[Paul J]

I concur with the general opinion that the PGCE area of the forum is a great addition. I know that I, and many who I trained with, would have found it a valuable and useful place to let off steam and generate ideas. Just a few words then from somone who went through the process last year. In reply to rksullivan I'm not sure that you are supposed to know the difference between your PDP, lesson plan file, professional studies file and all the rest yet, I'm not sure I know the difference now.

The first few weeks tend to be very theory heavy, but do take the time to get to know others on the course, they can provide invaluable support later in the year, for advice, a friendly ear or just a beer at the end of the week.

If possible set up a forum for the members of your PGCE group, to share practice and expriences both good and bad, and point them towards this site of course.

Try not to worry too much about the first placement, you'll be surprised how receptive students can be, even to someone on teacher training, if you have confidence, are well prepared and demonstrate an enthusiasm for being in the classroom.

Try to remember, above all else, to have fun, look for the little moments of progress, or when something you try to do comes off, and remember them, if you can do that then your on the way.
Good luck and keep posting

[Lesley Ann]

rksullivan, on Sep 21 2003, 03:14 PM, said:

Just started on a PGCE at Christchurch College Canterbury. 

So far so confusing...I seem to have amassed my own body weight in booklets, handouts, paper I have to have, paper I don't need yet and leaflets!  I can't tell my teaching file from my journal and frankly Im sitting in the Library in a state of deeeep confusion trying to figure out which bit of the 10 million things that have to be handed in this week I should start first! 

...but seriously...it is heavy going, Im sure things will click in to place (eventually) but it will be good to know that we can support each other, old timers, or terrified newbies like myself. 

---

Ruth

Welcome Ruth!

Arh the first day on the course is rather daunting...bit like your first day at primary school.

My learning curve shot up vertically very fast!

When I got into my placement...I was placed in a school miles away from my digs and had to get up at 6am every morning to get a very early taxi..to travel up the M6....it used to take 90 minutes to travel to the school...I was sooo tired I had to take a nap when I got in from placement before I could start planning lessons.

I spent two hours planning my first lesson and my first worksheet took 3 hours to make...at the time I was kinda concerned how I was ever going to cope being in a fulltime job...but lesson planning and making resources soon become much quicker to do!

Enjoy your PGCE - this is the time you can take risks with lessons...do what you want....experiment with teaching and learning styles!

[Rachel Juckes]

We have schools!

The list went up on the board this morning. Thankfully I'm in a school about 6 miles away, but given I live about 36 miles from Durham, I think that the situation is probably to the benefit of both parties. I'm quite happy with my placement though, and am really looking forward to going in there next week. monday is the first day. Eek.

Other than that, my brain feels like it is about to explode, and I'm absolutely exhausted.

There was a universal panic of "what if the kids kick off?" "What if I can't control a class?" etc. Simply admitting this to each other helped enormously as there's always the worry that everyone else is going to be fine, and it's only you who's going to have trouble coping. This fear has been partly laid to rest by the visiting NQTs who told us about how it all went wrong for them, but then something happened, and it all worked out ok in the end. We're not being told it will all be rosy, and I do really think that we're getting a painfully honest view of the classroom.

There seems to be so much to take in, and yet I don't think we've even really started the course properly yet.

I hope I survive my first day at the school on Monday, but I have faith. I now expect something to go hideously wrong, and in some ways, I really hope it does as then I'll feel better equipped to cope when something goes wrong to me when I'm on my own.

Hope I don't come across as being deluded and too up myself, but I am feeling really good about all this at the moment. If I do sound too uppity, let's just blame my ignorance of what's yet to come.

[Andrew Field]

Hello Dave and welcome to the forum. You have lots of good questions (and a few 'other' questions ). I think what you might like to do is either start a new topic in the PGCE forum for specific PGCE things (just press NEW TOPIC), or if you're after a more general response you can start a new topic on the main area. You should also have a look at the 'find what you're looking for' and 'search' options at the top of the screen. There might be an older topic that you could refer to and / or post your questions in.

This one we're trying to keep a general ongoing topic as a PGCE diary where people post their general experiences they progress through their course. Please feel free to start new posts on other topics as you see fit.

[Sheridan]

Hey there everyone,

This is a great idea. I was posting last year, and worrying about the same things too! I have now just started at the Institute for Education, awaiting first placement and hoping that it won't be in Hackney (where I live)!

So far it's been enjoyable, and enlightening. I'd be happy to link up with people in the area and swap ideas. I would say that my first essay is all about the debates that have occured over the history curriculum since the 1980's, and that John Simkin's debate about the Summer school has proven very useful for a brief run down of the "new history".

I am reading myself to death, but enjoying it........


Feel free to mail me personally.

Sheridan

[Lou Phillips]

Just beginning my third week, apart from being totally knocked out by tonsilitis at the end of last week, I think things are going well. Had some interesting discussions about mixed ability teaching vs. setting and in the curriculum studies part of the course we have been focussing on lesson starters and "ISMs", all quite good but I want to get down to the really nitty-gritty of "doing" lessons now!

We have two weeks to observe in schools starting monday, with particular focus on Year 7 pupils and asking questions relating to our professional studies course. I don't think I'm ready to be let loose on the country's unsuspecting youth yet!

Hope everyone else is doing ok... will keep you posted!

[Rachel Juckes]

Day one on placement and I survived!

I think that taking digestives in with you is always a good way to get them to like you!!

Scary, scary day and I surprised myself when I realised just how terrified of a herd of year 9s I was.

Other than that, I thought the teaching was great, and I think that I've got some good things from it. Was interesting to spot different methods of teaching by the different teachers.

Am following 5/6 classes tomorrow so once again am terrified at the thought, but am also really looking forward to getting back into it all again tomorrow and will be there bright eyed and bushy tailed at just gone 8am tomorrow morning!

Rachel (Miss Juckes to you lot at the back!!!)

This post has been edited by racheljuckes: 29 September 2003 - 05:05 PM

[Lou Phillips]

There's practically no opportunity for a social life with our course either, from the first day they have been telling us that it is not a fourth year of university but the first year of our professional training and career. Phew! Nothing has been organised for us to get to know each other, we have received nothing from the Students Union about Fresher's week/ sport/ societies etc. I'm actually quite annoyed about it, I'm not 18 any more, I don't plan to be drunk every night, but a couple of get-togethers and the chance to unwind with my fellow PGCE-ers would be nice. Hmph!

[John Simkin]

Lou Phillips, on Sep 30 2003, 01:09 PM, said:

There's practically no opportunity for a social life with our course either, from the first day they have been telling us that it is not a fourth year of university but the first year of our professional training and career. Phew! Nothing has been organised for us to get to know each other, we have received nothing from the Students Union about Fresher's week/ sport/ societies etc. I'm actually quite annoyed about it, I'm not 18 any more, I don't plan to be drunk every night, but a couple of get-togethers and the chance to unwind with my fellow PGCE-ers would be nice. Hmph!

I am surprised by the lack of a social event. I did my PGCE course at Sussex University in 1977. On the Friday night of the first week of the course, the tutors, put on a social event that involved them cooking a meal for all the students. It definitely helped with relationships and also established what the course was all about. The educational philosophy that I still hold after all these years was largely shaped by the tutors on that PGCE course. That of course has involved resisting the proclamations of government ministers over the last 20 years.

[MrsB]

Lou Phillips, on Sep 30 2003, 01:09 PM, said:

There's practically no opportunity for a social life with our course either, from the first day they have been telling us that it is not a fourth year of university but the first year of our professional training and career.

I had some absolutely fab nights out with fellow PGCE'ers when I did mine in York - we went totally wild over half term and turned up for the college lectures looking GREEN
but oh what a laugh and TOTALLY worth it!

HAVE FUN

[Carole Faithorn]

The PGCE course is obviously deadly serious these days. In some ways that's no bad thing I supppose, but it does seem a huge mistake to me not to enable 'bonding' with fellow students and tutors at the beginning of the course.

My experience (Leicester, 1966) was similar to John's and I still have happy memories not so much of 'wild nights out' but of the welcome party at the Prof's house, chatting over coffee in the Junior Common Room, the occasional meal at the Method Tutor's house and of sunny afternoon's learning to play croquet (a truly vicious game!) on the Library lawn right at the end of the course. We socialised together a lot and it helped a great deal when the going got tough on placement to have other students to turn to (by then we knew each other fairly well).

What a pity it's not like that for you, Lou.

Failing the lead by your tutors maybe you could organise a get-together yourselves via the Dept noticeboard?