PGCE problems

[larry5]

Dd is in the middle of her second placement with a mentor who is causing her such stress that she has had two weeks off school. She is due to go back tomorrow and if it does not work out what are her options. She still wants to teach so there is no way she wants to resign altogether. Academic tutor said that she could do something called intercollation and do her last 4 weeks next year.

Anyone know anything. Thanks

Is the problem an unreasonable teacher mentor? Think the best way is definitely dealing with it through the tutor because it may be more hassle than its worth. She should try to complete the practice by arranging possible solutions with the tutor. I had a friend who had a rather sexist mentor with an unfair attitude, despite being ok whenever I met him. Her tutor was great and she got sorted. Keep persevering and ensure she gets her dilemma clearly expressed, stating the effect this is having on her both professionally and personally. They have a duty of care for her really.

Thanks for your reply. Yes the problem is an unreasonable teacher mentor. She went in today and had seen an email from her tutor to the mentor asking him to be helpful to get her back into the swing of things and was made to observe all 5 lessons and try and fit in lesson planning.

After school and after she had planned her lessons for tomorrow he said he had changed his mind and wanted her to teach something completely different and change it all before tomorrow, This is what he has been doing all along. He will tell her to prepare lessons for the week on a certain topic and then deny having told her to do it and changing everything. As each lesson she plans takes at least 1 1/2 hours as she has to plan and then lay it out in the way the university want it done for evidence she is exhausted.

She has gone out with her fiance this evening to see friends to take her mind off school so I am hoping things improve tomorrow.

That's not on. Has she at all been told she is not achieving or succeeding in this practice ? Unless this is the case then she is being asked to do things which appear to be unreasonable. Being observed all day is not normal practice unless she is having major behavioural difficulties with the class or with the curriculum she is teaching.
Unfortunately lessons do get observed intensely in the classroom. If the teacher mentor is helping out in class to aid, assist and encourage good practice I can understand. But 'observing' all day would stress out even the most competent of teachers! Could it be that she is struggling with the original lessons which she was on track to teach so the teacher suggested she changed them?
I recognise that the plans are onerous at this time in her career but they do get easier! Honest.
She still needs to keep her tutor in the picture so her situation is kept in check.

She does right to have a break tonight.
Hope the week improves.

Contact the head of the faculty of education or course leader ASAP and the union and let them know what's going on. The head should be able to put her in a different placement or resolve the issues, and if not the union can help. I have been involved in a similar situation but sorted it out and passed PGCE that year, albeit a few weeks later than my cohort, and went on to a successful teaching career. Good luck

Dd was supposed to be seeing her academic tutor tomorrow but has been offered an interview for a teaching job at the school where she has always wanted to teach. Only problem is she has not been able to contact her mentor or the other teacher of the class tomorrow. We advised her to email them and go to the interview as the most important thing is to get a job.

She has also got an interview next Wednesday so I am sure if she gets either of these jobs life will not seem so bad for her.

Brill!
She will presumably contact her practice school in the morning? Leave a message on answer machine or try teacher's number at 7.30 in morning. This is a fair time and shows you are considerate. Think of a question to ask at interview ; better than none. Show willing to get involved in school life and be enthusiastic. Fitting in is often the most positive thing to offer apart from obvious competence! Good luck!

Your DD is so close to the end of her PGCE now. If the issue is her arsehole unreasonable mentor, advise her to grin and bear it as much as possible as she will only have a matter of weeks left now. Once her PGCE is complete she is free to go and work in another school far far away from that idiot. If she puts it off until next year, she could end up in a school with another idiot mentor and have to go through it all again.

As for the interview, I would just do what I can to contact the teacher. Email, text, phone, voicemail (or all of the above!) Make sure cover is set for tomorrow and go. The whole point of a PGCE is to become a teacher. You can't be a teacher without a job!

Good luck to her!

Update. Dd was observed by the uni yesterday during her lesson with a year 10 class whose behaviour has always been dreadful. There was swearing, homophobic language and as one child went out the door having been called back several times and told her to f off. The mentor did nothing.

During the feedback the uni person asked the mentor to assess the lesson and as usual he was completely negative. The uni observer said that dd's lesson plan was fantastic and then told her that she would never have to teach that class again. The mentor then had a meeting with the observer and, from what dd gathers, the outcome is that she should never have been given that class because not even the slt can control them in lessons and no PGCE student should ever have to deal with such behaviour so they are now trying to find either another mentor at her current school or move her back to where she did her first placement.

Dd now feels that finally someone is listening to her.

Unfortunately she didn't get the job or the one she had interview this morning but I am sure she will get one soon provided her confidence can be built up again.

I'm glad someone is listening to your DD and something is getting done about it at last. The mentor sounds awfull and I hope she isn't ever given anothe student to mentor. Well done to your DD for hanging on in a very difficult situation

I am updating this now to let all the people who offered support that things are finally going right for Dd. After all the problems she was having with her mentor the uni observed her and the following day she was told that they were moving her back to her first placement school as they now realised how bad her mentor was.

She has now passed her second placement with a mentor who cannot understand why she had not passed it already and she now remembers why she wanted to go into teaching in the first place.

The best news is that she got a job today in a middle school so she will be able to work with the age group she loves best and teach her subject in depth to them.

Thank you all so much for your support.

Many congratulations to your dd

I did my Pgce 4 years ago and it's a really tough year as it is without people making it harder

I'm still teaching and love it. Pgce is now a distant memory!

I hope your dd is very happy at her new school and enjoys the summer x