PGCE - Current Students Thread

Feeling a bit beaten up at the minute- Friday afternoons aren't the best time to take in around 2 hours worth of lesson criticisms in total! All completely fair and I know it IS stuff I need to improve on. But left feeling totally awful about it all.

I think the overriding thing today that got me was that all 3 classes were relatively subdued and controllable, but I pitched them all a bit too high. I was most impressed and annoyed by the class in lesson 1- I spent Tuesday just trying my hardest to get them to shut up, but today they were fine and I felt OK at the end of the lesson, considering how worried I was about it as I was presenting them with new vocab so they needed to listen. Also one thing I've not been too good with is active presentation of new vocab- in fact my very first attempt with them a few weeks ago with the old 'I say, class repeats' thing was a complete disaster, ran out of the lesson almost crying. So I was elated that I was able to do that today, having avoided that kind of thing since. But the class teacher was quite negative about everything & just told me point blank that I need to be faster presenting the vocab. And yes I do, but it would have just been so nice to hear something like how much better behaved they were today or how it was good that I was able to present the vocab to them but just need to work on getting it faster.

He's never really positive with me about things either- he did my mentor session today because my mentor didn't have time to meet with me this week, and he just ended up telling me how he would have done things, I think he said one positive thing after about an hour and a half. His classes are difficult, and I do often end up screwing things up and beating myself up about it. So to then be subjected to hearing it all again without any positives thrown in is pretty damn soul destroying He's been told about it as well, I mentioned it to my course tutor, who told my mentor, who said she had a word with him but this is clearly just the way he is.

Fortunately my mentor is fantastic, she makes a point of saying what went well, as well as what to improve on, without it just being "oh well I would have done it like this". Sadly I only teach 2 lessons of hers per week, 3 if it's week 1, and she's part time so isn't around much to just chat and whatever, this other guy is the one I spend most time with.

Oh dear this turned into a bit of a rant! But I needed it, never seem to get to speak to anyone in person about stuff- I met up with the other MFL trainees last Friday I was pretty left out, the 2 guys had brought their girlfriends along, and the 2 other girls who showed up are much louder than me so just ended up speaking the whole night while I was trying not to fall asleep in my dinner! And then everyone else I know isn't a teacher, and many of them also think teachers have the easiest job in the world so can't talk to them either.

I'm MFL and my GOD do I recognise what you wrote here about your mentor. This was my experience for the entirety of my training year. So you are not alone! If you have any MFL-specific issues feel free to PM me. The positive is that your actual mentor is really lovely...I had 2 mentors in my department and both had a feedback style similar to the one you describe! Try not to beat yourself up too much

And then everyone else I know isn't a teacher, and many of them also think teachers have the easiest job in the world so can't talk to them either.

Feeling a bit beaten up at the minute-

Noodles, that is very soul destroying I agree, but just take it on the chin and not personally. It would have destroyed me as well but when I'm in a good mood (like now) I can easily see things in perspective for someone else that I can't when it happens to me. That might not be very helpful at all, but allow your negative thoughts to drift away and tomorrow you'll feel differently about it. Take on board the criticism; as much as it's nice to get lots of good comments it's the negatives that will help you grow.

Sounds like you have a fab mentor, she's the one you should pay the most attention to anyway.

My tutor from college is coming in to watch me tomorrow. Scared!!!

I used to love it when uni tutors would come to observe me because I knew I'd get some positive feedback off them as opposed to only criticism from my school mentors!

...that too haha, unfortunately this problem class teacher was away when my tutor came in so he didn't get to hear how nice she was about me. In a way I hope she comes again before I leave for that reason!

Lol if my tutors gave me positive feedback my mentors would get annoyed. They also got annoyed when I requested my tutor to come and see a class I was GOOD at teaching. They wanted my tutors to only come to the really ****ty classes as they said it gave a more "realistic" view of my teaching. I swear they wanted me to fail! I hope your tutor comes in for you!

Lol if my tutors gave me positive feedback my mentors would get annoyed. They also got annoyed when I requested my tutor to come and see a class I was GOOD at teaching. They wanted my tutors to only come to the really ****ty classes as they said it gave a more "realistic" view of my teaching. I swear they wanted me to fail! I hope your tutor comes in for you!

That sounds awful.

My STCC [school training centre coordinator - responsible for the bulk of my end reference etc] said he would always visit again if he saw a bad lesson. He said he doesn't want people to fail, so he will always revisit if you ask him to, so he has the chance to see you fly.

The universities are very reluctant to fail people these days. In my days as a mentor, there was only ever one student who the central mentor and I felt should fail, because frankly, she was a danger to children, but the university wouldn't have any of it. So from your point of view, the odds are pretty highly in your favour.

I suppose. That said, whilst my STCC is working with the university, he isn't particularly closely linked with it. He is a headteacher and is most definitely based on the school side of things, not the university side. In fact, he has frequently said he thinks a lot of the stuff the university have us doing is not beneficial and he would rather we spent much, much more time in school. He said it is the practical hands-on stuff that really mark out someone who can teach from someone who cannot.

Plus, he failed one of his 8 students last year and one the year before that. So, he isn't afraid of failing people. He just said that he is there to support us and to give us the opportunity to develop and subsequently shine.

That sounds awful.

My STCC [school training centre coordinator - responsible for the bulk of my end reference etc] said he would always visit again if he saw a bad lesson. He said he doesn't want people to fail, so he will always revisit if you ask him to, so he has the chance to see you fly.

that's awful! Don't know what I'd do if mine ever actually said anything like that (well actually I'd probably run downstairs to my actual mentor and cry lol, or get the bus all the way to the training centre and cry at somebody there)