The RQT Thread (Recently Qualified Teachers)

Said goodbuy to my most disruptive class today. Really unpleasant attitudes, relationship, etc... So imagine my surprise when one of the pupils goes like "You're the most decent teacher I had in Music. You actually made me learn. I really respect you for that".
Had to pick up my jaw from the floor pretty quickly... :biggrin:

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 22

Carnationlilyrose

18

Original post by lantan

Said goodbuy to my most disruptive class today. Really unpleasant attitudes, relationship, etc... So imagine my surprise when one of the pupils goes like "You're the most decent teacher I had in Music. You actually made me learn. I really respect you for that".
Had to pick up my jaw from the floor pretty quickly... :biggrin:

This is surprisingly common. It's a sign not to take it personally when they are disruptive. They will be like that for most people (and they know they have been in the wrong as well) and often they are much worse for other people than for you. What seems like a bad relationship with you can be the best one they have with any teacher.

Reply 23

Last day! Officially signed off yesterday, going on holiday on Tuesday... Life is GOOD!

I did think I might have broken my foot yesterday, and had to take a trip to minor injuries, but it's just a sprain that I've failed to rest adequately (I fell down a hole while dancing in a barn on Friday night... Seriously...).

Was sitting there waiting on my X-ray panicking about being in Greece with a cast on my foot!!

Reply 24

rachel.h

16

I'll check in too. My NQT year finished today :rave:

Reply 25

lantan

This was such rollercoaster ride but yesterday marked oficially the last day of me doing full time work and studying at the same time! From next year - just work, will be so much more manageable, I think!

Yoohoo! :smile:

Reply 26

qwerty_mad

13

I'm heading back to the same school. I enjoyed it, had a cracking class who I'll miss and got on really well with parents. Got some lovely gifts, including a £15 book token from one parent.

Staying in the same year group so it should be easier in terms of paper work. Also I feel I've learnt a lot this year about myself and how to manage a class. Need to start firmer this time. I will still try to be a friendly teacher but the kids have to better understand what I will and will not accept.

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Reply 27

The "i've not done any work yet!" panic has begun, lol!

I'm sitting down this morning and looking at my kids; trying to work out some rough groups for week 1. We're going to baseline them that week anyway, so the groups may change a bit depending on their results in those tests, but I want to have them seated roughly in the right groups.

I've got a pretty broad range, but I've realised that (for maths at least) they're not as high as I thought! I've got a LOT of 2Bs (year 4) and a diminishing number of all the other levels!

Reply 28

I've got one set of controlled assessments marked and going to do the other one tomorrow.

Have planned the first few days of lessons roughly for key stage 4. Haven't planned any Key Stage 3 as no idea what our scheme is (we changed it to match the new GCSE spec but we haven't been sent anything by our HOD yet).

I've mostly relaxed, caught up on lots of reading and television, seen friends and family.

Call me crazy but I'm itching to go back a bit now. I feel rested and am really excited to go back, start with all my new classes and try and correct my errors from last year!

Reply 29

outlaw-torn

OP

Original post by Steveluis10

I've got one set of controlled assessments marked and going to do the other one tomorrow.

Have planned the first few days of lessons roughly for key stage 4. Haven't planned any Key Stage 3 as no idea what our scheme is (we changed it to match the new GCSE spec but we haven't been sent anything by our HOD yet).

I've mostly relaxed, caught up on lots of reading and television, seen friends and family.

Call me crazy but I'm itching to go back a bit now. I feel rested and am really excited to go back, start with all my new classes and try and correct my errors from last year!

I am looking forward to going back too! Although nervous about having to get used to a whole new school again and establish myself. It's a much nicer school though so hoping it'll be less stressful

I haven't done any planning - freaking out now though because we have 3 weeks left, 1 and a half of those I'm on holiday so I really need to get cracking!! I've got to read up on the Cold War for A-Level. I have lots of books ready but not read any :tongue:

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Reply 30

myrtille

I've actually done quite a bit of work, but not the day-to-day stuff of planning and marking. It's more long-term stuff that will hopefully make life easier in the long-run.

-Written provisional assessment tasks for the Y9 SoW
-Written vocab lists and online quizzes for the Y10 and 11 French SoW, plus Y8 Spanish. Hoping to make pupils take a bit more responsibility for learning vocabulary regularly this year.
-Roughly planned what homework/vocab tests will for the first few weeks
-Worked out a schedule that should hopefully mean I mark a bit more frequently and keep on top of the important bits. I have PPA straight after my Y11 lessons on a Monday so am hoping to collect andd mark every week to keep them on their toes with controlled assessment preparation. Y9 and 10 fortnightly, Y8 every 3-4 weeks, Y7 if I get time.

I've planned lessons for the first 2 days back, and most of Monday/Tuesday of the following week. I feel like I can basically plan 2 lessons per group - after that I can't plan the 3rd lesson until I know how the first 2 have gone.

I'm going to go into school tomorrow to tidy my desk. I sorted everything else in my classroom (displays, cupboards, bookcase) at the end of last term but ran out of time to do my desk and it's absolutely covered in crap. I also collected in some Y9 and 10 books as they will continue to use those books in September, so I probably ought to get them marked up to date ready for the new year. I might just do a comment based on their overall effort and achievement across the past year.

Reply 31

I agree with the two lesson ahead rule there. I have planned around 5 lessons for year 9 and 10 but that is extremely rough - it may end up being 7 lessons or I may scrap one completely or change a lot around once I know what my classes are like.

Like yourself I really need to stay on top of marking - year 11 is the priority obviously - I'm aiming for their books marked once a week. Year 9 and 10 once a fortnight. 7 and 8 once every 3 weeks.

Any good tips for learning names? Took me way too long with some classes (once a week mainly) last year and it's such a powerful tool for management to know names quickly.

Reply 32

myrtille

Random Name Generator - Sample.ppt115.2KB

Original post by Steveluis10

Any good tips for learning names? Took me way too long with some classes (once a week mainly) last year and it's such a powerful tool for management to know names quickly.

I have to say I am really good at learning names - I think it comes from the time I did on supply before my PGCE, if you can learn a handful of names in the first 5 minutes it's like you have magic powers over the kids.

I think the best ways to learn names are:
-Having a seating plan written out. For the first week or so I can remember names based on location even if I wouldn't be able to put names to faces out of the seating plan.
-Making a point of using their names all the time. If you don't know a kid's name in the first few lessons, just ask them and then it will reinforce it.
-Handing books out yourself for the first few lessons (even though it is quicker to get a couple of pupils to do it) because then you have to find each pupil.
-Using a random name generator (I have a good one for powerpoint that my old PGCE mentor gave me - I've attached it below). That way, you don't have to remember the names yourself initially, but when the generator says "Jack" and you see who answers, you get to learn their names.
-Consciously thinking after a lesson which pupils tend to be your "blind spot" - the ones you forget about, are unsure of their names, and don't ask questions to. Then making a point of picking them next lesson.

Hope this helps. It is difficult when you have some classes only once per week. I've got two of those next year but fortunately I know one of the groups from last year already so it should be easier.

Reply 33

Definitely agree about a seating plan.

I'm primary, so it's a bit different for me as a) I only have 26 names to learn and b) I already know a lot of them from just being around school last year, but there are still the odd ones I don't know.

I always find it easier to learn their names when I know in my head where each child is sitting, particularly for ones who I frequently muddle up.

I can't believe we've only got 2 weeks left. I'm going to have to go in on Monday to do some display stuff. I'm sitting here now laminating and cutting things out, so it should all be ready to get on the walls on Monday. My school is only open during the mornings from now until the day we go back, so in one way that's quite good as it means I can't spend whole days at school. On the other hand, it means I can't spend hours really getting stuck in to something...

I'm moving at the end of the month as well, so that's adding extra stress. I'm pretty well prepared and have already started packing etc, but I'd rather not be moving house 3 days before the start of term if I'm totally honest!! Also, we're allowed a day off for moving house, so by doing it outside of term time I've done myself out of that benefit.

Reply 34

The back to school dreams have begun! Usually involving a sense of 'wait, what's going on?!'

Last night I dreamt the class I was in charge of had all lost their shoes!

Reply 35

My first results day as a teacher tomorrow! Nerves kicking in slightly. Any tips for those who have been to a few now? When can I expect to see my classes' results?

Reply 36

Carnationlilyrose

18

Original post by Steveluis10

My first results day as a teacher tomorrow! Nerves kicking in slightly. Any tips for those who have been to a few now? When can I expect to see my classes' results?

Unless you are SLT/exams officer/headteacher you'll get access to them at about the same time the kids do. My advice is not to hang about much. They'll be either excited or miserable. They'll want to share it with their friends/parents and you will be lower than that on the list, although many will want to thank you. If they have done badly, direct them to the head of year and the exams officer. Don't get embroiled in what you think might have gone wrong. You simply don't know, and they will remember what you said more than you might like. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all, as the saying goes.

Reply 37

outlaw-torn

OP

I'm going to my NQT school to see the results of the year 11 class I have - even though I don't work there anymore. I supported another y11 class while I worked there so there's quite a few kids I'd love to know what they got.

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Reply 38

myrtille

We've been told the results will be available to all teachers (not just HoDs) an hour before pupils. So I'm planning to get there quite early, then if the results are worse than expected I can run away and hide before the kids turn up.

It's my school's first ever GCSE results (having previously been a middle school) so the pressure is really on.

I know there's going to be a broad range of results (I've predicted everything from A-F for my Y11 group) but am most worried about my C/D pupils, many of whom have spent hours in intervention sessions to improve their grades - I just don't want them to feel it was a waste of time. There are a couple of them in particular who I desperately want to get the C I feel they deserve, but the written controlled assessment marking is notoriously inconsistent...

Reply 39