We caught up with learner Hodan Abdulqadir who has recently completed her qualification to ask her about her experiences on the level 5 Diploma in Education & Training course.
Name? Where are you based? Current role? What are your experiences within teaching and training to date?
My name is Hodan Abdulqadir and I live in Hanwell, London. I am currently working as an ESOL Teacher in the community strand and have worked as a Private English Tutor in the past.
Why did you decide to study the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training?
I decided to study the Level 5 Diploma in Education and training because I wanted a new career path working as an ESOL teacher in the FE sector. I needed training as I was previously working as a Private English Tutor. I had no experience in the classroom, this course was a fantastic way of achieving this. Furthermore, this is the fully recognised qualification for the FE sector and I needed to be qualified for further career advancements.
What have you enjoyed the most about the course?
In general, this course has taken me on a transformative journey and has shaped me to be the teacher I am today. Being with other experienced teachers and trainers was very beneficial, as they were all able to share their teaching and training experiences with me. I enjoyed the style of teaching the Tutors at Train Aid used, it was very student based and they constantly asked for our opinions, thus making it easier to write the assignments.
Name of your Action research course project & why? What was the outcome of the project?
The topic of my action research was attendance and my hypothesis was: ‘If extrinsic motivation levels in students are improved will this directly influence attendance.’ There was a big problem with attendance in my college and I decided to tackle this problem through research. I used incentives such as attendance certificates to encourage the learners to attend and participate in lessons. It was a success as the attendance rate had improved greatly through motivating learners extrinsically.
Is there any advice you can pass on to any potential Level 5 learner?
The only advice I would give is come to every session as they are extremely beneficial to complete the course. You gain different opinions and points of views from the interaction with your classmates on each topic being taught. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions to your tutors which will not only benefit yourself, but also your classmates. All the above will help you greatly with writing your assignments and completing your portfolio.
Now that you have achieved the qualification, what will you teach in the future?
I love working my current role as an ESOL Teacher in the community strand. However the Level 5 has given me the skills and opportunity to also work in conventional colleges, as well as joining the Private Sector. I also have the opportunity to proceed with my studies and do the QTLS which will enable me to teach in Primary and Secondary school and make me more employable.
Watch more about the QTLS process here
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