Help me decide!

[FuckingHateRats]

This will totally out me to anyone who knows me.

I'm sitting on two offers for PGDEs (the postgraduate course for teacher qualification). Very different. Would love some current teachers' opinions.

Course 1: standard PGDE. 9 month programme. From a university with the one of the best reputations in the education sector in Scotland. In a city an hour away from me - I'd have to commute half the time and hope my placements were in my home city (they've pretty much guaranteed that). Very well established and respected. I'd be a secondary English teacher.

Course 2. First ever presentation of a brand new programme. Combines an educational masters and a PGDE. In my home city. Placement at the same school the entire year. It's a 2 yr programme. Massive focus of social justice and attainment gap. Qualified to teach across upper primary and secondary English. But first presentation and it will surely have hiccups. Also, new qualification so people might not fully get what it's all about.

Any advice most welcome!

Sorry, I meant the postgrad qualification we do in Scotland. Should proofread before I hit send!

Anyone?

I'd go for the first one. It's a hard enough year, without the uni finding its feet as well!

I did PGDE and the MEd. TBH I see very little point in combining the two- you'll be focusing far more on Harvard referencing than learning how to teach.

You're coming out at a good time- you'll be guaranteed a job when you finish probationary year. Secondary numbers are going to go through the roof in the next few years. You can go back to doing the Masters then.

I've not heard of the new programme though.

HTH.

Stick with the established programme, don't be a Guinea Pig!

www.ed.ac.uk/education/graduate-school/taught-degrees/transformative-learning

It's this one - it's a masters in Transformative Learning and how we can tackle the social barriers to attainment and education through teaching. It's done alongside the pgde, over two years so I get more classroom experience before my probation year.

Mmmmm. I think it's a worthwhile aim, but having done the MEd (not at Moray House though) it doesn't really help you to tackle social barriers. You can write a cracking essay on it, but actually teaching in the schools in the schemes is totally different.

If you want to teach- PGDE.

I'm Secondary English (Scotland) and staffing levels are critical in some areas. Even my nice central belt school failed to fill temporary contracts this year as job hunters can pick and choose and chose permanent. You'll spend your time teaching English and once you've established yourself you'll get Senior Phase. Do the one year!