PGCE - Current Students Thread

Could someone fill me in on why there is so much to do on a PGCE? I know a few people doing it, and they are also finding it stressful. But I feel completely ignorant as to why is there so much to learn. What is there to learn? Presumably you're not just learning the subject you're teaching, because you already did that at school on top of several other subjects and that wasn't too bad. Keep going guys!

Random...pos rep given to balance it out

You "rated left handed people?" haha...gotta check that post out!

There is less university stuff for secondary.

not true!!

Could someone fill me in on why there is so much to do on a PGCE? I know a few people doing it, and they are also finding it stressful. But I feel completely ignorant as to why is there so much to learn. What is there to learn? Presumably you're not just learning the subject you're teaching, because you already did that at school on top of several other subjects and that wasn't too bad. Keep going guys!

It really really depends on what subject/ level you do. I'm doing Secondary English and the things I find are the most laborious are planning the actual lessons. With English you not only have the national curriculum, but the secondary English framework - all lessons have to correspond to various strands depending on the year group and the area of focus eg speaking and listening, reading or writing. As i'm so knew to this it takes a long time to work out what to focus on. Also the lesson objective tends to take a while for me to word properly. It has to convey the learning objective, which isn't always as straightforward as you initially think (again linking back to the STRANDS ) lol!

Then once you have planned your lesson (on the stupidly long and detailed Uni template) I have to create the resources for the lesson. So this may be as simple as googling something, or as time consuming as making a worksheet, game, activity / all three and more!

This probably sounds easy for some people, but it is time consuming! Especially when you have 12 hours teaching a week (going up to 20hrs next placement)

GCSE is slightly different and requires more in depth planning as it actually matters that the pupils learn something! Then there are the assignment lessons, which took me so long to plan prepare and mark that i can't even be bothered to talk about them!!

Oh yeah then there's the long assignments you do at the same time. i have 3 x 6000 word essays to write, 2 of them to Masters standard and thus requiring lots of critical analysis. Again i'm sure some people will find this pretty easy, but everyone on my particular course has found it demanding and tiring. Having said that the R.E students have a lot less 'complaints' and find the lesson planning easier as their subject is a lot more discussion based and less confined to annoying frameworks and Government models!

Yes, it's tough. I honestly think the PGCE needs to be restructured a bit. To some degree I do think the initial teacher training should be more practice focused. I love conducting research, but student teachers should be more focussed on understanding how to plan and teach. Whilst writing up these long detailed lesson plans can be annoying, it really forces you to focus on what the students are learning. The course is more than enough without the 2 mandatory assignments that require literature reviews and in-class research. Your planning and reflection is more important. You will be able to track your understanding of your subject and teaching your subject through that alone.

Stuff on essays....

And more stuffs

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.!

My housemate who did a secondary PGCE was in school the majority of time, compared to me who had approx a 50/50 split of university/school time. There was less in the way of subject knowledge stuff for him to do, as he was already knowledgeable in his subject (D&T). That wasn't me saying that a secondary one is any easier, just that he had less time in university than me (a few weeks at the beginning, then half terms, along with the odd days)

I disagree - if people have a problem with essays, etc. then don't do a PGCE, go do the GTP, TeachFirst, PGDE or one of those. I have little knowledge of any of them but I'm quite sure that you will find a lot less academic pressure from things like essays, reseach papers, reading, etc. on those courses.

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. Anyone can be taught to do a lesson plan - I completely agree they are incredibly time consuming (I should be doing it now) but relatively straight forwards once you've done them a few times.

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.

Also you'll do what at Bristol is called EPS (Educational and Professional Studies) which is about learning how to be a teacher, not subject specific. 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!!

So yeah, if you do a PGCE expect to have to do some essays. They should provide you with lectures/seminars to bring everyone up to a similar standard for knowing how to do essays. They did that with us, very annoying for those of us who are used to doing essays!! But apparently helpful for the likes of mathematicians who aren't used to writing social-science style essays

I wouldn't worry about it too much! Lots of people not used to doing essays but they get by

Just wanted to let people know that on TeachFirst you have 4 written assignments to complete over the first training year. They are also Masters accredited.
They are always due in at the ends of holiday, never in term time so you have some non-school time to work on them.
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.
I really don't envy people training...if someone told me I had to go back and redo my training year I think I'd cry! It's worth it in the end though when you get your own classes and can start to grow in confidence and really develop your own style rather than trying to please your observers all the time!