PGCE - Current Students Thread

If you do a traditional PGCE, you won't get experience in the independent sector.

If you do a traditional PGCE, you won't get experience in the independent sector.

If you do a traditional PGCE, you won't get experience in the independent sector.

On another note. I understand with apply 1 you get 3 choices, do you have to submit all your choices at once or can you submit them at different times.

Not true, there was a guy at the school when I was there doing his pgce at Sunderland and the independent school was his first placement

No, we get a whole stream of trainees at my school.

Yeah like the others said, we had people placed in private schools.

I think days of experience required really varies. I had about eight days and that was never a problem. I know some with less. It is really hard to get experience and seems unfair as it's mostly based on luck. I rang pretty much every school within a 20 mile radius and only two gave me any.

They're doing something with Schools Direct schools in my area where you can pay for pre-pgce experience. I think it's disgusting.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Really? We were told on my PGCE that under no circumstances would we be placed in a private school and that the PGCE had to be done in a state school.

You wouldn't get both placements at a private school, but one is certainly fine. Our school is linked with three different universities.

Was yours a HMC or ISC school?

Hi everyone

I've recently started my PGCE (post 16) and when I'm in class, with students, I enjoy it. I haven't done any real lead teaching yet, mostly team teaching with my mentor. However, I get so incredibly anxious about it the day before. I do suffer from anxiety although I've had really useful therapy over the years and it hasn't flared up for a while. I knew the PGCE might mean it would come back, but I wasn't going to let it stop me. I just wondered if there were any other anxiety inflicted teachers or trainees who might be able to advise or signpost me? It's just nice to know I'm not alone. I haven't read through the thread yet, but I intend to!

I am passionate about teaching and about my subject. I'm in a challenging placement setting but I do really like my mentor and the kids. I've been there for about 3 weeks now. I don't deliver classes on my own yet but I think I will be soon. In a way, it's more being judged by my mentor that scares me. I have my first lesson to do on my own on Wednesday. It's only a small group, 2 students, who need GCSE revision help. I'm totally new to teaching 'officially' my experience is based on ESOL community classes which never required 'proper' lesson planning etc. I love the social community side of things which I think is why I was placed where I am. I would rather get to grips with behaviour management etc on placement anyway. I don't want my anxiety to hold me back ever but I do suffer quite badly with it and always have.

"I have been terrified every moment of my life but I have never let it stopped me from doing anything I wanted to do" - George O'Keefe. Love that quote!

I did briefly wonder if I've chosen the wrong age group but I know working with kids or secondary schoolers can be just as challenging, and my classes are much smaller, which I think does help.

Anyway, that's me currently... very grateful to be doing this course but feeling terrified. Weird. I've wanted to do this for ages.

Hi everyone

I've recently started my PGCE (post 16) and when I'm in class, with students, I enjoy it. I haven't done any real lead teaching yet, mostly team teaching with my mentor. However, I get so incredibly anxious about it the day before. I do suffer from anxiety although I've had really useful therapy over the years and it hasn't flared up for a while. I knew the PGCE might mean it would come back, but I wasn't going to let it stop me. I just wondered if there were any other anxiety inflicted teachers or trainees who might be able to advise or signpost me? It's just nice to know I'm not alone. I haven't read through the thread yet, but I intend to!

I am passionate about teaching and about my subject. I'm in a challenging placement setting but I do really like my mentor and the kids. I've been there for about 3 weeks now. I don't deliver classes on my own yet but I think I will be soon. In a way, it's more being judged by my mentor that scares me. I have my first lesson to do on my own on Wednesday. It's only a small group, 2 students, who need GCSE revision help. I'm totally new to teaching 'officially' my experience is based on ESOL community classes which never required 'proper' lesson planning etc. I love the social community side of things which I think is why I was placed where I am. I would rather get to grips with behaviour management etc on placement anyway. I don't want my anxiety to hold me back ever but I do suffer quite badly with it and always have.

"I have been terrified every moment of my life but I have never let it stopped me from doing anything I wanted to do" - George O'Keefe. Love that quote!

I did briefly wonder if I've chosen the wrong age group but I know working with kids or secondary schoolers can be just as challenging, and my classes are much smaller, which I think does help.

Anyway, that's me currently... very grateful to be doing this course but feeling terrified. Weird. I've wanted to do this for ages.

Hi.

I can relate to a lot of what you're saying. I'm not doing the PGCE yet, I'm teaching TEFL.

For me, Sunday nights get me anxious. I tend to imagine it worse than it actually is though. Is there anything specific that is worrying you, or is it the unknown?

Posted from TSR Mobile

I think to an extent with general "typical" anxious feelings that most teachers get, it is always a help to just get in front of the kids. When you have them there it almost takes you away from the worry and refocusses you on what's important - them! Also, anxiety or none most trainees have moments of panic, what if I can't do it, what if I've made the wrong choice, as well, so feel reassured that most trainees and teachers will be able to empathise with you to an extent.

There have definitely been past posters on this thread who have dealt with anxiety and related health issues while training and teaching, so definitely have a look through for those.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Hi everyone

I've recently started my PGCE (post 16) and when I'm in class, with students, I enjoy it. I haven't done any real lead teaching yet, mostly team teaching with my mentor. However, I get so incredibly anxious about it the day before. I do suffer from anxiety although I've had really useful therapy over the years and it hasn't flared up for a while. I knew the PGCE might mean it would come back, but I wasn't going to let it stop me. I just wondered if there were any other anxiety inflicted teachers or trainees who might be able to advise or signpost me? It's just nice to know I'm not alone. I haven't read through the thread yet, but I intend to!

I am passionate about teaching and about my subject. I'm in a challenging placement setting but I do really like my mentor and the kids. I've been there for about 3 weeks now. I don't deliver classes on my own yet but I think I will be soon. In a way, it's more being judged by my mentor that scares me. I have my first lesson to do on my own on Wednesday. It's only a small group, 2 students, who need GCSE revision help. I'm totally new to teaching 'officially' my experience is based on ESOL community classes which never required 'proper' lesson planning etc. I love the social community side of things which I think is why I was placed where I am. I would rather get to grips with behaviour management etc on placement anyway. I don't want my anxiety to hold me back ever but I do suffer quite badly with it and always have.

"I have been terrified every moment of my life but I have never let it stopped me from doing anything I wanted to do" - George O'Keefe. Love that quote!

I did briefly wonder if I've chosen the wrong age group but I know working with kids or secondary schoolers can be just as challenging, and my classes are much smaller, which I think does help.

Anyway, that's me currently... very grateful to be doing this course but feeling terrified. Weird. I've wanted to do this for ages.

Ok...where to start. I've had anxiety since I was 18, so I felt the same nerves during my PGCE. I did a secondary PGCE and I now teach A-Level.

Everyone gets nervous on a PGCE. Teaching nerves are normal...but with anxiety it seems amplified times ten. Thing is, I don't know about you, but I never wanted to complain or bring up my anxiety because I didn't want to make it seem as if I was saying "no but my nerves are worse than yours!". I would have sleepless nights, I'd be physically ill (vomiting for an official obs) and that was all on anti-anxiety meds (that don't work mind you). I cannot tell you the amount of times I was literally seconds away from just walking out and leaving so I didn't have to teach a certain class. But I didn't, and that's the main thing.
.

I think the advice I would give is to think "what's the worst that can happen?". All the worrying I did...was all for nothing. It ALWAYS ended up going okay, or even better than I expected. Believe in yourself and remember...they've seen it all before. You are training, you are expected to mess up sometimes. If you do humiliate yourself, remember that no-one will be thinking about it to the extent that you are. Us anxiety suffers make things hard on ourselves.

One thing I will say, is that I think the PGCE has made me stronger and helped my anxiety. I think once you get past first placement it becomes a lot easier to stand up and teach. You may also find that it is the adult in the room making you more nervous than the students. That was the case for me. If you have an understanding mentor, they may let you teach on your own to see how you get on. I've found that acting yourself is even more important for A-Level, and if I had someone in the room with me I would hold back.

Like kpwxx has said, we have spoken about anxiety a few times on this thread so feel free to do a search. It is hard...but it gets easier, and it's an immensely satisfying journey, even more so when you've got anxiety and you realise you've beaten it and become a bad ass teacher.

Thanks guys. I've read through the forum this evening and it is comforting to know others understand. I know it's so early into my course and I have to give it a chance. I just hate this physical sickness feeling I keep experiencing. However, it is only this bad on a Sunday, once I am into the week generally apart from a few things in the classroom I am too busy or tired to dwell too much and I know that will only intensify.

I feel like a fraud at the moment, whenever anyone asks me about the PGCE I feel obliged to be positive, as I quit my job and moved to do this, plus I've been bleating on for a good year about how much I want to teach. I had a pointless boring desk job for two years, easiest job I've ever had, basically did nothing except surf the web, drink tea and gossip. To my disgust, I've found myself inwardly begging I could rewind and just do that forever, even though in reality I was sick anyway, on meds, hating my life because it felt completely pointless.

I think my plan is going to be take things day by day, week by week. I know Christmas will speed around. I am receiving a bursary this week, well the first installment this week, which is obviously a nice incentive when you feel a bit deflated. I'm at a notoriously challenging placement and I can be proud of myself for anything I do actually manage to achieve. I guess it's too early to make real judgements. I can say quite confidently I won't quit, mostly due to the logistics of the year (signed a contract for a house which I'm tied to until June, bursary payments, etc) so even if it got extremely serious I have serious Eldest Child and working class pride syndrome and cannot bear to let anyone down or owe anyone money (beyond government loans, shrug). I may surprise myself! I would love to be able to read this mild Sunday evening breakdown/cheap therapy log in a year's time, when I'm a relatively confident and happy new FE teacher. Stranger things have happened I guess.

I think I'll be a regular to the thread, nice to meet you all..