Who's done a PGCE?

Former Member

Would quite like to chat with someone who has done a PGCE course. Im 2 months in, finish in June and HATING it.

Not just the workload and pressure of it all as its a very intense course but im not even enjoying the actual teaching practice bit either. I feel like my general mood, personality and to a certain extent health has gone down hill as I just have no time to myself and have the constant stress of it all in the back of my mind :crying:

Has anyone else done one, or have experience of the course?

Former Member

I went out with someone while they were doing their pgce, it was a fucking nightmare. All I can be sure of is that it's a fucking nightmare course.

Former Member

yup I know that now! I had to no one to tell me this beforehand!!

Former Member

its all about how badly you want to be a teacher.

Former Member

I'm actually thinking this isn't really what I want to do now I've just had some experience of it. The good thing is that with a PGCE I can do other things and it is good to have on my cv. I'm just feeling a bit downtrodden from having all this stress and pressure for something I don't really want to do.

Former Member

Teaching is hard. If you're thinking at this stage that you don't want to do it, you may be right.

Former Member

yup it all sounds so good in theory. In practice it's not so fun

Former Member

Bear in mind, it's very nearly the Christmas holiday - and this is the longest term. So it's likely to be the absolute low point.

littlemissy

I did PGCE and it is hard work. Like really hard. The learning curve is huge but it does get easier, academically.

However, if you are hating the teaching practice then I would query why you are still doing it. Why did you apply on the first place? Is the school supportive? What about the uni?

PM if you wanna chat x

Former Member

My friends partner dropped out a week before he was due to finish his because he decided he didn't want to teach anymore. And something about having to start teaching within so long of finishing the course and that if you didn't you could never teach again, so he figured at least this way he could go back to it. Everyone I know that has done one has either hated it or loved it. I'd say unless you REALLY want to be a teacher then don't do it!

Former Member

Hey Lexi, have you talked to any of your course tutors or teachers at the school where you're teaching about how you're feeling? It's totally understandable to feel overwhelmed by it all - as loads of people have said, it's a difficult course which requires a lot of hard work. But that's why I would urge you to discuss it with someone who knows you before making any snap decisions - it sounds like you've already put a lot of hard work in, so changing direction now would mean leaving all that behind for good.

Also, be aware that schools are all very different. Just because you're not enjoying the practical work in the current school, it doesn't mean you won't be happier teaching elsewhere.

As Scary Monster said, you could be at a a low point. Maybe it would pay you to try to stick it out for a few more weeks and then re-evaluate after a well-deserved break? If you still feel like it isn't for you after that then it probably isn't.

Let us know how things progress...

Former Member

My mum's a teacher, and it is hard work. She teaches primary school students, and after 2 years went down to part time because of stress. She's back on full time now, I think it's her fourth or fifth year teaching, as a reading recovery teacher. She likes it a lot better than class teaching, basically she does 1-2-1 reading sessions with children who (at the start of the course) can not read at all.

But honestly, if you aren't sure about doing it, then don't put yourself through the stress. My mum goes to work at 7.30 in the morning, doesn't get home till 5.30, some nights it's as late as 8.30 due to meetings! She has to spend at least one day of the weekend doing planning etc, and most of her days in the holidays are spent either in school sorting things out or at the table on her laptop doing work. And the days where she finally has finished all her planing/marking, she is too exhausted to do anything else!

Obviously she has reasons to carry on teaching, she does enjoy it, but if you aren't totally sure about it then I really don't think it's worth all the stress.

Former Member

Well the thing is I don't really want to quit because I've got a student loan out to pay for it, I would have wasted 2 months with nothing to show for it at the end, and it will probably be useful in the future.

the staff are very supportive, especially the teachers I work with who try their hardest to help me out. Also like spanner said, so many schools/colleges are different, and to be honest I don't enjoy my teaching practice partly because its not really my specialism - my specialism is film and they've stuck in media, NOT the same thing!!

I'm verging more towards the path of 'teaching is really not for me' but I feel like I should stay on the course anyway as I may go back to it one day. Is that a silly thing to do?

Former Member

I wouldn't say it is a silly thing to do, I'd say it takes courage and determination to keep studying something you aren't enjoying! I found myself in a similar circumstance with my degree, I've hated it since day 1 and I'm now in 3rd yr, 6 mths away from graduation and what I will tell you is its hard work doing something, you dont enjoy, but it will pay off in the end. The qualification will look good on your cv and you may decide when you have completed the course that you do want to go into teaching... so I'd say stick with it!

Former Member

Thanks

Ive spoken to a few people from my class and they all said the same thing, that they're not even sure if they wanna be teachers anymore. Sounds terrible but im glad im not alone in it

Former Member

Sooo much work to do, feeling particularly low about it today. Im considering speaking to student services/careers advice about it, see if theres another route that wouldnt make all this a massive waste of time

Former Member

There are other ways of becoming a teacher that aren't doing a PGCE, so there are definitely options.

Do you have a tutor? They'd usually be your first port of call with this kind of thing.

Like I said though, remember it's the end of term - it's never great.

Former Member

Ive booked an appointment with a careers advisor and my tutor to see what they suggest

Former Member

Just as a catch up, I had a chat with a careers lady before xmas who said that a PGCE is a useful qual to have even if im not actually teaching so i guess thats good news. Also over the xmas break i sent my teacher an email saying everything and had a chat with him but im not sure if he actually knows i dont want to be a teacher now.

Right now im just counting down the days, weeks, and modules til i finish in june, and will then have a re-think about what kind of job path to go down. Im aware that places like the BFI (british film institute) run courses and workshops so that might be something to get involved in thats not being an 'official teacher' if that makes sense. I might also do some film festival volunteering to get my head back in the zone i wanna be in.

Just trying so hard to cope without running myself down and being in tears every day

Former Member

A PGCE isn't something you want to do lightly or because it looks good on your CV! In fact it's getting so expensive if you self fund, you will saddle yourself with about £5K of debt/cost.

I've just successfully completed mine in post compulsory education and I'm pleased to be coming out with a Merit or similar. It's not something I would wish to do again but I do think it helped to do it 'part-time' in terms of the intensity of deadlines and teaching practice. The flip side of that was that it went on for longer than it needed to, and you can always tell when an academic programme has too much administration attached to it when that alone forms one of the units to be completed!

I did mine because I hoped there was a strong possibility it would open doors for me, and fortunately it did, but I wouldn't want to go through the tedium of it all again. At any rate the future of the PGCE appears to be in the balance with the Gove changes and the cost issue.

Former Member

I can understand that Lexi. Most people I talk to say that the occupation has changed. Even teachers that taught me 20 years ago told me they would not apply to do it now. No promotion prospects, compulsory to teach three subjects, compulsory to work 50+ hours a week, they are even considering abolishing the summer holiday. Their hourly rate is little more than the minimum wage. Not the job it used to be. Research any occupation before you enrol on any course, and go and talk to people currently working in that occupation.