PGCE - Current Students Thread

Original post by Shelly_x

Losing all motivation right now. The workload is never-ending and since my weekends are taken up by working as a cleaner just to get by, I have no time! Currently trying to plan tomorrow's lessons but cannot be bothered at all. Three weeks left.

I know how you feel. Currently trying to muster up the motivation to write my 7500 word essay but I just can't be bothered. I'm focusing more on my interview on Thursday.. essay will have to wait until the weekend I guess.

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Reply 3342

Shelly_x

Original post by outlaw-torn

I know how you feel. Currently trying to muster up the motivation to write my 7500 word essay but I just can't be bothered. I'm focusing more on my interview on Thursday.. essay will have to wait until the weekend I guess.

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For the last two weeks I should've been writing a diary which documents my use of formative assessment to help pupils progress... That hasn't happened so far.

Good luck for your interview :smile:

Reply 3343

outlaw-torn

Original post by Shelly_x

For the last two weeks I should've been writing a diary which documents my use of formative assessment to help pupils progress... That hasn't happened so far.

Good luck for your interview :smile:

If there's one thing I've learnt on this PGCE, it's how to blag writing things retrospectively :tongue:

My assignment is kind of similar, we were supposed to choose a focus and plan a scheme of work with a summative assessment at the end. Of course, nothing goes to plan and now I don't really have a focus. It's going to be fun trying to blag it!

And thanks - third time lucky I hope.

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Reply 3344

Shelly_x

Original post by outlaw-torn

If there's one thing I've learnt on this PGCE, it's how to blag writing things retrospectively :tongue:

My assignment is kind of similar, we were supposed to choose a focus and plan a scheme of work with a summative assessment at the end. Of course, nothing goes to plan and now I don't really have a focus. It's going to be fun trying to blag it!

And thanks - third time lucky I hope.

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That sounds quite interesting actually, and much better than my assignment!

I got mine on my 9th time I think, so don't get too disheartened :smile:

Reply 3345

Steveluis10

10

Original post by Shelly_x

Losing all motivation right now. The workload is never-ending and since my weekends are taken up by working as a cleaner just to get by, I have no time! Currently trying to plan tomorrow's lessons but cannot be bothered at all. Three weeks left.

I feel exactly the same. Every night for the last 3 weeks I've had work to do. I have about 20 books to mark, just not going to get done.

Only thing keeping me going this week is the fact that I'm in Uni Thursday and Friday so it's a break from planning and teaching. That said I'll then have 13 lessons to plan for next week (1 of which being the lesson my tutor is observing).

I'm starting to worry that this is what my life is going to be like for ever! I understand teaching is more than a job and you need to be dedicated (which I am a lot of the time) but you need weekends free to relax and enjoy and at the moment that just isn't happening.

Reply 3346

Original post by Steveluis10

I feel exactly the same. Every night for the last 3 weeks I've had work to do. I have about 20 books to mark, just not going to get done.

Only thing keeping me going this week is the fact that I'm in Uni Thursday and Friday so it's a break from planning and teaching. That said I'll then have 13 lessons to plan for next week (1 of which being the lesson my tutor is observing).

I'm starting to worry that this is what my life is going to be like for ever! I understand teaching is more than a job and you need to be dedicated (which I am a lot of the time) but you need weekends free to relax and enjoy and at the moment that just isn't happening.

It won't be forever, but it will be for quite a while. For the first few years, this is the pattern of your life. Then you learn to wing it for a bit of the time. However, I have found that you ultimately have to compromise on something. You can't keep the pace up for an entire career. My compromise has been a deliberate decision to avoid promotion and choose a very soft school. I didn't always see this as the way I wanted to live out my career, but I came to recognise that you can burn out if you don't put yourself first. Idealism had to take a nosedive, for me at least.

Reply 3347

Piggsil

16

Original post by carnationlilyrose

It won't be forever, but it will be for quite a while. For the first few years, this is the pattern of your life. Then you learn to wing it for a bit of the time. However, I have found that you ultimately have to compromise on something. You can't keep the pace up for an entire career. My compromise has been a deliberate decision to avoid promotion and choose a very soft school. I didn't always see this as the way I wanted to live out my career, but I came to recognise that you can burn out if you don't put yourself first. Idealism had to take a nosedive, for me at least.

Thank you for posting this. It is reassuring to hear that I am doing the right thing now with putting myself first. I want to carry on teaching for at least a few more years (if I can make it to 10 years I won't feel too much of a failure), but I had a health scare around Christmas time and I've realised I have to prioritise my mental and physical health over everything else now or I won't be able to do a good job over many years. That is surely better than a brilliant job over a couple of years and then can't take any more. I am only 27, but sometimes teaching makes me feel like I need to retire now.

Some people are naturally very good teachers, I have to work really hard to do half as good a job as some, but I feel like I am doing the best I can for my 27 pupils with limited time and resources and at some point you do just have to say stop.

Reply 3348

Original post by Piggsil

Thank you for posting this. It is reassuring to hear that I am doing the right thing now with putting myself first. I want to carry on teaching for at least a few more years (if I can make it to 10 years I won't feel too much of a failure), but I had a health scare around Christmas time and I've realised I have to prioritise my mental and physical health over everything else now or I won't be able to do a good job over many years. That is surely better than a brilliant job over a couple of years and then can't take any more. I am only 27, but sometimes teaching makes me feel like I need to retire now.

Some people are naturally very good teachers, I have to work really hard to do half as good a job as some, but I feel like I am doing the best I can for my 27 pupils with limited time and resources and at some point you do just have to say stop.

Nothing is more important than your family and your health. I had cancer 12 years ago and it made me re-evaluate my life. I didn't find myself worrying about not being able to teach other people's kids when faced with possible death. It made me treasure my own kids. I think it made me a better teacher. I stopped getting stressed out about the stupid, pointless things in teaching, of which there are millions, and realised what was really important. Nobody was going to benefit if I worked myself into the grave - on a very basic level, constant absence due to illness and a series of supply teachers is very disruptive indeed to kids' education. I realised what was important about teaching and the kids know that I'm not going to sweat the small stuff, but what I do ask them to do is really important. It seems to work, but then I now work in a very soft school indeed. I had to move after a couple of decades in tough schools because I was burnt out. By doing that, I've been able to teach decently for 30 years instead of brilliantly for 5. One hesitates to use the phrase, but YOLO. Whilst people do remember good teachers, the waters close over your head once you leave a place very quickly indeed. I think people who define themselves by the fact that they are teachers are setting themselves up to be very disappointed when they find the world can manage without them when they go. Do the job on your terms, for yourself, and if it starts to harm you, get out. But that's just my two cents.

Reply 3349

lantan

7

Original post by carnationlilyrose

Nothing is more important than your family and your health. I had cancer 12 years ago and it made me re-evaluate my life. I didn't find myself worrying about not being able to teach other people's kids when faced with possible death. It made me treasure my own kids. I think it made me a better teacher. I stopped getting stressed out about the stupid, pointless things in teaching, of which there are millions, and realised what was really important. Nobody was going to benefit if I worked myself into the grave - on a very basic level, constant absence due to illness and a series of supply teachers is very disruptive indeed to kids' education. I realised what was important about teaching and the kids know that I'm not going to sweat the small stuff, but what I do ask them to do is really important. It seems to work, but then I now work in a very soft school indeed. I had to move after a couple of decades in tough schools because I was burnt out. By doing that, I've been able to teach decently for 30 years instead of brilliantly for 5. One hesitates to use the phrase, but YOLO. Whilst people do remember good teachers, the waters close over your head once you leave a place very quickly indeed. I think people who define themselves by the fact that they are teachers are setting themselves up to be very disappointed when they find the world can manage without them when they go. Do the job on your terms, for yourself, and if it starts to harm you, get out. But that's just my two cents.

I think your two cents are worth more than a million.
I also hope, that your health is restored now. :smile:

Reply 3350

TraineeLynsey

7

Excellent words of wisdom as always, CarnationLilyRose.

I've finally been invited for an interview - y3 maternity cover in a LOVELY school. Almost wish I didn't like the school though, as it's my first interview. The pressure is definitely on!

Pretty sure I know what I'm doing for my observation, just need to do a lot of interview prep now. Nervous!

Reply 3351

outlaw-torn

Just got my first job eekkk!!

Didn't even know what to say to them, was in shock! So happy though, and I can't wait to start in September. It's a challenging school but I'm looking forward to it,

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Reply 3352

Piggsil

16

Original post by carnationlilyrose

Nothing is more important than your family and your health. I had cancer 12 years ago and it made me re-evaluate my life. I didn't find myself worrying about not being able to teach other people's kids when faced with possible death. It made me treasure my own kids. I think it made me a better teacher. I stopped getting stressed out about the stupid, pointless things in teaching, of which there are millions, and realised what was really important. Nobody was going to benefit if I worked myself into the grave - on a very basic level, constant absence due to illness and a series of supply teachers is very disruptive indeed to kids' education. I realised what was important about teaching and the kids know that I'm not going to sweat the small stuff, but what I do ask them to do is really important. It seems to work, but then I now work in a very soft school indeed. I had to move after a couple of decades in tough schools because I was burnt out. By doing that, I've been able to teach decently for 30 years instead of brilliantly for 5. One hesitates to use the phrase, but YOLO. Whilst people do remember good teachers, the waters close over your head once you leave a place very quickly indeed. I think people who define themselves by the fact that they are teachers are setting themselves up to be very disappointed when they find the world can manage without them when they go. Do the job on your terms, for yourself, and if it starts to harm you, get out. But that's just my two cents.

You are so right, as usual. Thanks again, and I hope your all good again now health-wise (my health scare was nowhere near as serious, but enough to really make me think).
You also make a great point about kids moving on quickly from great teachers. I think I miss my old class more than they miss me. I really want to go back and see them. But changing jobs was necessary for me, to prevent me ending up hating the career and burning out. (Moved from a school where test scores are the be all and end all to one where there is more [but still not enough, I don't think that school exists these days!] focus on child development).

I am in awe of people like you that make it to retirement. My mum has been going since the early 70s and fairly recently moved departments (humanities -> lead SENCO !) and she amazes me. Tbf she had many, many years of part time due to us 4 children, but by no means has that made it easier on her. I think she has been very good at doing what you describe - doing what she needed to get by and relying on experience. She also got lucky after they abolished grammar schools in the county in 1984. Her and my dad worked at the same secondary modern. She was put in the comp she still works in now (I went to it, it's a nice, pretty "soft" school).

My dad, on the other hand, got put in a comp in a different town, totally different type of kid, plus was always managed terribly. He had to take forced early retirement 2 years ago (aged 59) after a loooooooong period of sick leave. He also had one other 6-month period of sick leave I remember in my early teens. His health (both physical and mental) is completely destroyed. But he was HoD, had 4 kids, mortgage etc...he felt pressurised to carry on. I have realised that it is NEVER worth it now. I wish he'd got out when he'd had the chance. We would have had to make sacrifices, but we would have survived.

Reply 3353

Original post by lantan

I think your two cents are worth more than a million.
I also hope, that your health is restored now. :smile:

That's tremendously sweet of you. Thank you. Yes, I'm fine now (touch wood and all that kind of thing.) :smile:

Reply 3354

Original post by TraineeLynsey

Excellent words of wisdom as always, CarnationLilyRose.

I've finally been invited for an interview - y3 maternity cover in a LOVELY school. Almost wish I didn't like the school though, as it's my first interview. The pressure is definitely on!

Pretty sure I know what I'm doing for my observation, just need to do a lot of interview prep now. Nervous!

Thank you. I wish you all the very best with your interview. :smile:

Reply 3355

Original post by outlaw-torn

Just got my first job eekkk!!

Didn't even know what to say to them, was in shock! So happy though, and I can't wait to start in September. It's a challenging school but I'm looking forward to it,

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Congratulations! :smile:

Reply 3356

Original post by Piggsil

You are so right, as usual. Thanks again, and I hope your all good again now health-wise (my health scare was nowhere near as serious, but enough to really make me think).
You also make a great point about kids moving on quickly from great teachers. I think I miss my old class more than they miss me. I really want to go back and see them. But changing jobs was necessary for me, to prevent me ending up hating the career and burning out. (Moved from a school where test scores are the be all and end all to one where there is more [but still not enough, I don't think that school exists these days!] focus on child development).

I am in awe of people like you that make it to retirement. My mum has been going since the early 70s and fairly recently moved departments (humanities -> lead SENCO !) and she amazes me. Tbf she had many, many years of part time due to us 4 children, but by no means has that made it easier on her. I think she has been very good at doing what you describe - doing what she needed to get by and relying on experience. She also got lucky after they abolished grammar schools in the county in 1984. Her and my dad worked at the same secondary modern. She was put in the comp she still works in now (I went to it, it's a nice, pretty "soft" school).

My dad, on the other hand, got put in a comp in a different town, totally different type of kid, plus was always managed terribly. He had to take forced early retirement 2 years ago (aged 59) after a loooooooong period of sick leave. He also had one other 6-month period of sick leave I remember in my early teens. His health (both physical and mental) is completely destroyed. But he was HoD, had 4 kids, mortgage etc...he felt pressurised to carry on. I have realised that it is NEVER worth it now. I wish he'd got out when he'd had the chance. We would have had to make sacrifices, but we would have survived.

Well, I totally take my hat off to your mum, who must have done ten years more than me, by the sound of it. Good for her. As for your dad, I sincerely hope he is ok now. His is a terribly common story, although I suspect that it will become less common over time, not because the job is getting easier - quite the reverse - but because I think people will quit sooner. There seems to be a greater recognition of the stresses of the job now than there was when your parents and I started out, and I think fewer people will feel the obligation to stick it out to retirement. I think the job is almost undoable in some schools and people won't stick at it. Heaven knows what will become of society then.

I'm ultra-impressed that you are going into teaching despite your parents' experience. Both spouse and I must have moaned far too much because neither of ours have any intention of doing it, although the older one teaches TEFL abroad, a very different kettle of fish, I think. Good luck in your new school. :smile:

Reply 3357

Shelly_x