[DAJ Belshaw]

'Real' teaching is much easier than teaching during your PGCE year. When you're a proper teacher, as it were, you can let your foot off the pedal sometimes for a lesson, and just get to know your pupils better. Also, building up generic resources is perhaps one of the most important things you can do. Therefore, whatever school you go into, you should unashamedly scavange for resources. Also, scour the Internet (and especially this forum) for ideas. You should always have an 'escape route' in case things go wrong. It's this flexibility, plus behaviour management skills, which constitutes the gap between the student teacher and the experienced professional (in my opinion!)

Doug

This post has been edited by DAJ Belshaw: 06 October 2005 - 05:26 PM

[Rachel Juckes]

Ah yes... teaching that first, first lesson. It's awful, but it's great to have it done with and to be able to think "I did it!!"

I never liked having people watch me as I was just so scared of doing something wrong (with witnesses to it!) that I used to think that they were there scrutinising me and wondering whether or not they were going to keep me.

However, now I say the more the merrier. To be confident in yourself to the point that you don't care if anyone comes in to watch you or not is the key in my opinion.

That said, I have my first NQT observation tomorrow and I'm not looking forward to it one bit. Although I do walk out of plenty lessons thinking "Now why couldn't they have observed that one?" so I do feel slightly better about it.

And that was said to stress the point that we're all still learning. It's a phrase you hear to death, but it's true. I went to go and see my mentor the other day as his class were leaving and his first words were "That's the worst lesson I've ever taught."

As an ex-Durham PGCEer, I seem to recall words along the lines of: "On your own - you're strong, as a group - you're invincible" Take comfort in the strengths of those around you, but never forget the first bit. You're strong on your own already. That's what will see you through.

Oh, and keep smiling.

Rachel.

p.s. sorry for the waffle!

[ahoney]

I cant believe how quickly the time has flown - week 4 Done and dusted! I finally feel that some of it is starting to fall into place. It has been a good week, I now have my timetable and as of next week I will be actively participating in teaching history I must admit I am slightly nervous about my first lesson even though I will be only taking the last 20 minutes, I have to round up about Medieval food and farming and then introduce the history of the calender and its use with regards to harvesting etc, any ideas would be greatfully appreciated.

However, getting back to this week, 3 days at the placement school and I am loving it, I think its because they really are a great department and I have a fantastic mentor (I hope I am as lucky in the next placement). I have been observing my classes and the different teaching styles (you get so much from this)I also have started to sort out my teaching files, I have also experienced an inset day and an open evening - so it really has been non-stop!!! Thursday was spent at Uni and we watched a really good seminar on 'creating cultures for learning' - Behaviour management. Fantastic (if only you could bottle this kind of advice) I felt I really benefitted from the workshop and I hope to take some of what we were taught and put it into practice next week. Friday, is one of my favourite days as it is spent with the subject tutor and my colleagues. It is always good to catch up and listen to how everyone else is getting on. So thats it, another week closer

Now, just a weekend of reading, reorganising files, gathering my evidence for standards, cross referencing and linking to standards log, planning a couple of lessons and of course trying to have some kind of home life! And this is the quiet period.

[Rachel Juckes]

ahoney, on Oct 7 2005, 05:00 PM, said:

I also have started to sort out my teaching files

I read this and thought of a post Seb Phillips did ages ago. As he says himself, it's overkill, but personally I wish I'd read it at the start of my course, and not after I'd handed everything in. Here's the bulk of his text.

Quote

I did it this way:

Take one plastic folder for each standard.

Write out the standard onto a sheet of otherwise blank A4. Put this into the folder.

Put thw whole lot into one (or more) ring binder files.

Every time you hit that standard, photcopy the evidence and make a note on the sheet. If it applies to several standards, photocopy it multiple times and put one copy into each folder.


Some you hit a lot, some you have to work hard to hit at all - this shows you which is which.

If you are having real problems hitting a standard, ask your uni or placement school how you go about doing so. Remember, sometimes the 'evidence' you need can be nothing more than a personal statement of how you have dealt with a problem.

When I handed my folder in during the last tutorial, I was told this was overkill, but thanks very much because it made life so much easier for everyone.

Original thread to this is here: http://www.schoolhis...208&#entry39208

Keep bouncing!

Rachel.

[Rachel Co]

Rachel Juckes, on Oct 6 2005, 07:52 PM, said:

As an ex-Durham PGCEer, I seem to recall words along the lines of: "On your own - you're strong, as a group - you're invincible" Take comfort in the strengths of those around you, but never forget the first bit. You're strong on your own already. That's what will see you through.

So this must mean you had Martin Richardson and Glynn as your tutors. They are mad aren't they. but feel glad that they are there to offer support to us all!

[DAJ Belshaw]

Rachel C, on Oct 8 2005, 02:33 PM, said:

So this must mean you had Martin Richardson and Glynn as your tutors. They are mad aren't they. but feel glad that they are there to offer support to us all!

Indeed. And after recently coming across the letter Martin wrote in support of my application for the job at my current school, I can confirm that they write very supportive references!

Doug

[ahoney]

Rachel Juckes, on Oct 7 2005, 06:59 PM, said:

ahoney, on Oct 7 2005, 05:00 PM, said:

I also have started to sort out my teaching files

I read this and thought of a post Seb Phillips did ages ago. As he says himself, it's overkill, but personally I wish I'd read it at the start of my course, and not after I'd handed everything in. Here's the bulk of his text.

Quote

I did it this way:

Take one plastic folder for each standard.

Write out the standard onto a sheet of otherwise blank A4. Put this into the folder.

Put thw whole lot into one (or more) ring binder files.

Every time you hit that standard, photcopy the evidence and make a note on the sheet. If it applies to several standards, photocopy it multiple times and put one copy into each folder.


Some you hit a lot, some you have to work hard to hit at all - this shows you which is which.

If you are having real problems hitting a standard, ask your uni or placement school how you go about doing so. Remember, sometimes the 'evidence' you need can be nothing more than a personal statement of how you have dealt with a problem.

When I handed my folder in during the last tutorial, I was told this was overkill, but thanks very much because it made life so much easier for everyone.

Original thread to this is here: http://www.schoolhis...208&#entry39208

Keep bouncing!

Rachel.

I just wanted to thank you Rachel for your help and support, I have taken the advice with regards to the filing of the standards (completed in 2 hours) this morning. Although it did take some time, it did seem much clearer once I had put them all together like this. Thank you also for your personal message, you are an inspiration
Regards

[Rachel Co]

Rachel C, on Oct 8 2005, 02:33 PM, said:

Rachel Juckes, on Oct 6 2005, 07:52 PM, said:

As an ex-Durham PGCEer, I seem to recall words along the lines of: "On your own - you're strong, as a group - you're invincible" Take comfort in the strengths of those around you, but never forget the first bit. You're strong on your own already. That's what will see you through.

So this must mean you had Martin Richardson and Glynn as your tutors. They are mad aren't they. but feel glad that they are there to offer support to us all!

I'll keep that in mind when i start applying!

[ahoney]

Welcome to the world of teaching! I took my first lesson today (well part of it anyway) I had to give an introduction on the use of the calendar and farming in medieval times. Bit wobbly to start with, forgot a few lines but over all I think it went really well. I was fortunate though because I had a class of delighful year 7's and I always feel they are much more accomodating of it all. It was really a wonderful experience and I was amazed at how quick the time went! I really know now, this is where I want to be

[JaneMoore]

FANTASTIC

The feeling you describe doesn't happen often, but every now and again - makes it all worthwhile!

[Rachel Juckes]

Congratulations!!

As Neil Armstong almost said "One small step for ahoney... one giant leap for her teaching career!!" It'll never be that daunting again.

Well done on getting the first one over!

R.

[Rachel Co]

Taught second lesson yesterday. It wasn't planned but i was sat on my non-contact time reading yr10 text book when a load of yr 7s turned up. Class teacher nowhere to be seen, knew his form group had assembly and that it must of over run. well, i couldn't just leave them. Even though this was GEOGRAPHY i really enjoyed it. Thank fully the work was written on the board and the text books were all on desks. But hey, they are yr 7 and wouldn't have done anything if not pushed. Really really enjoyed it. Other teacher was sat in office and he heard my teaching and said i seemed much more confident etc and was a lot clearer.

Only problem is, i'm poorly. Already come down with kiddy germs. So, not at school today. Feel awful about not going in and worried about how it will effect my course etc.

[sarahn]

Don't worry about it - take the time that you need to recover (and think about making resources if you can manage it!). You'll not be up for teaching if you're not well...
Your Geography lesson sounds good!

[Carole Faithorn]

Well done on the Colouring-in lesson and quite an achievement too at this stage of your training.

Sorry to hear you are poorly but as Sarah has said ... you need all your strength to teach properly and spreading germs does your colleagues and students no good.

Don't go rushing back before you are properly better. There are plenty of people here who'd wish they had not done so and no institution is going to fall apart if you are not there for a couple of days.

Hope you feel better soon.

[MsW]

I taught for the first time yesterday and it was brilliant! A v enthusiastic and compliant Yr7 group made it a pleasure and a thrill to begin to teach. I have to take a whole lesson with Yr9 next week, something tells me they might not be quite so overjoyed to be chosen to answer my questions...

Just a few reflections on my experience:

It's so difficult to deal with 30 individuals at once, I think I managed the group as a whole fairly well but I don't know if I included everyone or if everyone one understood. I made sure I involved the two SEN kids and chose a range of people to answer but I felt a bit overwhelmed by sheer numbers!

It's hard to remember everything you plan to say! I didn't want to read off a script but how do you keep everything in your head at once?

Using ICT is great! The kids loved it, they were falling over themselves to come up to the front and point out details/draw on powerpoint slides. I think there's an argument about too much of a good thing but the sheer variety of stuff you can do is amazing and needn't get boring.

One question though, how can you keep the whole class involved when a small group are presenting/doing something on the board at the front? My presenters were so excited and wanted to tell me in great detail everything they could see in their scene but kept blocking the view of the rest of the class. I tried to get them to stand to one side and directed questions to the whole class but at times I felt I lost some people at the back.

Just a few thoughts, all comments and suggestions gratefully received