next PGCE placement in a Year 2 class- what to expect?

[Guest]

Hi all, as the topic title suggests my second placement on my Early Years PGCE is in a Year 2 class in a small, rural school. Whilst I am really looking forward to it, I am also really apprehensive as not sure what to expect with a Year 2 class. I have plenty of experience of younger children but not so much with the older children so even behaviour management, transition times- stories/ rhymes etc- are really throwing me so was hoping some of you lovelies would be able to enlighten me as to what to expect from anything to everything!

I have little experience of the National Curriculum (it was a good few years ago I did my CACHE course covering it in more depth- degree only touched on it very lightly) so that will throw me with planning and subject knowledge confidence, as I am very confident with the EYFS and ethos/ values of children learning through play so I feel like a complete duck out of water. I have bought some books to help with this but to hear straight from the horses mouth would be great!

I am really looking forward to it- please don't think I'm not, I think it is the slight fear of the unknown that is throwing me! And of course, the more I think about it, the more apprehensive I feel. I start mid January doing a few days a week as prep, then 4 week block in February.

Looking forward to hearing your replies!

[Guest LornaW]

ExtraordinaryChicken it will all depend very much on the ethos of the school you are working in. Have you had a chance to visit yet anbd get some info from them? If not have a look at their website and you can usually get a feel of the place from there.

Y2 are still a great year group to work with! they are enthusiastic and should by now be fairly competent but your skills with EYFS will be very useful as the older the year group the wider the skills level and you will be bound to have some children who may need the work at the EYFS level. If the school are forward thinking you will be working through topics and remember the NC at KS1 is no where near as prescriptive as KS2 so you can use books as your stimulus and base all of your work around it making it very cross curricular. Find out what your children already know about your topic/theme and mind map it with them. Then in differenct colour pen ask them what they want to know and remember you can add in to this list. You then have your curriculum ready to plan for and deliver. I used to keep my mind map up and highlight each item as we covered it so the children saw what learning they had achieved.

Good luck and enjoy!

Lorna

[Guest]

This was me exactly twelve months ago. I have to say that although my heart still lies in early years I really enjoyed the year 2 placement and in fact the children weren't that different in lots of ways. I was lucky that the school used continuous provision up to and including year 2 and the head was early years trained, so I definitely agree with the comment above that the experience will be dependant on the ethos of the school. My placement was also in a fairly deprived area which I think made the children more willing to engage in play than they might have been in my first placement school for example, where they are more affluent and less involved in play at the same age. Fortunately that placement was in reception. I used lots of story books for my naming and then linked maths and literacy to the theme of the story which was well received.

 

Hope it goes well.

[Andreamay]

good luck x you will be brilliant x it all sounds so exciting

Andrea x

[Guest]

Thank you for all your replies! Love the mindmap idea LornaW, and reminder of using stories to base the curriculum around, thank you. I haven't had time to visit the school unfortunately and the website isn't particularly up to date but will keep an open mind and remember like Holly said that the children aren't all that different- I think the thought of Year 2 is scarier than the reality as they still are young and within the early years. When I email the school with my personal statement and photo, I will ask (if they have time) if they could email me a prospectus etc so I have some idea of school ethos etc.

Thank you again, will let you know how it all goes in a few weeks when I start.

Off to update my professional development journal (the joys of a PGCE!) :blink:

p.s. Andrea- yes v exciting, can't believe I've done a third of the course already!...only 6 months or so to go! Hope all is well with you