PGCE - Current Students Thread

Stupid question time! I am currently looking at an application form for a vacancy and have stumbled at the first block. It asks for two references to be filled out and the two headings it gives are: current/most recent employment, then recent employment/other.

It makes sense to me that they are asking for most recent employer, but I have frequently heard at uni that the two references we are most likely to use are our professional mentor and our university tutor.

My most recent employment was 7 years ago and a lot of the staff are no longer there, including my old manager... This leaves me wondering who would fill out the reference. Should I still be putting this job down as a reference? If I do then who would be my 2nd reference, my uni tutor or my professional mentor, or does it not matter?

The job will be open to people currently inservice, who would use their current workplace as a point of reference. You don't have that, so it'll be your university tutor and you current mentor, although your reference from them will go out under the name of the head of the school.

Thank you
That is what I was hoping you would say. I just wanted to clarify before I filled it out incorrectly and it went straight in the 'to bin' pile lol.

No, any job that is going to attract NQTs is going to have applicants with little to no work experience and they'll be expecting that.

I think that is why it threw me. I have lots of work experience, but none of it is in a school I was all ready to put the two references I had heard we should use but had a sudden panic that I should be putting my previous employment.

It's too far back to be relevant, but if it troubles you, you can contact the school and discuss it with them.

I left 7 years ago December just gone and haven't worked since. It was completely unrelated to teaching and had absolutely nothing to do with schools or kids.

I will stick with putting my university tutor and professional mentor

Those two will be much more use in determining how good a teacher you are. Good luck.

Thank you.

I don't feel at all ready to be applying for jobs! I have had a relatively easy first placement and my mentor was more concerned with becoming pregnant than she was about me, or anything else school related to be honest. This meant she just let me get on with things and was never really bothered where I was or what I was doing, as long as I turned up to teach her classes. This was great for me as it made for a fairly stress free placement.

The downside to this is that I feel quite unprepared to teach/mark/assess etc... I could have done with some feedback and guidance from her about how I was doing. Every time I asked I got the default answer of "you are doing fine, no issues at all" She wrote pretty much every observation 'retrospectively' and had me fill out all the paperwork leaving her just to sign it while marking books.

I am actually dreading the possible contrast of my 2nd placement.

You'll have learned a lot from all that. You've been able to do the job how you will do it for real, and the kids will probably have thought of you as their real teacher, since she hasn't been around. You haven't been crushed by the unreasonable expectations of some schools. There's a lot to be said for your experience. If the next placement's hell, just remember that it'll soon be over and you'll be able to do the job like you did before when you've got your own classroom.

Thank you.

I don't feel at all ready to be applying for jobs! I have had a relatively easy first placement and my mentor was more concerned with becoming pregnant than she was about me, or anything else school related to be honest. This meant she just let me get on with things and was never really bothered where I was or what I was doing, as long as I turned up to teach her classes. This was great for me as it made for a fairly stress free placement.

The downside to this is that I feel quite unprepared to teach/mark/assess etc... I could have done with some feedback and guidance from her about how I was doing. Every time I asked I got the default answer of "you are doing fine, no issues at all" She wrote pretty much every observation 'retrospectively' and had me fill out all the paperwork leaving her just to sign it while marking books.

I am actually dreading the possible contrast of my 2nd placement.

This application form is horse ****!

I have no idea how to fill it out as a PGCE student! I have no prior teaching posts, I am not currently in employment. I have no 'in-service' education..

What am I suppose to put in these sections, or should I be leaving them blank?

I can fill out 'most recent employment' but it is pretty much asking for most recent teaching post as it asks about LA, NOR, etc etc

*Feeling Frustrated*

We've been told (and most applications I've read say) that you should be putting in your teaching placements in the employment bit. Obviously your main ones, but also observation placements where you did some TAing. Any odd days youve taught here and there for your uni subject courses (eg a day teaching phonucs). Plus any experience you had prior to getting into the course. If you're an NQT they will know you don't have extensive experience, but you should be well on the way to your 120 days by this point (I think on my course we're at 60-70ish) so that's a fair amount to include.

If I've misunderstood and this is an 'employment history' section that's separate from 'school placements', apologies! They've always been one and the same on my applications. In that case just emphasise in your statement that you're an NQT.

Quick question for those currently on PGCE courses from someone starting one in September: what do you do if you're ill? Does placement time allow for a few sick days or are you risking not getting your required contact time if you're off sick?

Only ask as I was doing a one on one session with a Year 11 at the school I'm volunteering at yesterday who was a bit snuffly. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but by 9pm last night I was freezing cold one minute, sweating buckets the next, dizzy, couldn't breathe through my nose, you get the picture. I've had to call in sick for work today as it's absolutely floored me. I very rarely get ill so this is something of a shock, and it got me thinking about what I would've done if I'd been on placement at the minute.

My primary teacher mother just handed me paracetamol and said 'Welcome to the club, give it five years in the job and you'll have the toughest immune system going'.

Quick question for those currently on PGCE courses from someone starting one in September: what do you do if you're ill? Does placement time allow for a few sick days or are you risking not getting your required contact time if you're off sick?

Only ask as I was doing a one on one session with a Year 11 at the school I'm volunteering at yesterday who was a bit snuffly. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but by 9pm last night I was freezing cold one minute, sweating buckets the next, dizzy, couldn't breathe through my nose, you get the picture. I've had to call in sick for work today as it's absolutely floored me. I very rarely get ill so this is something of a shock, and it got me thinking about what I would've done if I'd been on placement at the minute.

My primary teacher mother just handed me paracetamol and said 'Welcome to the club, give it five years in the job and you'll have the toughest immune system going'.