Is doing a GTP a total nightmare? Please advise.

[Clary]

I am lucky enough to have got a place on a GTP to do MFL (subject to tda alloacation etc).

Am wondering if anyone has done one and knows what it is really like? Workload/pressure etc.

I work in a secondary school atm btw, full time - but school hours so not really full time imo - I am not paid enough to work any more tho, but as trainee teacher would be happy to put in more hours. Tho it does suit me to leave on time - is it feasible to do this and come in v early/work at home in the pm?

NB I have always worked and at one stage an 8am to 6pm day was my norm (had 2 DC then too) so am not coming at this from a non-working standpoint. OTOH I have 3 DC and would like to continue seeing them now and then. TIA.

PS again, should make it clear that by "school hours" I mean I am at work 8.20am to 3.30pm; I am very well aware that a lot of teachers are there a lot longer, before anyone thinks I am having a dig.

Yep, it can be a right pain as you have a lot of paperwork to do and in some cases you don't get half term because you have lectures at uni. So yes it will be a year of hard work but well worthwhile if teaching is your vocation.

Thanks Elsie, I am expecting hard work but I am fine with that.

My main worry is whether it is in any way compatible with family life?

Anyone else?

I think it is. How old are your kids?

Hi Clary! I've got a mate doing GTP this year. He's been working in secondary for around 4 years I think and capable, intelligent guy. He's having a great time with it.

There's a lot of flexibility with the GTP as to exactly what responsibilities you have and how many contact hours you have.

The "guidance" is that you start off with very few commitments and gradually build up, but he thought that was a bad idea and that students would recognise him as a 'teacher' better if he jumped straight it. So he did that from 1 Sep.

I think he does 12 hours a week - ie 4 classes x 3 hrs per week. He also has a form group.

He does spend a lot of time planning lessons, marking, etc. But he's enjoying it and his observations are good. And he's away this weekend, so it can't all be solid work!

I think the query about what hours to work depends on your school and what the expectations are. At our school there are a lot of after-school meetings and NQTs (+GTPs) have extra after-school stuff to attend as well.

In some schools the ethos would be it's fine to come in early and leave promptly (with marking to do at home). At other schools this would not be acceptable.

Are you doing English btw?

nononon nooo not english!

I don't even have English A-level. Everyone did it at my all-girls school so I of course did something else .

Then I did a degree in my worst subject just because it was less popular .

Actually it's just as well that I'm nto doing English as lots of others seem to want to (judging by my interview day) and Gove is cutting places (apparently...)

It's German and French. I am also hoping to start with quite a serious teaching commitment - it can't be as bad as what I do now! Anyway, helpful comments, thanks. DC are 11, 9 and 7 btw, so relatively independent.

oh wow MFL, you're brave!
Linguists make good English teachers quite often btw, and with your background it would make sense.

Round here there's a shortage of good English teachers. I don't know what it's like nationwide.

Marking is a nightmare in English though, so prob best avoided.

My norm in a comp was from 0815-820 to 1800-1830 most nights, bar Wednesday when I left at 1530 to pick up ds, as there was no prep for day boys at his prep on a Wednesday.

Those 4 late nights involved an after school class (G&T Monday, GCSE revision Tues, Full course RE Thursday and Friday) and then planning, marking and paperwork thereafter. Add to this parent/teacher evenings; after school training and meetings; Year team meetings; kids wanting to have a chat after school, and leaving on the dot may not happen.

I was doing effectively when it was all totted up about a 60 hour week when you factored in time spent working at home as well, and I wasn't that unusual.

That's a bit grim scaryteacher!

I was hoping to be able to get in early (am fine with starting work 7/7.30am) but obv meetings etc would have to be after school.

Well, some of the things you mention I could do another time. It's not the workload overall I am concerned about, more the practicalities in terms of me being the main picker-up of the kids.

I don't pick up from school atm I should add, but I have informal stuff in place that involved just 30 mins or an hour.

Clary I think alot will depend on your school and how supportive they are in your training and how much time/effort they put into training you. I was lucky in that I had a really good training school to do my GTP in - all GTP related meetings/matters were done during school hours and I was given alot of non contact time to do my written work bits.

Having said that - it was alot of work - the hardest thing I think I've done (although I'm incredibly glad I have). I would be in school as they were unlocking it for the morning (which in my case wasn't until 7:45/8), worked non stop all day (including lunches etc) and stayed after school, although usually not that late (tried to leave by 4:30 unless a meeting so not that bad at all). But, I'd continue to work at home often in evenings and would always work at least a half day on saturday at home and then I'd usually work alot during holidays.

BUT I am a complete thorough overworker - I did much more than was necessary as I'm a perfectionist and made myself ill from putting too much stres on myself over getting everything perfect (whgich it really doesn't have to be).

I did my GTP with another lovely lady who had 2 small children at the time and she managed fine - she just cut corners a bit more than me (which is no bad thing anyway - I was wayyyyyy too detailed).

So long as you've chosen teaching for the right reasons (ie it's more of a vocation than a job which I think makes it much more interesting and you a better teacher) it's doable but might just need more planning so you get a good family life.

I trained as an English teacher on the GTP in 2006/2007. My children were 11 and 8 and dh worked away during the week. It was the most difficult year of my life and I don't regret it for a minute! The hardest thing was the planning and the marking - the teaching bit was great! But every day it got a bit easier - I've never experienced such a steep learning curve - and I think it did my children good to witness it.

I'm now employed at the school where I trained and very, very happy. I still put in two or three hours a night, but my job satisfaction is good. Good luck.

I was the main picker up as dh is HM Forces and for two years of my teaching career was abroad, hence prep school for ds as it provided three meals a day and wrap around before and after school care.

The planning and marking are killers, as is report writing. I taught about 600 students a week, and when it was reports it was hell as I would have about 150 year 7s to write plus my tutor group; and often year 8 reports started before the Year 7 were due in giving say another 150 to write there. This was in addition to the normal workload. I had Friday night and Saturday off and then worked on a Sunday.

It can be done but it is bloody hard work and a sheer bloody slog at times.

I am currently a GTP in a primary school, am seperated and have two children (11 and 9).
It is possible to have family commitments and complete your GTP year BUT the workload is huge and you will need to bear this in mind. As long as you are organised and prepared you will be fine. It is said that your GTP year is the hardest you will ever know and I believe this to be true from my experience so far. However, I also know (from colleages who have gone through the GTP route) that your NQT year will be easier and subsequent years even more so.
I get into work at 7:30 and try to leave by 4pm. Sometimes it is possible, other times not. When I get home, having dealt with family life, I crack on with my GTP work (planning, lesson slides, assignments, tasks, reading...). The cycle continues at the weekends. Just be aware that it is a very difficult year but the rewards at the end of it are massive if this is what you want to do.