'They know their subjects, they know how to teach us and teach pupils. And Edinburgh is a wonderful city.' A family-friendly choice[I chose to study at Edinburgh because] it has an excellent reputation and it’s accessible from my home. I have a wife and children, so that was very important for me.I enjoyed being able to focus on learning, and translating that learning into something that is useful for others.I enjoyed the lectures and the workshops, where I had the opportunity to expand my thinking from practice to theory and back again.[The programme offers] that combination of the theoretical and the practical. Once I’ve finished I will have skills that I can use immediately, but also a mindset and theoretical understanding that will enable me to continue developing my skills throughout my career. 'An intellectually demanding programme'It is an intellectually demanding programme which is rooted in its practical application. I must be able to develop my theoretical rigour and then teach classrooms full of teenagers, convincing them that not only do I understand my subject but that my subject is interesting and useful to them.[What I find rewarding is] the knowledge that I will be a teacher at the end of it. A teacher at the beginning of a journey but possessing the essentials for making that journey an eventful and rewarding one.Favourite courseThat depends on which day you ask me. They all have something interesting, rewarding, challenging about them. I am embarking on a philosophy in prisons project which I could not have foreseen in a month of Sundays and it’s exhilarating. In the end, I have to say it’s my English course, simply because that’s why I joined the programme – to learn how to be a teacher of English. I have learned so much, sometimes in a way that has felt like an epiphany. Teaching horror stories in sound was only one such moment. I am embarking on a philosophy in prisons project which I could not have foreseen in a month of Sundays and it’s exhilarating... I have learned so much, sometimes in a way that has felt like an epiphany. I like the tutors’ style, it’s not a house style, it’s individual. I feel they are themselves. They know their subjects, they know how to teach us and teach pupils. And Edinburgh is a wonderful city.The course is full of practical applications, opportunities for practice, useful and encouraging feedback, theoretical underpinnings, network opportunities and a broad scope that attempts to demonstrate the holistic nature of teaching. I can walk into a classroom and teach. Interested in studying for a PGDE at Moray House? Moray House has been educating teachers for almost 200 years. Our Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) is the qualification you need to become a teacher in Scotland and will prepare you to teach here or further afield. Explore the PGDE programme Hear from more of our PGDE secondary students Alumni stories: Rebecca, PGDE Secondary (Chemistry and Physics) Originally from Shetland, Rebecca received a PhD in Chemistry before pursuing her PGDE Secondary in Chemistry and Physics at Moray House. Here, she shares what inspired her and what she hopes to achieve in her teaching career. Alumni stories: Emily Bell, PGDE Secondary (English) 'I chose to come to the University of Edinburgh because the programme offered me a 1-year degree with equal parts university-based coursework and practical experience teaching in schools.' Alumni stories: Tom Bird, PGDE Secondary (Physics and Mathematics) 'At Moray House... you are shown a world of possibilities for what teachers can do and be.' Tags Alumni PGDE Publication date 14 May, 2024
