Teacher Training anyone?

[TheOriginalXENA]

I am thinking of applying to do a four year Teacher Training degree (never been to uni before). The nearest course is a good hours drive from the house. So I was wondering how many days a week do you actually attend for? I take it my placements could be done locally? Any advice would be great!

I think that it will be a 5 day a week thing. Placements can vary. We have students who travel 50 miles to come and do a placement with us. Others travel 3

I guess petrol costs are going to be huge then... I have considered doing a degree in and then a PGCE as I could do that more locally. I just thought it would have been the better option.

I would say you're better off doing your degree and then a PGCE.

Somethink to consider if you are looking at costs/ child care etc. Have you thought of doing your degree with the OU? You can also do your PGCE with this. I did the latter and it is more flexible than most courses and you can take yp to 3 years for the PGCE if you wish. You still get all the governments grants etc for the PGCE

No I haven't looked at the OU at all.. will do now.

Can you do a TT degree with the OU or is it degree then PGCE?

Arghh looks like I'll have to do a GCSE in science first!

It is a requirement. You can get round it by doing some access courses, I think, but you do have to have something at that 'level', and also maths and english.

Are you thinking primary or secondary? And which subject?

What's your level of qualification to or career experience?

There are a number of different routes to becoming a teacher.

I really like the look of OU history degree.. I could do that and a start a GCSE in science locally first?

The four year course is so much better imo. You are in Cornwall aren't you?
Is it Marjons you are looking at or Plymouth uni?

Look and see if you can do a GCSE in night school. Most will do them over a year rather than 2. You are most likey to get Bilogy, Human Biology or Human Physiology offered, it is quite rare to get Scince of Physics/ Chemistry offered at night school (I've taught these courses)

A PGCE is perfectly good - I think you end up teaching the same amount as you do on a B.Ed, just spread over a different length of time. And then you have a subject degree, which is very flexible.

spudmasher I've looked at Marjons and Plymouth.
I think the four year course would be good. But in the back of my mind I wonder if I'd rather teach secondary (History)... Mostly because I love History and I don't want to teach infants.

Most secondary teachers have First degree/ PGCE (or GTP)

You would find it very hard to get a job teaching history in secondary unless you have a degree in it.

Most primary teachers do the BEd route (in my experience, thought there are obviously exceptions to the rule)

Before you commit yourslef, spend a week in a local secondary, things have changed a bit since i went to school!

Is there nothing down Cambourne/ Redruth way yet? I thought they had some sort of uni thing going on down there?

Echo the wise words of MB.

Get into a secondary school for a few weeks and get involved as much as they'll let you.

Once on your degree course there are also SAS courses
www.tda.gov.uk/about/newsletter/may2007/knowledge.aspx
which pay you £40 a day to go into schools.

The vast majority of secondary school teachers have a degree and then do a 1 yr PGCE or, if coming from another occupation with a degree, a Graduate Trainee course.

Yep they do spud, but no TT.

How silly. The population is exploding down there. Should be able to train as a teacher locally.

Thanks heated that is a really helpful link.

I know it could change in three years, but not very many places offer a PGCE in history!