Meet the teacher - Head of Biology, Laura Armstrong
“Before I found MyEdSpace I was considering leaving the teaching profession altogether, which would have been such a shame,” reveals MyEdSpace Head of Biology Laura Armstrong.
“Working at MyEdSpace has reignited the spark I had for teaching when I first entered the job and has reminded me of why I became a teacher all those 18 years ago.”
“My parents were teachers and I’d had influential teachers of my own, so despite seeing how demanding it was as a job, it felt like a natural fit to become a teacher. And, once I started, it was obvious I was good at it,” she laughs.
Despite a natural aptitude for teaching - which she puts down to having been lucky enough to experience quality teachers first-hand from her parents and as a student, namechecking Mrs Lines her former Maths tutor as a huge influence - “she praised effort over correctness, she made me feel like she actually liked me and cared whether I understood it or not” - Laura found school environments which were preventing her from doing the thing she was there to do; teach children biology and share with them her own fascination with the subject.
“I’ve always loved science, especially the human biology side - I found physics a bit too abstract, but biology felt like learning how we work, whether it’s why your urine is darker when you’re dehydrated, to why we get sick, I just loved it. I did biology at university because I genuinely enjoyed it - not because of any career advice, because there wasn’t much of that back then.”
“During my training and at the young age of 22, my first placement was at a boys’ private school, and every time I turned to write on the board, I’d hear a comment. Back then it was just 'put up with it', but I knew I wouldn’t be staying long.”
“My next placement was at a big comprehensive school and I encountered a lot of really poor behaviour, I even had a laptop smashed - but it didn’t put me off - actually, it motivated me to find a good school where I could really teach my subject. And that’s what I did. I got a job at a brilliant school with fantastic students, staff and leadership. I could genuinely see myself staying there forever, but I started to yearn for a new challenge.”
“I moved to a different school for career progression and I was given a curriculum leadership post. But, I didn’t enjoy my time there. Increasingly, while you’re teaching a single lesson, you're receiving 20 emails - all of which you’re expected to reply to quickly. It’s like, ‘do you want me to teach these students in front of me or deal with admin?’ That’s the kind of madness teachers deal with daily.”
“It’s overwhelming, and no one really prepares you for the scale of it. The actual teaching part is fine - it’s the mountain of everything else that comes with it. There was little support, no social life, and I felt like I was just churning out lessons without having the time to fully plan or consider the pedagogy to best help my students. I was trying to catch-up with extra work over lunch and in the evenings. Finding time to eat, take care of myself, or even to use the toilet was difficult. Having three children of my own and feeling so disheartened by the profession, I was looking to leave teaching entirely”.
It was at this point Laura found MyEdSpace - and we were lucky enough to find Laura.
“MyEdSpace felt like the perfect fit for me, especially with all of my experience as an examiner. I could still teach Biology - which I wanted to fall back in love with - but in a completely different setting, and to many more students. I knew it was the right move.”
“In school, there’s so much guilt - guilt for not being available, guilt for not replying to emails, guilt for taking time - but here that doesn’t exist. There’s none of that unspoken expectation to burn yourself out, and you’re trusted to do your job well. It really opened my eyes to what work can look like outside of a traditional school.”
“Recently I ran a GCSE Cram stream, and I had 26,000 students tuning in. 26,000. It was surreal, but I felt in complete control. There’s something incredibly rewarding about seeing those comments in the stream, or reading the Trustpilot reviews and knowing you’ve helped thousands of students. You don’t always get that kind of visible feedback in a traditional classroom, but at MyEdSpace it’s right there.”
“I remember one student who was desperate to be a Midwife, but she needed at least a C in biology to take that next step, and she was really struggling. She asked me so many questions and really put the effort in. When she achieved that C, I was so proud. She’s now a Midwife in a hospital near where I live, which is just so great.”
“One of the most emotional moments was when I received a message from a former student, who actually started crying as she told me she never would have gotten into her first choice university without me. That really stayed with me. It made me feel like all of it had been worth it.”
The recipient of many glowing testimonials, it’s clear Laura’s style of teaching appeals to students, and when reflecting on how she achieves that, it quickly becomes apparent that her own experiences have shaped how she now approaches teaching her students.
“I try to be really positive with my students, and I constantly remind myself they don’t have to be here, so I make sure they know they’re seen. If someone asks me a question, I don’t ever want them to feel ignored.”
“For me, the best students aren’t those who know it all, they’re the ones who keep asking questions. And, I think with MyEdSpace, because there’s a sense of anonymity, students feel more confident asking questions they might not ask in class, so I always look out for questions in the chat and try to respond directly. I believe that kind of real-time feedback is part of what makes MyEdSpace so effective.”
“I’m enthusiastic and I praise a lot, because when I felt like I was good at something, I worked harder at it. That’s the energy I try to pass on to my students. I don’t want to be the reason someone falls out of love with a subject they enjoy. That would be the worst possible outcome for me.”
Hand-in-hand with her warm approach is Laura’s extensive knowledge of her subject and ability to distill complex ideas into something her students - and peers - can first grasp, then remember and recall in the high-pressured environment on an exam.
“Biology can be extremely wordy and content-heavy, so I work hard at being as clear, kind and encouraging as possible. I get quite a few messages from students who say their teacher hasn’t explained something well, so I put a lot of effort into explaining things simply and accurately,” she begins, before revealing it’s not just students who seek out her expertise for clarity…
“I do also get quite a few messages from A-level teachers asking about how I’ve explained a topic. I find that flattering of course, but also so encouraging, because in the same way that the best students are those who don’t think they know everything already and who keep asking questions - the same applies to teachers. I’m still learning stuff about teaching every day, and I have done for almost two decades now.”
While Laura’s help is sought out all year round, she describes the build-up to exams through March, April and May as particularly “intense,” but insists that in her opinion the rigorousness of exams and the stress they bring is an essential life lesson.
“Everyone has to go through the pressure of exams and that’s a good thing because it builds resilience, helps you learn how to manage stress, and teaches you how to work hard to get where you want to be.”
“As spring arrives in the UK, I’ll get hundreds of messages on social media with specific topic requests, questions or simply students asking for revision tips. When people genuinely want help, I always try to respond.”
You can find Laura on YouTube (@LauraDoesBiology) and TikTok, where she focuses on GCSE Biology and on A Level Biology questions and revision tips.
However positive the longer-term lessons are, Laura’s last line shows her desire to ease people through, and ensure they’re in the best possible position to achieve their full potential, and credits the MyEdSpace approach for facilitating that, insisting that it’s worthwhile no matter how well or badly you feel you’re doing at school.
“MyEdSpace is high-quality teaching, and so much more; it's a community for students who want to reach their full potential. It works really well for students who are anxious, who struggle to participate in person, or who have bad teachers or non-subject specialists trying to teach them. Students can learn at their own pace, in their own time. You can watch sessions back whenever you like, and explore content in a different way, it’s incredibly flexible. But, even if you’re doing okay in school already, or even exceeding targets, MyEdSpace will help you do even better. Seriously, give it a go. You won’t regret it.”
