The Student Room Group

I have been pushed out of PGCE and made to quit

So l stated on a PGCE with QTS in September and my first placement head teacher said not to return after five days of arriving late but before the children. My SCITT provider then asked me to quit training as they believed l was not going anywhere without punctuality. I queried this and eventually they found me another placement but told that school l was rejected from my last placement. Things started okay there but the fact l was rejected from my last school meant my mentor was looking at my actions for faults to justify my earlier rejection. She herself was less than a year on the job at this school and was over stretched with responsibilities. The last thing she needed was a adult to babysit in her class too. However, she was given me a trainee teacher to mentor! I never had a fair chance, all l did seemed to annoy her and the kid’s liking me meant l did not have class management skills. My teaching was terrible as l got my lesson plans online, that is from Tes, Twinkle, white rose, planit, kapow, Edshed etc. Apparently l was supposed to be making my lessons like she did when she trained in the early two thousands. Also my lessons were too informative and not age appropriate, l was talking over the kids ability, yet she kept saying they need to expand their vocabulary. Granted my slides had too much information but as l learned about mental overload l adjusted my planning. By the way l was given lesson intention and told to plan a lesson without seeing one she planned ever (just had the medium term plans- never the short term planning access). My maths lessons were terrible as they did not allow for a hour exploration of integers with manipulatives!!! I was wrong somehow as l looked fade up with my own lessons and apparently lacked presence. Apparently my face annoyed her as she taught lessons and must have done the same to students. My presence affected the children negatively and l knew nothing. I knew nothing and the children cottoned onto this, hence had apparently told their parents this. These were things l was told daily. I was even told mid teaching my lessons with whispers in ear that my lesson was **** and that l had lost the children (mind you, this is within earshot and in full eyesight of the children). After loads of undermining my confidence, authority in the eyes of the children, she wondered why some of the kids were not keen on working with me. The kids called me a student teacher and they wanted to be taught by a qualified teacher. So apparently l had no rapport with the children and l needed to build positive relationships with them. She said oh everything you do am sharing it with all staff so they know how silly you are, why do you think you can even teach? What’s your reason for teaching? I can see why you were rejected by your first placement. So two weeks into my placement at this school ( week after l started teaching not observing) she raised a cause for concern on my performance. She alleged l was not giving her my plans to view before lessons, and yet she said to put them on file she could access them there. She said l was late not punctual so that meant l was disorganised. The list of issues is endless but still l taught 3-6 hours a week. Because of her cause for concern l was put on a support plan to be reviewed fortnightly ( l stayed on it from week two to week 11), it was renewed never closed despite meeting targets and training targets. My provider never observed me teach nor interact with the children. Yet my provider was happy for me to quit the program to preserve my chances getting QTS in the future. Apparently if they failed me then l could never gain QTS in the future. I feel let down, discriminated, bullied and exposed to microagressions. I am a 30 year old African single lady with two children. I was late due to childcare commitments and public transport issues and yet my circumstances where never appreciated as reasons to waive same time starts. The five day placement was five minutes drive from my house whilst second placement was 49 minutes away. I feel my SCITT provider has ignored my othering, differentials and set me up to fail .
To be frank it sounds like you started training before you were ready if you were late 5 times to a placement that was 5 minutes away from your home. Childcare commitments are your responsibility to cover before you commit to a placement. A PGCE is incredibly stressful and a big undertaking. It sounds like you committed to the course without being ready or prepared.

Did you document your concerns with your mentor and raise the unprofessional behaviour directly with her?
Reply 2
No l did nothing but be docile with her
Original post by Kiki2023
No l did nothing but be docile with her

That wasn’t what I asked. I asked about whether you documented the things that you thought were unhelpful and unprofessional and whether you raised those issues with her to try to resolve things and improve the situation.
Reply 4
To be honest. From reading this. They were right to kick you off. You're not equipped to be a teacher, you don't take any personal responsibility and seem to have an excuse or someone to blame for everything.
Reply 5
I will however say if what you say is true about how your provider spoke to you Infront of the children, that is not okay and you can and should write a formal complaint. But regardless of that, your conduct was far from acceptable either.
Reply 6
Original post by Kiki2023
So l stated on a PGCE with QTS in September and my first placement head teacher said not to return after five days of arriving late but before the children. My SCITT provider then asked me to quit training as they believed l was not going anywhere without punctuality. I queried this and eventually they found me another placement but told that school l was rejected from my last placement. Things started okay there but the fact l was rejected from my last school meant my mentor was looking at my actions for faults to justify my earlier rejection. She herself was less than a year on the job at this school and was over stretched with responsibilities. The last thing she needed was a adult to babysit in her class too. However, she was given me a trainee teacher to mentor! I never had a fair chance, all l did seemed to annoy her and the kid’s liking me meant l did not have class management skills. My teaching was terrible as l got my lesson plans online, that is from Tes, Twinkle, white rose, planit, kapow, Edshed etc. Apparently l was supposed to be making my lessons like she did when she trained in the early two thousands. Also my lessons were too informative and not age appropriate, l was talking over the kids ability, yet she kept saying they need to expand their vocabulary. Granted my slides had too much information but as l learned about mental overload l adjusted my planning. By the way l was given lesson intention and told to plan a lesson without seeing one she planned ever (just had the medium term plans- never the short term planning access). My maths lessons were terrible as they did not allow for a hour exploration of integers with manipulatives!!! I was wrong somehow as l looked fade up with my own lessons and apparently lacked presence. Apparently my face annoyed her as she taught lessons and must have done the same to students. My presence affected the children negatively and l knew nothing. I knew nothing and the children cottoned onto this, hence had apparently told their parents this. These were things l was told daily. I was even told mid teaching my lessons with whispers in ear that my lesson was **** and that l had lost the children (mind you, this is within earshot and in full eyesight of the children). After loads of undermining my confidence, authority in the eyes of the children, she wondered why some of the kids were not keen on working with me. The kids called me a student teacher and they wanted to be taught by a qualified teacher. So apparently l had no rapport with the children and l needed to build positive relationships with them. She said oh everything you do am sharing it with all staff so they know how silly you are, why do you think you can even teach? What’s your reason for teaching? I can see why you were rejected by your first placement. So two weeks into my placement at this school ( week after l started teaching not observing) she raised a cause for concern on my performance. She alleged l was not giving her my plans to view before lessons, and yet she said to put them on file she could access them there. She said l was late not punctual so that meant l was disorganised. The list of issues is endless but still l taught 3-6 hours a week. Because of her cause for concern l was put on a support plan to be reviewed fortnightly ( l stayed on it from week two to week 11), it was renewed never closed despite meeting targets and training targets. My provider never observed me teach nor interact with the children. Yet my provider was happy for me to quit the program to preserve my chances getting QTS in the future. Apparently if they failed me then l could never gain QTS in the future. I feel let down, discriminated, bullied and exposed to microagressions. I am a 30 year old African single lady with two children. I was late due to childcare commitments and public transport issues and yet my circumstances where never appreciated as reasons to waive same time starts. The five day placement was five minutes drive from my house whilst second placement was 49 minutes away. I feel my SCITT provider has ignored my othering, differentials and set me up to fail .

Sounds to me like you had bad luck with your school placements - not all schools are like that and people tend to judge teachers way too harshly! If you have an office job every now and then you will still be late - happens to everyone but people judge teachers more harshly. If I were you I would just switch schools - as you arrived before the students, which means you were not even late. At my school we are only required to be at the school 5 minutes before the kids and my mentor was stuck in traffic multiple times and arrived 10 minutes after the kids and she has been a teacher for over 10 years - all is good! Kids still learn as we are there to cover for each other as we are a team! If you really want to be a teacher, please don't drop the course, just find a more humane school that doesn't treat you like a robot, understands that life happens and doesn't judge you so harshly! Best of luck!
(edited 3 months ago)
Reply 7
Original post by FeiFeiLi
To be honest. From reading this. They were right to kick you off. You're not equipped to be a teacher, you don't take any personal responsibility and seem to have an excuse or someone to blame for everything.

This is the impression I have, too.

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