[Archived] Calling All Teachers

[vintageadidas]

Sam,

Thanks for the advice but i am so confused. I haven't actually done any work today as my mind is all over the place.

I can still enrol on the PGCE full time course at Blackburn College but when i contacted Lancashire Gov for the GTS programme i was told it was closed for this year. I am right in thinking the GTS is paid and fully based in an educational environment?

However, i found the GTTR website and i am currently applying through them (think this is the GTS route). Is this the correct procedure? They have spaces available in Manchester (Universities) on the Business and ICT route which i would love to undertake. However, does this mean i can only teach in a Uni and not in a Secondary environment?

I have no experience in a classroom setting except a friend is trying to get me into his class for a day.

[SamTheShrew]

Hello mate,

sorry about the late reply, I've had this annoying virus all day which is ridiculously hard to get rid of!

GTS...I think you mean GTP? to be honest I don't know alot about this route, other than that you have to find a provider to oversee your training, and then also a school for you to work at. This is in effect a job that you are unqualified for, but where you train on the job - thrown in the deep end as it were. I think you average about 14-15k per annum going this route.

the person to speak to about this is broken_picture_frame, as he is going the GTP route and would be able to inform you alot more than me!

there aren't courses for anyone to go straight into further education courses (ie lecturing at uni,) you either have to have taught in schools first, or will be on a PHD course that involves some lecturing - so the ICT and Business course you mention would be for secondary schools I think, although I'm not sure what route it would be under.

it certainly isn't too late to apply for PGCE's though, providing the course providers have vacancies.

sorry I can't help more!

[BPF]

Sam,

Thanks for the advice but i am so confused. I haven't actually done any work today as my mind is all over the place.

I can still enrol on the PGCE full time course at Blackburn College but when i contacted Lancashire Gov for the GTS programme i was told it was closed for this year. I am right in thinking the GTS is paid and fully based in an educational environment?

However, i found the GTTR website and i am currently applying through them (think this is the GTS route). Is this the correct procedure? They have spaces available in Manchester (Universities) on the Business and ICT route which i would love to undertake. However, does this mean i can only teach in a Uni and not in a Secondary environment?

I have no experience in a classroom setting except a friend is trying to get me into his class for a day.

Hi mate.

I'm through ther first stage of the GTP application and have spent the last year obsessing over it. If you need anything answering, I'm your man. Just message me and I'll try and help.

[Hannah]

After the day I have just had - good luck!!!

Lunchtime duty as senior member of staff - Masses of verbal abuse from a Year 5 - he has 2 day exclusion, restrained a Year 1 - he has internal exclusion, dealt with rascist incident, two fights (both of which children now have detention) All of which required not only sorting the children but also all the paper work!

I don't work in a particularly great area but come on that shouldn't be a normal day!

I love being in the classroom with the children and watching them achieve - it is all the crap that goes with it!!!

But don't worry the holidays are amazing!!!

[mellison24]

After the day I have just had - good luck!!!

Lunchtime duty as senior member of staff - Masses of verbal abuse from a Year 5 - he has 2 day exclusion, restrained a Year 1 - he has internal exclusion, dealt with rascist incident, two fights (both of which children now have detention) All of which required not only sorting the children but also all the paper work!

I don't work in a particularly great area but come on that shouldn't be a normal day!

I love being in the classroom with the children and watching them achieve - it is all the crap that goes with it!!!

But don't worry the holidays are amazing!!!

And you finish at 3:30pm

[gumboots]

And you finish at 3:30pm

3pm actually but we do start at 8:20 and most of us are there before that and stay after 3. It's the variety that keeps us going otherwise all the stuff Hannah describes could drive us crackers. I am very fortunate in that despite working in Blackburn I work in very decent schools and the kids and parents are in general very cooperative, especially considering the area we generally serve. The kids currently think I'm a mathematical genius because I showed one or 2 year 11s how to do fractions and work out equations despite being a MFL teacher. It's doing wonders for my reputation around school when every class I walk into kids go " I hear you're a genius, Miss"

[SamTheShrew]

ive just started working as a TA in a school in Bradford up until I go and do my PGCE

it's certainly an eye opener when english is the majority of the kids second language.

I had to explain what 'enthusiastic' meant to a 7 year old so she could go back and tell her dad what it meant, as he didnt understand it when she was reading to him last night!

[BPF]

ive just started working as a TA in a school in Bradford up until I go and do my PGCE

it's certainly an eye opener when english is the majority of the kids second language.

I had to explain what 'enthusiastic' meant to a 7 year old so she could go back and tell her dad what it meant, as he didnt understand it when she was reading to him last night!

Hi Sam,

How's it all going?

I've now found out that I have been successful through Stage 2. Just an interview at the end of April to go now and then now more hurdles after that. It is such an amazingly long drawn out process. They are starting to advertise for my current job here soon so I wish this could all hurry up and be sorted.

[vintageadidas]

Good luck!

I have applied for a subject knoweldge enhancement course in ICT. After that i shall undertake a PGCE.

I have arranged for a few days in Witton Park as well.

Someone i know is though to the interview stage, they had it last week! Meant to be very tough!!!!

Then a two week wait to beat all those she went up against!

[Redrose49er]

Good luck!

I have applied for a subject knoweldge enhancement course in ICT. After that i shall undertake a PGCE.

I have arranged for a few days in Witton Park as well.

Someone i know is though to the interview stage, they had it last week! Meant to be very tough!!!!

Then a two week wait to beat all those she went up against!

Having gone through all this in the late 90's, giving up work, completing a Business and Economics PGCE etc, the best advice I can give is get as much experience as you can, get into a school (observe/help out/anything), get to know the routine/issues etc but don't get dragged down by negative staffroom talk. There are good times as well as bad times on a PGCE course but the paperwork is a killer, it is just a means to an end, be pragmatic and look forward to the end!

[Hannah]

Having gone through all this in the late 90's, giving up work, completing a Business and Economics PGCE etc, the best advice I can give is get as much experience as you can, get into a school (observe/help out/anything), get to know the routine/issues etc but don't get dragged down by negative staffroom talk. There are good times as well as bad times on a PGCE course but the paperwork is a killer, it is just a means to an end, be pragmatic and look forward to the end!

And then you could just end up with a bitch of a teacher like me that fails you because you are not good enough and ruins all your dreams!!!

(Never use mobile phones whilst teaching, argue with the teacher in front of children, or continually not do what the teacher has asked you to do!)

And having been failed on your teaching practice don't put that teacher down as a reference for a job having not asked said teacher for a reference!!

BTW I am really enjoying my job at the moment - so fulfilling!!!!

[vintageadidas]

When applying for a PGCE through the GTTR, did you squash it all into one condensed block of text for the personal statement?

ANY HELP MUCH APPRECIATED!!!!!!!!

[SamTheShrew]

Hi Sam,

How's it all going?

I've now found out that I have been successful through Stage 2. Just an interview at the end of April to go now and then now more hurdles after that. It is such an amazingly long drawn out process. They are starting to advertise for my current job here soon so I wish this could all hurry up and be sorted.

Hello fella, sorry about the late reply - congratulations on the next stage, sounds really promising for you!

I'm currently enjoying two weeks off for easter - the job does have its perks, although as I am employed through an agency I'm not getting paid for it unfortunately.

Vintageadidas - After I had sent mine off I was informed that the best way of doing it is having it all as a block but indenting for a new paragraph. With the character limit aswell, you need all the available space you can get!

[BPF]

Hello fella, sorry about the late reply - congratulations on the next stage, sounds really promising for you!

I'm currently enjoying two weeks off for easter - the job does have its perks, although as I am employed through an agency I'm not getting paid for it unfortunately.

Vintageadidas - After I had sent mine off I was informed that the best way of doing it is having it all as a block but indenting for a new paragraph. With the character limit aswell, you need all the available space you can get!

Thanks Sam, glad that it is going well for you.

My interview is on the 29th April at 10:15am. A time and date scarily similar to my driving test last month. I have to prepare a ten minute lesson on an area of the ICT cirriculum to pressent to the panel. Any advice that anyone could pass on to me in regards to this would be much appreciated.

[ihtd]

Not much you can do in ten mins so if it's anything like my interview was, all I did was set a very basic aim and one also basic objective and then taught for about 6 minutes I then did a very short exercise (2mins) before a rather brief recap and that was it. I think the ten minute lessons really aren't viewed as actual lessons anyway by the interviewers, just something to see whether you can actually stand up and deliver some of your subject, mainly looking for raw materials to develop during the year.

Keep it short, smile, be enthusiastic, show some charisma, don't talk too fast (nerves might be saying something different but try not to) and enjoy it, if you can't enjoy ten minutes of it only at interview then what chance you got in a real classroom? :S

Don't worry about it, you'll probably still get a place even if you balls it up

[Hannah]

Thanks Sam, glad that it is going well for you.

My interview is on the 29th April at 10:15am. A time and date scarily similar to my driving test last month. I have to prepare a ten minute lesson on an area of the ICT cirriculum to pressent to the panel. Any advice that anyone could pass on to me in regards to this would be much appreciated.

Sorry if this has already been said but is this primary or secondary? We have just had about 60 candidates teach in our school for 15 minutes and the ones that have stood out are the ones that have tried to do something a little different. One way to get around the shortened time is to give them a lesson plan showing what you would do in the hour lesson because you would never just teach a ten minute lesson!

Linking to a different area of the curriculum is good - should be built in not bolted on. Skills based - what skill will they have at the end of the lesson that they didn't have at the start. Look at the new primary curriculum that they are in the process of implementing (or not implementing depending on who wins the election)

Let me know what year group youre doing and I might be able to give you some random activity to do!

[BPF]

Sorry if this has already been said but is this primary or secondary? We have just had about 60 candidates teach in our school for 15 minutes and the ones that have stood out are the ones that have tried to do something a little different. One way to get around the shortened time is to give them a lesson plan showing what you would do in the hour lesson because you would never just teach a ten minute lesson!

Linking to a different area of the curriculum is good - should be built in not bolted on. Skills based - what skill will they have at the end of the lesson that they didn't have at the start. Look at the new primary curriculum that they are in the process of implementing (or not implementing depending on who wins the election)

Let me know what year group youre doing and I might be able to give you some random activity to do!

Hi Hannah,

I'm sorry that it has taken me a couple of days to get back to you. The interview is for the Secondary GTP (ICT). I was planning to give them a lesson plan but to extend it with how the lesson would be taught over one hour is a great idea. My lesson is based on an area of ICT I've seen taught and I instantly came up with a different way of translating the information to the pupils. I'm hoping that the fact that it is different, but still has real substance to it will stand out.

In regards to linking with other areas of the curriculum is a possibility with this so I shall add that, along with the information regarding the skills they will possess at the end of the lesson.

The interview letter outlines the need to be aware of current issues in education. Luckily, there is a lot happening in ICT in September which is going to give me plenty to talk about. Are there any main issues in education as a whole, that you believe I should mention?

Thank you so much in advance.

[SamTheShrew]

In Primary schools the Rose review that Hannah mentioned was to make ICT a core subject along with numeracy and literacy - this however has been rejected in Parliament before its dissolution for the election. As to what will happen now is anyones guess, but this is a possible bit of information you could drop in that could link in with children coming up from primary school

[Hannah]

http://www.tes.co.uk/Article.aspx?storycode=6040697

That is basically a summary of the key pledges!

Sam is right with what he said about the new primary curriculum! I love the fact that lots of teachers have already been trained in the new curriculum, trained in how to set up the new curriculum, time has been paid for for us to plan how to implement it and a high percentage of schools are already beginning to implement it and NOW they decide to put it on hold!!! What a waste of time and money!!!

They love the standards agenda and the need to focus on basic reading, writing and maths -that is being mentioned a lot! Research has shown though that it isnt the number of hours you spend teaching it, it is the quality of the teaching!

[BPF]

In Primary schools the Rose review that Hannah mentioned was to make ICT a core subject along with numeracy and literacy - this however has been rejected in Parliament before its dissolution for the election. As to what will happen now is anyones guess, but this is a possible bit of information you could drop in that could link in with children coming up from primary school

Thank you Sam / Hannah.

My interview is extremely close now. I've basically done everything from study for a GCSE ICT qualification to read a ninety page document on changes to the curriculum. Is there anything else you can think of, that I should mention? I think they will be looking for knowledge in areas of education that apply across subjects / age groups.

Thank you,

Steven

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

My interview is extremely close now. I've basically done everything from study for a GCSE ICT qualification to read a ninety page document on changes to the curriculum. Is there anything else you can think of, that I should mention? I think they will be looking for knowledge in areas of education that apply across subjects / age groups.

Went down the GTP route myself 4 years ago. If you've worked outside of education for several years then try to relate the practical experience you gained to education. Every child matters is also a good starting point. Probably telling you waht you already know. Anyway, good luck!

[BPF]

Went down the GTP route myself 4 years ago. If you've worked outside of education for several years then try to relate the practical experience you gained to education. Every child matters is also a good starting point. Probably telling you waht you already know. Anyway, good luck!

Hi. Thanks for that. Luckily I already work in a High School so things like Every Child Matters, I have come across. However, I'm also reading about these agendas in more detail.

I'm currently trying to think of the best answers for questions such as:

What are your strengths?

What are your main weaknesses?

Why the GTP not the PGCE?

Why do I want to be a teacher?

I think I have good answers but any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Hannah]

Someone didn't get the job at our place last week cos she said that if someone didn't like her idea she wouldn't implement it!

Make sure you tell them you like children! Sounds obvious but half the ones we have seen have shown no interest in the kids or mentioned them in their interview!!!

Something called the 20:20 vision that is quite good about how education should look in the year 2020

Maybe more answers when i haven't drunk as much wine!

[BPF]

Someone didn't get the job at our place last week cos she said that if someone didn't like her idea she wouldn't implement it!

Make sure you tell them you like children! Sounds obvious but half the ones we have seen have shown no interest in the kids or mentioned them in their interview!!!

Something called the 20:20 vision that is quite good about how education should look in the year 2020

Maybe more answers when i haven't drunk as much wine!

Hi Hannah,

Thank you for that. I had the interview this morning. It was different to how I imagined it would be. I was happy with my ten minute lesson but the 'subject expert' appeared to take objection to the fact that I had given myself three out of three for ICT subject knowledge. He started asking me A-Level questions. I answered two of them but the third one was beyond me. It very much appeared that it had been done on purpose to prove to me that everyone will have gaps in their knowledge, which is fair enough. I am largely happy with the answers I gave in regards to education. I was asked about inclusion and the school in the 21st century. I focused on technology and I regret not mentioning Every Child Matters etc. I gave it all I have and as it is to gain a place on a training course I guess that they are not looking for perfection straight away anyway. I find out 'late next week' so we'll see! Fingers crossed!!

[BPF]

Well, it is now 'late next week'

Had an update to say that they are hoping to have letters SENT out by the end of this week so it could be next week before I know.

Woe is me.