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How do you feel about having an NQT as your class teacher?

84 replies

SquirrelSquirrel18 · 22/06/2015 15:07

Hi everyone :)

I'm starting my first teaching job in a Reception classroom this coming September. I do not have any children and am 22yrs old but do have family with young children and have obviously undertaken lots of training to get where I am.

What I was wondering, as mums and potentially other teachers, how would you feel about having a newly qualified teacher who is relatively young looking after your 4 year old!?

I am confident that I'm an excellent teacher but I am nervous about how parents will receive me. I expect them to be nervous about their children starting school but do you think that as I am starting out in the career that it would cause any worries? If yes, what do you think I can do to help put my parents minds at ease?

Thank you for your help.

Charlotte xx

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
WaftingWillberry · 03/07/2015 20:58

Great post PastSellByDate

mrz · 03/07/2015 21:05

It's interesting reading parents concepts of NQTs

WaftingWillberry · 03/07/2015 22:27

Why mrz?

whojamaflip · 03/07/2015 22:43

Ds1 has had a NQT as his form tutor (yr7) and she has been absolutely fantastic - on the ball and keeps the children really engaged - have also heard great reports on her teaching too.

Ds2 (yr4) on the other hand has had a terrible year with his NQT. He has mild sn and I was told at parents evening in October that the teacher hadn't looked at any if the children's files as he wanted to "approach all the children without preconceived ideas!" Sounds good but ds was getting in trouble for displaying behaviour directly connected to his snHmm

When I tried to explain how to help ds in the classroom I was told that the teacher had 29 other children to consider and he didn't have time to desk with ds Hmm needless to say things haven't improved this year..... Unfortunately the HT seems to think this NQT can do no wrong but behaviour levels overall in the class have seriously deteriorated Confused

So a good experience and a rather dire one here

Good luck with your new class!

SirChenjin · 03/07/2015 22:46

I was worried to begin with, but all the NQT our DCs have had have been brilliant - enthusiastic, keen, full of new ideas and the latest teaching techniques. Otoh, my friend has had a not so great experience of a NQT who wanted to be everyone's friend and the kids just ran rings around her.

areyoubeingserviced · 03/07/2015 22:48

The best teacher at my dcs school was an NQT. My shy dd blossomed in her class

isittheholidaysyet · 05/07/2015 00:36

We have had a lot of NQT's some excellent, some not so good. I'm sure you'll be great.
I just want to say some things from a mum's point of view:

1)We are giving you our babies (yes they are big children now, but to us they will always be babies) be kind to us, they have been our world for 4 years, and now we have to share them with you
.
2)You have all their time, when they come home to us it is for dinner, sleep, mad-getting-dressed time and breakfast, with a child who is too tired to think, see, or do anything but cry.

3)They don't tell us anything, (ever, even in yr6!) if it's not on a letter/text/email (whatever your school does) Then it DOES NOT EXIST and WILL NOT HAPPEN!

4)Family life is mad, we need notice of events, (at least 2 weeks for date, you can finalise details nearer the time) And don't expect us to go near a shop unless it's the weekend. (And remember how long it takes for fancy dress bought online to arrive)

5)We expect kids to come home wet, muddy, drawn on in marker pen, painted on etc. but if it happens too often then we may struggle to keep up with clean correct uniform. Remember not everyone has facilities to clean and dry shoes, PE kit, blazers etc overnight.

6)Don't blame our babies for stuff which isn't their fault. They have no control over what time they arrive at school, what uniform/coat/kit etc they arrive with on a morning, whether their stuff is named, or other things we parents should have done. in those cases always tell us off and not the children.

7)Most of us haven't been near a school since we were pupils, what makes obvious sense to you, may seem very weird to us!

I hope you have a wonderful time and a fulfilling career.

reni1 · 05/07/2015 15:58

We've had a fabulous NQT. The only problem I had was that it felt as if the (older, more experienced) TAs were ruling, sometimes against her. In her haste to be collegial and not too forward as a new member of staff she lacked leadership. The children did very well and adored her.

SirChenjin · 05/07/2015 17:02

isit - excellent post, well said!

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