Anyone beginning their PGCE this September?

[Louise12]

Hi ,

Just thought I would say hello and ask if there is anyone beginning a PGCE this September. I have two teenagers and am starting my PGCE in a few weeks time. Feeling extremely nervous but excited. I just hope I can cope with what I know to be a very intense course.

Best wishes to anyone beginning their studies at the same time and juggling family life alongside!

sherazade that's brilliant - have you been taking the whole class for lessons? So nice (and reassuring) to hear of a placement going well.

Sorry you missed your children - did they say
anything? As long as they are happy I would try not to worry. I got a bit because when I told my two that I would be picking them up from school for the rest of the term they were so happy. And when I asked if they liked the CM they said yes but we like it better when you come...

I had a 10-day serial placement across the school so briefly got to know lots of classes but will be in a Y2 class in Jan for 18 day serial placement - am really really nervous - would be very grateful for tips. ATM am trying to watch teacher's tv as much as poss.

Are any of you folks at Wolverhampton? My dh is starting there next Sept to do a full-time primary pgce. Can anyone advise what the work load is REALLY like? Our dd will be just over 12 months when he starts and I will be back at work for as few hours as we can afford - but one of has to work!

Work loads are heavy be it primary or secondary. just in different ways. I was actually heading in this direction to ask if anyone had managed to have a christmas break as i have felt snowed under. but never sure if that is just because i am not a very good student and very disorganised or just the course. It will be hard but between imo when 12months just because i am struggling to put in enough time with ds (it just being me and him with support in childcare from the folks) He misses the time we had before i started the course and he started school when i was a sahm which is what he is used to. It is adapting to it though and i have hd a blissful lazy day today with him occupyijng himself for the whole day because he was having fun rather then because i had an essay to write. I would say go for it but it is hard.

i am just applying now to do a secondary PGCE for this September..but im really worried about doing the course full time and how i will manage the whole workload.

At the moment i work as a cover teacher (unqualified) in a 2ndary school full time (leave home 7:45, get home 4:30ish).

I am a single parent so obviously do EVERYTHING at home, though have great mum and childminder who help with childcare.
Then i have my OU study to do some evenings and wkends, complete with essays to write every month.

Does anyone know if this sounds similar to the PGCE workload, as i do cope ok?!!

I dont know if it will help but i was warned it needed 60-70hr working week (inclusive of school) at the mo i find that about right. Not sure what level you are doing but double ended candle burning is essential for most of us.

Shit, i dont do that many hours at the mo!
im thinking of doing the part time pgce over 16 months instead of a year. But i wont be able to get grant, loan or even council tax exemption then, or the full time bursary. :-(

if it helps this is what my day looks like:
5am up
5:30am books out and work
7am kick ds out of bed and leave
8am-5pm school
6pm run through homework/play/bedtime
8:30pm books out
10:30/11pm bed.

during the weekend i generally lie in til 7am and spend the moring with ds doing something and the leave him to be whilst i do something interruptable til tea and then after tea as the week.

You already do 7hrs per day in school, then it is a case of adding another 3-5hours per day. if you have older kids this can be easier to do. ds is only 5 and it is just me and him (although grannie is fantastic support for babysitting/school run help) There are other people on my course with little lo and husbands who manage and a few who have dropped out due to not seeing the kids enough. Its a tough course but it is only one year and imo worth the sacrifice for one year.

Thanks for that.

I dont think i can do that! my ds is also 5, and my dd is 10, they already struggle and resent being dragged out of bed at 7 so i can leave home at 7:45!!

Quite worried now :-/

I would talk to the provider of the course. Different courses and providers/unis have different policies. I am science so the work load has to be heavy as i have to be up to scratch with the 2 branches that are not my area. ie physics and chemistry. It is this, other then the lesson planning and marking, that takes up most of the time. plus then there are the essays too.

Hi everyone - where are you all??? On placement I guess. How is everyone doing?

I had a serial placement in Nov (10 days) which was OK and am now on another serial placement till March. Am really liking the teacher and the class (Y2) but have some issues in that I need to build up teaching of groups in the core subjects but am not allowed to take my groups outside the class by myself - so it will be very difficult to do my own plans.

Also, I have not yet got around to taking the whole class fpr anything - which I am really nervous about but also very keen to do. But I am enjoying the whole thing thankfully and the dcs seem to be coping OK as well. Hope everyone else's course is going smoothly.

Tis truely manic here. teaching nearly a full time table (~ 80% ) after half term. lots to think and do. knackered. cant wait to half term. sleep and time to think...

hope all are coping ok.

jumping in in the hope one of your exp. people will be able to answer my question- I have been accepted onto pgce primary full time sept.
I have found that i can get tuition fee loans, and the bursary which is available. do you get loans (is it maintenance they call it?) like i get now doing my ba degree?

yes. but smaller or something get paperwork for sept in now as they are still pissing about with mine!

thank you. will start finding the forms and getting them sent back

Am also starting PGCE this September (primary school). My kids are 10 and 9 years old and I am feeling jittery to say the least. Really would like some advice from those who have done the course - ie how much PE is involved and how artistic and musical do you really have to be?