After achieving a master’s degree in Mathematics at Essex University, Jason Wanner originally wanted to become a Lecturer.
Although he had achieved what he needed to academically, he was advised by his peers that he needed to obtain the necessary teaching skills. In the 2009-2010 academic year, Jason voluntarily worked at Deben High School (now Felixstowe Academy) teaching A level students.
After a few months, Jason was given the opportunity of paid employment for 2 days-a-week at the school, teaching students of all years, including A level, but predominantly supporting a Year 11 class undertaking GCSE Maths.
"I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to teach the pupils on a regular basis. This routine meant that I not only had the opportunity to teach, but also to try out a range of different teaching strategies to accommodate the students’ different learning needs. GCSEs are sometimes the last qualification students may undertake, so I was determined to help my students do the best they possibly can, to ensure they had the best start in their future careers."
At the start of the 2010-2011 academic year, Jason had become the Assistant Lead in Mathematics for Deben High School. With a busy timetable of classes set for the year, his skills and expertise were being put to the test.
"This year helped me to understand what it’s like to be a full time teacher. The opportunities I had so far had prepared me for the role and I was happy to rise to the occasion."
In 2011, Jason enrolled onto the Graduate Teacher Programme (replaced by the School Direct Salaried programme in June 2012) through Suffolk and Norfolk School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT). This programme allows you to undertake a paid teaching role within a school at the same time as studying to become a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT).
Jason surpassed these expectations by undergoing his training, whilst continuing with his different roles and responsibilities in school, and achieved “outstanding” overall. It was decided that Jason’s 2012-2013 NQT year could be shortened to 2 terms due to his experience in a school environment and his skills in the subject. Jason’s passion for learning has benefited his pupils, colleagues and neighbouring schools.
In 2013 he became a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) in Mathematics, and has an active role developing Mathematics across different academies. This year (2015) Jason became the Director of Mathematics at Felixstowe Academy and is now on the Senior Leadership Team.
"Getting this far has taken a lot of commitment, dedication and passion for my subject. There are many benefits to teaching maths, including greater job security and opportunities of progression. From a teaching perspective, maths is a subject which is all about problem solving and creating solutions.
It’s great to see students’ faces when something which they found hard to understand, clicks. Teaching maths is about bringing energy and enthusiasm into a classroom. With the drive and creativity, you can really engage the young generation and inspire them to be the best they can be. I'm not just a teacher of Maths; I'm a teacher of everything."
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Map of where Felixstowe Academy is in Suffolk.
