It's getting closer!

[Serena1977]

I will be a trainee primary school teacher in September. Can't wait to get started!

In the meantime, what tips and advice can you give me for my trainee year and PGCE please?

And also what could I be doing now in preparation to help me? I am reading lots of books, articles etc about educational issues, working in a primary school as a volunteer and following a lot of professionals on Twitter. Is there anything else?

Thank you!

Sleep. Get as much sleep as you can, while you can. Enjoy your free weekends and evenings
Oh and batch cook and freeze for when you start. Get all life admin up to date - drs dentist etc

Keep posting on here. The teachers here are amazing

@namechangedyetagain

Thank you! Great ideas. I'm letting dh sort out Christmas this year and I'm buying all my cards and birthday presents for the year in August😂

Avoid letting it become your whole life. The best teachers in my opinion are ones who are dedicated, but also look after themselves.

Simple things done well will stand you strong for your career. Speaking from experience, in my training year/NQT year I lost huge amounts of time trying to be innovative and doing high workload tasks, when I could have taught something simply and had much bigger impact.

You've got a great attitude and your wider reading will help you fall into being a reflective practitioner. Once in school take the time to listen to feedback and don't be afraid to ask for help or ask questions.

Me too Serena! I'm a TA at the moment and was offered a place last week. I'm doing SCITT part time, rather than PGCE.

I'm doing scitt with PGCE. So in school from the beginning with odd afternoon for assignment launches and twilights for reading workshops.

Currently

Thank you @LolaSmiles
Great advice!

Exciting isn't it! @CommanderShepard

Mine is a scitt with PGCE too @namechangedyetagain

Congratulations to you as well CommanderShepard / namechangedyetagain

We're here for any questions or advice as you prepare to train or during your training year.

Set yourself limits, for example I think I always said I'd be gone by 6.30 and stop working at 9.30.
14 years later and I've always been good at managing my time and I think it's kept me going, especially now I have kids.

I think most importantly at school, watch, listen and learn. Take the opportunity to watch other staff where you can. Listen to and act upon feedback (sounds obvious but do many trainees don't)

Enjoy it!

Mind if I join the countdown? The days are really rushing by now.

Found out that I got the year group I really hoped for - SCITT.
So excited for September!

@CaviarAndCigarettes

Congrats. Not been told mine yet.

@Serena1977 do you have a year group you're hoping for?

@CaviarAndCigarettes

I'm hoping for any in ks2 but I'm just so excited that I just want to know!

@Serena1977 I completely understand! Fingers crossed for you x

I won't know until after the end of the month as the resignation deadline will have passed (I'm staying at 'my' school for first year and will move to my second placement for Autumn 2022 as I'm doing it part time). I'm hoping for KS1 - as I'll still be a TA for two days per week I'll be in a different class for that and I don't have loads of KS2 experience.

@Serena1977 any news on where you will be?
I'm getting rather nervous now the clock is ticking ever closer!

@CommanderShepard did you get the year group you hoped for?

@CaviarAndCigarettes
Hi,

I haven't heard yet but I've got my induction in a couple of weeks so I'm hoping I'll get a lot more info!

I'm getting very excited and nervous too!

[quote CaviarAndCigarettes]@CommanderShepard did you get the year group you hoped for?[/quote]
Year 6! Big departure from my TA role!

Very good luck to all of you. My number one piece of advice would be to read lots and bookmark stuff that you think you might want to look at again later. But don't try to prepare too much over the summer unless you already know your class - you will end up spending time on stuff you never end up using.