PGCE interview questions which are idiotic but you have to answer

As a teacher (theatre arts at FE and HE) Id say these are things I would use as games or activities:

Kahoot! is a fun quiz site used in all classrooms.

EveryPoll

Charades (french words films culture etc).

You could do like a blankety blank style game? Fill in the blanks to a sentence most wins a prize.

What about a where’s Waldo game where you put up a picture like Pictionary and give the word in French they have to find the object or item.

Word searches? (Give word in English then ask for french translation to find).

Music translations in french (popular songs like a karaoke game).

Reply 2

Voxdei

OP

13

Original post by ClaudiaVan

As a teacher (theatre arts at FE and HE) Id say these are things I would use as games or activities:

Kahoot! is a fun quiz site used in all classrooms.

EveryPoll

Charades (french words films culture etc).

You could do like a blankety blank style game? Fill in the blanks to a sentence most wins a prize.

What about a where’s Waldo game where you put up a picture like Pictionary and give the word in French they have to find the object or item.

Word searches? (Give word in English then ask for french translation to find).

Music translations in french (popular songs like a karaoke game).

The idea of spending useful class or tutoring time doing this makes me vomit. I hate games myself, and while I'd use the last two (translation of music, or word searches) the cow who interviewed me would have argued that they are activities, and not games.

Also I was not born here (thank god) and Blankety Blank means nothing to me. Who the heck is Waldo.

No doubt this is happening in secondary schools here - a good red alert to have a list of schools where this takes place and report the teachers for being slackers.

Reply 3

Original post by Voxdei

The idea of spending useful class or tutoring time doing this makes me vomit. I hate games myself, and while I'd use the last two (translation of music, or word searches) the cow who interviewed me would have argued that they are activities, and not games.

Also I was not born here (thank god) and Blankety Blank means nothing to me. Who the heck is Waldo.

No doubt this is happening in secondary schools here - a good red alert to have a list of schools where this takes place and report the teachers for being slackers.

If our y11 French teacher had done 'games' with us, she'd have been laughed out the room :lol:

Reply 4

Reality Check

The 'safeguarding question' is essentially idiotic, because literally everyone knows the answer to it. There isn't a single person attending a PGCE interview who hasn't autonomically barked out 'TELL THE SENIOR DESIGNATED PERSON' in response to the question. So what, really, is the point of it?

Reply 5

Much of the time games are used at the beginning of a class as an ice breaker or to grab students attention. It also promotes teamwork, listening and good communication skills amongst students all of which are relevant outside of the curriculum content as life skills.
I think it’s abit harsh to say that all teachers who use games are slackers-

Simply they are differentiation strategies to help each learner get the most out of their studies as we all learn in diferrent ways.

Good luck in your future!

Reply 6

A lot of questions they ask as more common sense rather than to test your wits.
Just like learning to drive there are certain things you just HAVE to know.

Reply 7

Original post by Voxdei

The idea of spending useful class or tutoring time doing this makes me vomit. I hate games myself, and while I'd use the last two (translation of music, or word searches) the cow who interviewed me would have argued that they are activities, and not games.

Also I was not born here (thank god) and Blankety Blank means nothing to me. Who the heck is Waldo.

No doubt this is happening in secondary schools here - a good red alert to have a list of schools where this takes place and report the teachers for being slackers.

If this is how you feel, then I'd suggest that teaching in the UK probably isn't for you.

Nobody is saying that you have to use games all the time, but something like a kahoot or key word bingo can be really engaging for the kids, and a good way of testing knowledge in the last 5 minutes of the lesson. I often use competitive quizzes in class as well- you'll find a lot of kids who normally wouldn't put their hands up will if there is a prize at stake.

A lot of games used in the classroom also provide you with AfL or low stakes testing- which is only really useful if the kids participate. A lot of students won't show what they know if you just ask 5 questions as a plenary (due to lack of engagement, anxiety etc) but if you make it fun or introduce a small prize, they will engage and you can gauge their understanding.

Reply 8

Original post by SarcAndSpark

If this is how you feel, then I'd suggest that teaching in the UK probably isn't for you.

Nobody is saying that you have to use games all the time, but something like a kahoot or key word bingo can be really engaging for the kids, and a good way of testing knowledge in the last 5 minutes of the lesson. I often use competitive quizzes in class as well- you'll find a lot of kids who normally wouldn't put their hands up will if there is a prize at stake.

A lot of games used in the classroom also provide you with AfL or low stakes testing- which is only really useful if the kids participate. A lot of students won't show what they know if you just ask 5 questions as a plenary (due to lack of engagement, anxiety etc) but if you make it fun or introduce a small prize, they will engage and you can gauge their understanding.

This reiterated my point exactly :smile:

School isn’t just about the subject it’s about the engagement and understanding

Reply 9

Original post by Reality Check

The 'safeguarding question' is essentially idiotic, because literally everyone knows the answer to it. There isn't a single person attending a PGCE interview who hasn't autonomically barked out 'TELL THE SENIOR DESIGNATED PERSON' in response to the question. So what, really, is the point of it?

I do agree it's sort of pointless, and as far as I know all ITT courses give safeguarding training before you get into the classroom too. I like it better than when you make up a weird scenario for the safeguarding question, even when the answer is pretty much always going to be the same.

Original post by gjd800

If our y11 French teacher had done 'games' with us, she'd have been laughed out the room :lol:

Really? My Y11s love a kahoot every so often- but maybe it's different in science.

Original post by ClaudiaVan

This reiterated my point exactly :smile:

School isn’t just about the subject it’s about the engagement and understanding

Yeah, completely. PRSOM.

Reply 10

Original post by SarcAndSpark

Really? My Y11s love a kahoot every so often- but maybe it's different in science.

Yeah, completely. PRSOM.

Oh it would have got the same response in science: 'no'

It was a tough school in many ways, I don't envy them :lol:

Reply 11

Original post by Reality Check

The 'safeguarding question' is essentially idiotic, because literally everyone knows the answer to it. There isn't a single person attending a PGCE interview who hasn't autonomically barked out 'TELL THE SENIOR DESIGNATED PERSON' in response to the question. So what, really, is the point of it?

One of mine asked 'would you break a child's trust if they told you about something at home which concerned you?'

I dunno who is answering 'no' to that!

Reply 12

Reality Check

Original post by gjd800

One of mine asked 'would you break a child's trust if they told you about something at home which concerned you?'

I dunno who is answering 'no' to that!

Well exactly! And if someone even hesitated over such a clear question and thought 'hmm, should I just keep quiet about it' then you'd wonder what the **** was going on inside their head.

Reply 13

Original post by Reality Check

Well exactly! And if someone even hesitated over such a clear question and thought 'hmm, should I just keep quiet about it' then you'd wonder what the **** was going on inside their head.

I think my face might have betrayed my incredulity because they apologised for asking it :lol:

Reply 14

Original post by gjd800

Oh it would have got the same response in science: 'no'

It was a tough school in many ways, I don't envy them :lol:

Ah, fair.

I mean, obviously there are different things that will work in different schools- but I do think it's worth at least considering a range of tools? And I don't think it's a ridiculous question to ask at interview?

Original post by Reality Check

Well exactly! And if someone even hesitated over such a clear question and thought 'hmm, should I just keep quiet about it' then you'd wonder what the **** was going on inside their head.

To be fair you do get idiots in all walks of life, though, so it does at least filter them out at an early stage?

Reply 15

Reality Check

Original post by SarcAndSpark

To be fair you do get idiots in all walks of life, though, so it does at least filter them out at an early stage?

good point, well made. Perhaps it's the first question they should ask, in order to save wasting everyone's time.

Reply 16

bwilliams

13

Original post by Reality Check

The 'safeguarding question' is essentially idiotic, because literally everyone knows the answer to it. There isn't a single person attending a PGCE interview who hasn't autonomically barked out 'TELL THE SENIOR DESIGNATED PERSON' in response to the question. So what, really, is the point of it?

The idea of using this question again and again is so that it becomes so blatantly obvious that everyone adopts it naturally in practice. As it is, without doubt, the most important duty an adult has when working with children. If literally everyone knows the answer then the question has done its job. If we removed the question now, the importance of it would drop. Additionally, when Ofsted judge the school's effectiveness in safeguarding during an inspection, they look into the school's recruitment policy. They will look into how, as an SLT, we safeguard children through a safe recruitment process. Therefore, schools essentially have to ask this question at interview or face being judged as inadequate.

Original post by Voxdei

The idea of spending useful class or tutoring time doing this makes me vomit. I hate games myself, and while I'd use the last two (translation of music, or word searches) the cow who interviewed me would have argued that they are activities, and not games.

Also I was not born here (thank god) and Blankety Blank means nothing to me. Who the heck is Waldo.

No doubt this is happening in secondary schools here - a good red alert to have a list of schools where this takes place and report the teachers for being slackers.

Sounds like you have a lot to learn about teaching. You need to gain a better understanding of 'useful class time'. It certainly seems like they have a great interview process and it is doing its job.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 17

Original post by SarcAndSpark

Ah, fair.

I mean, obviously there are different things that will work in different schools- but I do think it's worth at least considering a range of tools? And I don't think it's a ridiculous question to ask at interview?

Oh of course, it just made me laugh because it reminded me of how grim our school was and disinterested even us 'clever' ones largely were, ha

Reply 18

04MR17

Volunteer Section Leader

Original post by Reality Check

The 'safeguarding question' is essentially idiotic, because literally everyone knows the answer to it. There isn't a single person attending a PGCE interview who hasn't autonomically barked out 'TELL THE SENIOR DESIGNATED PERSON' in response to the question. So what, really, is the point of it?

They didn't ask me that one. :colondollar:

Reply 19