[Tom H]

Well with only three weeks to go until I start my PGCE in History and Citizenship it seems the right time to start this thread and continue the traditions set by Rachel, Carl and ahoney etc.

So... are there any others out there about to start a PGCE in History as well? Are you nervous, excited and so many other feelings rolled into one? I know I am! How are people getting on with the preparation for the course? I know I've been given a lot of preperation work to do!! Also to the more established out there are there any tips you can give us 'newbies' on preparing for the PGCE?

As is the tradition, I'll be posting my feelings, thoughts, etc as I go through my PGCE journey - and I hope others will as well

[ahoney]

Tom H, on Aug 27 2006, 04:14 PM, said:

Also to the more established out there are there any tips you can give us 'newbies' on preparing for the PGCE?

If I can offer you one piece of advice Tom from someone who knows! Only do what you really need to do and no more, otherwise you will burn out (believe me I know!)

I wish you and your colleagues every success in your PGCE year

This post has been edited by ahoney: 27 August 2006 - 04:59 PM

[LBarnes]

Tom,

When I did my PGCE (three years ago) I loved it and I am sure that you will. The best piece of advice I can give is make sure that you get the support/advice that you need both from your University mentor and your school based mentors. The people who struggled the most on my course were those who had problems with their (school) mentors - unfortunately some are good and some are not so good! If you have any problems don't be afraid to shout out!

Leanne

[Ginny B]

Good luck Tom. This will be the toughest year of your life so far but it will also be very rewading and life changing. There are plenty of excellent friends on here who will guide you through and offer help and support when you need it (and you will need it!).

Rest when you can and keep a little time for yourself, you're in for quite a ride!

[Gidz]

Good luck, work hard, keep your head down in the staffroom and up in the classroom.........!

[Carl Fazackerley]

ahoney, on Aug 27 2006, 05:32 PM, said:

If I can offer you one piece of advice Tom from someone who knows! Only do what you really need to do and no more, otherwise you will burn out (believe me I know!)

I can add to that! It will very often feel as though no matter how much you are doing that it isn't enough - it's normal to feel like this and you will not be alone.

Another really important thing to remember is that everyone will make progress at different speeds; I left at the end of some of the university days feeling like I just wasn't cutting it because others seemed to be flying where I was struggling. What they are telling you and reality are likely very different things!

-->

Rest when you can and keep a little time for yourself, you're in for quite a ride!
[/quote]

An excellent piece of advice! I was told the same at the beginning of my PGCE last year. If you don't make time for yourself and doing other things the PGCE can become all consuming!

Good luck Tom and I look forward to reading your posts!

"Ernest Hemingway: In order to be a great writer a person must have a built- in, shockproof - crap detector."

[AdamCrawte]

My advice is to use the year to try everything out and plan some all singing and all dancing lessons. You won't have as much time to plan lessons once you go full time and I am still using lessons I planned when I was a trainee. Also you have nothing to fear if it all goes nipples up you will be leaving the school in a a few weeks have a go!

In addition to this do some extra curicular stuff (sports, clubs) it will put you above others when applying for jobs

[Rachel C]

This may seem like a fairly lame piece of advice, but take a pen to the staffroom with you. The amount of time i wasted taking forms and notes to and from my pigeon hole and classroom when all most of them needed was a quick signature or a couple of lines. And yes, you'd think there'd be pens already in the staffroom!

[sarahn]

Rachel is absolutely right. I also kept a pack of herbal tea, and a lip balm in my tray in the staff room as my classroom was so far away!

Good luck all

[Tom H]

Hi guys!

Thought it was about time for me to post an update! Only two weeks to go now, and I've been taking Carole's advice on making sure I take a break from my preparation; although everything else has been really busy! I've bought a couple more books to help me with a couple of the pre-course tasks I've been set; but apart from that done nothing... well almost nothing. The place where I was temping up until Friday had a problem with the computer network on Tuesday - they didn't come online till 4pm, so I read part of 'Learning to teach History in the Secondary School' - a very interesting read!

Having now finished work, this week I'm aiming to be more productive since I'm going away for a few days next week to have a proper break before the start of the course. Also just wanted to say thank you to all of the people who have posted their preparation tips - it's much appreciated by me, and I'm sure it will be by other PGCErs who will hopefully discover this thread soon.

[Nicola]

Hi Tom and everyone!,

Hello!I I thought that I would join you. I am also starting a history PGCE course in a few weeks time and like you am trying to get as much reading done as possible before I start. I can't believe how quickly the summer has flown by and I am now starting to panic that have not done hald as much prep as I should have.Sounds daft but i am also very worried about the QTS maths test. Maths has always been my weakest subject and I am dreading it. I really do not want to fail too many times. How you started looking at these tests yet? Or am I worrying too soon!?!
Like you,I have also been reading Learning to teach history in the secondary school which i have found really helpful. I also read Sue Crowley's Getting the Buggers to Behave which i thought was a great,very easy to read book about behaviour management. I am also trying to get through a couple of the other theory type books on my reading list but there is only so much i can do,what with moving house, getting mentally prepared for starting uni again and working part time. I just hope that i am doing enough. This week and next i am going through the NC and swotting up on my weaker subjects and making sure that i have enough books and resources at hand.
I don't know if its just me being a shopper holic but i have also been spending quite a bit of money on teaching stuff, what with buying a couple of suits , books, a laptop, the odd poster here and there, and charity shop books. I need to be careful with my pennies! I am quite enjoying it though. I can imagine that with subjects like history one could get carried away with buying things for the classroom!!
I think having time off is a really good idea. Lots of my friends who did the course last year told me to do this, to make the most of your last long summer holiday and although i have worked, i have made sure that have had a break so hopefully i will be refreshed and ready for 18th Sept.
I have found this forum incredibly useful over the last year. It has been so helpful and reassuring to read the threads from last years students as well as finding out about all the online teaching resources that there are.I am really glad that you have started this for the 2007 PGCE'ers and i hope to join you in sharing your thoughts about the course, and the training year.
Enjoy your last 2 weeks! and good luck with your course,
Regards, Nicola

[Miss Smith]

"Sounds daft but i am also very worried about the QTS maths test. Maths has always been my weakest subject and I am dreading it."



Don't worry Nicola, you can take the test as many times as you need to, butin my opinion the practice tests that you can download are a great deal more difficult than the real thing. Book in early and get them over and done with - it is one of the many tiresome administrative things that you just have to get done.



Enjoy your PGCE and make the most of the social aspect too, it is an excellent place to make some great friends and also people who you can pool resources with when it all gets a bit stressful.



Good luck.

[Chris R]

Hi Tom, Nicola, et al

Just a quickie to say hi and that I am starting my PGCE on Monday. This time next week ... how scary is that. Anyway I have spent the summer reading to try and fill gaps in my KS3 subject knowledge and still worry their is so much I don't feel totally confident with. I feel I have to know every aspect of topic now rather than the very broad understanding of the who, what, why, when and how I feel I have now I have for some areas now. Have this horrible fear that I'll either come up against some swot whose hobby is say the English Civil War on which he/she knows everything or that the teacher will turn to the class and expect me to answer question that i don't know that answer to and the gaps in my knowledge will be exposed for all to see. I know it probably ain['t going happen but it is a fear I have before I start.

Anyway bring on Monday and good luck to everyone else starting out. Hopefully through forums like this we can provide mutual online support, advice and guidance and try and avoid looking stupid in front of out mentors, lecturers and kids.

Chris

[Anne Piper]

Quote

Have this horrible fear that I'll either come up against some swot whose hobby is say the English Civil War on which he/she knows everything or that the teacher will turn to the class and expect me to answer question that i don't know that answer to and the gaps in my knowledge will be exposed for all to see.

And the solution is to say "What a brilliant question...get out your homework diaries, and for next lesson I want to see how many of you can tell me the answer!"

[Andrew Field]

Anne Piper, on Sep 4 2006, 10:23 PM, said:

Quote

Have this horrible fear that I'll either come up against some swot whose hobby is say the English Civil War on which he/she knows everything or that the teacher will turn to the class and expect me to answer question that i don't know that answer to and the gaps in my knowledge will be exposed for all to see.

And the solution is to say "What a brilliant question...get out your homework diaries, and for next lesson I want to see how many of you can tell me the answer!"

Plus "I am delighted that [swotty] has volunteered to deliver a presentation next lesson - I am really interested to find out more. How marvellous that we have a real historian in the classroom." But don't say this in a patronising way - really mean this.

Seriously, never ever worry about this. Saying "I don't know, but I'd love to find out..." is amongst the best thing to say as a history teacher. Alternatively you can use the "Its not my period..." getout clause.

Great to see lots of new members posting here too - you are all most welcome. Don't hesitate to start any new threads anywhere on the forum. The whole idea of this place is to get support and help. Those who have been here longer often need more help than others.