Holiday Time!

Wow! This past week's been a bit crazy busy.

I had two interviews and an observation lesson to prepare! But...I now have a job lined up for September. Phew! One less thing to worry about.

Next stop: driving license.

Very pleased that it's the holidays though. A chance to catch up with some friends, and properly prepare for the official uni observation lesson which is the first week back :/ (I'm very worried about this one), and mark all the assessments.

Cannot believe I have only three weeks left in school. It is flying by.

Week Two

It may only be the end of week two but it feels as though I've been on this course for three months already. I think this is down to the vast amount of information and tasks we've been given.

So, what have I done this week? Monday we delivered our lesson plans. Ours went quite well (no thanks to the internet disappearing, thus ruining the effects my lovely links would've had). Then we were given our first assignment task. It involves planning a bunch of lessons, delivering two of them and then writing an assignment about them. However, it has to be in conjunction with our placement school - based on what classes they let me teach, and what the pupils already know. So, while I have ideas floating around, I can't put pen to paper until I've been in school.

School is on Monday! Eek. A lot of this week has been preparing for that. Yet I still feel completely unprepared. We've been given a list of important things to find out, such as the name and contact details of our school mentor; a stack of things to ensure the school gets; and about 4 million things to observe; whilst maintaining a reflective journal and our Standards checklist. Of course, it's only an observation week. I'm quite pleased that the pressure isn't on me to do any teaching. I feel there's so much I don't know. But, I don't want to be sitting at the back of the class either- I think I'd be more of a distraction if I did. So, my plan is, get the administrative stuff sorted, and then relax and just enjoy the week.

Yesterday we met the people from other subjects going to our school. There are four of us, I'm the only one with the English department. I also bought a bike yesterday. Apparently there are a lot of roadworks around the school so I think a bike is the best option. Plus, I'll get fit and it's cheaper than the bus. I think I'll do a practice ride this afternoon.

We've also been asked to create a Novel Box. The idea is you fill a box with objects relevant to the text that will be the class reader, without actually revealing the text. This box will be the students' first introduction to the class reader. The plan is to get them interested in the text before they start reading it. It's quite exciting. We're presenting to our fellow PGCE-ers, so I can't reveal it yet in case any of them are reading this. But, there will be a blog about the Novel Box (with pictures).

Anyway, I'm going to enjoy my day-off, probably by planning what to do tomorrow. Maybe I'll go shopping too. Get some school & bike suitable clothing.

Farewell, life as I know it.

On Friday I registered. From the letter I’d received I was expecting to register in the morning and then spend the afternoon getting an introduction to the PGCE course. Instead it was just a lot of paperwork, and all over by 12.

It wasn’t a complete let down though. I did meet some people on the PGCE course. I’ve met two other students training in PGCE English, and one in Maths. Unfortunately, the English trainees are commuting to university/placements. I do hope to find someone on the English branch of the course that lives in the city. Still it’s nice to finally meet other people on the course. I'm looking forward to getting to know them.

I’ve signed up to all three Unions (thank you responders to the last blog post. Your info put my mind at ease). I now have more free wall calendars and student planners than you can shake a stick at.

I also received a timetable for the next three weeks. In a word: busy.

We’re getting the introduction to the course on Monday morning and after that it’s Go! Go! Go! Almost every day is 9-5 and a mix of subject specific learning and general methods/teaching practice/ theory. They call it “Foundation in Professional Studies” or ‘FiPS’. That’s for the next fortnight. The third week is on placement. Just observing, I think. I cannot wait to get started. I’ve got my lunch boxes ready. I’ve sussed the bus timetables/routes. I’ve registered with Specsavers (a doctor’s surgery will be during this week), and I’m planning anything and everything for Saturdays (the non-PGCE day). I’m excited and nervous at the same time.

I’m trying not to let my experiences with the university’s administration department to date affect my attitude towards the course. I am hoping for a well-organised, highly professional course that will live up to the standards I place on myself. And by that I mean, I always ask the very best of myself – especially during this course- I’d be a fool to waste the opportunity that I’ve worked hard to gain- and I put pressure on myself to do well. I want the PGCE to have that same expectation. I am not/have no intentions of walking into a school with this attitude (although, I hope the mentor I’m assigned is thorough): I understand that I’ll be an alien to the pupils at my placements, but I do want the best from my university. I don’t think I’m asking too much really, although a part of me is preparing myself for disappointment.

Anyway, that’s thinking ahead. I guess I’ll have to review that aspect of the course when I’ve finished. Monday it all begins, and I cannot wait! I am so excited to be learning again, to be busy again, and to be able to go in to schools and observe and then teach. This year is going to be a rollercoaster. I am ready.

This blog shall also revert to its original purpose of documenting the PGCE (and beyond) process. I hope to post at least once a week, on a Saturday. Keep an eye open.

PGCE Prep.

Apologies for the lack of blog posts: I’ve been moving house. Here I am all installed in my new home. I've called it The Attic. It’s almost perfect (as I type I’m waiting for someone to come and fix the shower). I’m in a great area, surrounded by bistros and parkland; yet conveniently on a street with bus routes at either end. Aside from the neighbour’s yappy dog, it’s fairly quiet too. The other people in the building seem friendly. I am making Jane Eyre comparisons left, right and centre though because my room’s an attic conversion, and a chip in the wall paper tells me that the walls are painted red. Please don’t let me go mad. Overall though, I can see this being a nice little base for the PGCE year.

Arriving two weeks before the course starts has given me the luxury of time (I’m sure I'll appreciate it as a luxury once the course begins anyway). I’ve been exploring: mostly it’s unashamed tourism, but also I’ve been finding my feet; and realising that while the half hour walk to uni is nice on a sunny day, in winter I’m getting the bus.

I’ve also been thinking about what kind of teacher I want to be; and what do I want to gain most from the observations I’ll be taking on my placements (before actually being let loose with a class on my placements). I’m excited about seeing the different approaches and their impacts.  I’ve been pondering what kind of assignments I’ll be asked to write – to be honest, getting to grips with educational theory is something I’m really looking forward to doing, so I’m hoping they’re theory based – and which aspects of education appeal to me most. At the moment they’re just wild thoughts, grounded slightly by what I read online and in books. I suppose I’ll have to wait until the course really gets going before I can begin to solidify my ideas.

Until then, I’m reading Trevor Wright’s How to Be a Brilliant English Teacher. It’s a cracking read, serious without being condescending or dull; just the right amount of humour, actually. I love how Wright uses examples from his experience to ground and illustrate his arguments; and how he introduces a method that can so easily be adapted into a lesson plan for another text. This book offers so much potential. I also enjoy how accessible I’m finding it, even though I have barely any knowledge of how to be a teacher. I think this is because Wright doesn’t try to intimidate the reader with professional terminology. It’s a great starting point but, at the same time, structured so that it will be easy to dip back in to sections for ideas or suggested techniques.

I’m also taking this time to thoroughly prepare myself for the course:

•  I’ve organised The Attic so I have a working zone and living zone.

•  I’m building a file of recipes so I can stay healthy this year.

• I’m arranging my social life. I know it’s going to virtually disappear between 17^th September and July; however, some commitments cannot be ignored, so right now I’m trying to keep them to Saturdays. I’ve already decided, based on everyone’s advice, that Saturday will be my day away from the PGCE. I will take day-trips out of the city on sunny days, and bake/watch films/general reading on rainy days.

•  I’ve organised my desk. I even have a printer!

• I’m reading books not related to the PGCE while I have the time.
  
  
•  I’ve budgeted.
  

• And, next week, I’ll start practising the QTS skills tests.

 I think I’m about ready. Only one week until registration. Just a bit more waiting…

More Monsters

I said in my previous blog that I should expect more monsters (aka unpleasant surprises) to show up during the next two weeks. There was a slight lull, I almost started believing that everything would run smoothly, but then today kicked me in the balls.

This is what happened.

I’ve contacted the University a few times since being accepted on the course. Mostly it’s to verify things: the letters they send I find to be worded oddly, or just vague, and I’m scared of getting something wrong in the ID verification/pre-registration process in case it affects my admission to the course or something similar. Anyway, from my various phone calls, I had successfully mailed all my ID documents, my original exam certificates, my CRB and health check forms, cash for the CRB check; and I’d learnt that term started on 3^rd September, and that I should expect to receive a welcome pack and a book list before then. I’d managed to secure myself accommodation, with a moving-in date of 1^st September. I’ve spoken to my current employer and arranged to finish work this week.  I’ve organised and completed my placement; I’ve written and mailed the report. I’ve sorted finances. I’ve done the all the pre-course requirements and “necessaries” that I can. 

Or so I thought.

Today I got a letter. This letter says that the University hasn’t received my Degree certificate, or my CRB check, or my health check; and that a delay in receiving these documents will delay my registration. Now, I know for certain that the University has received these documents a) because they’ve sent them back to me, b) they’ve taken the cash for the CRB check and c) I’ve received my copy of the CRB check. So, once again, I called the University.

The lovely receptionist checked my file. She said that actually they do have the CRB check, and my GCSE certificates, but not the rest. Strange, given that I sent all the documents at the same time, in the same envelope. The receptionist said they’d had temps in during the summer who must have made an error when logging my details. So, I’ve sent them again. 

I decided to ask about the welcome pack and the book list. Apparently, I’m not getting them. Today’s story is that some tutors have put them together, but not for English. Lovely.

Oh, and the last surprise: term doesn’t start until 17^th September!

Now, I’ve calmed down a bit since reading the letter and re-sending my documents. I’ve realised that the later term-date isn’t such a bad thing: I’ll have two weeks to get to know my new city, and two-weeks to read whatever I want, and to generally get my brain back into education mode. Not having a book list gives me a vast amount of choice over which teaching theory/practice books to read; and no deadline of when to have them read.

However, I’m still annoyed. The University received my documents at the beginning of June, but wait until the end of August to send me a (rather accusatory) letter about not having them. I’ve had absolutely zero contact from the University since the beginning of June when they requested the documents. And, having contacted the University with questions, I learn today that I’ve been given the wrong answers…repeatedly. This is what I’m getting for a £9,000 tuition fee. It’s not just about the fee though. This is supposed to be a professional course, and now, I’ve gone from being excited about starting the course, to having my faith in the course dashed and slightly afraid that my registration process is going to have been hampered by the University’s error; and that I still have the wrong information. Everything just feels too disorganised, too unprofessional, which is worrying for someone who likes things sorted and settled in advance. I really don’t want to be starting this course feeling how I do right now.