Support for PGCE student

[peanutcookie]

Hi. Looking for some advice on how to support a very weak PGCE student. For context, my subject is only taught at GCSE and A Level so there is real impact on learning.

Our student has been with us since the start of October and I, along with colleagues, have shared resources, how to structure lessons, behaviour management, how to use the tech etc. They don't seem to take feedback on board, making the same mistakes over and over. For example, I have been saying since the start that they should use my classroom when empty to practice moving between their laptop and the interactive whiteboard. We are now in December and they still can't do it (because they haven't practiced) and I have to demonstrate in lesson time. They have weak subject knowledge, no knowledge of the curriculum or how to structure essays (this has been shared multiple times) and is overly reliant on AI to produce resources and doesn't have the subject knowledge to recognise when incorrect. I've just received lesson resources for later this week for a Y10 lesson with Y11 content. I've had to correct them in lessons when they've said something incorrect which isn't something I want to do but I can't risk my exam classes getting the wrong information. They don't support students in class, eg just telling them to move onto the next question if stuck.

I actually don't know what to do anymore. They have been given Y10 and Y12 classes and is now teaching whole lessons. I went to my HoD today to say I'm unhappy with how they're teaching and the impact on my students. For example today I have had to reteach a lesson they did last week as it was so poorly done. HoD has observed the same things and said we should go back to team teaching with our own resources.

Any suggestions for my own sanity as well as how best to support? Sorry it was so long, thanks if you're still with me!

I strongly urge you to get in touch with their training provider ASAP. I've had to do this a number of times over the years and almost always had useful advice from them.

It would also mean you avoid the situation I was once in where the placement student really shouldn't have passed the placement but I was told she had to because I hadn't raised a concern early enough. This was through no fault of her own - she'd been let down on previous placements and so arrived for her final placement never having taught a whole lesson which meant she wasn't ready to teach an 80% timetable when she needed to. We just about held it together when she was on 60% because I could get the class back under control in the afternoons but when 80% wasn't working and I contacted her university I was told it was too late to raise a concern.

So let the training provider know of your concerns and they might just be able to help you (and if they can't, you've covered your back!)

@toomuchicecreamthanks. I should have put in my op that after I took my concerns to my HoD today, he said he would be contacting the uni. A support plan was put in place but the student is not meeting some of these targets, the biggest one being the subject knowledge.

They should be on a cause for concern and this placement - which I assume ends soon - must be marked as "not on track"

Sounds like the PGCE student is being asked to run before they can walk TBH. Surely this should be their first placement given the time of year? They should be nowhere near teaching 80% in December? I don’t quite understand why a student would need training/practice to move from a laptop to the interactive board either! Please elaborate - I’m intrigued!!!
I honestly think we just forget how hard it is at the beginning of a teaching career - planning is so daunting for a new teacher and I would guess that is why they are relying on AI. I would raise your concerns with the student and their uni mentor - I think some students just need more support than others. I know this situation is probably causing you a lot of extra work too - almost Christmas break.

Hi. They are currently teaching 7 lessons a week and should be upto 10 by February so not sure where the 80% has come from. This is the first placement. My HoD has spoken with their uni tutor and a second support plan is going to be put in place.

They taught 2 revision lessons today, y12 and y10 (who have assessments in January). Both were pretty bad, no modelling, no reading through the case study, poor subject knowledge (to the point where students were noticing the information was wrong). I ask them to send me the lesson resources 48 hours in advance, tell them what changes should be made and ask for them to sent back ahead of the lesson so I can check again but they have never resubmitted the slides and therefore are teaching the lessons without me checking. I think I am going to say that if they can't submit them in time then I'm not going to let them take the class. I can't afford for my students to be getting the wrong information. Obviously I'll run this by my HoD first. We have already decided that they can do the revision lessons in January as planned but any lesson after assessments will be team taught using our own resources as then we are at least sure of the quality. This hasn't been communicated to them yet, or hadn't been when I discussed with my HoD earlier today.

Both lessons of mine that were taught today were bad and I've spent so much of my free time giving guidance and feedback when I could have been marking my mock papers that I'm feeling worn out by saying the same thing over and over and quite cross at how much time is being used. I'd be happy to do this as I have in the past with other trainees but they're just not taking any feedback on board. Also not using any of the school's behaviour policy which then caused lots of behaviour issues for me when I took over the second half of my double. I was stepping in to manage behaviour and managed to get them back on track for my lesson but it did cause disruption. Sorry for the long posts, I'm just fed up now. Thanks for the feedback and suggestions that have been given. Just half a day left to go!

Are you the subject mentor? What does the professional mentor say?

I had a student like this. We put on support plan around Xmas, they failed, they were then on cause for concern and failed and were asked to leave the course at Feb half term.

Keep in constant touch with the training provider. You will also need to give them clear, achievable targets each week - you could start with 2 things e.g.

1. follow the school behaviour management policy
2. practice using the whiteboard and demonstrate you can use it correctly

Plan lessons together and I would advise no AI as they are not learning anything that way!

There are a lot of red flags but the student does not seem to want to change. There is only so much support you can give. You need to go back to the HOD who then needs to rise this and go back to the Course provider.

Your main concern is your GCSE students. If the PGCE student has poor subject knowledge (how did they achieve a degree) and is unwilling to work on this then there is no way forward.

As for your students I suggest you complete revision material and e-mail it to your students over the holiday- time consuming but your back is covered. along with video links.

Not everyone can make a teacher and just going through side after slide on a PowerPoint presentation is not teaching. Hopefully your HOD / provider will sort out the problem for you.