The Interview

So, you’ve been offered an interview. Congratulations.

I’ve been on a variety of forums where I’ve seen people, who’ve been invited to interview, asking what to expect. I did three interviews before I was accepted, so I’ll share my experiences with you.

The First Interview
I arrived and had to submit a vast array of ID documents: passport, birth certificate, exam certificates, proof of address things (originals and photocopies). Then there was a bit of waiting around for everyone to arrive. In total there were five of us, some Undergrad, some Postgrad, some who’d been working in the ‘real world’ for a few years; and all for different subjects.

We were introduced to a tutor from the course, and then given a tour of the university (or, at least, the key areas for PGCE students) by a current student.

Next we were led into a room, where we were each given as long as we needed to do a written exam. It had been specified in the interview letter that there would be a written task to complete, so it wasn’t a total shock. The Maths and Science candidates basically did a Maths and Science test. The English candidates had to discuss how they’d teach an extract from Shakespeare (extract provided). All candidates had to write about current issues within education. I’d done some research on education issues, but wasn’t completely au fait with it all. Still, I gave it my best shot. I’d definitely suggest brushing up on issues in education. I read this article yesterday. It’s a great starting point.

We then had to give a presentation. Our invite letter had said ‘a 5 minute presentation on a topic of your choice’. I didn’t know who I’d be presenting to, which threw me slightly. In the end, I just presented to a course tutor. It was a bit weird, especially the ‘any questions’ part.

After the presentation it was interview time. I was interviewed by the tutor who’d seen the presentation. The interview discussed why I want to teach, what experience I’d had in schools, current issues in education (again), favourites within the topic, etc.

That was it. I knew within the week that I’d been unsuccessful. The reason? Lack of school experience.

Second Interview
Again I’d been told that there would be a written exam, another presentation, another interview, and another mountain of paperwork to deliver.  I had also been requested to complete a day in a local school, and to get the school to fill out an assessment form about me.

This time the presentation was a 5 minute ‘micro-teaching’ task.  For those of us who aren’t yet teachers, this basically means a short classroom task based on a topic. We were all given the same topic to research before the interview day, and to arrange our micro-teaching task accordingly. Thankfully, this time, we were presenting in front of other candidates for the same subject. There were four for the subject, reduced from about twenty people who were there for other subjects.

The written exam was based entirely on teaching methods.

Again, unsuccessful.

Third Interview

So, this came as a bit of a shock, as I’d almost given up on being accepted on to a PGCE course this year. The letter this time told me to expect to do a short written task, a classroom based task, and to prepare a 5 minute lesson introduction on a topic of my choice. I was also told who’d be receiving the presentation, and which age group to aim it at. Brilliant. I also noted that I didn’t need such a (in my opinion) ridiculous amount of paperwork.

I was greeted by the course tutor, who led me to a room to complete my written tasks; one of which would be discussed in the interview, the other for the assessors to review. I had 45 minutes.

After, I went to the tutor’s office, where I met a mentor from a partner school. Here I delivered my presentation (great fun- really. Everyone had fun. It helped to relax me at least). Then we went straight into the interview, where I answered questions on how I’d teach different elements and different age groups. We then discussed one of the written tasks, as a teacher/pupil scenario.

I was accepted. Wahey!

Pointers
So, if you’ve been invited to interview, here are some suggestions from me:

-Be prepared to have to work quickly. In each case, I only had 2 weeks max from receiving the letter to the interview date.
-Read and re-read around your subject and issues in education
-Prepare and practice any presentation you may need to give. If you’re confident in it, you’ll enjoy it.
-When you get there, relax (but remain professional). Your interviewers will know that you’re nervous, and they’re not there to trick you or to catch you out.
-If you’re unsure about anything, just contact the university. They’ll be happy to help. If you’re uncomfortable with contacting the uni, try forums. There will be people in the same position as you.
-Don’t plan anything else for the day. I’ve had interview days that have lasted from two to six hours.
-Dress for the office. If you look professional, you’ll act professional, you’ll be treated as a professional.
-Make a list of any questions that you have. This will be the best chance to ask them.
-And finally, surround yourself with family and friends. Getting an interview does not guarantee you a place. After putting so much effort into everything that you have to prepare, getting a rejection is hard! Having a good support system will give you that boost to get back on the horse and put just as much effort into your next interview.
-Oh, no, one more. If you are rejected, contact the university to ask why. You can take their feedback and work on it to improve your chances at the next interview.

Good luck!

The Application

Hi!

If you’re reading this, I’m presuming you’re either already training, an educator, or seriously considering teaching as a career. For the former groups, forgive me if I’m stating the obvious, but I had a bit of task with the application process, so this post is for those considering applying.

First, if you want to study for your PGCE, you need to apply through the GTTR. This is the teaching equivalent of UCAS. However, unlike UCAS, you can’t send your application to all your university courses and wait for them.
There are two things with GTTR 1) You can only choose four universities and 2) You have to prioritise your choices. GTTR will then send your application to one university at a time, in your order of preference. You then have to wait for a response from one university before the next receives your application. (This is the norm anyway. You can, of course, withdraw your application from a university at any point).

Where to apply?
Regardless of whether or not you have particular universities in mind before you begin applying, take advantage of GTTR’s course search facility. It will show you where there are vacancies, along with providing you with the course details and codes that need to be put in your application.
Alongside GTTR facilities, use course fairs and the university’s website to research the course you want, and the local area.

Be Prepared
Your actual application is crucial. You need to make it stand out from the crowd, because there will be hundreds of people applying.  Before you start, this is what you’ll need:
1) The permission, and contact details of two referees. Ideally they will be your tutor or employer.
2) Results. Have your exam results (A-Level  and GCSE , or equivalent). You will have to submit a lot of results.
3) Ideas. There will be a series of ‘personal statement’ type things to write. The pages for these time out after about 30 minutes, so it’s probably best to either have them pre-written, or to type them elsewhere first. Then just copy & paste.
4) This is less of a ‘before you start’ and more of a ‘take note’. Before being sent to your universities, GTTR will request a payment.

Personal Statement
This is the bit where you get to shine! This is where universities get a sense of the real you. And you get the chance to show off. This is the place for the ‘buzz words’, and your skills. You can also use this space to express your interest in teaching. Why you want to teach etc.
In addition to your personal statement, you will be asked to write about your work experience. Please don’t just list your jobs.  Do, discuss you role in your previous employment, your duties and what you learnt from your time there.

Most of all: it doesn’t matter what you write if it can’t be understood. Do Do Do proof read! (See, I’m a teacher already).

What Next?
Once you’ve done your bit, your application will be sent to your first referee. You need to wait for him/her to write the reference and submit it to GTTR before you can do anything else. Once GTTR has received the reference, they will inform you and request payment from you. After you’ve paid, your application will be whizzed off to Uni #1. You can track your application through the GTTR, and they’ll inform you whenever its status changes (for example, if you’re offered an interview, a place, or declined; or if the university needs more time to make its decision).

Some Advice:
Don’t be negative. Focus on your strengths. If you have areas to work on, you can bring them up at interview.
Do submit your application early. There is a very early cut-off point for primary PGCE applications (check GTTR). Secondary PGCE have until the summer prior to their course starting. However, applications open from September, and competition is fierce! My rule is, to give your application the best chance, have it done and paid for by Christmas at the latest.
Do try to get some work experience within a school environment. Preferably before you send in your application; but before starting the course is fine. School experience is incredibly valuable. Plus, it’ll give you something else to talk about at your interview.

Best of luck with your applications. And if you do get stuck, there is an abundance of help on the GTTR website.

Introduction

Hi!
I’m Lotte. I’ve been um-ing and ah-ing about starting a blog for a while. So last week, when I was accepted on a PGCE course starting in September, I decided to blog about becoming a teacher. Mostly I’m writing for myself, so I can look back and review how far I’ve come, and what I’ve learnt; but also, I hope this provides a resource for those considering teaching, along with making connections with other educators.

Now, I’m under no illusions that the course is going to be incredibly demanding, but I’ve stumbled across a variety of people who opt-in to teaching because it’s an easy option: those who can’t do, teach. Right?

Wrong. It’s been an uphill climb just to get here. I’ve still got to actually start (and complete) the course, to find a job and survive the NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher) year. This is what I’m going to blog about. Hopefully, by the end of the NQT year, I will have developed connections with other educators, so this blog can become a place for the sharing of ideas and approaches. That part’s years  away.

Anyway, it’ll be a bit slow going at first. But after September, things will happen more regularly. I will attempt to document the highs and lows of training to be a teacher; there will be photos, there will (probably) be cakes, and there will (inevitably) be breakfast!

I hope you can join me on the journey. I welcome all comments, and website/blog suggestions.