Pgce woes

[destiel00]

My nephew is doing a pgce. He's really struggling atm and I'm worried. One of his cohort quit last week! He is working all the hours he can - help literally works and sleeps. He's just finding it so hard to get all the work expected from both school and university done. He looks ill and I'm very concerned. My sister has asked me what she can do but other than talk to his mentor and course leader I don't know what to suggest? Help!

Sorry he's finding it so tough. I'm afraid this is what teaching is like. If I did everything properly that I'm supposed to do for my job, all I'd do would be sleep and work too, and I have 3 years' teaching experience.

This is a reflection of teaching as a whole. It’s why teachers are leaving in droves. It might be time for him to re evaluate

I mean it does get easier but it is still hard. The behaviour is draining and the work loads is still a lot but at least you don't have uni assignments.

If anyone is going to speak to his mentor or course leader it needs to be him, not his mother. He is an adult - at least 21 - and his mother speaking to them about him would make him look absolutely ridiculous (if that is what you meant). He needs to think carefully about this, though, as they will probably be people he will want to write him job references.

Perhaps he is doing more than necessary; has he spoken to others on the course to find out how they manage to cope? Perhaps he is being over-conscientious; there is always more that could usefully be done so you have to know when to just stop.

Sorry, but if he can’t cope with the amount of work demanded by a PGCE, perhaps teaching is not the right career for him. It can be very intense and time-consuming during term-times.

The PGCE year is notoriously hard and this time of year is tough as students look to achieve the standard required in order to pass. He should talk to his tutor and look for support from the program, is he primary or secondary?

This is the hardest part but he's completed the majority of the year already and the summer term is generally the easiest one of the 3 (after exams if he is secondary). Try to encourage him to look after himself and prioritise at least one work free day at the weekend.
My PGCE mentor always told me to take at least one mental health day per term and use it to sleep/recharge. I haven't needed to take one per term but it does show you how intense teaching is!

He needs to speak to his mentor and the training provider (likely to be different institutions)
teacher training can be intense but it should also be supported and manageable - to suggest he should just suck it up and become ill is unreasonable.

is he getting planning support? Does he create from scratch or adapt? Basically he needs to ask for help if HE feels it’s unmanageable. Teaching doesn’t need martyrs who burn out it needs people who proactively manage their work and challenge unreasonable expectations

PGCE workload is notoriously hard. We have students drop out every year. It does get easier but only because you get used to the level of work and at some point you have to prioritise what is important and will benefit the children most. With teaching there is always something more you could do - another lesson to plan, another display to change, etc. you cannot be a perfectionist as you would never stop.

Tell him to speak to his mentor, part of their role is to support student teachers with stress and workload. His PGCE provider will also provide support - it reflects poorly on them if a student drops out.

Hi,

I can honestly relate!!! I

I did the PGCE independently because I knew I wouldn’t manage it alongside a full time job!! Many of my peers who were in this position had dropped out. I thought considering I wasn’t working but only did a placement & part time PGCE was still challenging. In fact, it was much tougher than doing my degree. Now my PGCE was in FE not secondary or primary education. I would advise anyone to either drop work hours & do a part time PGCE. Both full time is incredibly brutal! If the PGCE is in a specialist subject area, unfortunately they run on a full time basis. If it’s too late to make any changes on the course, I would ask for extensions on assignments & maybe drop work hours if possible just till the PGCE is completed! But don’t give up!

The hard part will be over before you know it. I remember going for a teaching interview after I finished PGCE. There was a tough panel of directors, I had already experienced the worst of my nerves on the course & was prepared on the course to face the hardest challenges. The interview did not leave me as anxious!!! I didn’t get the job but the interview skills prepared well for the job I do now 😃.

Having the PGCE is so worth it as it gives you skills to become more resilient and competent in teaching! Just because the PGCE is hard, it does not mean your not suited in the teaching profession. Everything is hard till you gain more experience. I am deaf, I teach in a non deaf provision, just because some days are harder, don’t mean I am not fit for teaching! You just have to learn to adapt, become more efficient in planning & have faith in yourself! If I can do it, then you certainly can ! Good luck 😃.

I did GTP which was not unlike an apprenticeship. You learned on the job. In a school from the beginning of term. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Not a single minute out during term. Evenings and weekends gone.
I’m nearly 20 years in now and it’s much easier. I know what to prioritise and can create a lesson with 5 minutes notice. I am in school until 6pm most days but I don’t take anything home. Nothing on the weekend or evenings.

It doesn't get better. I was consistently ill (catching bugs from the children, stress/burnout, UTIs from forgetting to drink enough water and holding because I couldn't go to the loo when I needed, sleep deprivation, not having time to eat during the school day, the list goes on) for my entire 6 year teaching career. If he gets out now, he's one of the lucky ones.

Obviously it will be him that speaks to his mentors!

Thank you all for your comments...
I tried to prepare him for how brutal it is but I'm not sure you can grasp it until you're doing it?
He's got uni deadlines, he is expected to do sow and lesson plans from scratch - which seems a bit ott to me? - and doesn't seem to be getting much support.
He's had 2 really bad bouts of illness since starting last September, but luckily has only missed 3 days of school placement (covid and chest infection)
He works so hard and is so close to the end but I think my sister is worried that if he's struggling now, how will he cope with teaching?
I know it really depends on the school but it's so full on...

Sorry, he's secondary stem subject

In primary there are websites like Twinkle which are great for resources to save time. I don’t know what secondary stem use. It seems ridiculous that he is planning from scratch, I used to plan some, but generally used to work in a team and share planning and resources. It is brutal, teaching wasn’t for me, I used to hate how every minute of my day was accounted for, however it would be good for him to get to the end and get the qualification.

Yeah...he's so close but it's hard seeing him so stressed/down

I did School Direct and the trainee year was brutal! I had no sick days, taught 17 then 21 lessons a week and worked at least some of every day until a couple of days into the May half term, when I handed in another bit of coursework.

Teaching gets easier in the ECT years and every year after that, especially if he stays in the same school for a few years. Even though he'll be teaching more hours, he can focus on teaching rather than having all the coursework and classwork to complete.

He should speak to his mentor, especially about the amount he's planning. Can his mentor or department give him old lesson resources he can adapt?

He is over the peak of the year - summer might involve more marking (depends on the programme he's doing) but if he can make it to next year, everyone I know found it more enjoyable and easier.

I'd also recommend he try organising a placement in a different school and try to do his ECT years not in a large academy trust. Or at least be prepared to interview at and move to another school before leaving teaching, it's what stopped me leaving the profession.

Edit: if he's in a STEM subject he should have his pick of schools!

PGCE is the worst year ever. Just count the days to summer and scrape through.
At least when you're a teacher you're not trying to balance uni and school.
If he's Stem then he should be fine once a teacher as he can have his pick of schools.

he is expected to do sow and lesson plans from scratch - which seems a bit ott to me

He shouldn't be expected to do this, the school should have a SOW that he can follow and resources that he can use.

Yes, it may be if he is in a shortage subject area, that there is not much material/a
scheme of work to use. It should not be like that, but the inner workings of schools can be quite a eye-opener.

OP, besides the lack of a school SoW this sounds very normal. Does he know where to look for inspiration for planning lessons? There’s no point in reinventing the wheel and there are lots of free resources on TES which he can adapt - as long as he does so appropriately.
The health thing is also normal. A lot of teachers get an annual cold / flu when they get a new intake of germ carriers aka students.
He’s tired and really feeling the brunt of it now, but it’s a realistic reflection of what life is like as a teacher - I’m 36 years in and about to retire and I still work bloody hard! If he can stick it out then he can make it.

I do feel he is being expected to do too much tbh
I'll tell him about tes
I told him he'd be ill every holiday and that's pretty much been accurate!
I hope he continues as he's passionate about his subject but he told me yesterday he can't currently see how he'll have time to apply for jobs and prepare for interviews:(

PGCE is brutal and it suits get a bit easier once you are in your own school and have community around you.
I remember being told on my PGCE that we should prioritise work in the following way:
"Only work one day at weekends - decide which one and stick to it. In the evenings be boundaried and either work 5pm-8pm, or 8pm -11pm". I was so shocked that this was the recommendation to "minimise" working hours, but it was true - I did need to the work these hours for the first few years. So presuming you're getting into school between 7.30-8am, then attending meetings or doing admin from 3-5pm, plus these hours working from home, it's a 64-hour working week, and even then you're probably not doing everything you could be doing.

I have friends who are part-time teachers and they work on their days off, so that they don't have to work evenings or weekends. So so worrying 5 days, but getting paid for 3.

Teaching is not for the faint hearted. I'll actively r steer my children away from teaching, even though I love the actual job of teaching - it's all consuming.

And yes, it's a well-known experience for teachers to get ill in the holidays when they finally stop pushing themselves through and pause to catch their breath.

I'm nearly 25 years in and I'm half dead tonight. I haven't slept for 3/5 nights this week. This morning I decided I might as well get up and work at 5:30 rather than lie there worrying about it. This is what he's signing up for, sadly.