{"id":7733,"date":"2024-11-27T12:00:36","date_gmt":"2024-11-27T12:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/?p=7733"},"modified":"2025-05-29T12:55:34","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T11:55:34","slug":"from-the-ou-to-the-classroom-kevins-journey-with-teach-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/?p=7733","title":{"rendered":"From the OU to the classroom – Kevin\u2019s journey with Teach First"},"content":{"rendered":"

“It\u2019s been interesting to see how all my prior experiences have proved valuable and transferable to my role as a primary school teacher.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Teach First, a rewarding route into teaching<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin’s decision to teach was inspired by his work for a theatre and education charity supporting young people struggling in mainstream education.\u00a0He chose the Teach First<\/a>\u00a0route, whose mission is to give children facing the biggest barriers the chance to fulfil their potential. Discover this and \u00a0other routes into teaching in the four UK nations and the Republic of Ireland with our Becoming a Teacher<\/a> guides for 2024\/2025.<\/p>\n

See Teach First\u2019s current opportunities<\/a> on OpportunityHub.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019d known about Teach First for a long time. I was drawn to its ethos of social inclusion and the opportunity to get into the classroom right away. The relationships I\u2019ve built with children and their families\/carers and seeing students\u2019 excitement and enthusiasm for learning really take hold have been the most rewarding aspects for me.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Managing the transition: age and life balance<\/strong><\/p>\n

As an OU graduate who pursued teaching later in life, Kevin understands the concerns many might have about starting a new career at an older age. He admits there were some initial nerves about making such a significant change, but he found that his life experience helped him manage the challenges. Find out more how to prepare for your future on Before making a career change<\/a>. Discover how graduate employers value experienced candidates in the recorded panel session New beginnings \u2013 career transitions at any age<\/a> from CareersFest 2024.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s natural to feel some nervousness about taking on such a challenge, especially later in life. But with experience comes resilience and perspective.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Kevin\u2019s OU journey had already taught him how to balance study with full-time work, a skill that proved invaluable when juggling the demands of teaching. He also emphasises that the qualifications gained through Teach First are beneficial no matter where your career takes you next.<\/p>\n

Advice for career changers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin\u2019s advice to anyone considering teaching later in life? Don\u2019t let age be a barrier. He\u2019s made great friends of all ages through teaching, and he\u2019s found that teaching is equally challenging and rewarding for everyone.<\/p>\n

“Regardless of age, everyone finds teaching hard! But if you\u2019ve met Teach First\u2019s rigorous recruitment standards, trust that you have what it takes. Children don\u2019t have preconceived ideas about age; they see anyone over 18 as old! So believe in yourself\u2014you\u2019ll be helping ensure that all children get the education they deserve, which is a powerful motivator at any age.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Take the leap and make a difference<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kevin\u2019s journey shows that it\u2019s never too late to pursue teaching. For those considering a change, he encourages taking the leap\u2014teaching is a powerful opportunity to make a difference.\u00a0Learn more on Teach First\u2019s OpportunityHub page<\/a>, with links to opportunities, how to register your interest with Teach First and more information about their training programme.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Kevin Metchear, teacher<\/strong><\/p>\n

OU graduate Kevin\u2019s path to becoming a teacher was far from conventional. After a diverse career as a professional musician, writer, and arts marketer, he transitioned into teaching through Teach First, a programme training individuals passionate about education. In addition to his teaching work, Kevin is a Teach First Ambassador, giving advice to those considering teaching later in life.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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\"X<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“It\u2019s been interesting to see how all my prior experiences have proved valuable and transferable to my role as a primary school teacher.” Teach First, a rewarding route into teaching Kevin’s decision to teach was inspired by his work for a theatre and education charity supporting young people struggling in mainstream education.\u00a0He chose the Teach […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56,48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-graduate","category-teaching"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7733"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7733\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7761,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7733\/revisions\/7761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/careers\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}