PGCE - Current Students Thread

Keep going people!! Everyone keeps telling me that the run up to Christmas is the hardest bit and if we can get past it we're good, I hope they're right!!

Had my first week of teaching last week, some bits went better than others (glitter and fluroscent paint do not a stress free teacher make). My ULT came and observed my maths lesson and she was happy with it so I guess that's good.

Next week I'm doing a two hour literacy lesson on a Guy Fawkes recount, making peppermint creams with 5 classes (I've already made 4 batches to try and get it right as we only have 15 minutes to make them in so I'm sick of them already). I'm also teaching a science class. We're doing a dancing raisins experiment - where you put raisins in a glass and watch them go up and down. It's with year 2s and I'm struggling to see how I can make it last an hour and a half. Any ideas would be much appreciated!!

Anyway, hope everyone is doing ok and smartarse1983, Teacher C sounds a little unreasonable, just focus on one or two things at a time, and when you've got those down, move on to the next ones. Trying to become perfect straight away is nigh on impossible and way too stressful!! My mentor's given me a focus for each observation which helps me know what she is looking for. Monday's is behaviour management which I'm a bit worried about because I've got a class full of rather large personalities but fingers crossed I can do my teacher death stare.

I´m really struggling at the moment

I´m really struggling at the moment

What's happening? As Becca said November is the worst month.


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/i

Hello everyone! By reading this thread I am reassured that a lot of people are in the same situation as me. My university tutors are telling me the opposite of the school, in every single aspect (including class management). I am following the more the university guidance and it's sort of working with class management tips (with year 8 better than year 9). I was given both bottom sets and I am teaching languages. I am very confused by the different guidance from subject mentor and university.

What are the two different things you are being told?

About class management, lecturer saying I should only tactically ignore if minor and to build a good class environment might take 3 weeks and I need to reinforce the rules. The sm is saying I should carry on with the objectives...! I should l keep delivering the lesson even if noisy. I think the lecturer is right, but I am being pressured by delivering what I have planned.

I'd largely agree with the lecturer too.

You can choose to ignore little annoying things (someone sitting with their head on the table, or uniform issues) when confronting them would just waste time and stop you teaching. But you cannot teach if everyone is talking, and there's no point trying as you'll just have to go over it again next lesson when you realise they didn't take anything in because they weren't paying attention.

I'm having difficulties delivering everything I have planned too, especially wiith quite chatty classes at it takes time to get them settled and then I can't fit in the whole lesson. I have a couple of high ability Y10 classes who are bright but noisy, and I'm struggling to fit in everything I'm supposed to teach them.

I've been recommended to find/make more reading and listening exercises which they can pick out and understand the language from, to avoid me having to spend so much of the lesson doing all the work. And that way, if there are issues with behaviour I'm free to go round and deal with individuals rather than being stuck at the front of the class.

I'm in a lovely school and behaviour isn't a big issue, but I'm just really struggling with planning lessons and then delivering everything that's in my plan.

About class management, lecturer saying I should only tactically ignore if minor and to build a good class environment might take 3 weeks and I need to reinforce the rules. The sm is saying I should carry on with the objectives...! I should keep delivering the lesson even if noisy. I think the lecturer is right, but I am being pressured by delivering what I have planned.

Has anyone tried yellow and red warning cards, like the give in football, to help with class management?

I've tried a 'noise wheel' its basically a big sheet for paper with a red circle which says '100% silence' a amber circle which says 'whispers' and a green circle witch says 'talk in a normal voice'. Depending on the activity, I move the arrow to where I want it to be, for the volume of noise. It worked with year 7, have yet to try it with other years.

For those struggling with volume and tone of voice ( which I am) my mentor advised me to videorecord a lesson. I did. I watched it back, I cringed to high heaven, it was excrutiating to watch, BUT, it was very very very very helpful, I can see almost exactly what they mean about voice now, because though in my head I thought I sounded stern, in reality, I really didn't.

I already feel more confident after my first lesson (Thursday) was a total disaster in my own eyes. I managed to pitch it to too high an ability, failed to really control the disruption and wasn't great basically. I'm so much more optimistic now that I've come up with a new seating plan and know exactly who was the trouble makers in my class. Don't be afraid to try new plans folks, they're so useful, just stick to them no matter what.