A Conversation With... Miss Ella Morgan

For the second 'A Conversation With...' edition of the Spring Term, we sat down with one of the Maths Department's newest additions - Miss Ella Morgan - who is currently completing her ECT 1. Previously an accountant, Miss Morgan has swapped the office for a classroom and in this feature, we learn about why she chose a career in education as well as what her big travelling plans are.

What is your role and how long have you been at Shiplake? 

I’m new to Shiplake for this academic year so I started at the school in September 2023. I teach maths and currently get to teach across the entire curriculum from Year 7 to Year 13 which I love. 

What were you doing before working here? 

Most recently, I spent last year completing my teacher training at an independent girls’ school in the centre of Birmingham - a role I really enjoyed although it was a lot of hard work and quite different from Shiplake! 

Prior to that, I’ve had a few different roles since graduating from university. From an accounting position in a big firm to working at Legoland, I tried quite a range of jobs before settling on teaching. 

What is a day in the life like for you at Shiplake? 

I usually arrive at school around 7.30am to give myself time to make sure I’m all sorted for the day. Then, of course, there are the lessons which are always enjoyable and always unpredictable! After that, I’ll try and get some planning and marking done, although I may have darts club with the pupils, duty in Orchard house, or a maths clinic depending on the day. Having said all that, one of the great things about teaching is that no day is ever the same! 

What inspired you to pursue a career in teaching and education? 

During 2020, I was working at a large accountancy firm and, when the pandemic hit, it gave me time to reflect on what I wanted my future to look like. Although I enjoyed working with numbers, I realised the favourite part of my job was actually helping to train and teach new staff. So, I started to consider teaching as a career which would enable me to work with young people and really make a difference. It also helped that many family members and friends who are also teachers were persuading and convincing me to take the plunge! 

You're in your first year as an ECT teacher, how are you finding it and how does it differ to a PGCE placement? 

I have really been enjoying my ECT1 so far, though it is quite different from completing a PGCE. During your teacher training, you’re under near constant observation. This is fantastic in terms of receiving feedback, however I have enjoyed having more freedom in my own classroom this year, while still receiving excellent support from the rest of the teachers here at Shiplake. 

What do you do outside of work? 

I really enjoy travelling which is something I think I picked up during my year studying at the University of South Florida. I’m hoping to reach my goal of visiting 30 countries within the next few years and, at 26, I don’t have much time to go! 

Where have been some of your favourite places to visit? Where would you most like to go?

I visited South Africa for the first time in the summer and had a fantastic time, particularly on the safari trip where we were able to get about four metres away from a lion! As for places I'd like to visit, I think the Norwegian fjords are currently top of my list!

What does the future hold for Miss Morgan? 

Something I have learned over the last few years is that you can never really know what the future has in store. Having said that, I hope to be pursuing a long and happy teaching career! I love working with students and teaching them the joys of maths, as well as hearing their excellent ideas and I’m looking forward to whatever teaching has in store for me in the future!