PGCE - Current Students Thread

Original post by gemmam

In FE many 16-18 year olds do GCSE or functional skills in "core" subjects if they didn't get it at school as they have to (Im doing English).

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Ah ok, i understand now, yeah i can see that beint a tad stressful!

Reply 4262

gemmam

Original post by Ratchit99

Ah ok, i understand now, yeah i can see that beint a tad stressful!

They're meant to be a nice class though.

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Reply 4263

kpwxx

Original post by Ratchit99

Dont give up! Have you contacted your university and told them theres an issue? Not just your subject mentor but the actual admin department for teaching at your uni?

Ive had a real day of ups and downs today. The lesson i was terrified about this morning (a y10 python programming lesson) was apparently really good and the teacher who observes me said if i was happy for her to do it, shed right it up for one of my official observations, so woop for that!
The observation i knew was coming went worse than i expected, the class are horrible anyway, but i was meant to start them off on their coursework write up. When they came in some of the boys were just really disruptive and wouldnt settle, i decided to change plan and get the majority continuing to work on their images while i talked specifically to a few good girls who were at that point and get them rolling. I just felt that if i went through the coursework write up with the group i would have just been talking at them as opposed to them taking in what i wanted them to do and the lesson wouldnt have been very productive at all. Sigh, just have to face the music tomorrow with that teacher and explain my thinking!

It sounds well thought out so hopefully the teacher can see that! Obviously the ideal is being able to settle them but that's something very few student teachers would be able to achieve at this point, and that you can use as a point for improvement. There's no point ploughing on with plans when you're not going to achieve the aim... Following the pupils is very important. Just make sure you think about all the pupils when making these decisions :smile:

Xxx

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(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 4264

How many weeks have people been teaching for? I've noticed a lot of people just starting their placements? I've been teaching for 5 weeks now, 11 hours? What do other people do?

Reply 4265

swarfliam

Original post by Lucy_jucie

How many weeks have people been teaching for? I've noticed a lot of people just starting their placements? I've been teaching for 5 weeks now, 11 hours? What do other people do?

4 weeks, and we're not back on placement till mid-January now!

Reply 4266

I started late september on my course and was teaching a lesson a week from 2nd week in october. Been on 8 lessons a week since after half term plus team teaching 2 hours of y11. On this until xmas then start my new placement mid january

Reply 4267

Original post by Ratchit99

How are you finding team teaching? I'm finding it harder than teaching alone because I'm never clear on which parts I should be doing and what to plan.

I'm majorly stressing about next week. It will be my first time taking one of the year eight classes and their normal teacher has told me what he wants me to do but hasn't been very specific so I feel a bit clueless about what I'm supposed to be doing. I think I may just email him and be honest about it, rather than stress myself out trying to make something to please him when I don't even know what he wants! Hopefully he will be okay with it.

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Reply 4268

Original post by Airfairy

I dont find team teaching too bad but the y11s are pretty switched on so that might be why!

Yeah just email your teacher and ask him if you can just go through what he wants you to cover. Maybe come up with a shell of a lesson plan you can discuss with him?

Reply 4269

kpwxx

Original post by Airfairy

Definitely ask him, so many times in my PGCE and also in work I have just not quite got what I'm meant to do- with so much info it's hard to make sure everything is clear. If certain bits are for you to decide he will tell you, if he wants it a certain way then you've found out.

Xxx

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Reply 4270

I'm teaching all the way untill Xmas then back into second placement mid January. I'm burnt out already with 11 hours to plan each week and 4000 word masters asignment. Does anyone else feel anxious all of the time, and I mean like 24/7 I'm constantly in a state of anxiety and it's horrible, I'm off sick for two days with severe vomiting I'm hoping it's an acctually virus not my anxiety.

Reply 4271

Tori_Emma

I've been in school since the 2nd of September and teaching about 12 hours or so a week! Just had to write a report on how I'm doing, have the first draft of assignment 1 due in in two weeks and my uni tutor is in next Tuesday to watch me teach!! Since half term I haven't had a lot of time to myself and everyone on the course seems to be feeling the same! I start my second school placement on the 10th Dec and then I'm back to my original school after February half term! Loving every second though, especially as I'm starting to win over my most difficult year 8 group!

Reply 4272

I love the teaching part but just feel anxious about everything else, suppose I'll just have to get through it or maybe I'm not cut out for it

Reply 4273

Original post by Lucy_jucie

Don't worry you're not alone. I feel exactly the same, and it's worrying me considering my next placement will be even harder! I'm just trying to take it one week at a time rather than looking at the bigger picture. But yeah it's horrible :frown:

. I keep overthinking everything. I think the teachers at school have noticed I've been stressing becasue they keep telling me to chill out but it's just not happening!!

Reply 4274

Yeah, i was meant to go to a friends house for dinner tonight, but i looked at my husband before we left and just burst into tears! It was really pathetic but im just so tired at the moment! Lol

Reply 4275

Thanks for your replies!!! I'm so glad I'm not alone, this must be natural is it. I don't like feeling like this at all :-( I've been on the verge of tears a few times, maybe I should just have a good cry lol might let it all out.

Reply 4276

Original post by Ratchit99

Yeah, i was meant to go to a friends house for dinner tonight, but i looked at my husband before we left and just burst into tears! It was really pathetic but im just so tired at the moment! Lol

Original post by Lucy_jucie

Yeah I sort of feel like I am about to cry all the time. I haven't actually burst into tears yet, but I would rather have a good cry than feel on the brink all the time! I went into the toilets at school the other day and it all just hit me and I had to try REALLY hard not to just break down there and then - I was due to teach in five mins. I hope it gets better. Hopefully we will slowly build up an emotional wall to all this.

Reply 4277

Yeah, my mentor has told me i need to harden up. Im sure itll come, at the moment i think were all just adjusting to the pressure and the change in routine!

Reply 4278

Original post by Ratchit99

Yeah, my mentor has told me i need to harden up. Im sure itll come, at the moment i think were all just adjusting to the pressure and the change in routine!

Did your mentor say that as harshly as it sounded when I read that?! Ha.

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Reply 4279