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The NQT Year Thread

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If I survive this week, I'll be hero in my own eyes.
Yep, it's that bad. NQT stuff deadline - Friday, reports deadline - also Friday. Sweet. :frown:
Original post by lantan
If I survive this week, I'll be hero in my own eyes.
Yep, it's that bad. NQT stuff deadline - Friday, reports deadline - also Friday. Sweet. :frown:


I've got the deadline for my NQT folder on Friday as well. Data deadline Thursday. Along with all the marking. Wahhhh

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I'm burying my head in the sand about my file... ours is digital and pretty much just us saying 'yes, I do this', but still a pain. A job for Thursday night I think, after our 'Moving Up Day' with our new class (no marking...!).
Same snowed under again. I am also in a situation, anyone like to discuss PM me, just want another view.


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Had my induction day today all ready for starting my NQT on wednesday!
I feel slightly overwhelmed with the info that I've been given.., But I got a really good feel from the school today and I'm really excited to start.
Advice to all future NQTs - just take each day as it comes, it helps to plan during the holidays for the term ahead, that way you can have a work/life balance during term time. Follow things through, you will have good and bad days/weeks. For me it started with a good day then bad day and it gradually got less. The first term is the longest and hardest so be ready for it. Finally, try not to take things personally and put it down to a bad lesson or day - do not stress too much.


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I don't think you can plan too much before the NQT year. A year ago I was in that boat worrying through the last weeks of the summer about not having planned much as I didn't really know how to. Until you know your classes, your specifications and texts you are going to teach you can't really do much. lesson planning and marking takes absolutely ages in the first 2 months or so. I've become so much better at planning but marking still takes quite a while and I think that will always be the case until some clarification happens on how much marking is necessary and how exactly to mark.

The first month was a bit insane - you have that honeymoon period where your classes are testing you out. Looking back I got this month right with some classes but horribly wrong with others and I never really recovered from it. Anything you let slide in the first month will be hard to turn around. If you've allowed pupils to have earphones in, go the toilet often, talk over you without consequence then it will be incredibly difficult to turn that around as the year goes on.

The run up to Christmas is hard because the nights are dark, the mornings are dark and the term seems to go on for ever.

After that it does get easier in some ways. If you teach classes several times a week you should be able to build and form good relationships. You will make mistakes but you get to correct that mistake the next day. I taught quite a lot of one a week classes this year and that's been incredibly hard because you don't form that same relationship, you don't mark their books regularly, there's a loss of structure and pattern to lessons and the kids know on some level they can take the piss a bit and won't see you again for a whole week.

The best possible advice I think I'd give to someone starting this year is learn the kids' names s soon a possible. It's the most powerful tool for behaviour management. With my one a week classes I didn't learn names for absolutely ages and I'm a bit ashamed to admit I still don't know some pupils' names and there's just over 3 weeks left of term!

It's so hard to get the balance between authority and being fair and 'nice' to pupils. Ultimately I think I cared too much about being liked early on and let things slide. For some classes/pupils a stern approach just won't work but nor will allowing them to get away with things. It's really hard to do but I think a clear, consistent routine works best I.e they line up until you say they can come in, they stand behind chairs until you say sit down. If they talk over you their name goes on the board and so forth every single lesson every single week until they get the picture. On the flip side, rewards should consistently be given. Phoning home for positive news is one of the best things you can do - the kids love it.

With 3 weeks to go I've had all my observations and they've gone well so I'm now just looking forward to the summer and really coming back next year stronger. I know what to expect now, I can plan lessons over the summer and I can read up on strategies I've struggled with this year. I know it's not going to be plain sailing next year either but I feel better equipped for it all.

To new NQTs just enjoy the summer - as I said, you can't really plan extensively.
Don't mean to hijack your guys conversation but this thread seems an appropriate place to ask! I'm volunteering as much as possible in primary schools to build up my experience, get used to expectations etc. I'm looking to do some reading aswell though to clue myself up.Can anyone recommend any good teaching books? Specifically primary. I've Seen 'how to teach' by Phil beadle but I understand this is mostly secondary teaching advice. 'How to be an outstanding primary teacher' is the only primary based one I've seen, is it any good? Any reccomendations welcome! Sarah x
Does our pay go up automatically from September?


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Original post by pgce2013
Does our pay go up automatically from September?


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I've been put on m2 for my new job, it says so in my contract.

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Original post by outlaw-torn
I've been put on m2 for my new job, it says so in my contract.

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I'm staying at my current place so I'm assuming it does.


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Original post by pgce2013
I'm staying at my current place so I'm assuming it does.


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I'm staying where I am as well, but not sure if pay increase will depend on how the governors view my data from this year... I think it might be linked to the progress made by my class. My maths and reading data look fine, but my writing is a bit rubbish. But then I keep being told that as NQTs our classes aren't expected to make quite as much progress as experienced teachers'.

I've been a bit hesitant to ask... It's going to reach a point pretty soon where I just need to suck it up and ask the question.
Well I've just gone and signed myself up for something that is going to land me in a whole load of extra stress over the next year.

I've volunteered to set up an exchange visit with our partner school in France, which I'm really excited about. But at the same time, there are so many problems - what if not enough people sign up, how to get quotes for travel and sort out the best deal, how to safeguard pupils whilst staying with host families, matching pupils with a suitable exchange partner...

Hopefully it will all come off OK because I really want to make it work. But I think it's going to drive me crazy in the process.
2 more weeks.
2 more weeks crawling in the mornings, crawling back in the evenings, asking myself - why am i doing this???
And then the answer comes so easily when seeing SOME of the students. I'd like that number of the SOME to get bigger though... :smile:
I've had my final NQT assessment form back and I've passed induction :biggrin: it's really nice to have it official!

I have a lot of marking to do this weekend (end of year exams and some books) but I'm really hung over so it'll have to wait until tomorrow >.< I'm finding lessons incredibly hard at the moment as well, as the kids have all done their end of year exams and have therefore all decided they're not going to work any more, but the head's sent round an email and strictly banned 'fun' lessons until the very last day of term. Keeping them focused is becoming a nightmare.

Ah well - we're nearly there!
I thought I'd start swotting up on the A-Level spec I'll be teaching from September. Went on the AQA website, looked at the recommended reading for students... The main book is written by my new HoD.

No pressure there then! Eekkk!

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Yeah getting the kids to stay focused for 2 more weeks is going to be a struggle. I need my year tens to complete their last controlled assessment still so will hopefully box that off by the end of this coming week and then the last week will just be getting anything out of them I suppose.

What objectives does everyone have for next year then?

Mine:

1) be much more consistent with behaviour management strategies. Be relentless with routines like lining up, 3 warnings before a detention and following it up every time etc. early praise and parental contact with problem pupils to get them on side.

2) stay on top of marking. I'm not going to kill myself with it but I want to make sure every class I teach has their books marked at least twice a month (maybe once a month for a one week class).

3) get more involved in the wider life of the school. This year has been so crazy that I know I haven't helped out as much with extra curricular things as I could have done.
My PGCE top-up assignment is hanging over me like a sword but I just have zero energy left. Any ideas on how to get myself motivated will be greatly appreciated!
Hello! New NQT here :biggrin:

I'm starting to freak out a little. My head of department is leaving next week so by the time I start at the school he will be gone. I met him last week to receive all of the documents, books and advice but now I'm worried that I don't know what the first week at school looks like.

I want to at least plan for a couple of weeks before I get there so I can focus on working the other stuff out.

What are the first few lessons with KS4 and KS5 groups look like? I have two of each plus 1 year 7 and 1 year 8 class a week so I can survive those but the higher years are terrifying.

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