I am due to start my teacher training pgce course next week - can anyone give me any tips on what to expect and how I can impress my placement schools?
Any advice would be appreciated - only from people who've actually done it though, please!
2006-09-04 01:46:09 · 17 answers · asked by gruffalo 5 in Education & Reference ➔ Teaching
Ignore the people who tell you not to do it. It's the most wonderful job in the world, but one of the hardest. So, when you start, be gentle with yourself. What really matters is knowing the kids' names, so have a seating plan. Be consistent: a few lessons spent sorting out the ground rules pays dividends in the long term: get the kids to agree what the rules are (for example, only one person speaks at a time - OOPS!) Don't talk over them and never shout. Then make your life no harder than it needs to be: ask for advice from your colleagues and if they offer you a lesson plan or a worksheet, take it. Ask to watch experienced teachers do their stuff - it can be awe inspiring. Look outside your own subject: wonderful ideas from different departments.You've got 40 years to perfect your teaching techniques, so stand on the shoulders of giants when you start.
Use textbooks and the exercises in them: no they're not creative, but, as I said, 40 years to become creative. Try to make it as interesting and fun as you can, but remember both you and the kids need some quiet time too. Not every lesson needs to be singing and dancing: tell the kids that, if they want fun, the quid pro quo is quiet sensible work at the appropriate time. But most of all, pace yourself. Don't beat yourself up about being perfect all the time ... you can't/won't be. Don't set more work than you can reasonably mark ... and don't feel a failure if you occasionally flick-and-tick. If something doesn't work, it's not a disaster, it's something you have learnt ... and it might (and probably will!) work fine with a different group. And ask the kids what they think works ... and what they find useful ... and what they enjoy.
Most of all, don't run yourself into the ground. Don't work every evening and set aside at least one evening and a whole day when you don't even think about work. Keep your non-teaching friends - they are precious.
And don't try to impress staff in your new school. If you are a good person and committed to the kids, they will be impressed. They're shrewd old buggers and won't be taken in by much. But you could provide a tin of biscuits for the staffroom, just to get off on a good footing!
And enjoy it ... it's a wonderful job and you will change peoples' lives.
2006-09-04 02:47:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
While you are observing (usually you do not take all of the classes at once) use a seating chart and work on learning the names before you take over the class. When I did my student teaching the first student I called on was really shocked that I knew her name. I think that it helped for me to gain control over the classroom right away.
Always have a back up. When I first started I would think that an activity may take 15 minutes but it ended up taking 5. One thing that I did was write the minutes after an activity and then added them up to be sure that it equaled 50. Be realistic about how much time you think something will take.
Do not ask to just use the teachers files. Make up your own things. My cooperating teacher told me that before me she had vowed to never have a student teacher again. The person never tried to do anything on her own. She always wanted to raid the files and not create anything. She told me that she was very pleased at how I tried to make things and put forth a lot of effort. When I left she pulled out a ton of things from her files to share with me.
My school just hired a girl who student taught last semester. I think that this is kind of rare. She did coach however and I think that this helped her to get to know the administration. She also had good class control.
When in doubt be sure to ask your cooperating teacher for advice. She will be glad that you asked rather than do the wrong thing.
2006-09-04 03:43:10 · answer #2 · answered by Melanie L 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get the discipline in place from the first second you enter the classroom-without this you have nothing. When you have your own class spend as long as it takes to get it right. I remember wanting my class to put up their chairs and stand quietly before they left the room. The first night i finished the lesson 5 minutes early. Then expressed my wishes and made them happen-by repeating the exercise 4 times-chairs up/chairs down etc until it was right. They knew i meant business and the next day it was lovely and quiet first time-no more problems.
If you are young, don't try to be the kids friends or tell other teachers their job!
The PGCE will be the hardest year of your life it is very intensive so don't plan anything else-including a social life! Best of luck!
2006-09-04 04:15:27 · answer #3 · answered by smac1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You will be on a steep learning curve. It should give you loads of experience of planning and the national curriculum. Keep a good planning file. Updated and organised. If it is anything like the course I was on you will be worked very hard. As for placement schools, the best way to impress them is to get involved. I don't know if you are primary or secondary, but as well as the lessons and planning and marking and preparing, I got involved with the Christmas shows, the school fetes, the sports day, the summer fete, football tournaments, social evenings etc etc. The school I was placed in had 5 PGCE students. Just myself and one other turned up to all the school events in an out of school hours. I can tell you it was noticed. We both were given contracts at the school afterwards. Be friendly and be yourself. Most teachers are very helpful and are willing to share their experience and advice. They are your best resource. Don't forget the PGCE can't train you in everything. Class assemblies, writing reports, parent evenings, teaching mixed age classes, were all a mystery to me! Don't panic though. There are plenty of CPD courses after you graduate in your NQT year. Good luck and enjoy yourself.
2006-09-04 02:10:26 · answer #4 · answered by keefer 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Don't be afraid to contribute your own ideas- for one, they may be new and refreshing since you're coming from college. It will also show your placement school that you are willing to dive in and make a difference. You don't want to simply be a passive observer.
Expect the students to really take to you at first and want to be your friend- this might make it harder on you when it comes time to disciplining them. Once they learn (and you learn) that you're also an authority figure, things will get easier.
Ask for input from your cooperating teacher. He/she will appreciate your desire to learn from them, and it will make it easier for them to "give up" their classroom. Sometimes it's hard for them; sometimes they wish you'd do it more, lol.
Try your hardest to learn the names of people you see on a regular basis- I wish I would have done this more because I ended up being offered a job at my placement school and found myself still learning names my first year of real teaching.
You won't feel like your classes prepared you for a lot of what you'll face- that's because they can't. The experience is the best way to learn, so don't freak out if things don't always go as planned. Oh, and those incredibly long and involved unit plans they had you make in college- they won't work out the same in a real classroom setting.
Best of luck! I think you'll find it to be refreshingly challenging yet much easier than you initially expected.
2006-09-04 09:15:29 · answer #5 · answered by elizabeth_ashley44 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Flexibility is key. You may think you have the tightest most interesting lesson in the world - then the overhead won't work or the dvd player breaks etc and you are left with 20 kids just looking at you expecting something to happen!. You always have to have a plan B. Good teachers think on their feet and always have a little time filler when they need one.
2006-09-04 02:17:58 · answer #6 · answered by inauspicious 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Hang onto your optimism as long as you can. Leave the job when that has been crushed to death. Expect your whole life from now on to be taken over by your job (even walking along the beach you will find yourself collecting bits for school). Most important put the children first and try to make bridges with the parents and recognise those times - and cherish them - when the light bulb comes on in a child's eyes after you have succeeded in helping them learn/understand something. Rip up the National Curriculum!!
2006-09-04 10:43:00 · answer #7 · answered by Izzy 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
oh my goodness, having just qualified my advice would be give up your life!! Seriously you wont have one on this course it is EVIL! They should use it as interigation. No joke, the worst course ever!!! If this doesn't scare you you are in the right profession!!! My real advice is this...Plan as far in advance as humanly possible. Be creative and have back ups (for example any games, improv' or personal skills) availavle. Put everything else second, partners included and go for it!!! Good luck!
And as for your placement schools don't go out to impress...be yourself and work hard. Try to get to know kids names (seriously, the quicker the better) and attend staff meetings.
2006-09-04 01:52:03 · answer #8 · answered by Nottingham man 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am student teaching right now, and I love it! Being in your shoes, my best advise is to work your butt off! I always get to school early, and make sure I really get to know how the school works, the staff, and the students. My school also requires that we get involved in helping wh/ extra curricular activities. That shoes that you are willing to go above and beyond. Other than that, I would just be yourself and enjoy your experience. Learn all you can from your cooperating teacher and don't forget to offer ideas too. Have fun!!
2006-09-04 10:54:23 · answer #9 · answered by dawn 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As a teacher trainer, I can suggest to expect in the following points in your training session.
methodology of teaching
Activity design( group work pair work)
lesson plan design
action research
Reflective practice
observation( peer observation)
Peer teaching
classroom management
conducting group discussion, pair work
motivation
shema activation
and so on.
2006-09-04 23:21:35 · answer #10 · answered by digendra 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋