Relationship building a core benefit of Trinity’s Intern Program
Starting her career in the world of television as a Researcher, Ms Xanthe Robinson didn’t know she was going to end up at uni, let alone studying teaching, but that’s exactly where she is now as one of Trinity’s 2025 Interns.
When a career shift was on the cards, she knew that she wanted to move into a profession that would make her happy, offer some stability, and have meaning. Having loved her English and History studies at uni the first time around, when she decided to return to study, she knew she wanted to dig back into that.
“I realised that I wanted to bang the drum for English and History because these subjects aren’t just inherently interesting, they open us up to explore diverse perspectives and deepen our understanding of the world around us.”
For Ms Robinson, building relationships – with her classmates, lecturers, tutors, mentors, and students – has been core to her teaching experience thus far, and particularly through Trinity’s Intern Program.
She says that despite only being at Trinity one day a week in the History faculty at the Middle and Senior School, the consistency over the full year allows for growth of these relationships.
“Of course, you learn a lot through professional development, but even in the staff room day to day, you pick up a lot. There are always little conversations you’re learning from and you get to experience the dynamics of the staff room which is really important.”
It’s something she has noticed in particular working with her mentor, Ms Denise Whitten. She says their mentorship thrives on mutual openness and hunger to grow.
“You go in prepared to ask questions, curious and ready to learn. That’s the first thing your mentor will notice: that you’re keen, engaged and that you want to interact and build relationships with the students.”
“What’s also really important is, talking to your mentor about other stuff! So much of it is about teaching, of course, but relationship building and connection is also about getting to know each other on a deeper level, and really connecting and liking each other.
“Then, when you talk about our teaching practice, it flows smoothly, because you’re both on the same page.”
“When Mrs Whitten gives me feedback, I know where she’s coming from because we have already built that trust and that relationship.
“I think that’s why this Internship is so fantastic, because you really get to experience how beneficial relationship building is to your teaching practice, and take that wherever you go next.”
Before securing her Internship, Ms Robinson felt a little trepidation about how she would handle this opportunity alongside her university workload and about what it would be like to work at Trinity as a pre-service teacher. She says she needn’t have concerned herself on either point.
“Trinity is a really warm and welcoming environment. As an Intern, you are treated as a member of staff so they are keen to hear your ideas and you are encouraged to experiment in your practice as an early-career teacher.”
“I’ve always got someone there as a sounding board. The teachers here are some of the best and they have a wealth of experience and knowledge that they’re happy to share. They also remember what it was like to start out in this career, which feels incredibly supportive.”
It’s this communal sharing that she says has helped her to manage her study and work balance.
“Through this Internship I have colleagues at School to talk to and bounce ideas off. At uni, you learn so much about different pedagogies and teaching strategies. It is incredibly valuable to take this knowledge into School and ask teachers, ‘What do you think about this? Does it work for you?’ Then you can experiment in your own lessons to see what suits your teaching style and, most importantly, how your students learn. This lessens your uni workload in the grand scheme of things and makes you a better, more responsive teacher.”
