for my master’s [at Sheffield] because I enjoyed my undergraduate degree so much, but I also decided to shoot for the moon by applying to Cambridge as well. I was shocked enough when they made me an offer for my course in Educational Research, but then they offered me funding, not only for master’s but also a PhD via the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) studentship, and it’s like a dream I still haven’t woken up from yet. It just goes to show how patience and persistence pays off.
Of course, my success was only made possible with the help and advice I received both during and after my degree. Jamal [Lahmar] deserves huge thanks for his guidance on the second year Research and Researching module, which gave me excellent grounding for my undergraduate research and beyond. It also gave me knowledge of how to write a good research proposal, which was essential for my ESRC application, and he actually made statistics fun and interesting! I also owe my gratitude to Vassiliki [Papatsiba], my dissertation supervisor, who was endlessly patient with me in third year, and finally to Tim who has continued to support me even after graduation. Thank you so much for your glowing letters of recommendation and for your kind words of encouragement!
Alison Grasmeder, Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
Alison Grasmeder, Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
Originally, from Essex, moving to Sheffield in 1986 was a completely different world. To start with, a bus journey cost 5 pence and you could get a pint for one pound or less! As an undergraduate I followed a ‘B stream’ Geography course, which afforded me the opportunity of studying both human and physical geography and considering the interface between the two disciplines. In my first year, this included Economics and Psychology, the latter a subject in which I also had a very keen interest.
After studying for three years, at what I believed to be the best University in the country (I still do!) I did not want to leave; I loved living in a ‘big village’ and residing next door to England’s biggest playground – the Peak District. Friends and family suggested that I embarked on a PGCE course, gaining QTS, ably supported by Margaret Roberts within the School of Education. This opened my eyes to how much hard work it is working with students but also how life-enriching teaching young people is.
In July 1990, I left the University of Sheffield with a BA (Hons), QTS and a PGCE to embark on my next adventure.
I delayed my NQT year to travel and further develop my geographical knowledge and expand my horizons. I explored parts of North America, Australasia, Europe and Asia and returned in 1991 to start my NQT year at my first placement school, Dinnington High School in Rotherham.
I remained there for two decades teaching Geography and Psychology up to and including ‘A’ level. I was fortunate in being asked to engage in a whole host of other activities whilst in post: KS3 Strategy Manager including transitional work with the primary schools; as well as leading the Humanities Faculty, which was comprised of Geography, History, Classical Civilisations, Psychology and RE. I retained close links with The University of Sheffield; from the mid-1990s I was Associate University Mentor supporting student teachers and from 2007 I became the Associate University Tutor – co-ordinating all teacher training placements in schools. This then led onto promotion to Senior Teacher in charge of Teacher Development, a role in which I nurtured and developed UQTs, ITEs, NQT, RQTs and all new staff to the school. In 2012, I was asked to apply for Specialist Leader of Education Status (SLE) for Initial Teacher Education and completed my National Qualification in Senior Leadership (NPQSL). Following this, I became part time Social Science Tutor for Sheffield Hallam University PGCE and was brokered for 50 days a year by Learners First (Wickersley Teaching School) to be the Secondary Lead Practitioner for ITE. I loved my increasing work with developing and nurturing our teachers of tomorrow; some of it face to face with student teachers, school partners and some at a more strategic level, for example being part of a national group that informed the development of the ‘National Standards for school based initial teacher training’.
I was appointed as a University Teacher to the Geography PGDE course in The School of Education in September 2017. As part of this role I also supervise post graduate students on the APSE MA programme. My first year was somewhat of a baptism of fire. I took on co-leading the PGDE trip to India and supported the ITE Director through a University ITE OFSTED inspection. The trip to India was life changing for both the PGDE students and me and I am fortunate to be accompanying the visit again in the summer of 2019. I am now Deputy Director of ITE and thoroughly enjoy working within an amazing team of PGDE tutors and a fantastic partnership of schools. On a daily basis I am privileged to be able to observe our student teachers and NQTs making a significant difference to the lives of young people both locally and further afield. My new role has encouraged me to go beyond my comfort zone and challenge myself. I have started to write again and had an article published with a colleague last year in ‘Collective Ed’ on mentoring thinking and practice. I am currently writing an article for the Geographical Association, which is focused around transitional work with a local primary school considering the place of Geography and Careers development in the curriculum.
I am excited about further developing my role and continuing to help shape the aspirations of our future teachers and young people.
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