Student placements Vs probation

[Unusualllly]

Hi,
Scottish PGDE student (secondary science) here 👋.
Just about finished my last placement, wondering what most folk found tougher.... student year or probation?

Thanks

I'll be honest, I found both my placements and NQT year incredibly tough. You're still learning the job and have to face the scrutiny of endless observations. I had a tough class in my NQT year but tbh both during that year and my placements the hardest thing I found was juggling all the paperwork (a lot of which felt unnecessary). The actual teaching was the bread and butter of the job which I felt more and more comfortable doing as each day passed. It just took me a bit longer to get use to how to juggle everything else so as not to fall behind.

It helps if you have a supportive school and mentor who want to actually help you to develop, rather than constantly judge you and catch you out. For me, my NQT mentor was far nicer than ones I had during placement which definitely helped.

You will get there though. I'm 14 years in and very pleased I stuck through those incredibly tough early days.

Thanks for the reply.
Definitely hoping it gets a bit easier as it feels intense just now being a student. However I've done this year and feel ready for another 🤞

Scottish science HoD here 👋

it was a while ago I did my placements and probationary year but I adored both and had a blast. I’m still close with my placement mentors 16 years on and have lots of fond memories. I didn’t find either year difficult because I loved getting stuck in, learning from experienced mentors and colleagues.

You get out of this job what you put in. I’m well into my career and in middle management but my passion is still pedagogy and enthusing the pupils with my passion for science.

in what way have you found it tough? What would an “easier” year look like for you?

Lovely to hear your enthusiasm still for teaching.
I'm excited for next year and can't wait to have my own classes.
What I have found tough is the length of time to plan each lesson, also the schools I have been in only had PowerPoints but very little in the way of collaborative, active, group work etc (out with practicals), so lots of time spent coming up with new ways to teach each lesson and making/finding/printing new resources.
Another tough part has been when I have an ace lesson organised but behaviour management takes up so much time that the learning doesn't happen.

I’m afraid that’s teaching! Schools will have their core curriculum covered by key resources (such as PowerPoints as you describe) which then allows individual staff to add their own style. I hate teaching highly prescribed courses and always have done. Everyone needs the chance to express their own style.

I’d expect you to be supported in further investigating pedagogical approaches and it’s a key feature of your probationary year, taking that extra time a 0.8 timetable affords you to observe skilled and experienced colleagues.

you can’t have meaningful learning experiences if behaviour stops learning. Make sure to check IEPs, use colleague knowledge and any HWB flags to have an idea of strategies to have up your sleeve to manage behaviour. Make sure to be familiar with the school discipline policy and follow it.

I feel really, really strongly that as soon as you lose enthusiasm for being in the classroom, you shouldn’t be in a teaching job.

Great advice, thank you. Definitely a vocation rather than just a job!