The NQT Year Thread

After dedicating a significant chunk of the summer to learning to drive, I passed my driving test today! This cuts my commute from 2 hours to 20 minutes, so I couldn't be more excited. Now, I just need to buy, tax and ensure a car in the next 6 days (3 of which are bank holidays...).

In terms of preparation, I've only planned the first lesson for each of my classes (the same central activity for all of my science classes, and the same central activity for my maths classes). I've not gone beyond that, including for my year 12 (higher level IB physics, where I'm somehow the lead teacher for the class) on advice I was given at induction - don't plan until you know the pupils and have discussed with other teachers how to tackle things.

2 hours to 20 mins?! How is that possible?!

I've literally still not planned anything. I start teaching next Weds and plan to spend the whole day on Tuesday planning induction and a SoW. I am trying to milk all I can from the summer holiday!

I live in London and commute out to Kent. I drive along a motorway for ~10 minutes and then a few minutes either side. Alternatively, I can get two irregular, unreliable buses that take between 1 and 3 hours...

I think you've got the right idea re:enjoying the summer. The NQT year combined with the Christmas term is like a double whammy of stress! Of course, it also means that it hasn't really hit me yet that I'm a real teacher...

I'm hoping the inset and form planning days will give me a bit more structure/a push to do stuff.

Congrats!

I'm still pretending it isn't happening and will continue to pretend until the morning I'm in there. I'm hoping the inset and form planning days will give me a bit more structure/a push to do stuff.

Yeah it's this bit that I'm struggling with. When I start I'm sure I will be fine but I need the structure until I start planning and stuff.

The feeling that I'm going to be in charge of a classroom has finally hit me today. I'm terrified of the fact that I'll need to organise creative displays for the classroom, especially when I've always considered myself somewhat of an uncreative minimalist.

How are other primary school teachers finding the whole start up process?

Guys quick query I haven't been told the timings for Tuesday's teacher training day :/ I don't know what to do - surely it doesn't start at like 7:30 which is when most of the school teachers get in for school.

So scared for this coming week - this will be the week I set my classroom rules I'm gonna be the teacher they initially hate but as time passes hopefully respect too.

The training day will probably take place during normal teaching hours - the time you actually have to be at school as opposed to the time you choose to be there to get ready for the day. My inset days were 9am-3:30pm which is the same time as our school day, but everyone arrives at 8:30 for the coffee and croissants!

Basically, you don't need to be there at the crack of dawn, but aim to be there a bit before the normal start of the school day.

If you're really worried about it, you could always go in early and do stuff in your classroom before the inset starts. I tend to be early because I'm that kind of person, but didn't want to look like a really sad person, waiting outside the hall at 8:15, so I put some stuff in my classroom and tidied up a bit first.

What are your plans for KS5's first ever lessons? I have 5 lessons to teach next week - 1 of 10, 12 and 13 and two sets of year 11. I'm happy that I get to meet all of my 'hardcore' classes in the first week but with only a 1 and a half day week I worry about trying to push too much in one go. At least I also get the weekend to actually get fully planned for them the week after.

I have no idea where to even start with first ever lessons beyond discussing expectations, course structure and a vague plan of what we're doing (which I am absolutely desperately hoping will be waiting on my desk when I get there since my HoD has now left but promised me an outline).

What are you guys doing?

I'm working in a college and we've been told to spend the first two lessons on an 'induction' kind of thing. Going over the course, what we will be doing, icebreakers, how A-Level is different to GCSE, an easy task (like what is politics or something), and I need to set an assessment already.

Personally I have no idea how to spend three hours on that. I could do an induction in half an hour. But I don't want to throw them in too quickly so I dunno I guess I'll just see what happens.

I don't have KS5 experience but if you've got some time to fill at the start of a year (before getting on with the main SoW) I would recommend a quiz of some kind. That way you can assess how much they already know and address common misconceptions whilst keeping things fairly relaxed.

Personally I like to get stuck in to teaching straight away (which is what I'm doing with KS4 again this year, other than a quick overview of the course structure/key deadlines) but if I had to fill a couple of hours with other stuff, that's what I'd opt for.

Hi Airfairy, I'm teaching politics too! I feel very "sorted" for ks3&4 but a bit lost with the A Level.. Going to set up a twitter account for them to follow today where I can put relevant news items, apart from that I've just been reading the materials on the exam board website (I have nothing else to go on..!) which exam board are you doing? I'm Ocr

So I had managed to arrive to the last day on my summer feeling okay. Still in control. Still sane. Still excited.

Then we get an email about dress code for our 2 INSET days ... and now I am FREAKING OUT. I mean what on earth is 'business casual'!?!
Clean, non-revealing and not especially fashion-forward.
Do I just go all out and normal school clothes anyway, to make a good impression? If in doubt, overdressing does less harm than underdressing.Or will it make it glaringly obvious that I'm a newbie and likely to cry at any given moment? Everyone knows you are and will not expect you to know everything. The more reasonable ones will be remembering when they were, too. Or do I tone it down?Always a good default mode in teaching. But make less of a good impression but blend in more? Making a good impression in teaching is not really about clothes, so don't fret. Does business casual mean I can wear leggings with a dress? Can't comment on that - not my generation's idea of what to wear. 'If in doubt, don't' is a good maxim. Or should I stick with tights? Bare legs would be fine. But i only have thick black ones and I get hot (+ major lady bloat atm which never mixes with tights). Its Bank holiday, shops are shut! ARGH. Am I the only one freaking out about INSET clothing? Probably not, but be aware it's more than likely displacement activity for what you are really worried about, which is what you say below.

It has literally just hit me. I have NO IDEA what I am doing. Panic!