If you had an entirely free week before your PGCE

[CaviarAndCigarettes]

How would you spend it wisely? I have been gifted a child free week before my PGCE begins in September and wondered if there are any books or online courses I should tackle during that week? Is there anything you wish you had time to do before the training began?

I will be doing a primary PGCE through a SCITT, hoping for upper key stage one or lower key stage two. I've checked out the reading list which has over a hundred books on it, none of which are mandatory.

Obviously my first child free day will be spent absolutely cleaning the house from top to bottom! But then I have six days to fill and I will regret it immensely if I don't use the time wisely. Please do share any recommendations

Batch cook.
Pre buy all birthday cards and presents for the academic year.
Plan my first week of outfits and have them ready.
Make sure my car was serviced.
Get a haircut.
Have a dental check up.

Essentially get everything non school related sorted so that it's not a bother in term time.

Personally I'd avoid reading loads until you've been in a classroom. I think so much more of the reading I do now is better because I have experience to latch it on to. I'm secondary not primary so there may be stuff you can do to prepare yourself for primary.

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation thank you, lovely advice! I do need to see the dentist actually so thanks for the reminder!

I have been volunteering in school for the year so have classroom experience but I recognise that my knowledge doesn't necessarily match up to my experience

Honestly, I'd take the time to relax, have fun, meet friends, pamper myself and sleep. The PGCE year is hard, especially with your own children. Once you hit the ground running you will look back wistfully on that week.

I'm doing my PGCE now and I agree with above, batch cook and freeze meals, plan outfits etc.

I wish I'd read a book that really practically related to teaching eg. A book on behaviour management strategies. Or the series that's called 100 ideas for primary teachers. They have them on lots of different topics and they have actual practical ideas for the classroom (I've read Outstanding Teaching, I also want the ones on questioning, differentiation and behaviour management.)

I found my university stuff focused mainly on subject knowledge and theoretical stuff. I of course learned loads from placement but I would have felt more confident if I'd read some more of these books with really practical ideas

I'd agree with much of the above - get some rest and relaxation in, because the PGCE year can be intense. I'm not suggesting all life must and will stop for it, but anything you can do now while you have the "headspace" for it, do it!

Also agree with MissPrimaryCrafts point above about dipping into those books with practical suggestions and strategies - things will have changed since I did my PGCE many years ago, but I seem to remember only having one lecture about classroom management! It was really insufficient. You do learn your craft on the job - but the '100 ideas for...' series is a very useful reference point, as MissPrimaryCrafts suggests.

Good luck with it all.

Thank you @MissPrimaryCrafts @CJFJ1 I will certainly look into those series

@GeorgeandHarold66 sleep is definitely my first priority. I can't wait to wake up when I choose to! It's the simple things isn't it?

100% agree with organise your life before starting. Get boiler serviced, car MOTd and serviced, dentist check up done, hair cut, then absolutely buy and wrap all birthday presents and cards (and write out, stamp and address Christmas cards) for the whole year - and set a reminder on your phone the day before each one.

After that, get yourself sorted with low maintenance options for life admin, e.g. sort out your insurances so that you either renew them now, or set them to review in a decent length school holiday.

Apart from the cards and presents, this is how most teachers I know organise their time - big jobs in holidays!

I definitely agree with everyone suggesting you do important dental and car appointments! It’s hard to fit those in.

I would clean, relax and if you want to do some reading, I found the book ‘Teaching Backwards’ good preparation for my training year.

As I was staying on to train in the school I was a TA at, I knew I’d be in Y6 so I spend some time going through Y6 SATs paper to sort out subject knowledge.

Good luck! I’m in my training year currently and very excited to start my job in September.

@Timeturnerplease thank you! My husband usually deals with all the car stuff and I'm lucky that I can walk to my placement if needs be. Really must get into the dentist though!

Organisation wise, I already meal plan and have a three weekly rotating meal plan and saved shopping list. I've been doing a lot of volunteering in school so I've been trying to get as much in place as possible by asking lots of questions.

Birthday cards and gifts are genius. It's the last minute kids friends gifts that always stump me and cause a last minute panic. Although I'm wondering if I can get away with a tenner in a card for the next year

@Popsicales ooh good luck!! Thank you for your tips

I'd make yourself an #edutwitter account and spend some time connecting with other people also starting their training and the people who support ECTs. If you use it well, Twitter is an excellent source of support and CPD.

@KibeththeWalker oh gosh do I need to learn Twitter?
I've failed so many times to understand it!! If it is important though, I will continue to try.

@KibeththeWalker although following that hashtag will be so useful! I just checked it out.
I will ask my cool friends to teach me about Twitter.

I would persevere with it. I also had a failed attempt before getting into it. Somebody called 'DeputyGrocott' does a thing called 'follow/ follow back Wednesday' #FFBWed. If you look on there on Wednesday you will find loads of primary teachers, ECTs and trainees. Follow a few and start getting a feel for what sort of things people are sharing.

Twitter is weird. One minute people are discussing the latest research and pedagogy, the next sharing pictures of their dinner. However, it is an incredible source of info once you get your head round it.

Twitter and @Wakelet (to save your finds for later).