 I'm Charlotte Brand. I trained at Kent Midway Training and I did a PGCE in straight physics and it was a school-centred initial teach training scheme where I got a PGCE out then. Hi, I'm Rachel. I trained at Barsapar University, so the University Week. Highlights of my year were teaching Year 7s about why a newton's called a newton and having them say things like, oh, I'm going to invent the ins one day and we're going to measure the James's. Hi, I'm Jake. I'm in NKT Plus 1. My route into teaching was a PGCE and last year I taught from Year 7 to Year 13 and that was mainly physics, but I did teach Chemistry and Biology to Year 7. The scholarship really helped me this year because it meant I could completely focus on my training and planning and being in the classroom and just growing and developing into the teacher that I am today. I've been a profiled scholar for the IOP, which means that I get to do things like this and talk to people about what it's like being a physics teacher and training to be a physics teacher. This is quite important for me because being in schools, I've seen that there isn't enough physics teachers out there and they really need some more physics teachers to kind of inspire that next generation and infuse that next generation. I received the IOP scholarship for my PGCE, but apart from that I've been to several events at the Institute of Physics. Events where I've just been a mentor, been assigned a physics mentor and we had group meetings where we were discussing different teaching techniques. I was shown different techniques given lots of great resources, which were appreciated. The mentors were really useful. Having someone to call on outside of your school and away from your university was really, really useful. Having someone that's been there before and knows what you're going through. My main advice for someone starting a training year is that it's a training year for a reason. You're not meant to be this polished article and sort of approach it like that. Take risks, look at the different challenges and really try and improve on your teaching repertoire. There will be lots of different techniques, lots of different things you'll learn. Really look at that as an opportunity to learn rather than an opportunity to tick things off a list. Go into it with an open mind and enjoy building up your toolkit, all the things you can use as a teacher. Make sure you make time for yourself. Have your teaching time being that amazing teacher and being in school. Come home and be yourself. Make sure you keep your interests going. I'd say use your mentors, use people who've been through your training route to find out what you should be doing at that moment in time. What's the most important thing for you to focus on? Probably going to be your lesson planning and making sure that they're really good but you're going to want to be collecting some evidence as well. But then know when you need to be doing what and what you should concentrate your time on so that you can have a bit of a break as well and make sure you get all of the sleep you need, etc. Hi, I'm Chris Shepherd, teacher support manager at Institute of Physics. I hope what you just heard inspires you in terms of your year to come. We've tried to put together a selection of the real experiences of previous scholars. What we really want for you is to enjoy this next year for the challenges but also tremendous opportunities. You are to be congratulated. You've got an IAP scholarship but please make the most of it. Take all the opportunities from the e-shots you'll be sent with the various suggestions, through to the local meetings and other opportunities to get together. So well done, fantastic. Please use everything that's on offer for you and all the very best from the team here at the IAP.