Pre-PGCE worries

I'm currently half way though my PGCE as my course started in February and will end in December. I've done my first block placement and will be starting my next one in September.

To date, for me the hardest thing has been the assessed observations. I was so desperate to get at least a score of 'good' so to regularly get 'requires improvement' despite my best efforts has been quite disheartening. Before each observation, I got very nervous and anxious and the pressure got worse before each one. I cried a few times; I think this is pretty normal for a PGCE student.

The workload hasn't been quite as bad as I thought. There are periods of intensity but I wouldn't say the course is full on the whole time. The latest I've been up working is 11pm and I haven't had to quit all my hobbies to do the course. I've pretty much always had to do work at home in the evenings and on the weekends but it's not been every waking hour. Of course, this is just my experience and I might find all this changes as I go into my second placement.

Good luck!

I'm currently half way though my PGCE as my course started in February and will end in December. I've done my first block placement and will be starting my next one in September.

To date, for me the hardest thing has been the assessed observations. I was so desperate to get at least a score of 'good' so to regularly get 'requires improvement' despite my best efforts has been quite disheartening. Before each observation, I got very nervous and anxious and the pressure got worse before each one. I cried a few times; I think this is pretty normal for a PGCE student.

The workload hasn't been quite as bad as I thought. There are periods of intensity but I wouldn't say the course is full on the whole time. The latest I've been up working is 11pm and I haven't had to quit all my hobbies to do the course. I've pretty much always had to do work at home in the evenings and on the weekends but it's not been every waking hour. Of course, this is just my experience and I might find all this changes as I go into my second placement.

Good luck!

I'm trying not to stress too much about it all but I have to admit, I'm really apprehensive about the workload. I am hoping that if I am super organised and set myself very specific deadlines, I will be able to manage it. How are people preparing for this? I am glad to see some comments that suggest it isn't as horrific as the stories I have read.

Hi
What PGCE are you doing, primary or secondary?
And what was involved in your observations?

I'm glad to hear someone say that the workload hasn't been too awful as they're are sooo many horror stories about the PGCE year.
Hope your next assessed observations go a bit better and there are no more tears!

I'm doing primary. The head teacher and deputy head teacher carried out all my observations. In the end I got an even split of good and requires improvement grades. Hopefully I'll do better in my next placement.

I would take the horror stories you read with a pinch of salt. Obviously I wouldn't advise you to walk into the PGCE thinking it's going to be a bed of roses because it won't but try to have an open mind and take each day as it comes. Everyone will have a different experience at a different school on the course. A few people on my course had to be moved schools because things were so bad for them, so they would say something totally different to me, who got a very nice school with a supportive mentor and reasonably well behaved kids.

Oh dear, please could you maybe specify what the problems were that meant the people on your course had to be moved? Was it purely a behaviour issue or more? It'd be nice to know all the potential obstacles we may have to face.

Oh dear, please could you maybe specify what the problems were that meant the people on your course had to be moved? Was it purely a behaviour issue or more? It'd be nice to know all the potential obstacles we may have to face.

Well basically the school decided that these trainee teachers who had never taught before were going to assume the role of qualified supply teachers to cover full time for teachers who had left. From the first week, they were left in charge of the class and every lesson without any supervision or TA to help them. When they tried to complain, they were threatened with receiving poor observation grades. They were also made to teach early years, despite making it clear they were primary PGCE students. Eventually they were moved schools and the school in question was delisted as a placement school for our uni. I think it was an unusual case. I was gobsmacked when they told me about it, I'd have completely refused if it was me. The school is given a placement handbook containing info about what we are/aren't supposed to do and the teaching percentages that build up each week. That school just completely took advantage of the poor students and saw them as free labour.

Well basically the school decided that these trainee teachers who had never taught before were going to assume the role of qualified supply teachers to cover full time for teachers who had left. From the first week, they were left in charge of the class and every lesson without any supervision or TA to help them. When they tried to complain, they were threatened with receiving poor observation grades. They were also made to teach early years, despite making it clear they were primary PGCE students. Eventually they were moved schools and the school in question was delisted as a placement school for our uni. I think it was an unusual case. I was gobsmacked when they told me about it, I'd have completely refused if it was me. The school is given a placement handbook containing info about what we are/aren't supposed to do and the teaching percentages that build up each week. That school just completely took advantage of the poor students and saw them as free labour.