A Career Action Plan - Teaching

[beth1]

Hi guys

 

 

I have to complete a Career Action Plan for my Core Skills for FD. And I would like some help deciding what to do? I hope you can help me in my quest!

 

 

I have always been interested in teaching, although I do not have the right GCSE for my age! I need English, Maths and Science(a bug bear being 10 months younger than state age group). I am wanting to be a Early Years Professional but in the back of my mind I still want to become a teacher working with 3 - 8 years olds. I alsohave various disablities.

 

My questions are:

 

1 How would I fit into teaching with my various disabities?

 

2 What is teaching children in Foundation Stage/Key Stage One like?

 

3 Can a QTS still be a EYP working in a Foundation Stage? (this one I am trying to find information on by myself.)

 

4 What is the training like?

 

 

Thanks in advance if anyone can help me.

 

 

Beth

[Guest]

Beth you can still get GCSE's from local colleges, either alongside your FD or in the future.

 

as to answers to your questions well......

 

A teacher of 3-8 yr olds is an Early Years professional in my eyes.

I would say as long as you are able to meet the job description, disabilities cannot be discriminated against.

 

1/ This would depend on the facilities of the individual schools to meet your needs.

 

2/ Your question is rather broad, reading the posts within the forum I would say that working with Foundation Stage ( of which you have experience of) and working with Key stage 1 can vary tremendously within different schools, depending on many factors. however there are obviously a lot of similarities between different schools as well.

 

3/ A QTS can go on to obtain EYP status if he/she meets the criteria. Have a look at the CWDC website for more info.

 

4/ Do you mean for EYPS? This Training has only just started, it is still in the pilot stage and will no doubt develop and change over the coming years.

 

someone else will I am sure come along and let you know what teacher training is like. I have taught 3rd year teacher trainees at my local teacher training university. I have been asked in as a guest tutor for the last two years to do a session on assessment. It's quite basic really covering why we assess, what we assess and observation and evaluation methods. The students are always very welcoming and I get good feedback afterwards. The one thing I will say is that at this level the onus is on the student to learn, a lot of self study and research, as much as it is for the tutors / lecturers to teach. ( if you know what I mean).

 

Peggy

[Tigger]

The criteria for qualifications required for teacher training have changed due to them being ageist, from October this year everyone applying for teacher training has to have GCSE's in english, maths and science grade c or above. I took my maths at the same time as working and doing my foundation degree and I found it heavy going mainly because I don't enjoy maths as much and would rather devote time to degree stuff or making resources, actually anything other than maths! You would have to be very disciplined. Also I know most colleges run mathas and english classes but the science ones are more difficult and around here they tend to be during the day rather than evening classes. I know this because my friend has just hit this stumbling block, having got her full degree she can't find anywhere for her to access GCSE science that fits around her work and family commitments.

 

Do you have support from your family and current employer? This was something I found invaluable too.

 

Sharon

[beth1]

Thank you for your replies so far.

 

In regards to my last question:

 

I did a little searching and I have discovered I can eaither go down 2 routes, 1 FD then BA in Childhood Studies(1 year top up) then PGCE (again 1 year top up) or FD then BA with QTS(2 year shortened course). All at Bradford College with validation from Leeds Met Uni.

 

What is the training like, it means how are the BA with QTS or PGCE courses set out and placements you go to. Thats if anyone knows about them?

 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

Beth

[Lucie]

hi beth,

im doing a BA but not with qts - i have to do the PGCE at the end. As already mentioned it is hard work and most of the time tutors expect the majority of your time to be spent doing self study - i.e. research and reading for understanding of certain topics and issues.

i also hope to do the EYP training after i graduate as a qualified teacher.

im in yr 2 of the course at the minute, placements and visits on my course are very beneficial and help to improve not just personal skill as a teacher but also reflective practice.

A friend of mine has just completed her PGCE and is teaching reception. She had long block placements assessed to meet standards.

its definately not somethimg to step into lightly, i would suggest you really research the course before you apply and if you can speak to the tutors as they will be able to give you further insight.

hope this helps a little.

laura x

[Running Bunny]

I did 2 1/2 years of a BA (QTS) in Primary before 'falling' into early years and dropping the QTS bit. It was VERY hard work - placements were not on the doorstep and the days were long in school plus the planning for the next day/week and constant evaluations of how each lesson and day went.

 

It was rewarding too, but I had a really tough placement, which kind of sealed my decision to drop the QTS, so you can get disillusioned due to one bad experience. My QTS route was a mix of theory at Uni and placements over what should have been four years. The PGCE is mainly teaching practice, so the research and theory has to be done in addition to the placement (please correct me if I'm wrong!)

 

If you heart lies within early years, I'd go for the EYP route after your Foundation Degree and top up BA year. It will have settled down (read 'changed' here!) by then. THere is still nothing to stop you doing a PGCE later in life (that option is still open to me if I choose to do it - not sure hubby would agree though!)

 

As others have said, you need to speak to all the people offering the courses, find current students who are doing the course and those that have qualified using the various routes to get actual accounts of what it was like - like the wonderful teachers we have on here!

[beth1]

I have just been looking on the Teacher Training website and I have come across the basic requirements. Now it states you need a GCSE's in English and Maths then also a GCSE in a Science subject? This last bit sounds a bit confusing as it could mean anything. Around the colleges I live you can eaither do a GCSE in Boloigy(sp) or Phsycology/Socialogy(sp)! It would be a good idea if they would tell you a science in what considering there are soo many of them going!!!

 

If I had the chance next year I would do my English and sicence subject in pshycolgy(sp) as this most interstes me. Then I would do my maths if I pass it for the 2nd time! Falied it first time 7 years ago!!!

 

I am also in my first year of my Foundation Degree out of three years, so it would be in 2007/2008 when I would need to talk to the sudents/tutors on the course. I have always wanted to be a teacher since I was in early secondary school. I was told at school I would never get into higher education as I am stupid little girl! :unsure: Umm guess what I am doing then, a higher education course!!! I bet that showed them up now if the knew about me and my course. :wacko: :rolleyes: I also want to teach FS/KS1 children.

 

Beth

[Guest DeborahF]

I think that by "Science" they mean Biology, Chemistry and Physics - there's a Combined Science GCSE that gives you a good grounding in all three that my son took a couple of years ago, I'm not sure if a GCSE in just one of the subjects would be accepted - I only say this because someone I work with had to take a basic science test in order to be accepted onto teacher training aand she said the questions were all biology/chemistry/physics.

 

Good luck!

[Guest]

I did a BA with QTS Beth. My course was 4 years. We had a teaching practice placement each year. I think the first year was a 2 week placement, 2nd year 4 week placement 3rd year a 6 week placement 4th year a 10 week placement. We would also have placement days in our teaching practice schools when we would go one day a week. Uni would set assignments, some of them required just research and reading, others required us to do tasks in school.

We would be in Uni 5 days a week full time.

I did GCSE's and then A-levels in English Lit, History, Psychology and General studies inorder to get into Uni.

I specialised in early years at Uni and now teach in a reception class

[mundia]

Hi Beth

The routes into teaching can be a bit of mind field and you are doing the rithg thing by researchingthis now.

 

First with the entry requiremenets, there are equivalences to GCSE if you dont have them and some training bodies also do equivalence tests if they consider you to be an otheriwse suitable candidate. A science subject is generally considered as some combintaion of Chemisrty Physics Biology (and for some reason geology!) but I dont think it includes pschology or sociology.

There are also access courses that you can do for enrty to teacher training, its worth checking if your local college or uni does one.

 

Second, you mentioned disibility, very much would depend on the disability and the effect this would have on your ability to do the job. There is serious recruitmenet shortage of teachers with disabilites and the TDA frequently fails to meet targets in this underrepresented group. If you want to run this past me some more, pop me a pm.

 

Third, in addition to the option you mentined which are quite similar (FD BA then QTS) you can complete your BA and then apply to the GTP or SCITT programmes in order to gain GTS. This route was really designed for people with experience of working with children who need to earn and basically you would train on the job and be paid as an unqualified teacher whilst you train. You can even complete your FD and do the RTP where you work in school and complete your BA at the same time (My NQT did this but she said it was impossibly difficult and wouddnt recommend it)

 

In terms of wehat teaching is like in FS or KS1, here is a really good place to look to find out. Read what memebrs her are talking about what issues are common what we maon about , what we celebrate, and love about the job. I think the forum is a fairly good representation of the good and bad of teaching!

 

Hope that helps bethh, do get back if you have more questions..

[beth1]

Opps having worked in a school for the last 2 days in a Foundation Stage Unit on college placement. I have decided to persue a teaching career specalsing in the early years foundation stage (from 2008) and Key Stage 1. Now I need to get hold of this weeks TES paper.!

 

 

Beth

[Marion]

Have you looked online?

http://www.tes.co.uk/

 

ooops nearly forgot good luck

[Guest]

There is currently a consultation about revised requirements for initial teacher training.

 

teachernet

 

Peggy