Schools Direct interview - teaching activity - help!

[RevealTheHiddenBeach]

I have an interview for a primary schools direct (salaried) place next week. The first day is all observations etc, but the 2nd day we're asked to teach a 20 min session on "any area of the curriculum" to year 4's.

Aargh! I know the school, but haven't taught before. Where do I start? Any areas to aim for/avoid? As I know what the school is working on this term, should I go with that or avoid completely?

Thanks in advance, I'm starting to feel a bit headless chicken already...

[RevealTheHiddenBeach]

Thank you all for your help/suggestions - I have managed to put a plan together (with focused LO etc) and asked a teacher in RL to check it over for me - fingers crossed all will go well next week!

[Showy]

Best of luck to you Reveal. I'm going through exactly the same process atm (SDS application) and I know how you feel. Most of my experience in schools has been with KS2 and the lessons I had to plan as part of the interview process were for reception and Y1. Why on earth should I know how to pitch a lesson for a year group I don't work with? I know enough to start but actually, what will make me a good teacher is doing my research first. Well done for asking. How else do you learn?

I think a lot of people don't really know what SDS is. It's just the new GTP really but with some key differences. It's a route into teaching which actually allows teaching to attract a group of people who can't do the pgce route or aren't suited to it. I could no more afford a pgce than I could find the childcare to allow me to attend it. It's a good option for people who have financial constraints, have worked for years, are moving careers or are moving from working in schools but not in the teacher role. I attended a task day this week and the group I was placed with contained three TAs, a woman working in a residential special school and an early years specialist. They were all passionate and knowledgeable about schools and clearly all wanted to be good teachers.

I haven't seen a single bit of marketing that suggests we're coming in to teach the ailing profession how it's done. More like we're placed in a school with people who have been doing this for years to learn from them from day one. All of the trainers I've met are ex-primary teachers too and talk a lot about their own experiences.

The very best of luck to you.

[RightInTheKisser]

Personally I have always done the The Magic Box poem by Kit Wright for observations. Make a magic box filled with glitter and sparkles. Read the poem, discuss the adjectives think of a couple of amazing sentences together as a class using lots of description.

I can use interesting adjectives to describe what I would put in the Magic Box.

Get the children to write a sentence on a slip of paper. Bung them in the box at the end. Bobs your uncle.

[RevealTheHiddenBeach]

Thank you for your help and support... I got offered a place! excited about next year and the challenge that will come with it.

Good luck to you Showy, hope you get offered the place you want!

[Umlauf]

Congratulations reveal ! I hope to apply in about 4 years time when u move to the uk (currently teaching TEFL overseas). Best of luck to you!

[Hulababy]

Congratulations!

[Lizzylou]

Oh Reveal, well done!
I have been lurking because I have had a School Direct and a SCITT interview in the last week. I am going to be doing Secondary History via a local SCITT
This was my preferred option, I was fortunate to get the choice in the end after thinking I'd fluffed both. Quite possibly the most harrowing interviews I have ever had!
Showy, hope alls gone well for you

[Tillyscoutsmum]

Congratulations

Have also been watching the thread because I've a SD Primary interview coming up soon

Let us know how you got on Showy. I know you'll have been amazing!

[RevealTheHiddenBeach]

Thankyou all! Pretty damn pleased! And congrats Lizzie, it's a scary interview process isn't it!

Best of luck to you Tilly, do you have to teach in yours too?

[Tillyscoutsmum]

Thank you. I don't have to teach in mine. I have to do a 20 minute presentation, an interview and a written task. I'm petrified tbh

[Lizzylou]

Tilly you will Rock, promise
Good luck!

[Tillyscoutsmum]

Had mine this morning and have been offered a place I'm ever so slightly excited

[RevealTheHiddenBeach]

Awesome, well done Tilly!! That's great! congratulations! Have you done the skills tests yet?

[Showy]

Oh good lord Tils, you're a superstar. You and Lizzy are both brilliant people and exactly the sort of folk who should be moving into teaching. You'll both be brilliant. Congrats the pair of you. I'm moving to live with you however Tils. Here you have to do a task day which is a mental arithmetic test, lesson planning exercise, a presentation, observed group work, two essays and a priority exercise. That's just the task day. You also have the skills tests and an interview day where you have to teach two classes (one literacy, one numeracy), give a presentation to a board and have a formal interview.

I haven't had my interview day yet. I had to reschedule as dd brought home norovirus and I was vomiting on the day I was supposed to go. I'm going tomorrow instead!

[Tillyscoutsmum]

Thanks both I've booked the skills test for the end of May. I need to do some serious swotting up for the numeracy paper. My mental arithmetic, in particular, is shocking!

SOH - that sounds very intense. I'm sure you'll be amazing though Is it because you're applying for a salaried SD place?

Best of luck for tomorrow. Let us know how you get on!

[Showy]

Yup school direct salaried. Competition is fierce this year. 400 applicants for the county.

Don't worry about the numeracy. Get the Mark Patmore Passing The Numeracy Skills Test book, do the online practice papers and you'll ace it.

Do you think the fact that I don't even like children will count against me?

[Tillyscoutsmum]

I'm sure you'll be fantastic. Is tomorrow the last day or the "ordeal"?

Ha! A few of my fb friends have commented about my moaning (and swearing!) about my own dc's and have questioned whether I have the patience to deal with 30 of the little blighters! They may have a point

[RevealTheHiddenBeach]

I have the book with all the practice questions, Tilly , if you PM me your address I'd be happy to post it to you! I also downloaded a kids app to practice my times tables, got me back into teh swing of things!

[Showy]

Reveal, has it sunk in yet? Do you know what year you'll be with? Do you have it in mind the age you'd like to teach? What about you Tils?

Interview day today was the last thing apart from the skills tests which I have next week. They offered me a place on the spot. I've requested younger KS2 in a small village school. They try to accommodate as much as possible.

[Tillyscoutsmum]

Wooooo hooooo I was never in any doubt, Showy. Well done, lovely So chuffed for you.

I'm not sure what age I want to teach yet. My (limited) experience has been in EYFS and KS1, but I also like the idea of KS2. I suppose more will become clear as I do my placements.

[Tillyscoutsmum]

Oh - Reveal - thank you so much for the kind offer. I will PM you when I'm on my laptop tomorrow

[RevealTheHiddenBeach]

Congratulations showy, that's great! A village school should be nice to train in too. Mines on one of the most disadvantaged estates in my area, so I know the behaviour part is going to be a big challenge!

I do a lot of random jobs in the school I will be teaching in, so it's nice to walk around knowing I'll definitely be there next year - although a little scary too! Just trying to watch and learn as much as possible before I start. This will be my 6th year out of uni but the first time I head towards an actual career, and that coupled with getting married this summer is starting to feel rather grown up... Guess it had to happen sooner or later :)

I really want upper ks2, ideally y5 first (so I don't ruin sats results whilst training) and then y6 at some point. Much respect for anyone doing eyfs, not sure I would have the patience! What type of school is yours Tilly?

[Tillyscoutsmum]

Mine is a large primary - 3 form intake - but in quite an affluent area and with a strong ethos of family care. It's not the one I've had experience in (that's been our small village infant school which dd attends).

[Showy]

I am hoping to get the local village school with a current whole school count of a whopping 38 children Otherwise, most of the schools have only 3 classes in the whole primary school and no more than 20 in each class. One local school on the scheme has one class per year but that's as big as it gets and I probably won't be placed there.

I couldn't do eyfs. Year 2 is my downwards limit. I like Year 4 ideally, possibly Y3. Might change though. I'm keeping an open mind.

Tils, can I ask if you're worried about work life balance? M will be fine, she's v self sufficient and will cope but I worry about ds and ruining him. The class I work with atm is led by a schools direct (salaried) graduate and she's brilliant but very honest about the fact that she has NO life.

[Tillyscoutsmum]

Wow! Tiny schools mine has over 600 pupils

Yes. I am concerned. Conversely, it's T I'm more worried about. She's a sensitive soul and doesn't respond well to change and of course, she's been used to me being there all the time. She won't even stay with grandparents for more than an hour or so F is much more independent and will be fine in wraparound. I'll be gutted to miss his first day at school and first assemblies/concerts etc. though It's all a bit concerning because of other stuff going on at home as well It will most definitely be a time of massive change for all of us. I've just had to think that it's going to be 9 months of utter hell, followed by numerous years of moderate hell