PGCE - Current Students Thread

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Reply 400

Interrobang

Me and my friends all found the practice maths harder than the real thing :smile:

Reply 401

Llamageddon

Add "bored" to this and it's exactly how I felt. It put me right off teaching but at least I'll never say "well you get great holidays" again.

Reply 402

affinity89

Original post by Llamageddon

Add "bored" to this and it's exactly how I felt. It put me right off teaching but at least I'll never say "well you get great holidays" again.

I can understand that. A few of my friends did history degrees like I did, and we've all said that we are missing it. Missing studying history, missing studying things in that sort of depth etc. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind learning about other things, but I just can't engage myself in quite the same way when we are having seminars on phonics and multiplication lol. :redface:

Reply 403

gingerbreadman85

It's better once you actually get into the teaching. Personally, i thought a lot of faculty lectures felt like a waste of time (though some were excellent!). You'll be on placement sooner than you think and getting properly stuck in!

Reply 404

dobbs

Original post by affinity89

Should've done Secondary then shouldn't you :wink:

ha, well it does allow you to still go into some depth into a subject through things like GCSE/A-level courseworks etc. but still nowhere near the depth of a degree of course.

Original post by Becca

I found the practice ones harder! I failed the maths and ICT ones in practice then passed all 3 tests first time when I went to do them! Good luck.

Original post by *Interrobang*

Me and my friends all found the practice maths harder than the real thing :smile:

I was asked to take part in trials of the new questions that were coming in (and got paid £60 for each one that I did!) and they asked for feedback. I explained that a lot of us had found the practice questions for maths harder than the real thing and they said that quite a lot of people had given that feedback and although it wasn't intentional, they figured that they wouldn't want to change it in case people found the practice ones too easy. It's a difficult balance as people are stronger at different types of questions.

Reply 405

affinity89

Original post by dobbs

Should've done Secondary then shouldn't you :wink:

ha, well it does allow you to still go into some depth into a subject through things like GCSE/A-level courseworks etc. but still nowhere near the depth of a degree of course.

Definitely not lol. I geniunely wouldn't do secondary, even if you paid me a fortune lol.

Primary or something entirely different for me. :smile:

Reply 406

Teao the Cat

I second (third?) that the practice QTS tests are much, much harder than the real thing.

Reply 407

noodles!

I passed the tests! And I agree, the real ones were easier. Also I had no idea that you could do the mental maths with the aid of a pen so that helped :P

Reply 408

Suzanathema

^ Grats on passing!

Does anyone know what the deal is regarding going on strike? As a NASUWT member I am going to be balloted for striking on 30th Nov, when I'll be on placement, but as I'm not an actual employee I can't strike, but as someone who will be teaching on that day I don't want to scab... what are students supposed to do?

Reply 409

jaime1986

Have you asked at your school how many are expected to strike? At my placement school less that 10 people actually did the last strike, and so school continued as normal.
What is your the policy of your university in this matter? We have been told that we are not allowed to strike (It would be classed as a day absent from teaching) and the unions do not expect student teachers to strike as it hinders their training.

Reply 410

balloon_parade

Original post by Suzanathema

We've been told that unless the school's closed, we all have to go in. I think it's probably in the university placement policy. Although I would have thought it is most likely that you'll have to go in.

Got my maths skills test on Wednesday- nervous!

Reply 411

Suzanathema

So you're expected to cross a picket line?!

Reply 412

Mr M

Study Forum Helper

Original post by Suzanathema

So you're expected to cross a picket line?!

Absolutely not. If you are a member of a union and that union is on strike, you should either participate in the strike or leave that union (there are no strike alternatives such as Voice). Your university will not want to damage their relationships with partner schools so will probably suggest you stay at home that day.

Reply 413

gingerbreadman85

Original post by Suzanathema

If you are in school, you can't perform work that would otherwise have been carried out by a striking member of staff. So any lessons you might be scheduled to teach would be fine (assuming appropriate supervision is provided to you, you can't be asked to solo it just because your mentor or whoever is striking), but being asked to fill in for missing staff etc isn't allowed.

I'm NASUWT and a load of my colleagues were striking when NUT/ATL went off, there wasn't a picket line outside of school, people just didn't come in. I didn't get grief for not taking part (i would have if balloted, but it would have been illegal for me to have done so).

Reply 414

Mr M

Study Forum Helper

Original post by gingerbreadman85

It is highly likely that every school in the country will be shut to students on 30th November anyway so there isn't really an issue here (although there could be with any subsequent action).

Reply 415

Rainy

How do people decide on unions? Whoever sent the most convincing/attractive rep? Or the one that gives the best freebies? I must admit that I've been too lazy to research the differences between them, let alone decide which best suits my needs and politics - but I am proudly sporting a NASUWT wall calendar and a few NUT pens. Ho hum.

Also, I think I need to find a better way of planning lessons; i.e. giving myself a set time (amount and time of day) per lesson and sticking to it.

(Thanks muchly to whichever mod stickied the thread!)

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 416

Piggsil

Original post by Rainy

I joined NASWUT because both my parents are members and had good experiences (my dad has used the union A LOT). Also it was the biggest union in my school. You can always change if you don't like the one you're in, my mum was in NUT for ages but switched. I'd advise asking around for people's experiences.
You could try using a timer/stopwatch for lesson planning to make yourself more efficient?

Reply 417

dobbs

Original post by Rainy

Original post by Becca

You could try using a timer/stopwatch for lesson planning to make yourself more efficient?

How does that work? You set yourself a time limit, what if you get to the limit and you're not done?

I'm not great with lesson planning as I'll get half way through and think "Ooh I need to do this too" and wander off around my classroom doing stupid things like tidying up a pot of scissors or something, then go off on a "pointless task" walk for probably 30 minutes then come back to planning haha :rolleyes:

But still, I am sticking to being planned a week in advance, which takes a lot of pressure off :smile:

Reply 418

Piggsil

Original post by dobbs

Like Becca, I chose mine because it was the biggest union represented at my school. However as stupid as it sounds, they also randomly sent me one of those little pound-coin-sized-thingies that you put in trollies at the supermarket, on a keyring! It is the best thing ever, stays on my keys and I never have to worry about having a pound coin for a trolley at Asda!

OK you probably shouldn't choose because of that, but I think it's better than any pen/diary/wall calender that I have about 3 of each now!

How does that work? You set yourself a time limit, what if you get to the limit and you're not done?

I'm not great with lesson planning as I'll get half way through and think "Ooh I need to do this too" and wander off around my classroom doing stupid things like tidying up a pot of scissors or something, then go off on a "pointless task" walk for probably 30 minutes then come back to planning haha :rolleyes:

But still, I am sticking to being planned a week in advance, which takes a lot of pressure off :smile:

OMG I love those trolley things! I have one too! :biggrin:

For the timing thing, I'd say pick a time it normally takes you and knock off maybe five-ten mins, if you're working focused and under pressure then that should save you that extra time! Especially when you're at the beginning of your training year it's really tempting to spend hours on one lesson, when it probably would have been more productive to only use 30-40 mins. Obviously for important observation lessons it's ok to use a bit more time...
I just know I was using SO much more time than was really necessary to plan and then I had to create all my resources and everything...a one hour lesson could be like 4-5 hours of work. I wish I'd thought of the stopwatch thing earlier tbh, it's genius :p:

Don't need it now though, I'm super speedy hehe.

Reply 419

*Sparkle*

I've found getting all the resources ready, making your powerpoint if you're using one, and having an idea in your head makes it all quicker. If you've made your powerpoint already, which is relatively easy if you know what you're doing, you won't want to bother changing your mind so you'll stick to it.

I've planned a few lessons for next week but not tomorrow's, I'm doing an APP task with year sevens and I don't really know what to do. I've planned for me explaining it and asking questions but the rest I'll just be walking around chatting to the kids, making sure they're on task and get them to use their traffic lights. Planning all this empty time seems wrong to me though.

I've joined every union, they're all free for now so why not. I'll have to decide properly next year though.