PGCE placement crisis, please help if you can

[Greensleeves]

Am sat here in floods of tears, feeling sooooooo pathetic and horrible

I am in my first two-week school placement and I thought I was doing really well - I spend hours on my planning, use a good range of resources and strategies, props, ICT etc, absolutely LOVE working with the children, no problems engaging/holding attention etc - was thinking I was doing well

my first "formative report", graded by the tutor after two months at uni, graded me "outstanding" in all areas, and I went into school with a good attitude, enthusiastic, dedicated and ready to learn from the teachers and take everything on board

I do NOT have a problem taking criticism if it is fair and constructive

but after a week in school, my second "formative report" had to be done by the head teacher in conjunction with the class teacher I have been working with - and it grades me "satisfactory" in every single area - they are like ofsted grades, so satisfactory is one mark north of "inadequate"

on two of the sections the mark above satisfactory is "meeting expectations for this stage of training" - so according to them, I am not even meeting expectations

the other trainee who is with me in school has received exactly the same grades on everything - and he is brilliant, the children adore him and he is really, really effective

all the observed lessons etc that I have had have only had really positive comments and I have not been told of any weaknesses

I asked the head why it was so low, and she said "the teacher feels that as you have only been here for a week she can only grade you on what evidence she has seen"

this is rubbish - I don't mean to sound arrogant, but what she has seen, from both of us, has NOT been below expectations, and she hasn't said it was to either of us

I have tried so hard - spent hours on my planning and making resources and writing reflections, evaluating and scrutinising everything I do

it is just so unfair, and the university will wonder what the hell has happened between the first report and this one

the head said "well, the university tutors haven't seen you tach"

also the other trainee, who had his meeting before mine, was given a class list and a code for the school pupil tracker - I wasn't

gutted, and don't want to go back

I've sent you a PM Greensleeves

What mrz said. Satisfactory is exactly that. You're doing your job, the children are learning and engaged. There is far too much negative attitude to satisfactory. Also if your uni tutor didn't see you teach then why did they use the ofsted criteria. If they didn't see you teach then it isn't comparable to your headteacher's appraisal.

Everyone has different perspectives on the grading criteria, your Head is trying to see you as a teacher not a student. You're still learning, its fantastic that you're teaching at the level of a qualified teacher! You say you haven't had any negative comments - thats because you're not doing anything wrong.

I would call your tutor as thats why they're there. Even the small things, if your gut tells you to then call them. At the very least they can comfort you and tell you how to go forward.