[pineapple86]

(Original post by roardinosaur)
Cool what uni are you going to?

Bishop grosseteste in Lincoln!

[roardinosaur]

(Original post by pineapple86)
Bishop grosseteste in Lincoln!

NO WAY ME TOO!

[pineapple86]

(Original post by roardinosaur)

NO WAY ME TOO!

omg dont lie!! Im going up on thurs for document day, im soo excited!! How weird is that, i couldn't find anyone on here who has applied there before and now im finding people lol.

[roardinosaur]

(Original post by pineapple86)
omg dont lie!! Im going up on thurs for document day, im soo excited!! How weird is that, i couldn't find anyone on here who has applied there before and now im finding people lol.

Wow!

I'm not doing the PGCE though, I'm doing the undergraduate one with QTS.

I'm so excited too! I've heard the course is great but really hard work.

I'm doing my documents in July, I'm snowed under with exams at the minute!

[pineapple86]

(Original post by roardinosaur)
Wow!

I'm not doing the PGCE though, I'm doing the undergraduate one with QTS.

I'm so excited too! I've heard the course is great but really hard work.

I'm doing my documents in July, I'm snowed under with exams at the minute!

Good luck for your exams, from what i've read and heard their uni is brilliant for teaching (especially since they specialise in teaching lol) and when i visited i loved it It is going to be hard work, im nervous and excited

[*Interrobang*]

for teaching resources, there's a wiki page on here with a list to a load - search 'useful teaching resources'

[roardinosaur]

(Original post by pineapple86)
Good luck for your exams, from what i've read and heard their uni is brilliant for teaching (especially since they specialise in teaching lol) and when i visited i loved it It is going to be hard work, im nervous and excited

Thank you and same!

[roardinosaur]

(Original post by *Interrobang*)
for teaching resources, there's a wiki page on here with a list to a load - search 'useful teaching resources'

Thank you! There is lots on there

Here is the link if anyone wants to look: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki...hing_Resources

[rose.151786]

(Original post by Hana_87)
www.primaryresources.co.uk

Thank you!

[rose.151786]

(Original post by roardinosaur)
Thank you! Do you know where I could get a cheap laminator? But preferably one which will last quite a while and is of good quality?

Sorry, I'm not sure about that... But, check in Amazon, I guess.

[roardinosaur]

http://www.teachingblogaddict.com/20...Blog+Addict%29

I don't know about you guys, but if like me you like to carry around a big planner with you, you may like this because it can just slot into your binder and save carrying that extra diary around with you.

[Writer_Kitty]

This is a really good thread!

I am making a list of things to take with me that I think I might need. So far I've got...

Folders
Spare printer ink
Lined paper
Diary
Coloured paper
Sticky-back plastic
Stickers as rewards for the children
Red pen for marking
Notebook
Art materials
Clothing suitable to wear on placement
School shoes
Norton anti-virus
Books on the reading list
Children’s books to teach with
Car
Whiteboard pens
Whistle for PE & sports kit
Guillotine for chopping paper!
Scissors
Pritt-Stick
Post-it notes

The car is the biggest purchase but I just want one anyway :P Plus I think driving to placements will be better since there is a chance my placements could be in the middle of nowhere.

Anyone want to add to my list?

[*Interrobang*]

(Original post by Writer_Kitty)
This is a really good thread!

I am making a list of things to take with me that I think I might need. So far I've got...

Folders
Spare printer ink
Lined paper
Diary
Coloured paper
Sticky-back plastic
Stickers as rewards for the children
Red pen for marking
Notebook
Art materials
Clothing suitable to wear on placement
School shoes
Norton anti-virus
Books on the reading list
Children’s books to teach with
Car
Whiteboard pens
Whistle for PE & sports kit
Guillotine for chopping paper!
Scissors
Pritt-Stick
Post-it notes

The car is the biggest purchase but I just want one anyway :P Plus I think driving to placements will be better since there is a chance my placements could be in the middle of nowhere.

Anyone want to add to my list?

Don't forget that you'll be able to use some of the stuff that the teachers use at the school when you're on placement So things like whiteboards pens probably aren't necessary, but might be useful for spares

[myrtille]

Yeah, don't go out and spend loads of money on stuff the school will have anyway.

The school should have:
-Paper
-Whiteboard pens
-Spare pens and pencils to lend out to children
-Scissors
-Pritt-stick

They may even have things like stickers. Certainly at the school I worked in before Easter, there were special stickers for French in the MFL department office.

Also, I wouldn't bother spending money on antivirus software when Avast is free.

I will be buying myself a printer though, as I can imagine myself suddenly needing to print something the night before a class.

(I'm also super tempted to spend my bursary on a car, if I can budget to do that, seeing as my car is getting a bit old and might suddenly die on me)

[Sazzle4]

I wouldn't worry too much about cars. Obviously every university is different but most of them won't send you anywhere too hard to get to - at least not in your first year. At mine, the majority of first years have been put on special buses from the university and only those of us who already commute to university or live nearer our school than the uni have to make our own way there. This is different in second and third year but I'd be surprised if any unis made it hard for their first years to get to their placement schools.

[Writer_Kitty]

(Original post by Keziah)
Yeah, don't go out and spend loads of money on stuff the school will have anyway.

The school should have:
-Paper
-Whiteboard pens
-Spare pens and pencils to lend out to children
-Scissors
-Pritt-stick

They may even have things like stickers. Certainly at the school I worked in before Easter, there were special stickers for French in the MFL department office.

Also, I wouldn't bother spending money on antivirus software when Avast is free.

I will be buying myself a printer though, as I can imagine myself suddenly needing to print something the night before a class.

(I'm also super tempted to spend my bursary on a car, if I can budget to do that, seeing as my car is getting a bit old and might suddenly die on me)

I've never heard of Avast antivirus? Is it good? Where can I get it?

I am seriously thinking of buying a car, I will be training at Exeter and I've been told that schools are quite spread out across the south-west. Plus it will make life easier for moving house (we are told that each placement school will be in a different location, so we may need to move once or even twice during our course!)

[myrtille]

(Original post by Writer_Kitty)
I've never heard of Avast antivirus? Is it good? Where can I get it?

I am seriously thinking of buying a car, I will be training at Exeter and I've been told that schools are quite spread out across the south-west. Plus it will make life easier for moving house (we are told that each placement school will be in a different location, so we may need to move once or even twice during our course!)

I don't know a lot about computery stuff, but my boyfriend has worked in IT support before and he seems happy enough with Avast. I've been using it for years and haven't had a virus before, so it seems OK.

http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download

I think having a car will be really useful - at a school I worked in before Christmas, there were 2 PGCE students, one had a car and one didn't. The school was a pain to get to by public transport (they'd've had to get 2 buses and then walk quite a bit), so they were totally dependent on the other student for lifts. On one occasion when the other student was off sick, they had to call their dad for a lift, which is a bit awkward at our age!

I couldn't live without my car - I work as a Cover Supervisor for an agency, and have worked in schools in 3 different counties in the past month (OK, I do live quite near the county border...). Plus I wouldn't fancy carrying a load of resources around with me on a bus/train, and getting stressed and sweaty.

[AwakeandUnafraid]

I'm now reaching the end of my Primary Education degree so I'll try to offer a few pointers on things (:

Folders- like everybody else has said, very important. A mix of normal and lever arch is probably a good idea. Also- PLASTIC WALLETS to go in the folders. So so useful and you won't believe how many you go through on placement.

Stickers- I bought a lovely set of stickers at the advice of my first year placement mentor that 'the kids won't do anything for you without stickers'. Well I never used them in that placement, and kids certainly seemed to manage. Didn't use them in the second placement either as they weren't used by the teacher and in my third placement I was actually told not to use them. So you can get some, but don't go mad. Although you will be taking more and more teaching responsibility, you still have to follow the lead of the normal class teacher and stickers can be a no-no for some.

Food- After a long day teaching, and knowing you still have work to do all evening, cooking for yourself is a less than attractive prospect. If you have some cooking know how and enough freezer space, do a bulk cook up before placement starts. I spent one Sunday afternoon cooking up batches upon batches of shepherds pie and bolognaise and then froze them in individual foil tins. Trust me, at the end of a long day, being able to bung a tasty meal into the oven is a dream. Even better is getting your housemates to bung it in for you so it's on the table when you get home. Yum . If you're not great at cooking, just stock up on some nice ready meals. Also emergency chocolate. On the rubbish days, a bar of chocolate sorts everything out quite nicely. Food is so important on placement (I think anyway, but I might just be a pig!). You're going to be tired, run off your feet and battling various colds and illnesses, make sure you are eating well! For lunches, it's really useful to buy some plastic containers of various sizes for sandwiches, salads, pasta, fruit etc. And take time out to eat them!

Scissors- Sounds stupid but a pair of adult sized scissors come in remarkably handy. The amount of times I have been in staff rooms or PPA rooms and somebody has needed a pair of scissors and there are either none at all or only a pair of- invariably left handed- child sized scissors. Mine are bright pink as a deterrent for them going 'walkabouts'.

Printer- Very important- worth spending a bit more and getting one that can scan and photocopy. I've used my scanner for putting pictures of story books onto an IWB so that the children can all see and I've used my photocopier quite a lot when copying children's work to put into uni assignments. Along with a printer, you need ink and lots of it. Ink is cheaper to buy in bulk so stock up on it before you go. The last thing you want is to run out of ink when you're trying to print a lesson plan the evening before your observation. Or 1 hour before your dissertation is due :/ (obviously you wouldn't be as disorganised as me though!)

Books- Frankly I've managed to get through my course and do pretty well without having studied all the essential readings but if you want to get ahead, have a look through the essential reading list if your uni has published one. Also useful would be to check out what's going on in the world of education with the TES forums or the guardian education website. Things like looking through and understanding the new EYFS and any new initiatives will put you ahead when you start the course. Also begin to stock up on children's books. The Book People are fantastic for cheap packs of books but car boot sales and charity shops are also great- I've picked up many a good book in perfect condition for 10/20/50p when I would have spent a fiver in the shops. You're a student, save when you can.

Clothes- Different schools have different uniform policies but it's better to be over than under dressed. Especially when you are trying to get respect from children and staff. One school I was on placement in was strict in the fact they accepted only shirts or blouses and not tops. A good few pairs of black trousers and always useful and- as an Early Years trainee- I find them a lot more practical for crawling around on the floor than a skirt or dress. Don't spend too much money though, it is inevitable that they will end up covered in paint, glue, glitter and heaven knows what else, especially with the younger ones. A good pair of shoes are crucial. Wear them around the house before placement- you dont want a blister on your first day! If you wear socks, stock up on them. I found on my last placement my collection of socks had been culled by the sock eating washing machine to just 2 pairs. It was a nightmare and, not having time to pop to the shops, I spent a week having to wash socks every evening. Machines do eat socks. Fact. Be prepared for this with generous supplies.

Medication- Get yourself a little first aid box set up. Children are grimy little creatures and it is pretty much inevitable you will catch something off them at some point. Uni itself is also always very sickly, especially during freshers. Stock up on paracetamol, cold and flu tablets and throat sweets to keep you battling on. Hand sanitiser is also very useful in the classroom. You will still get ill, but it might make you feel a little more reassured until that point.

That's all I can think of at the moment (bit of an essay already though). Despite all the tiredness and illness I talk of, teaching is seriously fab and you will love it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Hope everything goes well for you (:

[AwesomelyPsycho]

I've been reading through what you guys have said and this thread is truly amazing. We haven't been given any details about our course yet so I have no idea what is expected, but this thread has given me some great bookmarks.

I've already started looking at teachers' planners as I always have to be super organised

[pineapple86]

(Original post by AwesomelyPsycho)
I've been reading through what you guys have said and this thread is truly amazing. We haven't been given any details about our course yet so I have no idea what is expected, but this thread has given me some great bookmarks.

I've already started looking at teachers' planners as I always have to be super organised

Do you mean an actual teachers planner? Is there such a thing?! lol