Any teachers here?

Ezteq

Queen of OT
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Jan 4, 2004
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Helloo,
me begging for aid (again) for my course. I am on an assignment which requires me to create a teaching resource pack with session plans, activities and stuff included and I was just wondering if any of you are teachers/have experience with making these (not sitting through them but actually planning them) and if so could you give me a shout please because I need to pick your brains (ew!)

Many thanks
Ez
:D
 

kiliarien

Part of the furniture
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Ask kiliarien! He's a teacher..

Indeed I am - what sort of thing are you after Ez? How long does the scheme of work need to stretch? What age range/ability?

yeah in the very loosest sense of the word...

See me as a guide, a visionary even. Oh and don't get bitter when you're working in a job that doesn't have 13 paid weeks off a year. :D
 

Imgormiel

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Apr 18, 2004
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Helloo,
me begging for aid (again) for my course. I am on an assignment which requires me to create a teaching resource pack with session plans, activities and stuff included and I was just wondering if any of you are teachers/have experience with making these (not sitting through them but actually planning them) and if so could you give me a shout please because I need to pick your brains (ew!)

Many thanks
Ez
:D

That doesn't sound hard Ez, I am sure a woman of such infinite wisdom doesn't need the advice of most of the Joe's here imo ;)

Brainstorm it ftw ;)
 

Bugz

Fledgling Freddie
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That doesn't sound hard Ez, I am sure a woman of such infinite wisdom doesn't need the advice of most of the Joe's here imo ;)

Brainstorm it ftw ;)

Killarien is far from a Joe Teacher and I think Ez would benefit greatly from his expertise in the matter. ;)
 

Edmond

Is now wearing thermals.....Brrrrr
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Russell is a teacher Ez, PM her as she doesnt get on here as much atm
 

russell

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I am happy to help Ez. If you need me, pm me lovely- btw and Killarien what KS are you?
 

kiliarien

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Killarien is far from a Joe Teacher and I think Ez would benefit greatly from his expertise in the matter. ;)

You're too kind Bugz :)

I am happy to help Ez. If you need me, pm me lovely- btw and Killarien what KS are you?

Head of Geography at 11-18 years so KS3,4 & 5. School of 1750 kids, so it's quite a challenge but Ofsted say we're 'Outstanding' apparently. Bunch of arse imo this Ofsted system. How about you?
 

russell

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Wow -impressive. NQT primary -so other end of the spectrum for me:). My school has new Head, high staff turnover and an embarrasing 'average' from Ofsted, as such, much panic and knee jerk reactions are afoot. So in at the deep end for me -hey ho x
 

kiliarien

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Wow -impressive. NQT primary -so other end of the spectrum for me:). My school has new Head, high staff turnover and an embarrasing 'average' from Ofsted, as such, much panic and knee jerk reactions are afoot. So in at the deep end for me -hey ho x

Ouch - definitely have your work cut out for you. Good thing is as an NQT with a new head you can become one of the 'new breed' and really establish yourself as driver of change that pushes the school on. Never bad for your career that. Even if you do have a shed load of work ahead of you! :D
 

Bugz

Fledgling Freddie
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Ouch - definitely have your work cut out for you. Good thing is as an NQT with a new head you can become one of the 'new breed' and really establish yourself as driver of change that pushes the school on. Never bad for your career that. Even if you do have a shed load of work ahead of you! :D

I've already got into that habit just as a volunteer.

I go into a classroom to assist and find myself noting down all the things I'd do differently or the things I'd change.

Teaching seems like such a rewarding job if you really want to help people succeed and to build a better tomorrow. I just hope that feeling doesn't dissipate over time.
 

Garaen

One of Freddy's beloved
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I would love to be a teacher if it weren't for the shit attitude of the majority of kids these days. Bring back the cane tbh
 

russell

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I love teaching the kids. We have lots of fun -its all the paperwork and proving all the time that you are good enough to teach which winds me up. The greatest thing is when you help a kid to 'get it' or see them do well/ try their best for you.
You should think about it Bugz.
Something like the cane/slipper would not really help me -its a cultural lack of respect that can permeate through a school. Infants not too much so atm
 

cog

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I've already got into that habit just as a volunteer.

I go into a classroom to assist and find myself noting down all the things I'd do differently or the things I'd change.

Teaching seems like such a rewarding job if you really want to help people succeed and to build a better tomorrow. I just hope that feeling doesn't dissipate over time.

Funnily enough we had a lecture today after our 2nd pgce placement where we were discussing exacty this - the dissipation of that idealistic feeling of wanting to 'build a better tomorrow'. Don't get me wrong, I love being in the classroom and I love working with the kids (just finished my key stage 1 placement, such a massive change from my last 2 years in ks2 as a TA) :D but its interesting how the perfect ideal of that 'building a better tomorrow' becomes ensnared by the sheer amount of work you have to do, especially as a trainee. Again, I love it and im so glad im on the course, but dont be surprised if 'building a better tomorrow' doesn't become a more tempered sense of wanting to inspire and excite the children to just learn what you want to teach them, because the workload really is overbearing and you get dropped in at the deep end, especially on pgce/gtp's. At our interviews for the course we all got told it would be the hardest year of our lives and we all laughed it off at the time :D Nothing beats the feeling when they finally manage to 'get it' though, it makes up for everything else and then some :)
 

kiliarien

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its interesting how the perfect ideal of that 'building a better tomorrow' becomes ensnared by the sheer amount of work you have to do, especially as a trainee. Again, I love it and im so glad im on the course, but dont be surprised if 'building a better tomorrow' doesn't become a more tempered sense of wanting to inspire and excite the children to just learn what you want to teach them, because the workload really is overbearing and you get dropped in at the deep end, especially on pgce/gtp's.

I agree, your outlook gets tempered - but we're all in it for the kids to come out of it doing what they want to do. Especially at my level where you see kids leaving to go to UNi to do my subject and want to utilise it even when they leave Uni.

I found the PGCE had lots of work, but it wasn't particularly hard work after a few weeks and you pick your pace up. The first few NQT weeks were the shock - we didn't have any of this PPA crap back then. Going from 50% of timetable sole teaching to 90% is one fook of a culture shock, but you do get the added bonus of none of that Uni academic (half of which is pointless) stuff.

The paperwok is a grind, and as Russell said, having to prove you're good at your job constantly really pisses me off. Doctors, MP's etc don't even have the level of inspection & accountability we do - and they really are making decisions that literally end peoples' lives. I'm not sure how that works....
 

cog

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I agree, your outlook gets tempered - but we're all in it for the kids to come out of it doing what they want to do. Especially at my level where you see kids leaving to go to UNi to do my subject and want to utilise it even when they leave Uni.

I found the PGCE had lots of work, but it wasn't particularly hard work after a few weeks and you pick your pace up. The first few NQT weeks were the shock - we didn't have any of this PPA crap back then. Going from 50% of timetable sole teaching to 90% is one fook of a culture shock, but you do get the added bonus of none of that Uni academic (half of which is pointless) stuff.

The paperwok is a grind, and as Russell said, having to prove you're good at your job constantly really pisses me off. Doctors, MP's etc don't even have the level of inspection & accountability we do - and they really are making decisions that literally end peoples' lives. I'm not sure how that works....

Well I was down in year 1 for my 4 week attachment, that was definitely a culture shock after spending 2 years in year 6 :D We were teaching 70% in that placement anyway going up to 90% during our summer placement so I guess the jump to nqt wont be quite as bad in that sense (still a leap though :D ). I also agree that a lot of the lecture based stuff is almost totally useless - I learned more about APP from 2 staff meetings on placement than from 8 hours of lectures in uni.
 

russell

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Well I was down in year 1 for my 4 week attachment, that was definitely a culture shock after spending 2 years in year 6 :D We were teaching 70% in that placement anyway going up to 90% during our summer placement so I guess the jump to nqt wont be quite as bad in that sense (still a leap though :D ). I also agree that a lot of the lecture based stuff is almost totally useless - I learned more about APP from 2 staff meetings on placement than from 8 hours of lectures in uni.

Be warned Cog -its not the teaching, its all the crap that goes with it.

I too taught 90% in my placements, did displays, APP, parents eve, and was anal about my planning and assessment.

The leap has been all the political currents in school, which you are slightly more protected from as a student, and the fact that the buck stops with you entirely. That means all the displays, timetables, planning from scratch for 9 subjects, differentiated 6 times, assessment of each and every child for every subject, SATS, deployment of TA's (if you are lucky- or stopping them from killing each other if you are not) APP, trackers, catch-ups in Reading, writing, maths, gifted and talented, SENS Provision, lost property, assemblies, wrestling with the photocopier and scrounging resources, making your own resources, conservation and tidying of all shared area's, duties, minutes and actions from staff meetings and KS meetings, marking... marking... MARKING (in pencil - positive feedback and next steps in a green highlighted cloud:lol: FOR EVERYTHING they do!!!!!)

And... can you pull up data on this.... now can you pull up data on that.. Why isn't little Jimmy getting a 2b??(cos he is a lazy tike) and parents...more forms...parents..

Oh and teaching flat out 8-3.30, so busy that you forget to even go for a wee!!! Then you set up for the next day and mark, or have a meeting to get more actions to do till about 5.30, then go home and work on planning and assessment for 4 hours on the laptop. All this to a back drop of 30 voices calling Ms Hughes... MRS HUGHES...MRS HUGHES! And people droping like flies around you with stress related illnesses, and long term sick and yes I am losing the plot a little as I was told today that half term is not a break, it is really working from home...
Aw -I LOVE it really -nothing beats your own classroom and I thrive under pressure. I just wish I lived in Sweden where the attitude to Early Education and teachers pedagogy is so much better. :)

My advice - get your own laminator and take it all with a pinch of salt:p
 

cog

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I already have a laminator :D

I have no illusions that NQT will be just as hard as PGCE, if not more so. I was pretty much up at 6 and sleeping at 11 with maybe 1-2 hours a day to myself on placement, what with all the school work and teaching file on top of that (oh and then we had an essay due in to uni the monday after placement finished on the friday - that was fun). And then when the tutor finally takes a look at my perfect lovely teaching file with everything organised perfectly she skimmed through in about 30 seconds! Gah!

To be honest I found the actual time standing in front of the kids was the easiest part of it :p And at least they get your gender right - I was 'miss hartley' to half of them for the first 2 weeks because they weren't used to ever saying 'mister' :D

Fun though :D
 

russell

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Indeed -all fun and frolics -what yr group do you prefer?
 

cog

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Haha well I spent 2 years as a TA in year 6 before pgce, and I liked working with them cos they're really coming into their own personalities and you can develop a bit more of a rapport with them, though on the other hand theres some right little so-and-so's at that age I guess :D

I thought I wouldn't like KS1 but after a few days of retuning my brain to radio-5-year-old, I really enjoyed it. Although it does feel more like crowd control at that end at times. Constantly needing to manage the behaviour of the children throughout the lesson rather than knowing that some of them can be left alone to work independently. I was lucky enough to have a full time TA on my attachment though which really helped to ease the load, though it also really helped to develop my behaviour management aswell I think.

Did my first 2 week placement in 3/4 aswell, which I also enjoyed. Didnt really give me much time to develop much of a r'ship with the pupils or give me much insight into the phasegroup though, but again like y6 it was nice to be able to have a bit more of a chat with the pupils compare with year 1 ;)
 

Bugz

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I'm hoping to get into teaching via the SCITT.

I.e. do my degree -> year after do SCITT. Mathematics is a 9k bursary too Oo.

Good thing is with my economics degree, the modules vary so much I can potentially teach business studies, economics, sociology, mathematics etc.

My old economics teacher graduated with a degree from same uni & course as me and only teaches sixth form AS/A2. That is the kind of job I would absolutely LOVE to have.
 

kiliarien

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My old economics teacher graduated with a degree from same uni & course as me and only teaches sixth form AS/A2. That is the kind of job I would absolutely LOVE to have.

You have to be an established teacher at a school to get Post 16 only Bugz. In my 10 years' experience to date cherry picking your timetable only happens once you've cut your teeth lower down (depending on your subject ofc, some only start at Key Stage 4, e.g. Business Studies etc.). So don't expect that sort of gig as a newly qualified teacher or even in the first few years.
 

cog

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Yeah a friend of mine applied for an A-level only position teaching law as an NQT out of his PGCE, and he ended up teaching gcse and btec business classes for most of his timetable.
 

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