Emmanuel Akpan-Inwang

The Teach First Leadership Development Programme (LDP) was one of the most challenging things that I have ever done. Every day brought with it new opportunities to learn and develop new skills. Without this experience, it is doubtful that I would have had the skills and confidence to found Lighthouse.

Initially, I found teaching a real challenge, especially when it came to teaching classes where behaviour was a significant issue. I had a very tricky group in my first year with several boisterous boys, and I had to struggle every lesson to prevent it from being derailed. On some days, I felt as though I might as well not have been there. After a particularly terrible observation, my mentor gave me some advice that has stayed with me ever since. She asked ‘who are they?’. It sounds like a straightforward question, but it made me realise that I hadn’t built a relationship with them. Our interaction was transactional rather than relational. I spent the next few weeks getting to know them and building a positive learning relationship, and while it was not always plain sailing, they ended up doing well that year. Several of the boisterous boys ended up joining a debate club I set up the following year. This experience made me realise the importance of a positive relationship when trying to get the best out of people; a lesson that has served me well in my current role.

I spent three years teaching English in Birmingham before setting up Lighthouse. While on the programme I completed several Summer Projects:  mini-internships which can be an excellent opportunity to gain skills to take back to the classroom or start a new career. I have a couple of job offers as a result, but my experience of teaching made me realise that I wanted to work on an issue that I cared about a lot.

The training on the LDP involved a lot of guidance on leadership and had modules on running organisations as well as sessions with people who had used their training to do similar things, so I feel that I had a good idea of how I could use my training to found and run a charity.

The Teach First ambassador community has been vital in getting his project off the ground. We have taken inspiration and practices from other ambassador led projects such as Jamie’s Farm, a charity that aims to reduce exclusions through residential stays on a farm. We have also worked closely with Charter-inspired Reach Academy Feltham, an “attachment-aware school” also founded by Teach First ambassadors, which has produced outstanding academic results.