PGCE first placement struggle.
I am a trainee primary school teacher placed in ks1 who has just finished the first placement.
I have never been so stressed in my life!
On my first day, went to the school feeling really nervous, and the very first thing my class teacher said to me was that she didn't want a student this year but the school were making her have one. Made me feel very welcome! Not!
From there things went down hill fast. I was not allowed to teach. My first observation came around- the class teacher begrudgingly agreed to let me teach the starter and plenary for it. Morning of the observation came- an hour before my mentor was meant to turn up- and the class teacher told me that she had decided I had to teach the whole lesson. I had no resources, no powerpoint- nothing. I was not prepared at all. So I pretty much failed the observation- even after explaining to my mentor what had happened. Big knock to my confidence.
After 4 weeks I still had not taught any lessons- apart from the one lesson for my observation- and I was getting very frustrated.
The class teacher then asked me to do a weekly plan for maths for the next week for both year 1 classes (I hadn't even planned one lesson at this point) and, of course, the plan I spent all weekend struggling over, was not acceptable when I sent it to her on the Sunday afternoon.
For me, that was the last straw. I had been trying to be professional and keep going, as I assumed the class teacher knew what she was doing and how she was meant to be training me. I emailed my mentor and told her everything. She immediately talked to the school and got me moved to a different class.
The new class is lovely, for the last two weeks of the placement, and my new class teacher is very helpful and supportive.
However my new class teacher, the last few days, kept making rather inappropriate comments to me about the way I look and what I was wearing. Also, my new mentor filled out my end of placement report, and graded me, without ever seeing me teach! Every time we had arrangements for my mentor to observe me, he would cancel or just not turn up because of other commitments he had.
Obviously my situation in this new class is so much better than it was before and as I have already been moved I do not feel like I can talk to me mentor or my uni tutor about it- as I have already caused some trouble. The tutors at Uni have been supportive, as much as they could, but keep telling me to 'stay positive'- which I have- but after 6 weeks of being run down and told you are not good enough to even have a go at teaching- being positive only gets you so far.
The other student at the same school as me had an equally terrible time- making me think that maybe the school is just not well equipped for students.
I don't want people to think that it has all been bad- because I have had some positive experiences- and two weeks of good teaching time.
I am dreading going back for my second placement as it is in the same school with the same teacher. I have debated dropping out and starting again next year- or even telling them I want to redo the placement at a new school. The university do not seen keen on moving students to different schools under any circumstances.
Has anyone got any advice on what I could do?
It has not put me off teaching at all- I just feel like I am now very behind on everyone else in regards to my teaching time and I am dreading what the next placement at the school will bring. I do not feel like I can afford to fall behind anymore and cannot have any more problems like I have been experiencing.
I have never been so stressed in my life!
On my first day, went to the school feeling really nervous, and the very first thing my class teacher said to me was that she didn't want a student this year but the school were making her have one. Made me feel very welcome! Not!
From there things went down hill fast. I was not allowed to teach. My first observation came around- the class teacher begrudgingly agreed to let me teach the starter and plenary for it. Morning of the observation came- an hour before my mentor was meant to turn up- and the class teacher told me that she had decided I had to teach the whole lesson. I had no resources, no powerpoint- nothing. I was not prepared at all. So I pretty much failed the observation- even after explaining to my mentor what had happened. Big knock to my confidence.
After 4 weeks I still had not taught any lessons- apart from the one lesson for my observation- and I was getting very frustrated.
The class teacher then asked me to do a weekly plan for maths for the next week for both year 1 classes (I hadn't even planned one lesson at this point) and, of course, the plan I spent all weekend struggling over, was not acceptable when I sent it to her on the Sunday afternoon.
For me, that was the last straw. I had been trying to be professional and keep going, as I assumed the class teacher knew what she was doing and how she was meant to be training me. I emailed my mentor and told her everything. She immediately talked to the school and got me moved to a different class.
The new class is lovely, for the last two weeks of the placement, and my new class teacher is very helpful and supportive.
However my new class teacher, the last few days, kept making rather inappropriate comments to me about the way I look and what I was wearing. Also, my new mentor filled out my end of placement report, and graded me, without ever seeing me teach! Every time we had arrangements for my mentor to observe me, he would cancel or just not turn up because of other commitments he had.
Obviously my situation in this new class is so much better than it was before and as I have already been moved I do not feel like I can talk to me mentor or my uni tutor about it- as I have already caused some trouble. The tutors at Uni have been supportive, as much as they could, but keep telling me to 'stay positive'- which I have- but after 6 weeks of being run down and told you are not good enough to even have a go at teaching- being positive only gets you so far.
The other student at the same school as me had an equally terrible time- making me think that maybe the school is just not well equipped for students.
I don't want people to think that it has all been bad- because I have had some positive experiences- and two weeks of good teaching time.
I am dreading going back for my second placement as it is in the same school with the same teacher. I have debated dropping out and starting again next year- or even telling them I want to redo the placement at a new school. The university do not seen keen on moving students to different schools under any circumstances.
Has anyone got any advice on what I could do?
It has not put me off teaching at all- I just feel like I am now very behind on everyone else in regards to my teaching time and I am dreading what the next placement at the school will bring. I do not feel like I can afford to fall behind anymore and cannot have any more problems like I have been experiencing.
I am sorry that you are having such an awful time. Becoming a teacher is a bit like being a learner driver - experienced drivers all groan at the sight of them and so easily forget that they were once a learner driver as well.during my training i had both good and bad all i can say is stick with it.
Teachers are often under tremendous pressure and the progress of the children in the class is solely down to them. This could explain why the teacher was reluctant to have a student teacher. also student teachers are often a huge amount of work for teachers. Teachers are not often given the extra time that is necessary in order to sufficiently train a student teacher. I only say this not to excuse the behaviour of the teacher that perhaps to explain. Never the less you should have been treated with far better than you were.
Please, please do not give up just simply chalk this up to experience.push on and do all that you can to complete your course and learn to be an effective teacher. Do talk to your fellow students who are undoubtedly will have similar stories. if anything it might encourage you and help you to see that you are not alone in this difficult situation. good luck!
Teachers are often under tremendous pressure and the progress of the children in the class is solely down to them. This could explain why the teacher was reluctant to have a student teacher. also student teachers are often a huge amount of work for teachers. Teachers are not often given the extra time that is necessary in order to sufficiently train a student teacher. I only say this not to excuse the behaviour of the teacher that perhaps to explain. Never the less you should have been treated with far better than you were.
Please, please do not give up just simply chalk this up to experience.push on and do all that you can to complete your course and learn to be an effective teacher. Do talk to your fellow students who are undoubtedly will have similar stories. if anything it might encourage you and help you to see that you are not alone in this difficult situation. good luck!
How come you've been placed in the same school as the first placement? I thought the whole idea of placement was to give you experience of several totally different schools? E.g inner city vs village.
I'm starting my PGCE next year and I'm pretty nervous about how 'pot luck' the placement system seems to be. Some people get great schools with lots of support and others have a really hard time like what you've described.
I'm starting my PGCE next year and I'm pretty nervous about how 'pot luck' the placement system seems to be. Some people get great schools with lots of support and others have a really hard time like what you've described.
I had a really bad first placement and it wasn't until it had finished that I told my tutor how bad it was. It was not the same as your situation but bad in a different way. I was put into classes that didn't hVe a teacher so I was responsible for them. I was given responsibilities I wasn't supposed to do. We had tutor time twice a day adding up to 3.5 hours a week which I was supposed to do on my own. That required an element of planning which my uni said I shouldn't have been doing unless they removed 3 lessons. They would require 3 draft copies of lesson plans before the lesson so I was planning each lesson 3 times. They never once gave advice about how to teach a lesson or suggestions on how to improve a resource. My mentor was just negative- she once told me that if I can't handle year 10 then I should find a different career. My uni tutor told me I was doing fine.
My friend when to the same school for her second placement and she had an even worse experience where they pressured her to apply for a job there and when she didn't they made things difficult for her. She then was removed from the axhool for 3 weeks to finish her placement at the school she got the job at.
Best thing you can do is tell your uni tutor everything. They will be able to do something
Posted from TSR Mobile
My friend when to the same school for her second placement and she had an even worse experience where they pressured her to apply for a job there and when she didn't they made things difficult for her. She then was removed from the axhool for 3 weeks to finish her placement at the school she got the job at.
Best thing you can do is tell your uni tutor everything. They will be able to do something
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Pegs92
I am a trainee primary school teacher placed in ks1 who has just finished the first placement.
I have never been so stressed in my life!
On my first day, went to the school feeling really nervous, and the very first thing my class teacher said to me was that she didn't want a student this year but the school were making her have one. Made me feel very welcome! Not!
From there things went down hill fast. I was not allowed to teach. My first observation came around- the class teacher begrudgingly agreed to let me teach the starter and plenary for it. Morning of the observation came- an hour before my mentor was meant to turn up- and the class teacher told me that she had decided I had to teach the whole lesson. I had no resources, no powerpoint- nothing. I was not prepared at all. So I pretty much failed the observation- even after explaining to my mentor what had happened. Big knock to my confidence.
After 4 weeks I still had not taught any lessons- apart from the one lesson for my observation- and I was getting very frustrated.
The class teacher then asked me to do a weekly plan for maths for the next week for both year 1 classes (I hadn't even planned one lesson at this point) and, of course, the plan I spent all weekend struggling over, was not acceptable when I sent it to her on the Sunday afternoon.
For me, that was the last straw. I had been trying to be professional and keep going, as I assumed the class teacher knew what she was doing and how she was meant to be training me. I emailed my mentor and told her everything. She immediately talked to the school and got me moved to a different class.
The new class is lovely, for the last two weeks of the placement, and my new class teacher is very helpful and supportive.
However my new class teacher, the last few days, kept making rather inappropriate comments to me about the way I look and what I was wearing. Also, my new mentor filled out my end of placement report, and graded me, without ever seeing me teach! Every time we had arrangements for my mentor to observe me, he would cancel or just not turn up because of other commitments he had.
Obviously my situation in this new class is so much better than it was before and as I have already been moved I do not feel like I can talk to me mentor or my uni tutor about it- as I have already caused some trouble. The tutors at Uni have been supportive, as much as they could, but keep telling me to 'stay positive'- which I have- but after 6 weeks of being run down and told you are not good enough to even have a go at teaching- being positive only gets you so far.
The other student at the same school as me had an equally terrible time- making me think that maybe the school is just not well equipped for students.
I don't want people to think that it has all been bad- because I have had some positive experiences- and two weeks of good teaching time.
I am dreading going back for my second placement as it is in the same school with the same teacher. I have debated dropping out and starting again next year- or even telling them I want to redo the placement at a new school. The university do not seen keen on moving students to different schools under any circumstances.
Has anyone got any advice on what I could do?
It has not put me off teaching at all- I just feel like I am now very behind on everyone else in regards to my teaching time and I am dreading what the next placement at the school will bring. I do not feel like I can afford to fall behind anymore and cannot have any more problems like I have been experiencing.
I have never been so stressed in my life!
On my first day, went to the school feeling really nervous, and the very first thing my class teacher said to me was that she didn't want a student this year but the school were making her have one. Made me feel very welcome! Not!
From there things went down hill fast. I was not allowed to teach. My first observation came around- the class teacher begrudgingly agreed to let me teach the starter and plenary for it. Morning of the observation came- an hour before my mentor was meant to turn up- and the class teacher told me that she had decided I had to teach the whole lesson. I had no resources, no powerpoint- nothing. I was not prepared at all. So I pretty much failed the observation- even after explaining to my mentor what had happened. Big knock to my confidence.
After 4 weeks I still had not taught any lessons- apart from the one lesson for my observation- and I was getting very frustrated.
The class teacher then asked me to do a weekly plan for maths for the next week for both year 1 classes (I hadn't even planned one lesson at this point) and, of course, the plan I spent all weekend struggling over, was not acceptable when I sent it to her on the Sunday afternoon.
For me, that was the last straw. I had been trying to be professional and keep going, as I assumed the class teacher knew what she was doing and how she was meant to be training me. I emailed my mentor and told her everything. She immediately talked to the school and got me moved to a different class.
The new class is lovely, for the last two weeks of the placement, and my new class teacher is very helpful and supportive.
However my new class teacher, the last few days, kept making rather inappropriate comments to me about the way I look and what I was wearing. Also, my new mentor filled out my end of placement report, and graded me, without ever seeing me teach! Every time we had arrangements for my mentor to observe me, he would cancel or just not turn up because of other commitments he had.
Obviously my situation in this new class is so much better than it was before and as I have already been moved I do not feel like I can talk to me mentor or my uni tutor about it- as I have already caused some trouble. The tutors at Uni have been supportive, as much as they could, but keep telling me to 'stay positive'- which I have- but after 6 weeks of being run down and told you are not good enough to even have a go at teaching- being positive only gets you so far.
The other student at the same school as me had an equally terrible time- making me think that maybe the school is just not well equipped for students.
I don't want people to think that it has all been bad- because I have had some positive experiences- and two weeks of good teaching time.
I am dreading going back for my second placement as it is in the same school with the same teacher. I have debated dropping out and starting again next year- or even telling them I want to redo the placement at a new school. The university do not seen keen on moving students to different schools under any circumstances.
Has anyone got any advice on what I could do?
It has not put me off teaching at all- I just feel like I am now very behind on everyone else in regards to my teaching time and I am dreading what the next placement at the school will bring. I do not feel like I can afford to fall behind anymore and cannot have any more problems like I have been experiencing.
Afraid I can't help with much other than the comments about what your wearing. Is it possible you could be dressed inappropriately? No short skirts/low cut tops/very high heels/hoop earings? I only ask this because my Mum whose a teacher often complains staff are dressed inappropriately.
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