Sos Please Save Me From My Students!

[Guest]

Hi all,

 

Just wondered if anyone has any advice!!! we like to support our local secondary school by having students on placement within our busy Nursery!! but we have two students at the moment and one of them seems to be extremely bored!!!

 

Does anyone have any advice for dealing with them or any ideas of jobs that I can request them to do!!!!

 

Thanks for your help

Lyns

[Panders]

If they aren't connecting with the children in a good way, how about asking them what their interests are - perhaps they are particularly arty - they could make posters for you, or re-do the labelling on boxes and draws etc., those time consuming jobs that we all say we will do when....... you know, sorting out trolleys which have become a little over crammed etc. - ours is often the cupboard under the sink ...... goodness knows what lurks there sometimes, the box of paints, brushes, printing sponges.

[Cait]

ask them if this is what they want to do - take them to one side and ask if it's what they thought it would be like - if not, why not?

 

what did they think they'd be doing - is there something they are brilliant at? we had one who was fantastic with computer programming and wrote a programme for us!!! then played it with the children, an adding game which they loved, particularly as it said 'poterb' when they got the answer wrong. sadly we no longer have it as it wouldn't transfer from dos to windows me

[sunnyday]

Some great advice already.......you have my sympathy - I have had this experience too.

 

Funnily enough the worst one we ever had came to us at 15 for 'work experience' just two weeks and was - bluntly - useless...then she wanted to come back when she was in the Sixth Form (or whatever you call that now!)......I couldn't say no - we live in the same very small village - she was then going to spend 2 days a week with us for a whole term - I was dreading it...but ....she was great!!! So possibly just age and shyness the first time round - I don't know!

 

Sunnyday

[Guest]

I find a list of jobs helps, including those working with children, but also non child related jobs, as I think if your not used to it a early years setting can be a bit over facing spending all day with them. I sometimes give them a class list and say can you help every child make something, kind of like an extra adult focus, as I wouldn't expect them to come in and have the skills to play with the children as unless you get the importance of play and are confident they can feel a bit daft and like they don't have a 'real' job.

[Sue R]

Don't know if this is any help, but when I ran a playgroup I drew up a timetable for their 'experience' - some came for 1 week, some 2, so it was a bit flexible.

 

First day I spent time with them, talking about their knowledge of childcare, their interests so I knew a bit about them , policies etc so they understood the domestics and stuff like fire drill, confidentiality, why they couldn't toilet etc. Then they shadowed a member of staff, watching, listening and beginning to get to know the children. After that I had a set routine for them; interacting freely, shadowing an activity, helping with snack/whatever, for a day or so (depending on length of placement).

 

Then we had another chat to establish how they felt, so we could offer them a more meaningful experience- some might want to do their own activity or manage a planned one (they were great!), some might want to do the photocopying, wash pots and prepare/clear up messy activities (!!) others might want to do a story/singing time (yes, some really did!!!!!). The longer placement students actually became really useful by using this sort of approach, and whatever length the placement, I was much better placed to report on them at the end, as I'd had half a chance to find out about them. The students themselves had a better picture of the realities of childcare and the whole staff team felt more involved as they'd often been 'shadowed' and had a chance to get to know the student.

 

Sue

[Guest]

Hi

We have 14 yr old student in at the mo.....a complete natural......even deals with behaviour as and when she sees it corrcetly ( I was going to step in but just listened to what she said and it was brilliant...has got younger brothers/sister). She helps us out and has done storytime on a couple of occassions.

In fact she is bettsr than our 20+ yr old NVQ2 student we havs got on placement who only wants to tidy up (never even attempted to do story..when asked she refuses!!??)

[Alison]

I give our students a sheet with a daily routine, a list of tips and a list of do's and don'ts,

 

since I introduced that the students have been alot better because they knew what to do and could refer back to the leaflet if they forgot anything I had told them, great for the shy students who dont ask questions

[sunnyday]

I give our students a sheet with a daily routine, a list of tips and a list of do's and don'ts,

 

since I introduced that the students have been alot better because they knew what to do and could refer back to the leaflet if they forgot anything I had told them, great for the shy students who dont ask questions

Great idea - thanks for that - will add to my ever growing 'Summer to do list'!

[Guest]

ahhh students....what a joy some of them are... and then there are the others...

 

I've learnt- I interview them before I accept them. I have even rung up a student placement officer and asked "Would you leave this person in charge of your child? hmm, no I didn't think so. So why are you sending her to me to look after bloody loads????"

 

My interview is quite tuff and my favourite response to "I love children and I like the thought of playing all day with them..." yes and don't forget once qualified you will deal with pooh, sick, snot, cleaning, writing, planning, observations and parents.- working with children and playing all day still sound attractive?"

 

I like the list idea- we tend to induct as a new member of staff and then encourage them to participate in all aspects of the nursery.

[Marion]

Last year our local secondary school sent a big group of ex pupils on work experience and with the exception of two students who said they thought they might like to work in a school the others said they were there because it was close to home! By the second day we had asked the school to remove one girl and decided no more ex pupils in future.

[Guest]

Hi all

 

We are adjacent to a senior school and often have students doing placements. We do not like having two together, as inevitably they chatter and I don't think they get the best from this experience unless they have to work independently. Also, we always ask whether they are thinking about working with children. We had one who only lasted a day - she said she had no intention of ever working with children!

 

I think the school dumps the ones who have no idea what to do, because they are just next door.

 

A list is an excellent idea, but they still need lots of guidance and support. Rarely there is an absolute gem, who needs no help and just gets on with it, as marley said, better than older, qualified staff!

 

A preliminary visit before the placement starts and a chat about expectations is also a good idea.

 

Lesley

[Mouseketeer]

I always think the last 2 weeks of term is a difficult time to have work experience students in .....(some may say great extra pairs of hands at a busy time) but there is usually so much going on and needing doing that you feel you cant really give them the support they really need and i feel i have to keep finding them something to do.... some have been really good and one now works for us but to most its convienient, on the doorstep and it'll do !

[Guest]

As a company we decided not to take school children on work placements but only those doing a college course in childcare. The decision was taken at a meeting and met with a mixed response, however the majority won. We decided that if someone was doing a childcare course then, HOPEFULLY, the commitment and dedication and want to work with children is there as they've gone down that route, as oppossed to school children doing a work placement who think it will be cool to play with children all day, or its near home, or their mate was doing it! If we miss any genuine cases this way then hopefully we'll pick them up on their placements from college!