naboo

Remember, these people who run PGCE courses are no longer 'real' teachers for a reason; they couldn't cope in the classroom. My PGCE course director admitted as much to us, constantly telling us she wouldn't be able to handle a class nowadays.

I'm hoping my TEFL will be better than my PGCE, but I've learned in life to hold no expectations.

[bad day at work] Oh yeah, had a year 10 class, final GCSE exams in a week, absolutely appalling behaviour today. 3:25pm today I was found banging my head against the wall. Good job i'm taking my tutor group to university tomorrow. They're open to reason [/bad day at work].

robitusson

Isn't that the problem in most third-level institutions? The academics are there to subsidise their research and build their 'career'. Lectures involve reading powerpoint slides and teaching involves telling students to read pages 54 - 103.

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zehner

i spent the first half of my pgce in MMU - crewe campus. great professor with loads of experience and practical advice. got moved to MMU - didsbury campus for the second half. useless professor with feck all practical advice and a shit attitude to the whole shebang.

the main people who will guide you will be your colleagues and tutors on the school placements. if they're good and supportive it makes a massive difference.

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Now, to pry into roots, to finger slime,
To stare, big-eyed Narcissus, into some spring
Is beneath all adult dignity. I rhyme
To see myself, to set the darkness echoing.

robitusson

They don't do the mentor-ing system in Ireland for some reason. You have to rely on the good will of senior teachers to help.

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guttersnipe

MY PGCE, now drawing to an end at Uni of Bath, has only very experienced, semi-retired teachers as course tutors who, to varying degrees, are far more approachable and knowledgable about the day-to-day in schools than the professors and academics who often give interesting lectures but have limited school experience.


Couldn't agree with this more. The mentor or tutor in school is your make or break - the only people who have 'failed' or nearly failed (failing is a last resort - the course will pressure you to quit rather than fail you) on my course are those who have had personality or teaching style clashes with their school mentor.
The course and teaching in state schools generally wears down quite a few people not cut out for teaching (i.e. lazy, disorganised, kid-hating...) and they leave at some point during or shortly after the course. There still seems plenty that slip through the net and get stuck in the profession.

paully

Yes, that's the big no-no on a PGCE: to clash or fall out with your subject/professional mentor at your placement schools. However, if you've sucked up well enough to your university tutor at the beginning of your course, lo and behold a nice, easy alternative placement is swiftly made available to you. I saw this happen a couple of times...
But you're right, getting through the PGCE is but one thing: many pass but few remain in the profession longer than 3 years.

UK schools and, indeed, mentors are paid extra for mentoring, that - and the prospect of having a free warm body take over your worst Year 8 and Year 9 classes for much of the year - is why they do it. Even then, some mentors take their role seriously and some do precious little to assist. If it was purely a matter of senior teachers' good will, the training 'system' would collapse.

naboo

Not always. If the school/LEA chooses to pay them, then they are, but I know in my school they aren't.

My sister is, but I wasn't this last term.

guttersnipe

Most importantly for teachers thinking of becoming mentors, I think, is the evidence that it provides of the kind of 'going beyond the usual call of duty' that is must be shown by teachers to progress past the pay-scale threshold in the UK state system. A pretty cushty job if you get an able, amiable and cooperative trainee.

robitusson

There's nothing more important in a big school than having good mentors for new teachers. I had a guy who helped me when I started school teaching. The alternative to that is when you start and the guys who've been there longer say "don't listen to so and so. Everyone thinks he's a dick" or "don't bother doing that. That's a waste of time" as happened at the nazi school. Loads of people hated it there and told all the new people exactly what they thought. The management should have organised a mentoring system both to wipe that shit out and to help new teachers. Did they do it? Did they fuck.

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