DCG Success Stories

Stepping in to provide emergency teaching cover started a new career in Animal Care education for former Broomfield Hall laboratory technician Samantha Smith.

Sam, who has a degree in Chemistry, Environmental Science and Zoology from Bengaluru University (formerly Bangalore), joined DCG’s land-based team in 2009, but at that stage had not considered teaching.

That changed, however, when a member of the teaching staff left at short notice and Sam was asked if she could take the Level 3 Biochemistry and Microbiology lessons as she’d studied the subjects.

She went on to qualify as a teacher and obtain a permanent position as a lecturer in the animal care team.

Sam said:  “It was a challenge, not having taught before, but I enjoyed it and, after that I then went from being a curriculum support assistant through to doing my Level 3 Certificate in Teaching and Learning to the Level 7 Teacher training at the Roundhouse, gaining my PGCE in June 2018.”

Since getting the job as lecturer she has been instrumental in designing the Level 3 Science pathway, which now includes subjects such as Cell Biology and Chemistry.

Due to changes in the curriculum in recent years, a lot of the content is completely new. In her role as curriculum manager of Animal Sciences, among other duties, Sam continues to teach the science subjects which she loves.

Sam really enjoyed studying for her PGCE at the Roundhouse and particularly liked learning the theory side.

She added: “The lecturers were brilliant; so supportive and I now enjoy teaching more. When you first start out as a teacher there’s a tendency to think you have to do all the talking.

I’m now more relaxed and let my students take more ownership of their learning.”