The Student Room Group

PGCE - Current Students Thread

Scroll to see replies

Reply 4120
Although I've enjoyed half term its going to be nice to get back into a structured way of doing things.
I have to admit, knowing that I be officially observed pretty much every week now and scored has made me a tad nervous of this next term. I'm dreading finding out that I'm only teaching at 4 when i kind of hope Im atleast a 3 :frown:
Reply 4122
Feels strange being up so early again.
I've had a day at uni today and I'm so glad to be in the group who would rather be in school. Back on placement again tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to it. Starting to struggle for starters though. We're still working in the same kinds of things we were doing 2 lessons ago so it's hard to avoid repetition. We've done posts-its and a q&a so far but not sure what to do this week with my year 7s :frown:

Posted from TSR Mobile
So, what would you recommend?
Uni based PGCE or school direct based PGCE?



Posted from TSR Mobile
Had my first proper post lesson cry today. Y7 lesson just went terribly, mentor said i hadnt done proper AFL and talked too much, and at the end the kids still hadnt got the hang of formulas in spreadsheets, feeling kind of gutted and kind of like I failed but i get that we just have lessons like that. Live and learn and hopefully next weeks lesson will be better :smile:
Ugh I had the worst lesson ever today. The kids just didn't have a clue what I was trying to do and it didn't work at all. I really need to turn things around for them next lesson and get back on track. I felt so crappy afterwards. Just when you know you've done a rubbish lesson and you can't get it out of your mind :angry:
Here here fairy, feel your pain!
Original post by Ratchit99
Had my first proper post lesson cry today. Y7 lesson just went terribly, mentor said i hadnt done proper AFL and talked too much, and at the end the kids still hadnt got the hang of formulas in spreadsheets, feeling kind of gutted and kind of like I failed but i get that we just have lessons like that. Live and learn and hopefully next weeks lesson will be better :smile:


I could have typed this word for word (apart from the subject). My Year 7 went so badly today, I was holding back the tears...where did you go to cry? Haha share your crying tips. That feeling when a lesson goes badly is awful. I hate it :frown:
I sadly just cried when my mentor started giving me feedback after the lesson, i didnt even manage to go and do it subtly, thankfully it wasnt bawly type crying just snuffles and tears but it was enough!
Original post by ParadoxSocks
I've had a day at uni today and I'm so glad to be in the group who would rather be in school. Back on placement again tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to it. Starting to struggle for starters though. We're still working in the same kinds of things we were doing 2 lessons ago so it's hard to avoid repetition. We've done posts-its and a q&a so far but not sure what to do this week with my year 7s :frown:

Posted from TSR Mobile


What subject are you teaching?

Original post by Pineapple pie
So, what would you recommend?
Uni based PGCE or school direct based PGCE?



Posted from TSR Mobile


Personally I'm on the uni based side. I found it very helpful and important to have that uni network surrounding me. I was being taught by a huge range of experts with so much to offer. I feel it's important to have that really solid grounding in theory and an opportunity to learn about all the different approaches, not just what is popular in your school at the moment. I think high quality out of school training to complement the school based training (which is of course incredibly important- you need to get stuck in to build confidence and become good at it!) is vital. The theory side gives you a lot of time to become a reflective practitioner and this high level of training allows for lifelong learning, teachers who improve throughout their career.

Having said that, some school direct programmes do buy in to most of the programme at the local uni making them very similar in practice. This is where it becomes important to look closely at what each course offers. Some don't have much of the personal development stuff which I personally found very important. I still think the network of other trainees is really helpful too though!

And after all that, there is also an element of the format which suits you best. While I still think lots of uni input is good, there might be other benefits of being school based which could balance it out! I'll let someone else sing those virtues :smile:

I'll also note, there are many excellent teachers coming out of both routes.

Original post by Ratchit99
Had my first proper post lesson cry today. Y7 lesson just went terribly, mentor said i hadnt done proper AFL and talked too much, and at the end the kids still hadnt got the hang of formulas in spreadsheets, feeling kind of gutted and kind of like I failed but i get that we just have lessons like that. Live and learn and hopefully next weeks lesson will be better :smile:


Original post by Airfairy
Ugh I had the worst lesson ever today. The kids just didn't have a clue what I was trying to do and it didn't work at all. I really need to turn things around for them next lesson and get back on track. I felt so crappy afterwards. Just when you know you've done a rubbish lesson and you can't get it out of your mind :angry:


Hug!

It is horrible. But you're right, it does get better once you get in and have a good day again.

Xxx

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Pineapple pie
So, what would you recommend?
Uni based PGCE or school direct based PGCE?



Posted from TSR Mobile



Schools direct definitely, though I am biased as thats the course I am on! At my alliance we do 2 days of lectures then 3 days in school. (none placement times). So monday is usually Curriculum based lessons, ie. how to teach writing/reading/maths/re/history etc at a primary school level. Then Tuesday is normally University based lectures with the other people on my alliance, Meeting Children's Needs, Reflective Practise, Creative and Effective Teaching etc. Then the other days I am in a different school based in a class where I help with group work, do guided reading, sometimes I do whole class stuff etc.

The combination between being in lectures and being in the class is really well balanced imo. I learn a lot from both.
From my experiences, I don't see why there's such a big divide between School Direct and PGCE. The first three weeks in September for us were based in uni, and then we are in uni every Friday (I'm PGCE), and the SD lot spent the first three weeks in their lead school for their alliance doing training and lectures, so basically the same thing we were doing at uni. Then every Friday they are in their lead school again for training. So basically the exact same thing but their lectures are at a school rather than uni.

I chose the uni route because I wanted the support of the uni behind me and I'm glad because I have amazing tutors who I feel I wouldn't be on the course if it weren't for them. I've also met some really nice people and the whole course is a great lot.
Original post by Pineapple pie
So, what would you recommend?
Uni based PGCE or school direct based PGCE?



Posted from TSR Mobile


The issue with asking it is that people are all going to say the one that they're doing since they don't actually have experience of the other. They are both very very similar though. Our school direct people just have the occasional lecture at their school instead of at uni with the rest of us. Same content, just a different setting and there's a lot of responsibility from day one. I personally prefer the PGCE (well PGDE because we're doing an extra 60 credit module) but there's difference between every PGCE course and every school direct course so it's better to compare the actual courses.

I'm PGCE and I'm in on Mondays for either subject knowledge or wider context and then the rest of the week is in my school. It's a nice way of doing it because it gives us the chance to engage and share and peer mark each others folders.

Original post by Ratchit99
Had my first proper post lesson cry today. Y7 lesson just went terribly, mentor said i hadnt done proper AFL and talked too much, and at the end the kids still hadnt got the hang of formulas in spreadsheets, feeling kind of gutted and kind of like I failed but i get that we just have lessons like that. Live and learn and hopefully next weeks lesson will be better :smile:


Don't worry. It's going to happen to us all. What're they struggling with? I'm teaching the exact same thing at the moment and mine are picking it up so if you need any advice/help with resources or someone to talk to then you can message me.

Original post by Airfairy
Ugh I had the worst lesson ever today. The kids just didn't have a clue what I was trying to do and it didn't work at all. I really need to turn things around for them next lesson and get back on track. I felt so crappy afterwards. Just when you know you've done a rubbish lesson and you can't get it out of your mind :angry:


*hugs* again, it happens and you'll learn from it. Just remember to reflect on what happened and work from there.

Original post by kpwxx
What subject are you teaching?



Personally I'm on the uni based side. I found it very helpful and important to have that uni network surrounding me. I was being taught by a huge range of experts with so much to offer. I feel it's important to have that really solid grounding in theory and an opportunity to learn about all the different approaches, not just what is popular in your school at the moment. I think high quality out of school training to complement the school based training (which is of course incredibly important- you need to get stuck in to build confidence and become good at it!) is vital. The theory side gives you a lot of time to become a reflective practitioner and this high level of training allows for lifelong learning, teachers who improve throughout their career.

Having said that, some school direct programmes do buy in to most of the programme at the local uni making them very similar in practice. This is where it becomes important to look closely at what each course offers. Some don't have much of the personal development stuff which I personally found very important. I still think the network of other trainees is really helpful too though!

And after all that, there is also an element of the format which suits you best. While I still think lots of uni input is good, there might be other benefits of being school based which could balance it out! I'll let someone else sing those virtues :smile:

I'll also note, there are many excellent teachers coming out of both routes.





Hug!

It is horrible. But you're right, it does get better once you get in and have a good day again.

Xxx

Posted from TSR Mobile


I'm computing with IT. Theoretically I should have lots of options but I'm running out of ideas already.
Original post by ParadoxSocks



Don't worry. It's going to happen to us all. What're they struggling with? I'm teaching the exact same thing at the moment and mine are picking it up so if you need any advice/help with resources or someone to talk to then you can message


Thanks hun, i think i just aimed the work too high. This was a bottom set group and they were just solving the maths problems i wanted them to write formula for themselves (a failure of my explanation i think) so im going to go back to basics next week and work through creating formulae with them and get them to come up and do it infront of the rest of the class!
As you say, it gets better and I've learnt from it so things can only get better!
Original post by Ratchit99
Thanks hun, i think i just aimed the work too high. This was a bottom set group and they were just solving the maths problems i wanted them to write formula for themselves (a failure of my explanation i think) so im going to go back to basics next week and work through creating formulae with them and get them to come up and do it infront of the rest of the class!
As you say, it gets better and I've learnt from it so things can only get better!


If it makes you feel any better, some of the pupils in my mentors class were using their whiteboards to work out the maths too until I noticed and corrected them so it happens with experience teachers too.

I made a pirate worksheet using cell references and map co-ordinates for treasure and they loved it. It just explained the basics of always using "=" to tell excel what's about to happen and such and then gave them room to play around a bit with +, -, / and *. Walk them through a couple slowly and they pick it up once they realise it'll make their lives easier.

I have a really mixed ability group. Some were still working on the basics while others were using functions and it's really hard to differentiate without anyone getting bored :frown:
Yeah, i think next week im going to get some giant functjons on the board and get them to go through them with me and go from there. Ive got a week to plan a nice accessible lesson for them thatll cover my requirements for AFL and class involvement so hopefully ill pull something out of my ass, got to plan a year 9 adobe fireworks refresher too though!
Original post by Ratchit99
Yeah, i think next week im going to get some giant functjons on the board and get them to go through them with me and go from there. Ive got a week to plan a nice accessible lesson for them thatll cover my requirements for AFL and class involvement so hopefully ill pull something out of my ass, got to plan a year 9 adobe fireworks refresher too though!


I've been told to incorporate fireworks into my excel module and I have no idea how to use it so that should be fun :/
Eerp, yeah not sure how youd do that! This is for y9 cambridge nationals coursework as theyre about to start on their graphic manipulation.
Only thing i can think is if you do some sort of flyer for promotion based on a costing spreadsheet, or perhaps use fireworks to create graphics which you can then insert on a spreadsheet that you want to look nice?
Original post by Ratchit99
Eerp, yeah not sure how youd do that! This is for y9 cambridge nationals coursework as theyre about to start on their graphic manipulation.
Only thing i can think is if you do some sort of flyer for promotion based on a costing spreadsheet, or perhaps use fireworks to create graphics which you can then insert on a spreadsheet that you want to look nice?


Well I think I'm making it about a sweet shop so they could probably do some sort of logo or banner for the shop as part of it? I think my mentor is just testing to see what I can do before I cry and hide under a table in the staff room :tongue:

Quick Reply

Latest