Eeeeek I have a PGCE interview!

[Jaquelinehyde]

I can not begin to tell you how excited, relieved and nervous I am.

I honestly didn't think I would get an interview as they are like gold dust this year.

It isn't until January 20th so I have ages to panic about it!!

It states we shall do ID checks and other paperwork first, then a group task (I'm assuming group discussion or small group presentations) and then individual interviews.

I am pretty damn terrified as the last 5 years of my life have been working towards this interview.

Any hints, tips or advice would be nice. As would someone stroking my head in a calming manner

Congratulations!! What a lovely thing to find out just before Christmas. If you have been working for this for so long you are going to be great.

No idea about the interview, sorry but just wanted to wish you good luck.

(Did you post about this on FB - I have no idea who half my MN FB friends are on here. Apologies if I have the wrong person).

Thank-you and yes I did now you know who I am.

Congratulations. What age and subject are you and I amsure you can get some specific tips!

Ooh yes it would help if I gave those details wouldn't it?

It is for Secondary English.

Thank you.

Glad I don't know two people going for the same course!!

Definately only one of me

Good luck with the interview Jaquelinehyde.

Have you searched MN yet? There have been a fair few threads about PGCE interviews that should still be around.

Here's one

Hi Jacqueline. Just saw this thread. I had a secondary English interview a few weeks ago and was offered a place (subject to funding) last week.
I know exactly how you are feeling right now. I spent the last four years doing an OU degree so I could do this and I'm so relieved to have made it through.
Don't worry too much. I prepared all sorts of stuff, most of it wasn't needed. They really want to see what you are like, and how you interact with others - you need to be calm, confident but not overbearing or pushy. I had a presentation to do, which was really about seeing if you could stand up and talk in front of a group - then a group task (focus on having some input yourself and listening and responding to other peoples' contributions). My individual interview was quite short, about 10 minutes, and I think aimed mostly at seeing that I was serious about teaching - there was no time to go into any topics in detail.
Anything else you want to know, feel free to ask.

Hello hyde

i am thinking of also applying to Brighton - though for RS - the support is meant to be good and my friend that did the course got a job straight away..

his interview involved the following Qs -

why do you want to teach this subject?
What would you say to a pupil whose parents want to withdraw their kid from your class?
what sort of teacher do you want to be?
He was asked some difficult questions about the topics - these were just to assess his knowledge and see if he needed additional courses.

ooh...here's a question - what the hell do they mean by 'aded value'??

i failed an interview for PGCE some ten years ago now, and i still don't know what a good answer would have been.

would a good answer have been: i think some of the most important things I learned from teachers weren't about the subject so much as the beneit of their life experience, e.g. the teacher who told me that the reason i was finding sth hard was because it was hard (comforting knowledge!) - i would want to add some value in that way?

or am i Miles away?

Added value is basically the way that the schools impact on childrens learning is measured - so if a child started school at a level 1 and finished school with a level 1... no added value, school is a fail.

If a child starts with a level 1 and finishes with a level 5... lots of added value, school has done it's job.

HTH

JH, I'm sure you'll be fantastic! Have you had a look on the TES forums? The prospective student teacher board is full of people in your situation and also teachers who have been there (in my case recently!) who are happy to offer advice! Good luck!

i was miles away.

but now i know, thank you.