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PGCE and Experience

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited March 27 in Work & Study
Hey everyone,

So I've got a good drama degree and I want to take it into teaching. The thing is I know I need to strengthen my application with experience, I am just struggling and wanted to know how others have done it. Basically I'm 21, have £1,500 of an overdraft to pay off and I am working at a temp job to basically grind some pennies together. I'm working for the council on their casual workers list - it's 37 hrs, Mon-Fri and I don't sign a contract so I can leave without notice but its pretty mundane and is driving me nuts.

Bascially I want to do a Drama PGCE in order to teach the 11-19 year old bracket. Locally I've been looking for ways in which I can assist in some way and have today been told that I would be welcome to assist at 3 youth theatre groups (the same theatre, just seperated age groups over 3 evenings). This is great because I have to work and they all run after 6pm. I've also applied for a number of positions at local schools (some primary as I figure any experience is good experience) but without any qualifications I feel like I'm getting no where.

The only experience I have is over the past two summers I've spent 2/3 months each time working as a specialist counsellor in the USA with children aged 7-16 years old. I appreciate this will all helps towards my application but what more can I do? How did others find experience? The confines of a 9-5 job means I don't have the flexability I need, but I can't afford to not work like this. I also think that without qualifications such as an NVQ I'm unlikely to be opted as a good candidate for a teaching assistant. I have drafted letters to send out to schools asking if there is a place for me to work as a teaching supervisor, but I can't afford to 'volunteer' my time, so is this just a lost cause and is it a bit cheeky to ask after jobs that aren't being advertised? I have applied to advertised jobs also and am waiting to hear back. I just feel like, even though I've begun an application at gttr.com - the experience I need for the application, I'm gaining after I'm gonna send it. Do I say what I am doing like the youth theatre is a sure thing but they're in refurb till Nov 4th. I know secondary applications can be later than primary but obviously don't want to leave it too late. Eugh I'm all in a tizz and this has become extremely long. Sorry for that and thank you for any replies at all!!
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    When I was applying for my PGCE, a couple of days shadowing some lessons was all that was needed, and even then they recognised that not everyone would be able to do that. That was all I did - I had some spare time in my second year of uni, so I spent a few days shadowing some lessons across different key stages and wrote about it on my application form.

    If I were you, I would perhaps wait until the day after your first session with the drama group, and then you can write about it on your application form as something you regularly do. But to be honest it sounds like you have loads and loads of relevant experience having already worked with young people, and I don't think there is much more you can do! The amount of experience they like you to have varies between institutions, maybe contact the course co-ordinator and explain what you've done and whether they think you'll need more experience. But in all honesty I think you've done enough.
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