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The RQT Thread (Recently Qualified Teachers)
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Sorry to hear about your observation Steveluis. Take half term to regroup and relax.
Happy half term everyone!
Happy half term everyone!
Hi folks, a quick question. Working as an LSA from the age of 18 to the near-age of 21 (My family think i'm mad but actually i feel that i'm making a difference with one student in particular). I was wondering whether you folks would recommend me going off and getting a degree and then a PGCSE as a teacher. Basically I'm wondering how the environment is, as I'm sure you're all aware there are a lot of horror stories about teaching these days. So would you folks recommend teaching in its current state?
Best regards
FH
Best regards
FH
Original post by lantan
Was in hysteria yesterday. Wondering - am I going to be one of those "left the teaching altogether" statistics?...
What happened?
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Original post by TraineeLynsey
Sorry to hear about your observation Steveluis. Take half term to regroup and relax.
Happy half term everyone!
Happy half term everyone!
Thanks, have to say I can't get it out my mind - I'm trying my best but I just can't. Every time I think about school I feel sick to my stomach.
Original post by Steveluis10
Thanks, have to say I can't get it out my mind - I'm trying my best but I just can't. Every time I think about school I feel sick to my stomach.
I think we can all sympathise with how you feel. Teaching is such a personal thing - how you teach is who you are - that any criticism is horribly hurtful, even if causing pain is the last thing the observer meant to do.
Original post by GreatApesLearn
Hi folks, a quick question. Working as an LSA from the age of 18 to the near-age of 21 (My family think i'm mad but actually i feel that i'm making a difference with one student in particular). I was wondering whether you folks would recommend me going off and getting a degree and then a PGCSE as a teacher. Basically I'm wondering how the environment is, as I'm sure you're all aware there are a lot of horror stories about teaching these days. So would you folks recommend teaching in its current state?
Best regards
FH
Best regards
FH
Read this thread, the NQT thread and the PGCE thread and you'll get a pretty acurate feel for things. There are highs and there are lows. The highs are amazing. The lows are... Soul destroying.
Original post by qwerty_mad
It all just got too much. I cried for the whole hour and couldn't calm down.
Original post by lantan
Was in hysteria yesterday. Wondering - am I going to be one of those "left the teaching altogether" statistics?...
Hope you are feeling a bit better now. If you feel it's not for you, don't go through hell to try and make it work.
Hope everyone's feeling well-rested and is taking at least some of this half term to relax and unwind. Seems to be a lot of people feeling a bit overwhelmed in recent months. I remember last year feeling like Easter was the first holiday where I really relaxed, but I'm feeling pretty good this half term.
I've done my literacy planning for next week, have my timetable for the week sorted, have done 1/3 of the marking I needed to do, rearranged my classroom, made a new seating plan and arranged a trip for a couple of weeks from now. I've had plenty of time doing nothing, but perhaps haven't achieved quite as much around the house as I wanted to!
That's really down to the weather though - it's hard to trail an extension lead across the garden to hoover the outhouse with it's pouring with rain!
I also need to plan my numeracy for next week, and make a preliminary visit to the museum we're going on the trip to in March. I'm going shopping with my Mum tomorrow for a nice girlie day, so I'm hoping to get the numeracy planned today, then I can go to the museum at the weekend. We'll see how it goes!
I've done my literacy planning for next week, have my timetable for the week sorted, have done 1/3 of the marking I needed to do, rearranged my classroom, made a new seating plan and arranged a trip for a couple of weeks from now. I've had plenty of time doing nothing, but perhaps haven't achieved quite as much around the house as I wanted to!
That's really down to the weather though - it's hard to trail an extension lead across the garden to hoover the outhouse with it's pouring with rain!
I also need to plan my numeracy for next week, and make a preliminary visit to the museum we're going on the trip to in March. I'm going shopping with my Mum tomorrow for a nice girlie day, so I'm hoping to get the numeracy planned today, then I can go to the museum at the weekend. We'll see how it goes!
I've decided to just go back with a positive attitude, forget the past and put everything into my repeat observation to show I'm a good teacher. I have fundamental differences with certain staff members and the ethos of the school but there is no point arguing over it - leads to nothing but more trouble.
This has been a **** half term - I've thought about failing my obs pretty much all of the time so I'm not going to let the next break be spoiled.
Positivity. Even if it kills me.
This has been a **** half term - I've thought about failing my obs pretty much all of the time so I'm not going to let the next break be spoiled.
Positivity. Even if it kills me.
Original post by Steveluis10
I've decided to just go back with a positive attitude, forget the past and put everything into my repeat observation to show I'm a good teacher. I have fundamental differences with certain staff members and the ethos of the school but there is no point arguing over it - leads to nothing but more trouble.
This has been a **** half term - I've thought about failing my obs pretty much all of the time so I'm not going to let the next break be spoiled.
Positivity. Even if it kills me.
This has been a **** half term - I've thought about failing my obs pretty much all of the time so I'm not going to let the next break be spoiled.
Positivity. Even if it kills me.
Sounds like you've got the right attitude and intentions, even if it's been difficult to keep up the positivity!
Are you job hunting for September to try and find a school that's a better fit? It can make such a difference, can't it? If a staff member takes a dislike to you, or your style just doesn't gel with the school as it currently is, life can be miserable. There's no point sticking that out when there could be a much better role out there for you somewhere else.
Hi everyone, hope you're all well!
Just dropping by for a moan, really! I've only just got over an awful cough and have now come down with a cold which has included completely losing my voice!!!
I REALLY don't want to go in today, but I'm going to have to. I've got a TA this morning, so I'm going to get her to do most of the talking I think, while I point and whisper and glare to get my points across!
I had PPA yesterday afternoon, and we get to go home during our PPA (no space in school to work peacefully). I did no work and was hoping the rest would help my voice improve, but if anything it's actually worse than yesterday! Even my cough is losing its voice, if you see what I mean - it's all squeaky like a mouse!
I'm going to Athens for 5 days on Easter Sunday and am just hoping I'm well by then. Absolutely sick to the back teeth of being sick. I feel like I haven't actually been healthy and well for more than a few days at a time since Christmas.
Just dropping by for a moan, really! I've only just got over an awful cough and have now come down with a cold which has included completely losing my voice!!!
I REALLY don't want to go in today, but I'm going to have to. I've got a TA this morning, so I'm going to get her to do most of the talking I think, while I point and whisper and glare to get my points across!
I had PPA yesterday afternoon, and we get to go home during our PPA (no space in school to work peacefully). I did no work and was hoping the rest would help my voice improve, but if anything it's actually worse than yesterday! Even my cough is losing its voice, if you see what I mean - it's all squeaky like a mouse!
I'm going to Athens for 5 days on Easter Sunday and am just hoping I'm well by then. Absolutely sick to the back teeth of being sick. I feel like I haven't actually been healthy and well for more than a few days at a time since Christmas.
Enjoy Athens. I went in October half-term and had a great time.
I've had a tough couple of weeks, just feeling like everything has got on top of me. I do like my school, but it isn't an easy place to work at the moment - lots of change and pressure. Plus this time next week I'll be getting ready to set off to France with 23 kids (my first trip as trip leader) so that's been stressing me out and I've been feeling quite panicky at odd times (ie: the weekend, when I have time to stop and think about all the items on my to-do list, rather than in the week when I'm often too busy to think).
But I'm now feeling loads better. Trip stuff is finally just about sorted, it's nearly the weekend, and I've got a new timetable after Easter which I think will generate far less workload for me. No more PPA than currently (the standard 3 lessons free out of 30 lessons) but I've got some lessons where I'm down to support in a class where a colleague is struggling a bit and could do with someone assertive in the room to clamp down on low-level disruption. So those are lessons I won't be planning or marking for.
I've had a tough couple of weeks, just feeling like everything has got on top of me. I do like my school, but it isn't an easy place to work at the moment - lots of change and pressure. Plus this time next week I'll be getting ready to set off to France with 23 kids (my first trip as trip leader) so that's been stressing me out and I've been feeling quite panicky at odd times (ie: the weekend, when I have time to stop and think about all the items on my to-do list, rather than in the week when I'm often too busy to think).
But I'm now feeling loads better. Trip stuff is finally just about sorted, it's nearly the weekend, and I've got a new timetable after Easter which I think will generate far less workload for me. No more PPA than currently (the standard 3 lessons free out of 30 lessons) but I've got some lessons where I'm down to support in a class where a colleague is struggling a bit and could do with someone assertive in the room to clamp down on low-level disruption. So those are lessons I won't be planning or marking for.
What a 7 days.
Ofsted visited. It didn't go well.
Had a job interview at an outstanding school this morning, got a call before saying it was agonisingly close and that I was the next choice.
Have no choice but to move onwards but I don't think I'll ever have a more gut wrenching, tiring and deflating week.
Ofsted visited. It didn't go well.
Had a job interview at an outstanding school this morning, got a call before saying it was agonisingly close and that I was the next choice.
Have no choice but to move onwards but I don't think I'll ever have a more gut wrenching, tiring and deflating week.
Original post by Steveluis10
What a 7 days.
Ofsted visited. It didn't go well.
Had a job interview at an outstanding school this morning, got a call before saying it was agonisingly close and that I was the next choice.
Have no choice but to move onwards but I don't think I'll ever have a more gut wrenching, tiring and deflating week.
Ofsted visited. It didn't go well.
Had a job interview at an outstanding school this morning, got a call before saying it was agonisingly close and that I was the next choice.
Have no choice but to move onwards but I don't think I'll ever have a more gut wrenching, tiring and deflating week.
Sincere sympathies on all counts!!!
I'm dreading the big O.... eek!
Original post by myrtille
Enjoy Athens. I went in October half-term and had a great time.
I've had a tough couple of weeks, just feeling like everything has got on top of me. I do like my school, but it isn't an easy place to work at the moment - lots of change and pressure. Plus this time next week I'll be getting ready to set off to France with 23 kids (my first trip as trip leader) so that's been stressing me out and I've been feeling quite panicky at odd times (ie: the weekend, when I have time to stop and think about all the items on my to-do list, rather than in the week when I'm often too busy to think).
But I'm now feeling loads better. Trip stuff is finally just about sorted, it's nearly the weekend, and I've got a new timetable after Easter which I think will generate far less workload for me. No more PPA than currently (the standard 3 lessons free out of 30 lessons) but I've got some lessons where I'm down to support in a class where a colleague is struggling a bit and could do with someone assertive in the room to clamp down on low-level disruption. So those are lessons I won't be planning or marking for.
I've had a tough couple of weeks, just feeling like everything has got on top of me. I do like my school, but it isn't an easy place to work at the moment - lots of change and pressure. Plus this time next week I'll be getting ready to set off to France with 23 kids (my first trip as trip leader) so that's been stressing me out and I've been feeling quite panicky at odd times (ie: the weekend, when I have time to stop and think about all the items on my to-do list, rather than in the week when I'm often too busy to think).
But I'm now feeling loads better. Trip stuff is finally just about sorted, it's nearly the weekend, and I've got a new timetable after Easter which I think will generate far less workload for me. No more PPA than currently (the standard 3 lessons free out of 30 lessons) but I've got some lessons where I'm down to support in a class where a colleague is struggling a bit and could do with someone assertive in the room to clamp down on low-level disruption. So those are lessons I won't be planning or marking for.
Read this the other day, but forgot to reply! Your new timetable sounds great - is this part of the TLR you got recently? Just that little reduction in planning/prep/marking makes such a difference. Due to a timetabling issue at my school this week, on Monday I got an external French teacher in for my last session. It was great - I was there, but it meant I didn't need to do any thinking about what I was teaching for that session. I actually hid at the back and marked some assessments!
Hope your trip goes well! I expect you may have some anxious parents after yesterday's events in Brussels?
1 more get up till Easter!
Original post by TraineeLynsey
Read this the other day, but forgot to reply! Your new timetable sounds great - is this part of the TLR you got recently? Just that little reduction in planning/prep/marking makes such a difference. Due to a timetabling issue at my school this week, on Monday I got an external French teacher in for my last session. It was great - I was there, but it meant I didn't need to do any thinking about what I was teaching for that session. I actually hid at the back and marked some assessments!
Hope your trip goes well! I expect you may have some anxious parents after yesterday's events in Brussels?
1 more get up till Easter!
Hope your trip goes well! I expect you may have some anxious parents after yesterday's events in Brussels?
1 more get up till Easter!
The new timetable is more down to restructuring in KS3 (Y8 have picked their options). They've reduced the number of Y7 and 8 classes overall (I think this may be partly due to how understaffed the Maths department is!) so I'm a bit worried that my lower ability Y7s (who are currently coping OK in a class of 16 where they can have a lot of one-to-one support despite there not being a TA) are going to struggle when they're part of a much larger class.
So they haven't given me a lighter timetable because of my TLR, as such - I know a few other people who have also been timetabled to support. And another colleague with the same TLR doesn't have any support lessons but are having the spare time filled up with teaching PSHE. But I'm glad it's worked out this way - one of the teachers I'm due to support is the person I am coaching for my TLR, so I can work with them much more easily without constantly requesting cover.
Setting out at 1:30am for my trip and have reached the point finally where I'm slightly more excited than stressed. I'm surprised not to have had any parents contact me after Brussels, but luckily we're going to the West coast of France (so about as far from Belgium as you can get) and not doing the Dover-Calais crossing, so I think that's reassured them.
Really should be trying to get some sleep, but I lay in bed for over an hour and didn't manage to get to sleep, so have given up.
Hi guys,
Does anyone here have any contacts with any primary schools in SE London area/1.5 hours travel from Eltham/Bexleyheath SE London? I'm a referred PGCE student following a horrific final school experience last year (they kicked me off at the end of week 7 of teaching, when placement finished at end of week 8), and I'm desperately looking for a school. Over initial and final school placements I've never received an observation lower than 'Good', I just had a terrible experience alongside going through my first breakup as well as family issues which alongside my dissatisfaction with the school (that the university had already had complaints about, prior) led to me just imploding.
I am desperate for a school and am just trying to think of anything that might help so figured I'd post here in case anyone could help, I'm despairing right now. If anyone has any contacts they/I could get in touch with to set up a meeting to discuss a potential placement it would mean the world.
Thanks, Sam.
Does anyone here have any contacts with any primary schools in SE London area/1.5 hours travel from Eltham/Bexleyheath SE London? I'm a referred PGCE student following a horrific final school experience last year (they kicked me off at the end of week 7 of teaching, when placement finished at end of week 8), and I'm desperately looking for a school. Over initial and final school placements I've never received an observation lower than 'Good', I just had a terrible experience alongside going through my first breakup as well as family issues which alongside my dissatisfaction with the school (that the university had already had complaints about, prior) led to me just imploding.
I am desperate for a school and am just trying to think of anything that might help so figured I'd post here in case anyone could help, I'm despairing right now. If anyone has any contacts they/I could get in touch with to set up a meeting to discuss a potential placement it would mean the world.
Thanks, Sam.
(edited 8 years ago)
Knackered but absolutely buzzing after getting back from my trip yesterday afternoon.
Despite a few problems (delays on the coach journey down, a pupil catching a 24-hour sickness bug, having to swap to a replacement coach on the last leg of our journey home) the pupils had a fantastic time and were all brilliant.
There were so many times in the last few months when I wished I hadn't taken this on, but I'm now so glad I did.
Comments from pupils included:
-I keep thinking in French
-my host family are so nice
-I definitely want to come back next year
-everyone is so friendly
-I want to live in France when I'm older
-my French listening/speaking has got so much better
Some are already making plans to come back in the summer, either with their families or as a private arrangement with their host family.
They were such a mixed bunch of pupils (high achievers, middle achievers, low achievers, EAL, SEN, G+T, hearing-impaired...) but they really gelled as a group and made friends with people from other year groups who they would never have talked to normally.
Running a trip abroad is insanely hard work but probably the most rewarding thing I've ever done. I know most kids won't remember half of what I teach them, once they leave school. But they'll all remember this.
Certainly not something to enter into lightly, but I just wanted to post the positive side of things as you've all put up with me moaning about the stress of planning it for the past few months.
Hope everyone is having a good Easter holidays.
Despite a few problems (delays on the coach journey down, a pupil catching a 24-hour sickness bug, having to swap to a replacement coach on the last leg of our journey home) the pupils had a fantastic time and were all brilliant.
There were so many times in the last few months when I wished I hadn't taken this on, but I'm now so glad I did.
Comments from pupils included:
-I keep thinking in French
-my host family are so nice
-I definitely want to come back next year
-everyone is so friendly
-I want to live in France when I'm older
-my French listening/speaking has got so much better
Some are already making plans to come back in the summer, either with their families or as a private arrangement with their host family.
They were such a mixed bunch of pupils (high achievers, middle achievers, low achievers, EAL, SEN, G+T, hearing-impaired...) but they really gelled as a group and made friends with people from other year groups who they would never have talked to normally.
Running a trip abroad is insanely hard work but probably the most rewarding thing I've ever done. I know most kids won't remember half of what I teach them, once they leave school. But they'll all remember this.
Certainly not something to enter into lightly, but I just wanted to post the positive side of things as you've all put up with me moaning about the stress of planning it for the past few months.
Hope everyone is having a good Easter holidays.
(edited 8 years ago)
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