PGCE - Current Students Thread

I'm really struggling with this interview lesson...It definitely doesn't help that I don't know enough about the topic having never studied it so I have no idea what I should be including.

Reply 5022

myblueheaven339

19

Original post by Samus2

I'm really struggling with this interview lesson...It definitely doesn't help that I don't know enough about the topic having never studied it so I have no idea what I should be including.

Can you ask people in your placement schools for help?

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Reply 5023

Original post by myblueheaven339

Can you ask people in your placement schools for help?

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I only started placement 2 today and feel kinda awkward asking them for help with it! But I might just have to ask my mentor tomorrow.

Reply 5024

Red Lightning

10

Original post by brown shuga

So I started the teaching practice at my SE2 school and the teacher wants to check every lesson plan and to follow her plans. I'm having difficulties adjusting because in my first SE1 the teacher used to let me have a free reign on the planning, he would just tell me what he wanted me to teach.

In SE2 it is so different because the class teacher wants to check everything and I feel like this is limiting me.

Any advice?

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I don't think it's limiting you in my opinion as I'm on the exact same boat as you. My SE1 school didn't even bother checking for lesson plans except for observations. So I kind of had free reign for when it came to planning.

In my current SE2 school I have a mentor who wants lesson plans 72 hours in advance so that he could check it and provide feedback. It was a sudden shock to my system.

You must learn how to adapt. You are in SE2 now,and not SE1. Believe it or not, I like the mentor I have now as it feels like I'm improving.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 5025

Original post by Red Lightning

I don't think it's limiting you in my opinion as I'm on the exact same boat as you. My SE1 school didn't even bother checking for lesson plans except for observations. So I kind of had free reign for when it came to planning.

In my current SE2 school I have a mentor who wants lesson plans 72 hours in advance so that he could check it and provide feedback. It was a sudden shock to my system.

You must learn how to adapt. You are in SE2 now,and not SE1. Believe it or not, I like the mentor I have now as it feels like I'm improving.

It's funny because my first placement never looked at my lesson plans so I'm not used to it being normal. Hope my second placement don't look.

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Reply 5026

ParadoxSocks

22

Original post by Red Lightning

I don't think it's limiting you in my opinion as I'm on the exact same boat as you. My SE1 school didn't even bother checking for lesson plans except for observations. So I kind of had free reign for when it came to planning.

In my current SE2 school I have a mentor who wants lesson plans 72 hours in advance so that he could check it and provide feedback. It was a sudden shock to my system.

You must learn how to adapt. You are in SE2 now,and not SE1. Believe it or not, I like the mentor I have now as it feels like I'm improving.

I agree. I'm in the same position now. My mentor doesn't need to see them but offers to check them over for areas that could be a weakness. We then go over the lesson at the end and I get a bit of feedback so that's really really useful.

I'd definitely rather be pushed than coast alone like I did on placement 1. I'm not entirely sure they'd have noticed if I'd burst into flames mid-lesson.

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Reply 5027

Original post by Airfairy

It's funny because my first placement never looked at my lesson plans so I'm not used to it being normal. Hope my second placement don't look.

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But how do you know if you're doing the right sort of thing or planning for the right sort of thing?

I'm incredibly glad now that my first placement requested my lesson plans 24 hours in advance - the detail in my lesson plans is now second nature. I can clearly show my differentiation and I also know what should be in a good lesson. Definitely a benefit going into my longer, second placement where my mentor trusts me to get on with it!

Reply 5028

Original post by Samus2

But how do you know if you're doing the right sort of thing or planning for the right sort of thing?

I'm incredibly glad now that my first placement requested my lesson plans 24 hours in advance - the detail in my lesson plans is now second nature. I can clearly show my differentiation and I also know what should be in a good lesson. Definitely a benefit going into my longer, second placement where my mentor trusts me to get on with it!

I guess I've always just assumed that if I did something wrong, then it would be brought up after the lesson, as I always had feedback. In terms of planning for the right sort of thing, I don't know how you can plan for the wrong sort of thing...if that makes sense. I just make sure every box of my lesson plan is filled in (which takes into account AfL and differentiation), and that I have a three step lesson the best I can. :dontknow:

I should mention I always had the option to show my lesson plans for feedback, I just never did, and they never made it compulsory. I like it that way, because I guess it is what I am used to. Besides, my lesson plans are almost illegible and I write outside all the boxes. I'd have to make it neat which would annoy me :ninja:

. I've heard that at my next placement all my lessons apart from KS4 are planned for me, so I don't have to do lesson plans! Not sure if I will like that or not.

Reply 5029

gemmam

I'm suppose to go into my placement tomorrow but I'm dreading it. I still don't know what to do :frown:

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Reply 5030

alabelle

18

Original post by gemmam

I'm suppose to go into my placement tomorrow but I'm dreading it. I still don't know what to do :frown:

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You'll be ok. Go for the first week, see how it is. You can always leave if you hate it.

Reply 5031

gemmam

Original post by alabelle

You'll be ok. Go for the first week, see how it is. You can always leave if you hate it.

Ive already started it.

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Reply 5032

Interview tomorrow... should I be honest if it comes up about my preparation for the lesson in that I have never studied the topic before...

Reply 5033

Original post by Samus2

Interview tomorrow... should I be honest if it comes up about my preparation for the lesson in that I have never studied the topic before...

Good luck!! Interesting question... I personally wouldn't volunteer that information, although someone else might have some better advice. And I guess they asked me specifically about that I'd admit it, yes, but it shouldn't be noticeable of course.

I would bet all teachers have to teach topics they have never studied before at times. This is harder for us in our PGCE year, but they know it happens. (I haven't studied anything to do with my PGCE subject!!)

Let us know how it goes! Good luck.

Reply 5034

kpwxx

20

Original post by Samus2

Interview tomorrow... should I be honest if it comes up about my preparation for the lesson in that I have never studied the topic before...

Be honest if you're asked, be put a positive spin on it.

Say about how you haven't formally studied the area so to prepare you did research, asked this person etc. Things will always come up and syllabi will change, so you need to be able to learn new topics. Being proactive about this is a plus point not a negative.

XXX

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Reply 5035

Original post by Airfairy

Good luck!! Interesting question... I personally wouldn't volunteer that information, although someone else might have some better advice. And I guess they asked me specifically about that I'd admit it, yes, but it shouldn't be noticeable of course.

I would bet all teachers have to teach topics they have never studied before at times. This is harder for us in our PGCE year, but they know it happens. (I haven't studied anything to do with my PGCE subject!!)

Let us know how it goes! Good luck.

I didn't know if it was a total faux-pas or not! It's been really hard to plan this lesson purely because I had no prior knowledge (this is the only area in the NC where I had a gap in my subject knowledge, and I didn't need to know it for my first placement!) and thus, didn't know what I should be denoting significance to D:

I feel a bit anxious because I think I might be the only person interviewing tomorrow... The vacancy hasn't been advertised so it is possible that there might be other people there who were in the same position as me (interviewed for a job but wasn't appointed and in turn personally recommended by the head) so I'm really hoping I can impress them!

Thank you :biggrin:

!

I'll update tomorrow, interviews are damn nerve wracking!

Reply 5036

Had my interview, really unsure how it went!

I feel like it went well, but, there was an internal candidate (trainee completing her placement there) sO i feel like it'll probably go to her over me :frown:

But I'll find out either tonight or tomorrow...

Reply 5037

Original post by Samus2

Had my interview, really unsure how it went!

I feel like it went well, but, there was an internal candidate (trainee completing her placement there) sO i feel like it'll probably go to her over me :frown:

But I'll find out either tonight or tomorrow...

Oh, I will be interested to hear how you get on, because when a trainee on placement applies, I always wonder if that means they are certain to get it or not. Just to give you a bit of hope though, someone on my course recently got an interview at their placement school and they didn't get it. Awkward... :lol:

.

But I'm glad you feel it went well. Let us know, of course!

Reply 5038

Original post by Airfairy

Oh, I will be interested to hear how you get on, because when a trainee on placement applies, I always wonder if that means they are certain to get it or not. Just to give you a bit of hope though, someone on my course recently got an interview at their placement school and they didn't get it. Awkward... :lol:

.

But I'm glad you feel it went well. Let us know, of course!

Aye, i'm curious to find out :') there were only the two of us interviewing today. But I can see myself being someone that has to go through 5/6 interviews before getting a job!

It was quite intimidating interviewing with her though because she obviously knew the school/department/staff etc

Reply 5039