School Based Teacher Training

[Guest]

hi, I'm new at this.

 

I am following a school based route into teaching next year, is there anyone else out there doing the same eg GTP, RTP or SCITT? Would like to share experiences/support.

thankyou

[Guest]

Hi Aquarius

 

I have nothing to offer except my warm welcome to you on your first post!

 

I'm sure someone will come along with something useful to share, but in the meantime, enjoy the forum!

 

Maz

[Guest]

I followed the GTP route and am just completing my NQT year - I think this is a brilliant route into teaching, as you are in the classroom for the majority of the year. You do need to get on well with your mentor, as you build up a close relationship - I was lucky. My mentor and I now are great friends.

Any more info required, then let me know.

[Sue R]

Hi there,

 

Sorry, no help to offer, but another very warm welcome!

 

Sue

[Guest]

Hi aquarius

Just wanted to say hello and welcome to the forum.

Can you please explain GTP, RTP and SCITT for me?

Linda

[Susan]

hi Aquarius and welcome!

I am sure that once you get going there will be lots of people who can help you.

 

Linda, these are all school based routes into teaching although I never can remember what SCITT stands for the other 2 are Graduate and Registered Teacher.

[Guest]

Welcome Aquarius!

 

I too followed the GTP route in to teaching last year and am now doing my NQT year.

Like Chris, I found it was definitely the route for me - so much better to be 'hands on' rather than looking at the theory of it all in books and lecture theatres: you can't beat real children!!

It's very intense, and I would agree that a good mentor can be the making of you - mine was fantastic, both for providing general guidance and suggestions and for supporting me. I hit a big low, literally half way through the year and my mentor was great, saying all the right things and making time for me when she had so much else on her plate.

 

Advice:

1. Make sure you have a good support network in family and friends - they need to understand that there's a lot of work to be done outside of school as well as at school. If possible, make friends of the others on your course - they will understand better than anyone. Our group had a network set up on the internet, where we could post messages and e-mail to everyone on the list, which was great;

2. Form a good relationship with your mentor - if you don't feel they are giving you the time you need, diplomatically suggest you need a meeting. Make sure they know how you're feeling :wacko: - if you're struggling, don't be afraid to say so, they are the one person who can help you with this, either through explanations etc. or through providing you with non-contact time when you need it;

3. Make friends of any support staff you have. I found it hard to delegate (still do to a certain extent) as you don't like to ask things of people, or you have a certain 'vision' for how you want something doing. You have enough else to worry about - good support staff are the salt or the earth - I've had both excellent and not so great, so I know where I'm coming from;

4. Try your best to get any reading etc. for assignments done as early as possible, when things are far less 'full on' at school.

5. Enjoy it! Despite hitting a low in the Spring term, by the Summer term I was on great form, really enjoying my year 2s (and looking forward to the long summer holidays!)

 

If I can be of any further existence, you know where to come.

 

Good luck!

 

For Linda:

 

GTP = Graduate Teaching Programme

SCITT = School Centred Initial Teacher Training

RTP - not sure - I think I knew once, but have forgotten!

 

Speaking for the GTP, as that's what I know about, it's a bit like an old style apprenticeship, in that you train 'on the job' so to speak. Employed for a full year within a school, you cover 2 different key stages (I did KS1 & FS) and teach across these year groups. Initially there's a lot of observation and taking groups, but you build up to teaching more and more of the curriculum very quickly.

During my year I spent only 5 weeks (usually 1 week blocks) in college, which was of some use for gaining related knowledge, but was of more use because everyone in the same boat got together to berate their situation and to compete over who was the most tired etc!

The end result is that you (hopefully) get QTS - Qualified Teacher Status (I'm sure you knew that one!) rather than PGCE. I certainly haven't had any problems with getting a job with this qualification; the only thing worth mentioning (which I'm not sure if it's true or not) is that someone told me that, at the moment, this qualification doesn't get recognition outside of the UK, making teaching abroad difficult, if not impossible. If this is true, I'm sure legislation will change as more and more people follow this route to teaching.

[Guest]

Susan,

 

Sorry to repeat your explanations - I started my post before yours went on! It took longer than I thought!!!

[Guest]

thanks for the welcome and the info.

Chocolate girl some great tips there thankyou for that.

 

My biggest problem is that I am already employed in the school as an unqualified teacher and I have spent the year on my own in class, not working along side another teacher.

 

I wonder how long you spent on your own with the class when you were training? I dont want to have to work alongside someone else when I havent done so this year, i feel like its a step backwards. But my mentor (who is also FSco) is inisisting that we spend some time together in class (1day) and I have 1 day release time too for training, portfolio work etc.

Is this reassonable, i cant imagine I will need that much time. Did you get a programme to follow on your NC day or were you left to your own devices?

 

My mentor is very experienced and has successfully mentored a colleague this year who has excelled on the programme, so am I worrying unnecessarily?

Thoughts appreciated.

[hali]

hello and welcome.

[Guest]

Susan and Chocolate girl thank you for explaining for me.

Linda

[Guest]

The way I understand it, certain aspects of your training will be at the discretion of your mentor, therefore, since you already have loads of classroom experience it may not be necessary for you to have the same level of qualified teacher (QT) presence as I had initially. However, I don't know how much experience you have working with a QT, and part of the training is geared up to observing good teaching practice. Even now as a NQT I spend the odd half day or day observing in another class or even other schools - partly to steal ideas and partly to see how other people teach. My initial couple of weeks in my Y2 class was spent carrying out observations and working with small groups of children on less academic tasks. This was in part so that the teacher could see how I was with the children and gauge where to go next with me. You hopefully wouldn't need to do any of that. I would have thought your training ought to be based more on the academic side of things; building up your subject knowledge (if this is necessary) and actually learning how to teach. I'm interested to know how much of this you are already doing as an unqualified teacher, and whether you receive support with this?

 

After my initial observation stage I gradually built up to just teaching numeracy and then adding more and more subjects along the way. I honestly can't remember at what stage I was left alone with my class - probably for numeracy sessions after I had taught a couple with the QT present. This didn't bother me, but then I hadn't had the class experience you have had. Dare I say it, but it is useful to have someone around who can give you pointers having seen you in action (although you don't always think that!!!)

 

As far as NC day goes I would have hated to have an inforced structure, and was left to do whatever was necessary at the time: usually paperwork and preparation, but some of this time was also spent observing in other classes. My mentor somtimes made suggestions, e.g. "You really should be thinking about putting together your portfolio - perhaps you could do that on your NC day?" and we did sometimes talk about what I'd be doing, but I think so long as you use that time wisely it should be yours to do what you want with - for work obviously!

 

If I were you I would take the 1 day release time on offer - you'll almost certainly need it. There is an awful lot of unnecessary paperwork involved in the GTP year, what with making plans for each and every lesson and writing in depth evaluations, and writing up any observations you have carried out.

[Susan]

Not a problem, Chocolate Girl.

 

Your posts make fascinating reading to someone who has no experience of this and I think you have given Aquarius some very valuable pointers.

 

Sounds like you shouldnt resist your mentors suggestions Aquarius, I am sure she (?) only wants what is best for you and working alongside someone is a very valuable experience for all of us however experienced we are! I would accept all the help and advice you can get and use it to its best advantage to develop your role and teaching styles. Good luck.

[Guest]

I've just finished mentoring a student -final assessment was this week. Its sounds as though your mentor has your best interests at heart - you really will need the time for that vast quantity of ridiculous paperwork. It's a bit like going to court - you can do it all but you have to produce a portfolio of evidence to prove it and that takes up a lot of time. Like me, you'll always find a wealth of advice and lots of encouragement and sympathy from the forum. Enjoy the course and the teaching and good luck with it all,

Ruthanne

[Guest]

Hi Aquarius,

 

I'm another ex GTP student. I would echo the others on taking up any release time you can get. My training differed from Chocolate Girl's in that we did not attend college. Apart from 3 twighlight sessions. We had assignments to hand in each term and had an observation from a college tutor every month. After the observation she went through my teaching file and as the other's have said everything has to be written up in great and glorious detail. By the end I felt as though if I coughed in front of the class I would have to type up 3 sides of A4 to justify, explain and evaluate the event! I took on my job initially to do a Reception teacher's maternity leave, so we had the first half term sharing out the teaching and then the class was mine. The college also required my mentor to observe me teach every other week. Fortunately we got on very well indeed and she was a great support to me. Lucky as our two Reception classes are at either end of an open plan L shaped room. I found the teaching part of the year relatively easy, as I had just come back from 6 years teaching in France where I ran my own business teaching English. I've just been summonsed to eat! I'll jot down any more thoughts later.

 

Hope it all works out well for you.

 

Angela

[Guest]

Hi.

Thanks for your feedback, it has been very helpful to hear what others have to say.

 

I am having to complete an audit of needs from which my mentor will draw up my training plan. Did everyone else have to do this?

[Glen]

Hi, my Mum is Glen, registered on here, and thought I would like to reply!

 

I have nearly finished my SCITT course (only 2 weeks to go!). I would definately recommend this route into teaching, as you get to spend so much time in school. Unlike GTP, on the course that I am doing, you have three teaching practice, in two schools. I have worked in a Reception, Year 1 and 2 class, and a Reception class.

 

Although you spend some time at college, learning the theory, mainly during the Autumn and Spring terms, the majority of time in spend in the classroom.

 

With the SCITT course, you are awarded a PGCE, in addition to QTS, which I don't think you get with the GTP.

 

One of my placements offered me a job, which I will start in September, in Reception.

 

Overall, I have enjoyed the course and would recommend it to others.

 

If I can help with any other SCITT info, please let me know.

 

Sarah