PGCE - Current Students Thread

Congrats on the job offer! I love to hear other people getting jobs, makes me feel like it could be possible for me too. So pleased for you. The job pressure is well and truly off. Well done you!

Good news is always heartening. This is the start of the job season. Get your alert set up from the TES. (They do still do that, don't they? I'm not intending to go anywhere else in my career, but they used to do it a long time ago, and I'm sure things haven't gone backwards!)

I'll definitely have to have a look at the TES alerts. Thanks for the idea! I've had a look at the local council websites but the start dates at the moment are a smidge too early as we don't finish until mid June. I've just actually bought the paper to swot up too (how keen!). It's just a major battle to get a job so trying to prep as much as possible, I'm so worried it won't happen for me it's ridiculous.

I've been looking on my local council job site [in Manchester] but the start dates are all too early. We don't finish until July 4th [I move out on July 7th], so I am obviously after a September start. They are all between Easter and summer at the minute... Still need to form my educational philosophy etc - not a clue where to start lol.

Have you joined the Manchester pool? I am thinking of applying once my app is all sorted! I've found it really difficult to write, really been a struggle, but I definitely recommend mind-mapping relevant information everywhere I've worked, extra curricular things, placements and my undergrad course have really helped.

As for the philosophy I've tended to look at what I'd want my classroom to be like and why, I'm quite into holistic learning so I've gone from there really. We had a meeting at placement school and it was regarding the new Ofsted process and there seemed to be a huge focus on Social, Moral and Cultural and Spiritual learning so I was thinking of adding that in somewhere too.

I say all this, but since I haven't applied anywhere yet it could all be rubbish!

There were a lot of Sep jobs in the TES last night, two in my LA. There was also a 'guide' for ATs applying for jobs, so I'm not sure if that is on the website. There was also a list of the areas with the most jobs, Kent being the top one, then Sussex.. Are most of you looking for Primary positions?

You can subscribe to TES for really cheap, and when it arrives every Friday it can 'remind' you to look out for jobs... The section was so big last night that it had two jobs papers.

I am one of those people at the airport who checks where their passport is repeatedly, so I can see that I will be counting all day!!
Yea, I accepted straight away as the school is within walking distance from my house and I love everything about it; I feel like I am dreaming. The job section in the TES was huge last night though, so it seems that there are a lot of positions becoming available now.

Well done on the job. Having once lost a child in my care (I was a Scout leader at the time) I can confirm that it's a pretty awful thing to happen! Count, count, count, and count again....

On a trip during the dark ages at my first school, somebody (and it wasn't me - I wasn't even on the trip but it makes my blood run cold just to think of it) left a partially sighted year 7 in the pool at Blackpool Pleasure Beach and was 25 miles down the motorway with the rest of the kids in a coach before anyone noticed. The kid hadn't seen the others get out of the pool and nobody had counted them. Count, count, count and get them to use a buddy system.

Oh gosh that's awful. I've been on a few school trips as a student and as a volunteer and it can be stressful, the most stressful was as a playworker at a holiday club, the parents didn't fully disclose his SEN requirements so we weren't fully prepared and he kept running off into people's gardens and pulling up their flowers, ending with slamming a door in an old lady's face, most stressful day of my whole life. We had to inform OfSTED and everything. Eugh!

I loved going on a school trip, this new school I'm in doesn't seem to be big on trips which is a shame. They're great ways to get to know the kids a bit better.

Am I the only person that isn't finding the PGCE the most stressful time of my life? Sure there is a lot of work, but nothing that over demanding. Only one more masters assignment to go for the whole course too, which is a bonus. Perhaps what they say about PE is true after all don't worry though, you'll be the ones laughing when I can't get a job!

Good luck in your second placements everyone.

Am I the only person that isn't finding the PGCE the most stressful time of my life? Sure there is a lot of work, but nothing that over demanding. Only one more masters assignment to go for the whole course too, which is a bonus. Perhaps what they say about PE is true after all don't worry though, you'll be the ones laughing when I can't get a job!

Good luck in your second placements everyone.

The mood on my course is pretty low at the minute. I think it is a case of everything colliding at one.
We've got two 5,000 word MA-level assignments to do before Easter - one is due whilst we are on placement. Then we've got our teaching placement [starting Thursday] which is on a 65%-teach-time level. On top of that, we've got 'alternative focus visits' when the placement ends which come with their own workbooks and often far flung postcodes. And, we've got four subject workbooks to complete before Easter, full of readings and smaller assignments. There are also lots of foundation subject things going on including large presentations for History [on teaching a certain topic] and we have to go into a school to teach Geography, as well as two [core, not foundation, admittedly] days in a school working one-to-one with a child on spelling and then writing yet another assignment on each. Plus, the two weeks before Easter [last two weeks in March I think] mark the start of the next placement, on an 80%-teach-time timetable.
Come Easter, I think I am going to seriously flop [only I probably shouldn't, as I will obviously have all the planning to carry on with for that placement, as it carries on until the very end of June].
I think the stress for me, therefore, is the timing of things. There is so many things to get done this term that it is enough to hurt your head lol. Especially when you are expected to be in two places at once... This Thursday, I am obviously back in my placement school. I have to leave for 1 hour though to visit my school-based tutor for him to inspect my teaching file. And, apparently, I am meant to be in university in the afternoon for 4 hours of PE! Perhaps I should just split myself in three lol.

Sorry for going on. I didn't mean to. Just got in, so it is all still fresh in my mind...

Tonight's plan is some RE and history planning and to crack on with my first assignment. I have to submit a formative by Wednesday. Eck lol...