spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
very well-respected, even though i went there. 
Personal statement for PGCE application - thoughts
- Thread starter Shippou-Sensei
- Start date
goldenecitrone
post tenebras lux
IoE is rad, I went there and it never did me any harm
Two sterling recommendations indeed. I did a year there, too. Great bar.
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
noted!
If I lived in London and I wanted to train as a teacher that's where I'd want to go. Loads of interesting ideas and books etc. come out of there and I love that part of London.
It's worth phoning elsewhere as criteria can be different for a more mature applicant. Are you applying for primary? I'd think being a bloke that would make a difference too.
Good luck with it OU
It's worth phoning elsewhere as criteria can be different for a more mature applicant. Are you applying for primary? I'd think being a bloke that would make a difference too.
Good luck with it OU
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
so, that's four endorsements, if spanglechick's mention of it was. cheers all!
I went to the IOE too. Not sure I remember it being that special but I was a lazy sod and with teaching you're mostly in school anyway. I did make a really good friend. I did my undergraduate degree at the University of Cape Town and it's a bit hard to beat sitting on Jammy steps with the mountain behind you.
I got the impression from my general reading around that they're quite interdisciplinary in their thinking about education. I've been interested in early years ed. over the past few years and the Thomas Coram research unit seems to do some really good work.
I have no idea, obviously, of how much, if at all, that would influence their PGCE teaching.
Anyway, being the University of London, it's going to look good on the CV
It has a really good reputation but I don't think I was really clued into issues around education when I went there. It was a different age when you could just impulsively jump into teaching unlike now when they almost want you to have carved some sort of low paying career in it already!
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
Obviously once you've got your PGCE you can then teach anywhere afterwards, but often where you do your PGCE influences where you do your practice teaching. It is not uncommon for students to then go on to get jobs in their practice schools (if they get on ok there). I work in my second (long) practice school and I'd say over 50% of my co-students did the same. So it worked out well for me to have gone to Goldsmiths (although I understand that's not an option for you) because the majority of their practice schools are (or at least were when I went) in South/Central London which is where I ideally want to work. I'm just saying this as, if it comes down to a choice between a couple of places, you might want to factor it in. Although, of course, you might be open to working anywhere at all - in which case - ignore me!
I might be looking for a new job myself soon - my school is imploding it seems.
Honestly.. I turn my back for 5 minutes and all hell lets loose...
I might be looking for a new job myself soon - my school is imploding it seems.
Honestly.. I turn my back for 5 minutes and all hell lets loose... 
Shippou-Sensei
4:1:2.5
i did my placement partly at lambeth college.
it wasn't that fun.
it wasn't that fun.
Obviously once you've got your PGCE you can then teach anywhere afterwards, but often where you do your PGCE influences where you do your practice teaching. It is not uncommon for students to then go on to get jobs in their practice schools (if they get on ok there). I work in my second (long) practice school and I'd say over 50% of my co-students did the same. So it worked out well for me to have gone to Goldsmiths (although I understand that's not an option for you) because the majority of their practice schools are (or at least were when I went) in South/Central London which is where I ideally want to work. I'm just saying this as, if it comes down to a choice between a couple of places, you might want to factor it in. Although, of course, you might be open to working anywhere at all - in which case - ignore me!
I might be looking for a new job myself soon - my school is imploding it seems.
Yes, when I was a teaching assistant in SE London it was Goldsmiths. I heard good things about Goldsmiths from there.
Sorry to hear your school is in trouble GG. What a mess it all is.
I've just spent the afternoon with friend of Blagsta who insisted there was no point in even thinking about teaching if you aren't 21, don't have a first, and aren't willing or able to work a 60 hour week
ETA: This person is the most gloomy person I know but I find it hard not to be put off by this. It makes me feel worthless and old.
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
falseYes, when I was a teaching assistant in SE London it was Goldsmiths. I heard good things about Goldsmiths from there.
Sorry to hear your school is in trouble GG. What a mess it all is.
I've just spent the afternoon with friend of Blagsta who insisted there was no point in even thinking about teaching if you aren't 21, don't have a first, and aren't willing or able to work a 60 hour week
false
umm - not gonna lie to you...
Ok, thanks.
Yes, hours I expect. I do worry that I wouldn't be able to manage with children though. All the women teachers I know here in Brum are part-time having returned from mat leave, so it's hard for me to get an idea of how I would manage. Anyway, if I do apply it won't be for another year and I've got loads of prep to do before then if I want to be considered a strong candidate. I'm currently of the opinion that if I don't try I'll wonder for the rest of my life if it's what I should have done, but if I don't get accepted then at least I know I tried.
Yes, hours I expect. I do worry that I wouldn't be able to manage with children though. All the women teachers I know here in Brum are part-time having returned from mat leave, so it's hard for me to get an idea of how I would manage. Anyway, if I do apply it won't be for another year and I've got loads of prep to do before then if I want to be considered a strong candidate. I'm currently of the opinion that if I don't try I'll wonder for the rest of my life if it's what I should have done, but if I don't get accepted then at least I know I tried.
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
the mums i know who teach take a lot of work home and do it after the kids are in bed (the rest of us stay at school til 6.30ish to try and minimise this), and their parents / partners take the kids out for chunks of the weekend so they can get the rest done.
tbf - i'm a head of dept, which brings more work; i'm in an academy, which brings more work; i do a fair bit of extra curricular stuff, which brings more work... some weeks are busier than others, but it's never less than fifty hours, and some weeks have been up to seventy, easily.
but then, there are payoffs, especially related to holidays, and especially if you're a parent.
these days, since you get a bursary to train - it's got to be worth a shot.
oh - and older people often make better beginning teachers. perspective, patience, emotional intelligence...
tbf - i'm a head of dept, which brings more work; i'm in an academy, which brings more work; i do a fair bit of extra curricular stuff, which brings more work... some weeks are busier than others, but it's never less than fifty hours, and some weeks have been up to seventy, easily.
but then, there are payoffs, especially related to holidays, and especially if you're a parent.
these days, since you get a bursary to train - it's got to be worth a shot.
oh - and older people often make better beginning teachers. perspective, patience, emotional intelligence...
Yes, I certainly didn't have any of that until my mid thirties. I couldn't have done it in my twenties, no way.
Ok, thanks, that's helpful. It was actually your post about school the other day that got me thinking about it yet again. Even though you're having a really tough time I have such admiration for you, for teachers, and dare I say it, envy (but in the nicest sense!) that you do something of such value, can make such a difference to your students lives.
Ok, thanks, that's helpful. It was actually your post about school the other day that got me thinking about it yet again. Even though you're having a really tough time I have such admiration for you, for teachers, and dare I say it, envy (but in the nicest sense!) that you do something of such value, can make such a difference to your students lives.
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
i would have been lost in a classroom in my twenties. i wouldn't have known how to talk to the kids at all and i would have been shit scared.
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