PGCE - Current Students Thread
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Original post by Threefold
I cannot handle the stress of this course anymore.
My mentor in my second school is overbearing and scrutinises me to the point that I feel paranoid and have no privacy. She has banned me from doing university work at school because she feels my planning isn't up to scratch. I am so tired I can barely think and I am not getting a moment to do anything at all but eat and sleep this week. I have felt on the verge of tears all day and I can't make my 1 1/2 hour trip home until after tonight's parents evening. I feel like I would have a complete meltdown if it wasn't Easter after tomorrow.
I've never felt so low about this course. I feel ready to quit as I no longer want to teach, and all that's holding me back is how much of the course I've already done. I feel like I am without any hope right now though. Help.
My mentor in my second school is overbearing and scrutinises me to the point that I feel paranoid and have no privacy. She has banned me from doing university work at school because she feels my planning isn't up to scratch. I am so tired I can barely think and I am not getting a moment to do anything at all but eat and sleep this week. I have felt on the verge of tears all day and I can't make my 1 1/2 hour trip home until after tonight's parents evening. I feel like I would have a complete meltdown if it wasn't Easter after tomorrow.
I've never felt so low about this course. I feel ready to quit as I no longer want to teach, and all that's holding me back is how much of the course I've already done. I feel like I am without any hope right now though. Help.
As another poster said and you've noted, it's Easter and those two weeks will provide a good opportunity to recharge your batteries and do things you've not been able to as much for the past six weeks. I'm having a hard time in Reception and know I'm most probably gonna get a 'satisfactory'.
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Anyone, do schools ever ask what grade you got in your teacher training??
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Original post by qwerty_mad
I was never formally asked. But of course they do ask for references from your course tutor. Also, if you're doing well, you would probably mention it in your personal statement/application (eg: "In my first teaching placement I was graded "Good" in all areas, with particular strengths being...") so by ommiting that they may cotton on to the fact that your placement reports weren't that amazing.
I'd probably mention it (unless it's really rubbish) but put a positive spin on it. My university grades us a Exceptional, High, QTS Level, Potential or Low, and I got Q for Teaching but H for Personal and Professional Conduct. So in my statement I wrote something like "In my first teaching placement I was graded "QTS level" or higher against all of the standards" and then went on to talk about my particular strengths. So whilst the grading wasn't that great, I mentioned it but focused on the positives.
Having a hard time with my year 7 class. Ive basically picked them up in the middle of a scheme which the teacher randomly made up herself. I'm teaching them what an effective description is and theyve written two drafts, both of which are way below target. Had a talk with the teacher today and she basically said i need to intervene immediately if their work isn't up to scratch.
I feel like a failure, especially since i technically only have 5 weeks left of my assessed block and i cant even teach a description right. How am i supposed to take responsibility for my own class?
I feel like a failure, especially since i technically only have 5 weeks left of my assessed block and i cant even teach a description right. How am i supposed to take responsibility for my own class?
We get graded 1-4 (outstanding, good, room for improvement, unsatisfactory) on all the standards and then they do a best fit after our final review in June. I'm currently have one 1, six 2s and one 3 in differentiation from my last review at my first placement but in my first few lesson observations at placement 2 I've been graded good and outstanding on that standard.
I have a job secured anyway so it's not really a big issue what I get but for confidence I'd hope to be on a 2 overall at the end of the course. I don't really see how many can be outstanding after a year of training really, theres still way too much to improve on and I think it's quite naive to believe you're outstanding after a year. Personally I don't see why we should be judged anything other than pass or fail. Pass and you've shown enough professionalism, worked hard and shown you can take criticisms on board during your course with clear signs that with more experience and help you'll eventually become a good to outstanding teacher. Fail and you've shown no improvement from the start, you've been lazy, unprofessional and not taken advice.
To me the term 'outstanding' is flawed because you can't physically be outstanding every lesson and you would assume being an outstanding teacher takes years and years to achieve, not just 2 placements in, at times, largely artificial circumstances.
I have a job secured anyway so it's not really a big issue what I get but for confidence I'd hope to be on a 2 overall at the end of the course. I don't really see how many can be outstanding after a year of training really, theres still way too much to improve on and I think it's quite naive to believe you're outstanding after a year. Personally I don't see why we should be judged anything other than pass or fail. Pass and you've shown enough professionalism, worked hard and shown you can take criticisms on board during your course with clear signs that with more experience and help you'll eventually become a good to outstanding teacher. Fail and you've shown no improvement from the start, you've been lazy, unprofessional and not taken advice.
To me the term 'outstanding' is flawed because you can't physically be outstanding every lesson and you would assume being an outstanding teacher takes years and years to achieve, not just 2 placements in, at times, largely artificial circumstances.
I need to have a moan, its two weeks into my final placement and I'm just about ready to crawl into a hole and not come out, I want to wave the little white flag :-/ planning numeracy has really knocked my confidence, Its hard and I feel physically sick!
I feel absolutely pants, I just need to scrape my way through tomorrow and then it's Easter thank god! :-/
x
I feel absolutely pants, I just need to scrape my way through tomorrow and then it's Easter thank god! :-/
x
Original post by Steveluis10
We get graded 1-4 (outstanding, good, room for improvement, unsatisfactory) on all the standards and then they do a best fit after our final review in June. I'm currently have one 1, six 2s and one 3 in differentiation from my last review at my first placement but in my first few lesson observations at placement 2 I've been graded good and outstanding on that standard.
I have a job secured anyway so it's not really a big issue what I get but for confidence I'd hope to be on a 2 overall at the end of the course. I don't really see how many can be outstanding after a year of training really, theres still way too much to improve on and I think it's quite naive to believe you're outstanding after a year. Personally I don't see why we should be judged anything other than pass or fail. Pass and you've shown enough professionalism, worked hard and shown you can take criticisms on board during your course with clear signs that with more experience and help you'll eventually become a good to outstanding teacher. Fail and you've shown no improvement from the start, you've been lazy, unprofessional and not taken advice.
To me the term 'outstanding' is flawed because you can't physically be outstanding every lesson and you would assume being an outstanding teacher takes years and years to achieve, not just 2 placements in, at times, largely artificial circumstances.
I have a job secured anyway so it's not really a big issue what I get but for confidence I'd hope to be on a 2 overall at the end of the course. I don't really see how many can be outstanding after a year of training really, theres still way too much to improve on and I think it's quite naive to believe you're outstanding after a year. Personally I don't see why we should be judged anything other than pass or fail. Pass and you've shown enough professionalism, worked hard and shown you can take criticisms on board during your course with clear signs that with more experience and help you'll eventually become a good to outstanding teacher. Fail and you've shown no improvement from the start, you've been lazy, unprofessional and not taken advice.
To me the term 'outstanding' is flawed because you can't physically be outstanding every lesson and you would assume being an outstanding teacher takes years and years to achieve, not just 2 placements in, at times, largely artificial circumstances.
You're judged to be an outstanding trainee, not an outstanding teacher. So you're not officially Ofsted outstanding.
Original post by Shelly_x
Having a hard time with my year 7 class. Ive basically picked them up in the middle of a scheme which the teacher randomly made up herself. I'm teaching them what an effective description is and theyve written two drafts, both of which are way below target. Had a talk with the teacher today and she basically said i need to intervene immediately if their work isn't up to scratch.
I feel like a failure, especially since i technically only have 5 weeks left of my assessed block and i cant even teach a description right. How am i supposed to take responsibility for my own class?
I feel like a failure, especially since i technically only have 5 weeks left of my assessed block and i cant even teach a description right. How am i supposed to take responsibility for my own class?
This is a completely normal way to feel. I've had my own class since September and still feel like I'm not a 'proper' teacher. I love the quote:
"It is completely normal to feel like you're bluffing at being a teacher and that soon someone will find you out."
You won't be perfect at everything all the time. Sometimes you'll slip up, get stuck for ideas, find things you have to work with hard to work with (e.g. the scheme your teacher has designed). Don't let it convince you that you're not cut out for it. Learn from it, so that next time you will be better, and keep going!
What are you getting them to describe btw? And what bits of the description specifically are they struggling with (mostly)?
xxx
Original post by kpwxx
This is a completely normal way to feel. I've had my own class since September and still feel like I'm not a 'proper' teacher. I love the quote:
"It is completely normal to feel like you're bluffing at being a teacher and that soon someone will find you out."
You won't be perfect at everything all the time. Sometimes you'll slip up, get stuck for ideas, find things you have to work with hard to work with (e.g. the scheme your teacher has designed). Don't let it convince you that you're not cut out for it. Learn from it, so that next time you will be better, and keep going!
What are you getting them to describe btw? And what bits of the description specifically are they struggling with (mostly)?
xxx
"It is completely normal to feel like you're bluffing at being a teacher and that soon someone will find you out."
You won't be perfect at everything all the time. Sometimes you'll slip up, get stuck for ideas, find things you have to work with hard to work with (e.g. the scheme your teacher has designed). Don't let it convince you that you're not cut out for it. Learn from it, so that next time you will be better, and keep going!
What are you getting them to describe btw? And what bits of the description specifically are they struggling with (mostly)?
xxx
Thanks, it's good to know that people feel that way 'cos every NQT i've met looks super confident!
They're describing a villain that they created for homework. Basically all they're doing is explaining what hes like, they aren't actually describing him :/ And I can't seem to teach them the difference.
Original post by Shelly_x
Thanks, it's good to know that people feel that way 'cos every NQT i've met looks super confident!
They're describing a villain that they created for homework. Basically all they're doing is explaining what hes like, they aren't actually describing him :/ And I can't seem to teach them the difference.
They're describing a villain that they created for homework. Basically all they're doing is explaining what hes like, they aren't actually describing him :/ And I can't seem to teach them the difference.
Explain the difference to us here, then maybe we can pick out what might help?
All I can think of atm is start from reading lots and lots of great descriptions. How about a Christmas Carol? Villainy and descriptive.
Xxx
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Original post by kpwxx
Explain the difference to us here, then maybe we can pick out what might help?
All I can think of atm is start from reading lots and lots of great descriptions. How about a Christmas Carol? Villainy and descriptive.
Xxx
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All I can think of atm is start from reading lots and lots of great descriptions. How about a Christmas Carol? Villainy and descriptive.
Xxx
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Explaining is basically listing every little thing about the environment and just stating it to the reader, so they don't have to imagine anything. Describing is where you use sensory imagery and characters actions to show the environment around them. The reader should have to infer some information from your writing. That's the gist at a very basic level!
E.g.
Explaining - It was cold.
Describing - She shivered as the unruly wind whipped around her.
They've already done all that and understood that... They just don't seem to be translating it to their own writing.
(edited 10 years ago)
Easter Break!!!
Original post by Steveluis10
Easter Break!!!
Don't we just need it?! It's such a relief. But I'm not resting too much - got applications to write, a lot of planning and a 2,500 word essay to write.
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I have no real point to make, just wanted to express my sympathy and solidarity for all of you.
Original post by carnationlilyrose
I have no real point to make, just wanted to express my sympathy and solidarity for all of you.
Huh?
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Today at work I got a cactus spine stuck under my thumb nail. Has taken more than 12 hours for me to get it or. Teaching is brutal!
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Original post by myblueheaven339
Today at work I got a cactus spine stuck under my thumb nail. Has taken more than 12 hours for me to get it or. Teaching is brutal!
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I got splinters the other day and haven't had the time or energy to remove them.
Also yesterday I stabbed my hand on a sellotape dispenser then trapped my other hand in the medical box while getting a wipe for the first hand. You just keep going until the end of the day!
Xxx
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Original post by Threefold
I cannot handle the stress of this course anymore.
My mentor in my second school is overbearing and scrutinises me to the point that I feel paranoid and have no privacy. She has banned me from doing university work at school because she feels my planning isn't up to scratch. I am so tired I can barely think and I am not getting a moment to do anything at all but eat and sleep this week. I have felt on the verge of tears all day and I can't make my 1 1/2 hour trip home until after tonight's parents evening. I feel like I would have a complete meltdown if it wasn't Easter after tomorrow.
I've never felt so low about this course. I feel ready to quit as I no longer want to teach, and all that's holding me back is how much of the course I've already done. I feel like I am without any hope right now though. Help.
My mentor in my second school is overbearing and scrutinises me to the point that I feel paranoid and have no privacy. She has banned me from doing university work at school because she feels my planning isn't up to scratch. I am so tired I can barely think and I am not getting a moment to do anything at all but eat and sleep this week. I have felt on the verge of tears all day and I can't make my 1 1/2 hour trip home until after tonight's parents evening. I feel like I would have a complete meltdown if it wasn't Easter after tomorrow.
I've never felt so low about this course. I feel ready to quit as I no longer want to teach, and all that's holding me back is how much of the course I've already done. I feel like I am without any hope right now though. Help.
If you scroll about a year back through this thread, you will find several similar posts from me. I'm an NQT at a SEN school now and I'm so glad I stuck it. Keep going xxx
Original post by kpwxx
I got splinters the other day and haven't had the time or energy to remove them.
Also yesterday I stabbed my hand on a sellotape dispenser then trapped my other hand in the medical box while getting a wipe for the first hand. You just keep going until the end of the day!
Xxx
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Also yesterday I stabbed my hand on a sellotape dispenser then trapped my other hand in the medical box while getting a wipe for the first hand. You just keep going until the end of the day!
Xxx
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Oh dear! We've been packing for the last two days as the school is moving to a new building, tired is not the word!
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Original post by qwerty_mad
Didn't think it was a particularly difficult point to understand, but I just wanted, as a teacher approaching retirement and a former subject mentor for two universities, to say I know how hard it is and to express some sympathy.
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