Do PGCE students have to do parents evenings?

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(edited 8 years ago)

As the questions says - are PGCE students expected to do parents evenings? Do they observe the real teacher? Or have nothing to do with them?

Generally, yes they are if your school has them. They would be expected to stick next to the teacher and act as a real teacher as to the kids you are one of their teachers.

Reply 2

myrtille

Yes but it will depend on the school and on what parents' evenings take place during the time you're there.

For example, on my first placement, the only parents' evening during the time I was there was Y11. I taught one Y11 class which only had 13 pupils and was a bottom-set NVQ class. Very few parents turned up to parents' evening for my subject.

So I sat and observed the teacher I was working with for a while, did speak to the parents of one or two of my pupils, and then was told I could go home early as there was no point sitting around once I'd seen how parents' evening worked.

On my second placement we had a Y8 parents evening and I taught 2 Y8 classes as well as being attached to a Y8 mentor group, so I was pretty busy. I had taught one group for a written assessment so was showing examples of work, discussing their levels and what they needed to do to progress. A few of the parents were ones I'd spoken to on the phone before about their behaviour too.

So it was a completely different experience based on how involved I was in the school. On the first placement it was just a box-ticking exercise and not a major commitment.

Reply 3

Mr M

Study Forum Helper

Original post by Juxtapose

Thanks. What about reports? Do you do those too?

I would expect you to attend at least one evening on each placement (particularly if you teach that year group) and to dabble in report writing during the course of the year.

Reply 4

myrtille

Original post by Juxtapose

Thanks. What about reports? Do you do those too?

On my first placement I didn't do reports (I don't think any went out during the time I was there).

On my second placement there were Year 9 reports and the teacher whose Y9 class I taught split the class with me, so we did one report together (to show me how to use the Profiles where you pick statements which theoretically come together into a paragraph but in reality you have to do a fair bit of editing to make them flow) and then I did the first half of the register and he did the rest.

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