Post Grad teacher training - anyone exerience of?

Spyda

Spyda

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Sorry, forgive me (((As not a horsey question)))
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Anyone on here recent experience of Teacher Training courses? I've a Zoology BSc (Hon) 2.1 degree, am 41 years old and thinking I might like to teach primary age children. Am I crazy???? My last child has just started at school and I'm bored..... don't know what to do with my qualification.
 
Are you interested in doing the PGCE (postgraduate certificate in education) course? That's the course most people do if they want to go on and teach and it's a postgraduate qualification. It's never too late for a career change - I knew a lady who was a mature student doing a degree at my uni and she wanted to go on and teach primary school kids as well. However, I do know a lot of people who have applied and not got in as it has grown extremely competitive. Despite a shortage of teachers, it's still very hard to get into! I know someone who's doing the PGCE but teaches secondary school kids and absolutely loves it, so if it's something you're interested in doing, it's definitely worth looking into. I can imagine there is a huge amount of job satisfaction as well. Good luck!
 
I have just finished my PGCE. It is very very hard work and has really hammered me. I don't have a job to show for it but can do supply from September. It was enjoyable in a sadist kind of way, but I am unsure whether I would do it again because there are jobs I might end up doing (when I reach my 4-term supply limit) that I could have done with my first degree. I suppose that is unfair really - it's taught me so much about myself and I could still get a job, probably will for January. Primary jobs are in short supply but secondary are better.

Good luck whatever you choose. I've just had a bad year for different reasons. The PGCE is a good year.
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PS I would do it now rather than later, simply because they are slowly cutting down the bursary. I got 6k, which is what all primary trainees have got for the last few years to encourage people to train (to cover the shortage of a few years ago). There is now far from a shortage and actually hundreds, thousands, of teachers each year qualify and can't get jobs (primary and some secondary subjects like English). The bursary for 08/09 is 4000 and my hunch is they might halve it again and then get rid completely for 2010/11.
 
I've just done a secondary science PGCE and had a fab time. I didnt find it particularly hard work but I'm pretty laid back about organisation! I had 2 horses on the go right the way through.
Do it, you've nothing to lose!
 
Yes, noticed the bursary had dropped to £4k this year. Very interesting what you say about primary posts being few and the adundance of teachers finishing college without a job. If you believe the hype on the radio you'd believe they are crying out for teachers! Don't think I'd want to teach secondary level though. I have taught as a lecturer at higher ed level (vet nursing, NVQ and HND courses) but just don't fancy working within a secondary school with that age children .
 
Just to add a different aspect, I trained via the GTP and got £17.5k salary which is much better than the bursary! Training on the job put me far, far ahead of the PGCE students, especially when it came to NQT year. You are employed as a member of staff (so you don't get student perks like shop discounts, council tax discounts), but you get much more respect from kids, develop a rapor with classes much quicker.

PM for more details if you want. I did BSc Animal Science, and GTP in science in the South East. I must have been pretty good as I was promoted to assistant HOY in my NQT year
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Thank you ever so much to everyone who has posted and/or envited me to PM them. I'm waiting delivery of an info pack (apparently it will give me an insight into the various training routes available), and I'll be in a better position to 'discuss' options once I've read through it. At mo, just don't know which direction to go in as there seem so many options
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Hope it's okay to PM you when I've got my info pack and read through it?

Do keep posting your experiences though as it's very interesting for me to hear from people who've taken the various routes and what they thought of them. Many thanks again to everyone
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