Impact of childcare students

[Guest]

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone could help with my topic question. I'm currently doing some independent research just for fun and wanted to know the impact level 2 and 3 childcare students have on your settings?

 

I currently teach level 2 and 3 BTEC after years of working in nurseries and schools. My own memories of having students are mixed ones- sometimes they were great and you could give them tasks to do, others were not so great and needed a lot of support. Being on the other side now, I hear stories from my learners how they were photocopying all day or washing up all day. Now it's easy for them to say this and as I don't go out to assess them (others staff do this) they assume I'll believe them and find them a nicer place where they can do as they please. I usually take it with a pinch of salt until I contacted a couple of placements just out of curiosity to find some of these stories were true.

 

So what I'm trying to do is to find out how students are used either in schools or nurseries or even child minders. I also want any feedback on the impact these students have on the day to day running and the learning and development of babies and children.

 

Thanks in advance

[finleysmaid]

nearly all my students recently have been members of staff who train on job (level3/5 and 6) I haven't had a 'placement' student for 7 years now(and I employed her ...she just left!)

The quantity of work I give them and how quickly they get any responsibility depends on the student and their strengths and weaknesses and how much initiative they show. They get an induction day one and then a programme of tasks to complete (books/activities/art/ observations etc etc)

Most of my students have been great (I do interview them before I take them on!!) and I have refused 2 recently (don't send your mother to get you a job!!!!) I have probably only had one who was just really lazy and didn't last in the industry long

They probably TBH don't contribute much for several weeks as you have to check what they are doing and how and most are pretty nervous when they start...some have not even done any babysitting or similar! I also have to ensure we have time to get together and go through their portfolios /work with tutors etc which can take time.

What would be really good though is if the college's gave me the curriculum...we have had a situation recently where I have assumed the student has been taught about different forms of obs who looked blankly at me when I was discussing tracking

[zigzag]

I have had mixed success with students. I always want to give them a go as they have to learn somehow and I try to think back all those years ago to when I was a student (in the dim and distant past) I have had some from college who show no interest at all and one on work experience in year 10 who was fabulous. I would like more info from the college on things that they want the student to experience, achieve and complete as this seems lacking. It is quite hard when they show no interest or initiative, especially when you are very busy, trying to find time to support them efficiently is tricky.

[FSFRebecca]

We find that good students understand that this is 'work' not school. Whenever we've had issues it's always been around the 'moody teenager' attitude and we've had to explain that the children are 'the children' not the staff. However, we've generally been very lucky and have been able to support and develop students into a really worthwhile career. One of my proudest points is that two of the current KS1 teachers in our local school came to me as L3 students and spent 3 years with me before going to university for teacher training.