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PGCE - Current Students Thread

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Original post by Samus2
How many essays do you have to do? We only do 3 over the year and our journal tasks!

I guess I'm lucky that my frees aren't taken up by much this placement. And 12's have gone on study leave which has left me with 3 extra frees a week and after may half term I lose my 9's so that's another 4 frees a week... But I have a feeling I'll be spending an awful amount of time in those free periods completing admin.



Wait, so you have to do two sets of lesson plans!? I've not written a plan since january, whoops! Ahh you're primary right? From what I hear, primary is a killer for the actual planning!


I'm primary, yeah. The school expect plans on their format but I need plans on the uni format for my folder. Every Monday I print two sets of school plans, one for my teacher and one for the head. So everything is planned almost two weeks in advance for me! Not usually on the uni format though - I've started doing that the night before because each plan is two pages long and often needs to be changed anyway.
Double planning is ridiculous. I imagine it is all copy and paste but it all takes time... Try to use resources already in the school and use them, you don't have to reinvent the wheel every time.

As a qualified teacher I work long hours as the curriculum is changing and I have just moved stages. In school 8am til about 5. I usually write reports and complete planning ay night, but I have plenty of spare time and never work on a Friday night! It gets easier when you are not writing essays too.

Don't give up, you are nearly there now. If you can't face interviews etc just now leave it and see if anything comes up later, or do supply for a while and build up,experience.

Good luck x


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Original post by greenbeans123
I feel a bit better to know I'm not the only one panicking!

I still feel like a PGCE newbie yet I have just 2 weeks placement + 2 weeks central SCITT training left. How is this?!

My folder is a complete shambles and my mentor has asked to have a look at it next week (she is just being helpful but I am embarrassed to show her how useless I am!)

I still haven't got any job applications in (and I'm painfully aware that before long new jobs will stop coming up on TES).

I'm mentally and physically exhausted but I have one last 'big' observation to plan for. It's like I'm terrified the course is ending soon and yet it can't end soon enough! I know that makes no sense.


Oh man. I do know what you mean about the folder being in shambles.

Sometimes I worry that I'm just not suitable to teaching due to my organisation skills. It's just pathetic really. My folder doesn't really exist.

While I do think I'm reflective and I do think things through whilst creating my teaching slides. When it comes to actually producing the plans/reflections and marking, I just sort of end up not really doing it. I suppose in that sense I haven't been stressed out since I just focus on producing lessons to teach, but in the back of my mind, there is the concern that I'm going to end up failing because I don't keep on top of the paper work that should go along with each lesson taught.

I know for a fact if I were asked to plan in advance by more than 3 days, I'd probably end up crumbling since I'm often producing my stuff the night before.

Everyone seems so organised.
Original post by Tombola


I know for a fact if I were asked to plan in advance by more than 3 days, I'd probably end up crumbling since I'm often producing my stuff the night before.

Everyone seems so organised.


I think we are of the same temperament (hence being up planning at this hour!). I can produce good lesson plans/resources etc (not 'outstanding' but let's not get into that!) but only if I have a fire lit under me. Say, by knowing I have to teach the lesson first thing tomorrow :wink: I've always been the same, with my degree, previous jobs etc. I'm not young, so I know I won't change.

Some of the trainees on my course are at schools which demand a whole week's worth of lesson plans, in advance, using the school's planning proforma :eek: I just thank the placement gods who sent me somewhere they're not that bothered about 'official' plans, and definitely not days in advance..

The course leaders and other trainees make 'the folder' sound like the be-all and end-all....yet someone who was on this course last year says they did very little towards their folder and passed. Who to believe??!!
As a mentor i feel reflections are vital to learning and it is an important part of your training, so you show progression and understanding. Nobody expects students to be perfect but you are expected to be learning through your observations of others and experiences. Having said that reflections should not be long, but to the point and explain what you learnt about how to improve. For example...timings, behaviour, learning intentions and success criteria...and how you will address these issues.

An organised folder demonstrates that you are prepared, although it doesn't need to be overly neat as it should be a working document and could be a mixture of typed, hand written, post it notes etc. If it is electronic based then it should be printed easily. I would be raising a concern if my students could not show me these.

Planning sequences of lessons is good, for example literacy so the link can be seen. I would however expect to se them adapted through evaluations as you teach the lessons.

Please don't take this as any form of pressure as I am trying to help and explain their purpose. Don't give up. Good luck.


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I'm running on empty here :frown: I can't wait for this PGCE to be over. I feel guilty that I'm not planning engaging lessons anymore.
Original post by Tombola
Oh man. I do know what you mean about the folder being in shambles.

Sometimes I worry that I'm just not suitable to teaching due to my organisation skills. It's just pathetic really. My folder doesn't really exist.

While I do think I'm reflective and I do think things through whilst creating my teaching slides. When it comes to actually producing the plans/reflections and marking, I just sort of end up not really doing it. I suppose in that sense I haven't been stressed out since I just focus on producing lessons to teach, but in the back of my mind, there is the concern that I'm going to end up failing because I don't keep on top of the paper work that should go along with each lesson taught.

I know for a fact if I were asked to plan in advance by more than 3 days, I'd probably end up crumbling since I'm often producing my stuff the night before.

Everyone seems so organised.


I worry too about my organisational skills. I am always forgetting things, like doing little tasks for people or replying to emails. My paperwork is messy, untidy and gappy - my evidence file is a pile of papers at the moment. I seem to only think about the next day and getting through the teaching so the other stuff takes a back seat. I've seen other trainees files and they are all typed up and immaculate. Not mine.
Reply 6267
Indeed :frown:
Reply 6268
Original post by Airfairy
The workload. The fact that you can spend hours planning what you think is an amazing lesson only for the pupils to throw it in your face and not give a damn. Constant targets that I never seem to achieve anymore. I'm not improving. People giving me work all the time. My mentor said to me today that she wants me to write a 12 lesson scheme of work for next week. That's all well and good but when exactly can I do that?! I literally get home and do work. I eat my tea whilst being on the laptop. I get up an hour earlier than I need to in order to do extra work at school.

I am sick of it. My friend has a voucher for a pub that he needs to use within two weeks and he was asking me when I can go. I literally can't think of a day I can go. I don't want a career where I can't even make time to go out with a friend.

I'll pass the course, I'm sure. But I don't care about what grade anymore and I don't care about this profession. I think it is noticeable in my teaching too. I've lost my spark. I don't have time to plan amazing lessons.


This is the absolute worst - I can relate so much, you plan and plan and they either don't respond or it flops and you just sit there thinking why.. why did I even bother.

I have to admit if teaching doesn't do anything, it'll surely give me blood pressure lol - the constant fluctuations in emotions, nights crying, and the odd days thinking I think I can do this.

The last bit is what we need to hold on to - I recently went on youtube and saw a clip of the boy who stuttered on educating Yorkshire (I think it was!) and I thought to myself, there's my reason - I went into teaching to help people like him flourish, bring out the best in them, for one person to say to me "because of you - I didn't give up" that would last me a whole life time :') Hold onto this really hold onto it and remember it on the rainy days xx
Just had brilliant feedback from my lesson observation with my ITT coordinator. My uni mentor is in next week but fingers crossed, I might actually survive this after all.
Original post by Red Lightning
I'm running on empty here :frown: I can't wait for this PGCE to be over. I feel guilty that I'm not planning engaging lessons anymore.


Here here, we are on the last slog, ive agreed to go back to this school for enrichment after half term so that i can do some time observing but thats all i have to do thank god. When I finish teaching my final year 9 lesson on friday next week i will probably have to go curl up and rock slightly for a bit!!
Had an absolute nightmare lesson with my year 8s earlier :frown: They just wouldn't be quiet. I tried everything. Doesn't help that they're my form :frown:
Reply 6272
Been locked out of the office - I don't know what to do I think they've all gone home and locked me out of the office, my car keys and everything are in there how am I supposed to get home :frown:
Original post by Sam89
Been locked out of the office - I don't know what to do I think they've all gone home and locked me out of the office, my car keys and everything are in there how am I supposed to get home :frown:


Go to the main office/reception. They should have a key to help you out.
Reply 6274
Original post by ParadoxSocks
Go to the main office/reception. They should have a key to help you out.


Okay will do - how selfish they forgot I exist!
Original post by Sam89
Okay will do - how selfish they forgot I exist!


Could be worse. One of our trainees has been locked in the office. Twice.
I may sound stupid but I am a bit confused about PGCE. I am now at my second placement and although at my first one I was getting 1/2 for my observations , at this school they have just given me a 3. I am really upset because I feel this will impact on my final level of PGCE and I wonder if anyone can tell me, is there different levels of PGCE or just pass/fail? Thank you.
Original post by rustler
I may sound stupid but I am a bit confused about PGCE. I am now at my second placement and although at my first one I was getting 1/2 for my observations , at this school they have just given me a 3. I am really upset because I feel this will impact on my final level of PGCE and I wonder if anyone can tell me, is there different levels of PGCE or just pass/fail? Thank you.


Pass or fail.
Original post by Samus2
Pass or fail.


And thank goodness for that.
Am I missing something about this 'folder' that everyone is talking about? What is it?

I have to upload two pieces of evidence with explanation for each teaching standard online. Is it a paper version of that, essentially?

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