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PGCE - Current Students Thread

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Reply 80

Piggsil

Original post by dobbs

Was waiting for you to turn up and put me right :wink:

get back to Norway you :tongue:

hehe

Pos rep given, why not? :biggrin:

Happy New Year!!

Haha

I wasn't putting you right, I was just adding extra info to your already very informative post :p:

Reply 81

Teao the Cat

Ugh, I know this feeling... and the thought of going back is making me feel physically sick. I wish I'd never started it... Didn't believe all the people who told me it would be hell, just thought that other people taught, why couldn't I? It takes a particular kind of person to make a teacher.

Reply 82

dobbs

Original post by Teao the Cat

You're from Berwick! :biggrin:

where are you doing your PGCE? :smile:

Reply 83

Teao the Cat

Original post by dobbs

You're from Berwick! :biggrin:

where are you doing your PGCE? :smile:

University of Cumbria, in Lancaster... did my undergrad at Lancaster Uni, and didn't want to move. You a Berwick person too?

Reply 84

-G-a-v-

Original post by lilangel890

Sure I replied to this. Hmm I'm not sure I like the idea of that tbh, though if every uni has those classes you talk about maybe it wouldn't be too hard. Oh well it's a long way away :smile:

Thanks

The essays are a pain, but they're not that hard. Don't think that, as a mathematician, you'll be at a disadvantage because you really won't if you can write clearly (which you should be able to do in maths anyway to some extent). Our EPS tutor at uni basically said to us on the first day that almost all the essays he's ever read by maths and science teachers have been absolutely fine, he even said it's the people doing English etc. who actually fail the essays more often, which I found hard to believe but one of my friends on an English PGCE had to resubmit his first essay.

Reply 85

dobbs

Original post by Teao the Cat

University of Cumbria, in Lancaster... did my undergrad at Lancaster Uni, and didn't want to move. You a Berwick person too?

Haha no, but if you look at the time of my post - basically 5.30am this morning when I got in from my new year celebrations, got a bit excited...I'm from Newcastle but I find it rare to see northerners (proper northerners, not fake ones like Manchester etc) on TSR!

Anywho, I'll shut up now and crawl back into my hangover hole :smile:

Reply 86

Piggsil

Original post by dobbs

Lol. Stop drinking :p:

Reply 87

22KT22

Original post by Teao the Cat

University of Cumbria, in Lancaster... did my undergrad at Lancaster Uni, and didn't want to move. You a Berwick person too?

I'm doing my 4 year degree there. TBH the uni probably isn't helping with how your feeling as I know our uni is shocking when it comes to organisation and placements etc.

Reply 88

Altruistic1

Just wondering.... why do so many people go down the PGCE route? Why not just join a private school straight after your UG? Or are there just too few jobs around for the inexperienced?

Reply 89

dita_parlo

Original post by Teao the Cat

I feel the same (except I'm on a GTP course). Not been sleeping the past 2 nights and feeling sick whenever I think of going back on Tuesday. I just keep asking myself whether this is all worth it :s-smilie:

Reply 90

Piggsil

Original post by Altruistic1

Just wondering.... why do so many people go down the PGCE route? Why not just join a private school straight after your UG? Or are there just too few jobs around for the inexperienced?

You make it sound like anyone can just waltz into any private school and teach. Technically it's true, but if I had 2 equal candidates and one had a PGCE and the other didn't I know which one I'd employ...

Reply 91

Piggsil

Original post by dita_parlo

After Christmas in my training year I cried all the way back to Birmingham from home, then I cried on the bus on the way to school on the first day. I had no sleep the night before going back, and I felt physically sick before I taught my first (horrible) class on that day.
I think that feeling the way you are is completely usual! My dad's been teaching for over 30 years and he still finds it hard to psych himself up for going back to work at the end of a holiday.
I personally feel that it's worth it, because it will get better, trust me! Jan-Feb is typically the most depressing time I think, especially for those on more school-based routes.
I nearly quit so many times, if I can do it, anyone can!

Reply 92

Altruistic1

Original post by Becca

Ah, fair enough. I was just thinking of my old (private) school - I'm pretty sure only 1 or 2 teachers had any sort of teaching qualification. I remember one in particular was teaching A level Biology and had come straight from a BSc. in Marine Biology. A lot of the teachers were alumni.

Reply 93

Kidders

Out of interest why on earth have two people negged my OP??

Reply 94

Kidders

Original post by dobbs

Yes I'm afraid they are - alongside your usual teaching you will be required to write a few essays.

Most likely one or two throughout the year on your specific subject, such as how do you engage the least interested pupils in maths or something like that.

You'll have to do 2 maybe 3 essays throughout the year on teaching - topics could include things such as SEN (Special Educational Needs), bullying, welfare, out-of-school activities, sports clubs, uniforms, active engagement, assessment etc etc etc!!

Original post by lilangel890

Do these essays need to be done for all subjects? I'm looking at Secondary Maths so haven't written an essay for years, let alone how long it'll be when I eventually graduate.!

At my Uni everybody doing Secondary PGCE has to do 3 6000 word essays. The first is called a Learning Assignment, focusing on how pupils learn and how teaching promotes learning in lessons. Second is a Curriculum Assignment, basically focuses on a rework of a scheme of work taking into account particular issues i.e SEN or GT etc. Third is an assignment looking at a whole school issue, so again this could be SEN or maybe pupil voice, healthy meals, reading opportunities, EAL etc etc.

They're not hard- i've written essays on topics i've barely understood before, they're just long and annoying as all three are handed in during term-time.

Also unlike some other providers at my uni we have the first month or so at uni (sept/ oct) Then we go on placement unitl Xmas. Uni is all of Jan. 2nd placement starts beginning of February and ends when the course finishes in June. ~However, all school half terms (so all time off apart from Christmas and Easter) are spent back at Uni. This is different with other Unis as many give students the half-terms as breaks also.

Reply 95

caroline_p3

Original post by Teao the Cat

It takes a particular kind of person to make a teacher.

O that it does!!

Reply 96

Teao the Cat

Original post by 22KT22

I'm doing my 4 year degree there. TBH the uni probably isn't helping with how your feeling as I know our uni is shocking when it comes to organisation and placements etc.

Pleased to know i'm not the only one who has this problem then! The tutor keeps passing off all my concerns as me 'having a difficult time' becuase my dad died last year... which has nothing to do with it! From curiosity, which schools were you in, if you don't mind saying...

Reply 97

k1tsun3

Original post by Becca

Personally I hated doing them, as I felt I never had enough time to do them "properly", like I had done at uni. I was always just trying to pass and get rid of them as quickly as possible.

This is what I mean. I really enjoy doing research, but when you are never given adequate time to complete the research and essays properly, it takes the enjoyment out of it.

Original post by dobbs

A PGCE, many of which give you Masters credits, are designed to push you and really make you think about teaching and also your discipline.

I understand why the essays are required for Masters level credit, but the M level credit was only introduced to encourage teachers to go back to complete a Masters degree. I know very few teachers who have (of course others many know loads of teachers who have), but it should be up to you if you want to. For me, most of the MAs I'm interested in won't accept my credit, so it's useless for me anyway.

I know several people who have completed PhDs and have said that the PGCE is worse. That is because of the lack of time to complete everything.

It's a small gripe I have with the course. I do think the course needs to be restructured a bit, but that's me (I know others agree and some disagree), but unfortunately, if any restructuring does happen, it won't be for the better wit hthe current government's plans.

For me, my favourite time is in the classroom. I can't wait for my NQT year!

Reply 98

prin5ess

@ KIDDERS
Now into my 3rd month of the secondary PGCE course and i can honestly say i have never looked forward to Xmas quite as much as i currently am! This has been the hardest few months i have ever experienced. Such a massive amount of work to be done all the time. Lesson plans still taking me hours and I'm never more than a day ahead of myself! Assignment due in 2 weeks and not even beyond the introduction. Getting home at 5pm every night due to the distance of my placement school and leaving at 7:20am every morning. Weekends written off and relationship with my partner suffering!

OMG this is scary! I have applied at bham for a pgce and this sounds pretty much like what their course is like ... intense! Oh I will be studying for an English PGCE too. Just wanted to know are you doing your pgce at the uni of bham? Do things get easier by the second placement? Did you have to do aprimary observation at the beginning of your pgce for a wk? If so whats the relevance of that? Good luck with everything x

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 99

22KT22

Original post by Teao the Cat

PGCEs are stressful with or without other circumstances and I don't think it's right for your tutor to just blame them all on what happened with your dad considering that uni struggled to place on the PGCE students, didn't place all first years on their first placement and didn't place half of my year last year for some of the placements. I was lucky and got placed in a school in fleetwood for one placement and my other 2 were in burnley, the latter was really difficult for a number of reasons; an AT expecting more work than the booklet stated (this has helped in the long run but was hell when I was going through it) and a lot of the children although not technically EAL were all from pakistani origins so there was a bit of a language barrier and they were working at lower levels that would be expected for their age.

What issues are you actually having? What tutor is it? If theres one thing I've found with cumbria its that although the admin and placement side of things is crap the pastoral care from tutors and other staff such as the chaplaincy has been amazing.