Zoe Bidmead, 31

Current role: secondary science and advanced skills teacher (AST)
Degree subject: equine science
Route into teaching: postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE)

What first attracted you to teaching?

I really wasn’t attracted to teaching. Key people in my life suggested it to me including my teachers, but I avoided it. It wasn’t until I got to university and realised I was quite good at leading seminars that I considered it as a potential career option. Even then it was simply a means of getting into lecturing rather than teaching. However, once I started I loved it! It was hard work, but it was most definitely worth it.

What route did you take into teaching?

As I was undecided about teaching, I completed my degree and then enrolled on a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) course.

How did you go about finding a job?

Most of my searches used websites – from local governments and the Times Educational Supplement (TES), which is where most of the teaching roles are advertised.

What is life like now you are a teacher?

I am currently an advanced skills teacher and a creative learning lead practitioner, which involves spending 80 per cent of my time teaching in the classroom and 20 per cent on outreach. This means going into other schools, either locally and nationally, working with colleagues on innovative ideas or simply offering support with resources. I absolutely love it and wouldn’t want to teach any other subject in any other way. It’s my responsibility to make things as interesting and up to date as possible for the students, and help colleagues to use their skills to do this for themselves.

I recently led a continuing professional development (CPD) session in Valencia for 14 staff from different schools – that was scary and my Spanish was definitely challenged.