Is it too early for NQTs to have found their feet?

[MagneticLashes]

My year group partner is a NQT and I’m finding it such a worry! I keep on trying to remind myself that she did a postgrad in such a disrupted year, and she’s only been a teacher for two full weeks.

She’s really struggling to get into a routine and organise things. I’ve talked over my day with her at least three times, and school arranged cover for her to shadow me for a day, but she then said that my organisation and style (which, tbf, is old fashioned!) wouldn’t suit her.

She just seems to be clinging on at the moment, but has only managed to teach with a whole class worksheet task. I genuinely don’t know how to help beyond what I’ve done!

Am I being too critical? I couldn’t manage to catch her mentor to speak about it confidentially.

Yes!

Yes

Give the poor girl a chance!

Jesus, it takes that whole year! You only learn by getting it wrong and adapting. I've been teaching for over 2 decades and I still remember my nqt year and how exhausting it was - harder than the pgce year.

And i'm still finding my feet with my new class. Give her a break! Poor girl probably already feels like a faliure if she's been asked to shadow you. At least she said your style wasn't hers which bodes well. You can't just copy other teachers. You have to do things effectively for yourself. One of my colleagues is a very quiet, organised teacher. My desk is a bombsite and I am not a quiet teacher. We are both effective.

I'd say it takes 3-4 years to really get into the swing.

Do you mean she has only taught one worksheet over 2 weeks? Or all lessons have been worksheet tasks?

A day to shadow you is great as long as she was observing the right things. Was she specifically focusing on organisation of the day? Or was she looking at 'everything'?

I'd talk to her mentor next week if you can.

All lessons have only been worksheet based. I know I sound like a bitch, but I’m not massively experienced myself and I just did what I was told in my NQT year!

Curriculum wise, SLT asks us to move really fast, so most of us follow the same daily routine and the kiddos are used to that. She hasn’t got anything in place instead of it.

I just see her getting into bad habits (like half an hour of colouring first thing and constantly sending them out for break ten minutes early) and I’m thinking aaaarghh. I spent Weds/Thurs evenings with her planning next week and there wasn’t nearly enough content.

I think you have to remember that last year was hugely disputed. Which training route did she do?

Worksheet based lessons aren't the devil, if they get her through to start with then that's OK. Re the routine, is she aware of the school expectations?

Speak to her mentor re pace if you think she isn't covering the curriculum. SLT should be on it and aware that isn't happening by now anyway. Do they observe/drop in regularly?

PGCE. I do keep trying to remind myself she missed out on volunteering in schools as well as having a disrupted training year.

I can’t judge if she’s aware of expectations. I went through the term plan with her, and talk to her most nights about what we’re both doing the next day. I do get the impression that she thinks the things that were ok on the first day/ week (like the colouring and extra breaks) are still completely fine.

I do want to speak to her mentor but she shares a base and I want to do it privately.

PGCE she has probably barely taught or planned alone. I'd give her some flexibility. It may be that she genuinely doesn't know what she she did in the first week isn't OK.

Could you email the mentor asking for a private chat? Worth raising ASAP even if it just flags she needs explicit expectations.

Yes of course it’s too early. Cut them some slack. Coming from someone who also had a disrupted PGCE it’s very hard right now.

It’s a massive leap from that to being an nqt. It really is taking me and some of my course friends too extra time to get used to this new found preassure to deliver. Please just cut them some slack and be fair. I’m also doing worksheet tasks too. They’re good and not the worst thing that could happen.

I had an NQT last year, so his training was disrupted. Please be patient and give her time! Two weeks is nothing!

My NQT had his ups and downs in half term one but really grew over time and has been a brilliant addition to our team.

However, he only grew that way because I as his mentor (and others) were incredibly patient, supportive and gave him a lot of time.

Her mentor should be supporting her. You need to speak to them urgently but not to criticise her, to get her more support.