[Roy Huggins]

Hi Guys,

One of the tasks that I've set myself over the half term is to produce a new PGCE student induction booklet for Mexborough School.

I'm dividing my advice booklet into the following headings:
General advice & expectations
Planning Lessons
Researching and producing new materials
The golden rules on discipline
Host teachers

I already have various policy and curriculum booklets, but I felt that the the above headings were areas that were key areas for develpment.

I'll post my work as I write it up over the next week, but I'd appreciate any advice or feedback that people can give me.

Kind Regards

Roy

This post has been edited by rhuggins: 22 October 2005 - 11:36 AM

[Roy Huggins]

Welcome to Mexborough School! I am sure that you will have loads of questions to ask and to help this process along the department has produced this document to set out its expectations.

General Advice

·A PGCE is one of those unique moments in your teaching career in which you get the opportunity to observe and share good practice with lots of different people and from a wide range of subjects and levels of experience.

·If you find yourself sat in the staff room drinking coffee and passing the time of day, slip into the back of a classroom and observe a lesson.

·Always ask questions and remember ‘that there is no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid people who don’t ask questions.’

The main expectation is that you have a passion for history and an open mind.

·We expect you to be keen and enthusiastic, have a real passion for history and full latest ideas that you will want to share with us at an appropriate time.

You will make mistakes, but the secret is to learn from them. ‘We learn more from our mistakes than we do from our successes.’

Pupils always respond well to people who go the extra mile and make an effort to make lessons fun and exciting. VAK your lessons!

However, you can’t win them all! You can try, make yourself very ill worrying about it, but you also have to learn to know your own limitations.

Never use a university assignment as an excuse, we've all been there. You might think that life is hard now, but just wait until next year!

The school is a community, don’t get involved in politics and always be nice to the guy in the photocopying room!

Always treat the office staff, learning support teachers, cleaners and caretakers with the greatest respect. They are all serving the community and contributing to the life of the school.



Dress Code
Its always hard splashing out on a limited budget, but image is everything in our profession: ‘You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.'

Ideally you should always dress in smart business suit with pair of sensible shoes. The darker the better!

Its a personal choice, but short, close cut hair can enhance your presense with certain classes. A similar effect can be achieved by tying back long hair.

From a strictly health and safety angle it is always better to wear studs than dangly earrings. They can easily be caught on bags or ripped out during scuffles.

Our school has strict codes on jewellery and makeup. It’s very difficult to justify to a pupil why you are disciplining them on these grounds if you yourself are wearing excessive makeup and jewellery. Lead by example and be a good role model.

Parents and children always expect you to look the part. See your outfit as a uniform. You are an actor, so play the part and dress up in role and strut across the classroom like you mean business! There will be plenty of time to adapt your dress code once you have established yourself in your first appointment.

This post has been edited by rhuggins: 01 November 2005 - 08:22 PM

[Andrew Field]

How about some of these Roy? The Teachernet site is a huge hulk of a website, which must have had millions spent on it, but the all-encompassing nature of the site means it has now developed into a really useful place to find support documents:

http://www.teacherne...evelopment/nqt/
http://www.teacherne...g/library/NQTs/

Teachers' TV might also be worth having a look at.

[Roy Huggins]

Planning Lessons

·Keep your documentation up to date and with you at all times as your mentor or host teacher may wish to discuss your lesson preparation at any time.

Follow the planning arrangements set down by your university, but regularly refer to the department’s schemes of work.

When differentiating your lessons refer to the could, should and must on the department scheme of work.

Make sure that you regularly draw upon the experience of your host teacher when planning your lessons. If you are not receiving the support you need then discuss your problems with your school mentor. You are not a cheap cover teacher and are here to learn the tricks of the trade!

However, remember that much of the time spent planning and preparing with host teachers will inevitably happen outside of the allocated training time. You can show your appreciation for this ‘goodwill’ work by being meticulous in providing host teachers with your lesson plans well in advance of your lessons and by displaying initiative in researching new topics and preparing learning materials.

Remember to focus on the learning as well as the teaching outcomes as part of your planning

Variety is the spice of lessons, but make sure that both you and your students clearly understand the aims and objectives of the lesson. You don’t have to stick to three part lessons! There is nothing wrong with having five or six part lessons.

VAK your lessons to meet the needs of the visual, kinaesthetic and audio learner. The department handbook discusses a number of different ways that you can achieve this in your lessons.

If you are planning to take a class of students into ICT suite then make sure that you have read the departments ICT policy, have a Plan B just in case anything goes wrong and that you know the schools logon and password procedure.

When using Internet enabled PCs with students you must deploy a wide range of scanning strategies to ensure that the students are on task and not accessing any inappropriate content.

Whenever practical, please write your lesson aims and objectives on the board for the students. However, it is critical that you do so when you are being observed.

If you want to impress then tick the objectives off as you complete them with a class or at the end of the lesson as part of the plenary.

If you are still struggling with writing aims and objectives I have included a DIY section further on in this booklet.

At the end of each school day the department normally spends a lot of time informally creatively planning and preparing lessons as well as sharing good practice, suporting each other and marking exercise books. The principle being that it is better to get your work out of the way rather than taking it home with you. You are always welcome to come and join in.

This post has been edited by rhuggins: 25 October 2005 - 09:00 AM

[A Finemess]

Great idea Roy but um how shall I put this ... surely much of this should be produced by the teacher education institution rather than the host school?

[Roy Huggins]

I know what you mean, but when I went to a training session for mentors at Huddersfield University last week, I was told that the role of mentors had changed and that the expectation was that the university was quality controlling our judgements rather like an external examiner. It is therefore important that as HOD that I make sure that the student's experience, support and assessment is being standardarised across the department. If folks disagree with the draft proposal within the department then we can use it as a discussion document for agreeing upon the standards that we expect of ourselves and the student teachers.

Another reason for producing this booklet is to make sure that the students understand where the base line is for the department so that they don't have to second guess where I'm coming from. Also I believe very strongly from previous experience that good initial input and high expecations results in good eduactional outputs and high expectations from student teachers.

I've posted my ramblings that I'm typing up in this half term because I need help and advice to produce a good model. Who better to ask than student teachers and trainers? How many folks are in school placements and still don't know what the department or mentors expects of them?

I'm open to all good advice? Am I expecting too much or too little?

This post has been edited by rhuggins: 23 October 2005 - 09:18 AM

[Nick Dennis]

I've posted a draft of a booklet I had as PGCE student on my website in the fileshare section of my site. It is called 'PGCE starterbooklet'.

This post has been edited by Nick Dennis: 22 October 2005 - 02:29 PM

[Roy Huggins]

Researching and producing new teaching materials

There are lots of brilliant websites such as www.schoolhistory.co.uk or the South Yorkshire VLE, which have a large repository of worksheets, PowerPoints, online lessons and flash interactive games that you can download and use in your lessons.

The history department at Mexborough School prides itself on its creativity and innovation at making new teaching materials and sharing them not just within the department but the wider history teaching community. When you first arrived at Mexborough School you were given five DVDs of teaching and learning resources. Your first assignment is to familiarise yourself with them and secondly to share them with other students on your course. The only way to push back the boundaries of good practice is to share, collaborate and innovate.

Don’t panic! Its is hard to be creative and you won’t be expected to run before you can walk, but we will expect you to adapt and produce new teaching materials to suit the needs of your students. Whenever necessary we can provide with training on how to use:

· Smart Notes
· Interactive Whiteboards
· PowerPoint
· Word
· Windows Movie Maker
· Game Show Presenter
· Fling the Teacher
· Walk the Plank
· Penalty Shoot Out
· Hot Potatoes

We also look to you to help keep us updated on the latest ideas and whenever possible to help train us. Education is a life a long activity and a two way process. There is no such thing as an expert in this profession because the pace of change is so fast that you will often find yourself running to stand still!

When making new resources you will find a very health collection of history pictures and video files in the relevant resource folder on the school network. You should also be given a variety of curriculum support booklets that are based upon various teaching packs that we have purchased to support the textbooks that we use. We also have a very large collection single edition textbooks and teaching resources in our reference library. Please return resources that you have borrowed as soon as possible. You are welcome to keep as many copies of worksheets as you wish when you leave the school, but please return all text and reference books as I have had to beg and make many sacrifices to make sure that my students have the resources they need to achieve their full potential. If in doubt ask!

[Roy Huggins]

Golden Rules on Classroom Management

There are no hard and fast rules on personality projection and classroom management. The secret is to observe, borrow, model and adapt the style of successful teachers around you to suit your own personality. Mexborough School has a very strict system of assertive discipline, sanctions and rewards that will be explained to you during your induction process.

Listed below is some advice that I have distilled from my own experience and the best practice of other teachers.

General Advice

Before the start of the lesson.

·Never allow a class into an untidy classroom
·Make the students line up outside of the classroom and then monitor their school uniform before they enter the classroom.
·Always insist on ‘Miss’ or ‘Sir.’

Entry to the classroom

·Stand by the classroom door and monitor the students as they enter the classroom
·Make the class stand behind their chairs and insist on silence
·When everyone has entered the classroom, greet the class and then let them sit down

Lesson Time

·Delegate the giving out of textbooks and worksheets to a student
·Give out the exercise books so that you can learn their names
·Do not allow anyone out of his or her place without permission
·Insist on students putting up their hands to answer questions or make requests
·Insist on good manners and make sure that you always say please and thank you
·Keep scanning the classroom at all times and make eye contact with the students whilst you are talking
·Discipline any student who talks at the same time as you
·Use the discipline as appropriate, but keep on mentoring the students that they have a choice and that they are putting themselves into detention, not you.
·Never shout unless you really have too. This should be a last resort
·Never make threats that you do not intend to carry out.
·Apologise if you make a mistake or break a promise or commitment
·Look for opportunities to praise whenever possible
·Be calm, assertive and fair. Never lose it or cry in public
·Avoid conflict or confrontational situations with difficult students in public. Send them outside to calm down and then discipline them in private without an audience.
·If a student refuses to go to the remove then ask the class to stand behind their chairs and line-up outside the classroom. Leave the student sat on his or her own and send for either the HOD or a deputy head.

At the end of the lesson

·Make the students stand behind their chairs
·Make the students put their chairs away and straighten up their desks
·Make eye contact and insist on silence and then dismiss the class with a friendly good morning or afternoon
·Dismiss the class in rows or groups at a time.

Hum … this sounds a little control freakery! It does, but it works. For example, during the course of any lesson you need to assert your authority. It is better to assert your authority at the start to calm the class down than have a disorganised start to the lesson with students arriving in dribs and drabs with you having to shout ‘Thank you, can you be quiet or can we start now.’

It is hard creating a presence, but the key is routine. Students like to know where they stand and they love routines. It makes them feel safe, especially if their own personal lives are very disorganised and unsafe!

Body Language

·Try and avoid playing with your hair, biting your nails or folding your arms. These all convey nervousness. Children smell fear!
·A good classic pose is a Henry VIII stance with your hands on your hips and an evil laugh!
·Make eye contact. Keep scanning the classroom. If a pupil is talking or fiddling you might be able to refocus them by seeking out eye contact.
·Use your body language to communicate your authority, click your fingers or move in the general direction of disruption
·When explaining something to a class expose your palms to convey truthfulness and honesty.

Voice

·Breath deeply in order to help project your voice and convey authority
·Breathing deeply also has a calming effect in stressful situations
·Instruct, command and teach in Standard English when addressing the class
·Change your tone and explain one to one in normal relaxed English
·Rather than shouting you can sometimes quieten a class down by speaking quietly but assertively
·Only shout as a last resort. If you over use shouting children will ignore you.
·Try and avoid irritating habits like finishing a sentence by saying ‘OK.’ You do not need their approval. You are the teacher!

Summary

These are only suggestions and you will adapt your own style over time. However, always remember:
·You are the adult. Be calm, in control and assertive
·Create routines and stick to them
·Create a seating plan and learn their names
·Stress the importance of respect and that what goes around comes around
When handing out consequences make sure that students understand that they have a choice!

This post has been edited by rhuggins: 23 October 2005 - 09:20 AM

[Roy Huggins]

Hi Guys,

What do you think? Is this advice helpful or OTT? Would it help a student teacher coming into my school or scare them to death?

I'm open to suggestions?

I shall begin work on my advice to host teachers within my department tomorrow. If anyone has any ideas then please post them or even forward them onto me. One piece of advice that Huddersfield wanted passing on for example was: If possible set a draw or cupboard space aside in your classroom so that the student teacher can store their resources. It might sound like common sense, but what practical advice can I give my department to help make your life easier.

Roy

[Rachel Co]

good idea. I got loads of great advice from my the school where i'm on diagnostic practice and the department i'm in are great. I just remember how nervous i was as i hadnt a clue what time to be there, what to wear etc.

[ahoney]

I think this is a fantastic idea and thank you for allowing us to view your ideas, suggestions for PGCE students, I will be watching this post with interest. One suggestion I would add (if that's ok) to people who mentor, rather than the students, is to treat the student as an equal. By that and this is not my experience but others on my course, allow them to be able to have full access to the department, and give them a key to open doors. I am fortunate because I do have one (after a little persuasion, no other students had one before), however my colleagues on the course and there are quite a few do not! I cant think of anything worse than having to wait in the morning to be allowed in to the department office, or waiting on a teacher to let you into the class that you are teaching - after all what message is that sending to the pupils! It can be very demoralising for the student that feels that they are not one of the team, however short the placement.

Once again, thank you for this post I look forward to the next installment. I will also be advising others from my course to read it.

[Roy Huggins]

The sorts of things that I'm thinking of including are:

Space to store resources and put up wall displays
Keys are a problem - 6 different sets in our department - so making sure that students can gain access to the classroom is a high priority.
Including students in department meetings, agendas and minutes
Making sure that they have access to laptop and desktops to operate the IWB
Marker pens for the blackboard
Their own class set of highlighter pens
Making sure that the students know where to send for you in the event of emergency or discipline problem

What else would be useful?

What sort of things should we not ask students to do?

This post has been edited by rhuggins: 23 October 2005 - 11:46 AM

[Andrew Field]

rhuggins, on Oct 23 2005, 12:41 PM, said:

What else would be useful?

What sort of things should we not ask students to do?

To find more I think you really need to use the documentation that PGCE (and other) students are given. Use the guidance from those extensive folders.

[A Finemess]

Quote

·Try and avoid playing with your hair, biting your nails or folding your arms. These all convey nervousness. Children smell fear!
·A good classic pose is a Henry VIII stance with your hands on your hips and an evil laugh!

There's nothing here with which, after all these years of experience, I would disagree Roy. However I think it might be a bit over detailed and over prescriptive. I'm thinking of a student actually trying to remember all this and put it into practice and I can't help but be reminded of the Danny Kaye film where he has to remember how to survive a duel ...

The vessel with the pestle is the brew that is true. He leans to the left so aim to the right. Not that's the other way round surely!"
"

Sometimes less is more?

I do like the summary though.

This post has been edited by Andrew Field: 23 October 2005 - 04:30 PM