School experience? No common sense?

[prettyinpink23x]

I am currently doing some school experience days in a secondary school before I start my PGCE there. My mentor and everyone are very nice. My issue is I do well academically and always have but I have hardly any common sense. They asked me to do a display board tomorrow and I'm nervous already which sounds stupid but I really am just rubbish in that area of doing physical things and it takes me ages to work stuff out. I'm worried about looking stupid in front of all the teachers and mentor but I guess they are going to suss it out in September when I start.

I am good in the classroom, I'm organised and good socially but I have a lot of blonde moments and yeah just not good physically in terms of doing displays etc. its like that part of my brain is missing!

Any advice? Would you judge someone like me if you were my mentor?

Honestly doing displays isn’t a huge part of secondary school teaching. Thank goodness as I sucked at it!!
Do you know what you have to do? Could you plan it out first?

Have they asked you to do something specific? Get a TES account and search display boards and you will find loads of different ones you can download. Or just Google display boards and copy one. I'm not creative so often need a model to work off for display boards.

Once you get in the classroom that is what matters. Teachers come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and personalities so try not to worry!

@Wolfiefan I know what to do I just need to print the stuff off, laminate and cut some things and staple them onto a board but just feel like I'm going to show myself up. @HeartvsHead thankyou I will have a look.

Honestly you won’t be showing yourself up. I meant just think if you will have a main bit in the middle then things around it or rows or etc. Sort of the shape of it.

@Wolfiefan No not yet just going to have to figure it out tomorrow.

It’ll be fine. It’s a tiny part of teaching. I’ve never used a laminator though. Bit jealous.
You could sneak a look at other displays round the school for inspiration!

@Wolfiefan Thankyou I will do!

I love a bit of laminating! (TA here) Don't be afraid to ask for help/advice, there's bound to be a couple of friendly members of staff to ask. No one will expect you to be able to do everything perfectly. My main advice with displays is to blu tac everything in place first. Then you can move it around until you're happy. Stand back and look at it every so often to check its straight etc. And try to angle the staple gun so the staples are only part way in, much easier to take down again at a later date. Good luck!

@UnderPompeii Thankyou that's so nice! I will use your tips.

That doesn't sound like no common sense.
That sounds like poor mechanical awareness and possibly spatial awareness too (if laying out the board is an issue you are worrying about).

@prettyinpink23x no problem if you have any questions you think I could help with, I'm happy to try and answer them

Twinkl has lots of nice stuff. I honestly only do my boards properly at the start of the year then just add stuff. I’m terrible at stuff like that

Someone once told me when you work in a school, make friends with the Admin officer and the caretaker/site manager. If they are on side your life will be much easier

Twinkl is good but I refuse to pay for membership on my rubbish pay, luckily for me my teacher lets me use her account. You may find someone willing to do this, just make sure you're not both logged in at the same time, they don't like that!

@UnderPompeii It is very expensive! I share an account with my sister- just don’t tell Twinkl!

@BelulahBlanca your secret is safe with me

@TeenTimesTwo Ah yes you're right I just didn't know the appropriate name for it thankyou.

Nobody will be judging you.

In fact, I'd put money on you being asked to do a board because backing boards bigger than a certain size is a ballache for a single person to do.

Don't worry if you ask for help. Staff in our department regularly ask for a spare pair of hands for 2/3 minutes to help get a board backed.

Honestly, I doubt they are expecting perfection and will just be pleased you have saved them a job! You're almost definitely putting more thought into this than the class teacher ever would!

I agree, it sounds like a spacial awareness issue rather than a common sense one but I doubt it'll be a huge issue!

I'm just finishing my PGCE, and honestly there will probably come a time when you mess something up during the PGCE- I'd say try to avoid aiming for perfection at all times, as you won't survive. Your mentor and other teachers are meant to be supportive, and they won't crucify you over a one off mistake!