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PGCE - Current Students Thread

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Original post by Ratchit99
Honestly thing im going to have declare a mental health day today. I just need a day to reset and think things through. Cant face going in and just need to call someone and talk stuff through about where im going. But i feel so guilty doing it


Call in and then if you feel upto it see if you can make an appointment with your doctor and the disability team at university. They are absolute lifesavers and they'll do what they can to help make your life easier.

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Original post by ParadoxSocks
Call in and then if you feel upto it see if you can make an appointment with your doctor and the disability team at university. They are absolute lifesavers and they'll do what they can to help make your life easier.

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Ive contacted my tutor and hes sorting out school etc and says we will have a meeting on friday when i was due in uni anyway to discuss everything.
I struggled with severe anxiety 2 years ago due to a mixture of factors and the group that gave me cbt have a helpline number for those that theyve treated in case they need support so planning to ring them later today and go from there.
Original post by Ratchit99
Honestly thing im going to have declare a mental health day today. I just need a day to reset and think things through. Cant face going in and just need to call someone and talk stuff through about where im going. But i feel so guilty doing it

Nobody's job should give them mental health issues. The whole system is rife with pointless things which add to the burden of dealing with kids, which is problematic enough in today's world. It's something I feel very strongly about but there seems to be a common sense shortfall in the people who make decisions about education. To be honest, and I say this as someone who walked away from a different profession before going into teaching because it was making me ill, I would give serious thought as to whether you still want to do this job. It is not defeatist to recognise that it has pressure points you can't deal with. You need to find the right fit for a job which you will be doing for getting on for 40 years and the thought of being in the state you are in for that length of time would certainly put me off. There are other careers, and you are young enough to find one. I wish you all the best.
Original post by Carnationlilyrose
Nobody's job should give them mental health issues. The whole system is rife with pointless things which add to the burden of dealing with kids, which is problematic enough in today's world. It's something I feel very strongly about but there seems to be a common sense shortfall in the people who make decisions about education. To be honest, and I say this as someone who walked away from a different profession before going into teaching because it was making me ill, I would give serious thought as to whether you still want to do this job. It is not defeatist to recognise that it has pressure points you can't deal with. You need to find the right fit for a job which you will be doing for getting on for 40 years and the thought of being in the state you are in for that length of time would certainly put me off. There are other careers, and you are young enough to find one. I wish you all the best.


Thank you. After chatting to my husband at 5am this morning (he wasnt overly grateful i must say :wink: ) he wants to find out what the financial implications of me walking away are as hes concerned for my health, as is my mum, and it might be best if i leave the teaching to those stronger than myself and go back to managing computer systems in a quiet office with a cup of tea (my previous role).
Just cant afford to leave if they demand all their money back :/ but definately need advice on not moving forward to my nqt year :frown:
Original post by Ratchit99
Thank you. After chatting to my husband at 5am this morning (he wasnt overly grateful i must say :wink: ) he wants to find out what the financial implications of me walking away are as hes concerned for my health, as is my mum, and it might be best if i leave the teaching to those stronger than myself and go back to managing computer systems in a quiet office with a cup of tea (my previous role).
Just cant afford to leave if they demand all their money back :/ but definately need advice on not moving forward to my nqt year :frown:


Is your money from student finance? If so if you drop out due to medical reasons you're still entitled to the same funding for up to 60 days afterwards (which would take you up to the next payment date so what you owe from this term would be added to what you already owe and paid back when you earn over the threshold although you'd pay back most of the payment for the summer term if you're paid that); you'd have to send in a doctors note though. Even in cases when someone drops out due to non-medical reasons they can arrange to pay it back in instalments. I don't know if its different because I did FE but you don't pay the bursary back; the payments just get stopped and you get the remainder if/when you decide to go back to it. That was one of the reasons I didn't drop out sooner.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Ratchit99
Thank you. After chatting to my husband at 5am this morning (he wasnt overly grateful i must say :wink: ) he wants to find out what the financial implications of me walking away are as hes concerned for my health, as is my mum, and it might be best if i leave the teaching to those stronger than myself and go back to managing computer systems in a quiet office with a cup of tea (my previous role).
Just cant afford to leave if they demand all their money back :/ but definately need advice on not moving forward to my nqt year :frown:

Gemmam has some useful advice above - it's not my area, I'm afraid. We also have a student finance forum you can ask about it in.

Managing computer systems sounds very nice, tbh.
Thanks guys, theres been a bit of debating and thinking and talking to people today and with essentially 6 weeks left or so i should really just try and stick it out to the end i guess. It seems such a waste not too. Just have to decide whether i want to do my nqt year :frown:
Original post by Ratchit99
Thank you. After chatting to my husband at 5am this morning (he wasnt overly grateful i must say :wink: ) he wants to find out what the financial implications of me walking away are as hes concerned for my health, as is my mum, and it might be best if i leave the teaching to those stronger than myself and go back to managing computer systems in a quiet office with a cup of tea (my previous role).
Just cant afford to leave if they demand all their money back :/ but definately need advice on not moving forward to my nqt year :frown:



Original post by gemmam
Is your money from student finance? If so if you drop out due to medical reasons you're still entitled to the same funding for up to 60 days afterwards (which would take you up to the next payment date so what you owe from this term would be added to what you already owe and paid back when you earn over the threshold although you'd pay back most of the payment for the summer term if you're paid that); you'd have to send in a doctors note though. Even in cases when someone drops out due to non-medical reasons they can arrange to pay it back in instalments. I don't know if its different because I did FE but you don't pay the bursary back; the payments just get stopped and you get the remainder if/when you decide to go back to it. That was one of the reasons I didn't drop out sooner.


Some good advice here.

As a word of caution though (health reasons may make a difference) if you drop out on the 11-18 PGCE, you are required to pay back whatever bursary you have already been awarded.

It's a reason I didnt quit in November when I was hating it.

I will also say, the PGCE is so hard because of the disparity between placements.

I dreaded waking up and going to school most of placement 1 and now I wake up feeling excited and actually wanting to teach.
Original post by Ratchit99
Thanks guys, theres been a bit of debating and thinking and talking to people today and with essentially 6 weeks left or so i should really just try and stick it out to the end i guess. It seems such a waste not too. Just have to decide whether i want to do my nqt year :frown:


You don't need to do NQT straight after the PGCE (I think you have five years after completing the PGCE to start it?) so you can take a year or two out to decide.
Original post by gemmam
You don't need to do NQT straight after the PGCE (I think you have five years after completing the PGCE to start it?) so you can take a year or two out to decide.


My issue is i accepted an offer in december when i was still super enthusiastic so id have to go back to an employer and decline the role i previously accepted
Original post by Ratchit99
My issue is i accepted an offer in december when i was still super enthusiastic so id have to go back to an employer and decline the role i previously accepted


Ah I see.
Original post by gemmam
You don't need to do NQT straight after the PGCE (I think you have five years after completing the PGCE to start it?) so you can take a year or two out to decide.


It's actually an unlimited time limit. The five years refers to how long you can do short term supply work for after qualifying without starting NQT. So after the five years you then HAVE to take on an NQT position to continue to teach in local authority schools.

Xxx

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Original post by Ratchit99
Thanks guys, theres been a bit of debating and thinking and talking to people today and with essentially 6 weeks left or so i should really just try and stick it out to the end i guess. It seems such a waste not too. Just have to decide whether i want to do my nqt year :frown:

I've heard that around Easter is the hardest time for us and that I lot of people drop out around now. I am really struggling with it all too, but like you I keep thinking we are quite close now. You sound closer than me. I have about a total of nine weeks left, but it really doesn't sound like long when I type it out. Next term will be the hardest, so get pumped up and face it head on! Once it is done it is done. That's what I'm trying to tell myself anyway.

Original post by tory88




If you don't want to do the extra hours, then you definitely don't have to do them! I'd go with the ideas already suggested, particularly using your course handbook, and then if that fails e-mail your tutor. On my course they've had to wade in for a number of pupils being put upon by schools, and it tends to resolve itself quickly (some schools try to take advantage, but most just don't read the handbooks themselves and need a prod from the university to do so).

Yeah, if they don't back down once I mention it to them, then I will get on to my tutor. I don't think they are trying to take advantage, but they see it as good experience. I don't really care about the experience, I just want the whole thing done with.
I'm in exactly the same position... really struggling with my PGCE and I keep on feeling so demotivated! Luckily, I've only got 5 teaching weeks left after the Easter holidays, so I'm using that as a motivator to think that I will be finishing soon! I really can't wait until the last day of term, swear this PGCE course has been the hardest year of my life so far :frown:

Btw, if you're thinking you don't want to do your NQT year next year, it might be worth saying this to your mentor. After finally admitting this to my uni tutor and subject mentor last week when the issue of job applications arose, the pressure and expectations of me have lessened, as I guess they understand that I just want to pass the course, not be prepared for the difficult NQT year and a lifetime of teaching - just a thought, but it might make your final 6 weeks of teaching a little easier to manage...
I've still got ten weeks after Easter :frown:
I'm on a downer at the moment and stay working until 11pm every night, having worked solidly from when school finishes at three. This is no way to live really.
100 days til the end of my PGCE. I am dreading my last placement and keep getting asked if I am applying for jobs - they know I am not doing well enough.
Original post by awesome_username
I'm in exactly the same position... really struggling with my PGCE and I keep on feeling so demotivated! Luckily, I've only got 5 teaching weeks left after the Easter holidays, so I'm using that as a motivator to think that I will be finishing soon! I really can't wait until the last day of term, swear this PGCE course has been the hardest year of my life so far :frown:

Btw, if you're thinking you don't want to do your NQT year next year, it might be worth saying this to your mentor. After finally admitting this to my uni tutor and subject mentor last week when the issue of job applications arose, the pressure and expectations of me have lessened, as I guess they understand that I just want to pass the course, not be prepared for the difficult NQT year and a lifetime of teaching - just a thought, but it might make your final 6 weeks of teaching a little easier to manage...


Im the same, week and a half left till easter and 5 weeks on placement after easter to get through and then its just uni stuff left, hurrah!
Ive got a meeting friday so will discuss it then i guess!
Original post by bonniex123
I've still got ten weeks after Easter :frown:
I'm on a downer at the moment and stay working until 11pm every night, having worked solidly from when school finishes at three. This is no way to live really.


What is it that's taking you so long? Give yourself time! I don't do any work on weeknights (minus the occasional powerpoint) and only work on saturdays now.
Original post by Samus2
What is it that's taking you so long? Give yourself time! I don't do any work on weeknights (minus the occasional powerpoint) and only work on saturdays now.


Wow how are you managing that??
I remember coming to this thread about this time last year and seeing a slew of negative posts, so I think I should provide a bit of balance.

I'm still really enjoying the PGCE. It's been undeniably tough, and there're still a tonne more tough things to get through, but for me I am going into a career that I really want to be involved in for years to come. My first placement school was excellent, and I took a job there; my second is less good, and the pupils more challenging, but I'm still getting plenty of enjoyment out of the course. The important thing to remember is that Easter is one of the two big crunch points on the PGCE, when most dropouts seem to occur (from discussions with NQTs, anyway); combining that with the fact that it's easier to complain than boast and that would be why this thread tends to be pretty negative. So there are still plenty of people enjoying the PGCE out there.

On the flipside, I don't really feel like I'm getting much useful feedback at my new school. They seem happy with the way I'm teaching and are just leaving me with it. There might be a very helpful things specific to the class/lesson (E.G. pupils at the back can't see the bottom of the board), and a couple of pointers on working with EAL or SEN, but in general I feel like I'm learning more through trial and improvement. And whilst I like the faith being put in me, I'm also certain that I'm nowhere near good enough to not have a list of things to improve for most of my lessons. At first I thought I was being eased in gently, but I'm a reasonable way into my placement (4.5 weeks of 11) and it's continuing.

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