So, who works in Education?

apeZ

apeZ

apeZ

Soldato
Joined
22 Sep 2008
Posts
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Location
Kent, England
Just sent off my UCAS, decided to apply for a course in Primary Education :)

I was just wondering who we have on OCUK who works in education/teaching? I think there are a few. Also, anyone currently studying a teaching course or PGCE?

Do you enjoy the course? What's the workload like? Good/bad decision?

Would appreciate a little more insight, thanks!
 
Where do you plan to take the course ? If its marjon in Plymouth, its great for Education, and fails at everything else except media.
 
Canterbury Christ Church, most likely.

I want to stay close to home, and they offer a pretty good education course. The campus is nice too.
 
Im doing my PGCE primary years 1-4 course now.

I am just about to finish my first 2 week school placement.

One word of warning, the level of work is extreme, be prepared!

As for enjoyment, I like working with children, not keen on my partner at the school, though I keep it professional. I go throw days of loving it to hating it and wanting to leave, hard to say how you will react.
 
Out of interest, what did you do a degree in Oxy, beforehand?

And yeah... I'm expecting quite a bit of work :/ Preparing lessons, write-ups, gathering resources etc. But I enjoy working with children, already do lots of volunteer work, so it seems like the ideal career. :)
 
I'm currently in my 2nd year of Primary Education - I agree with the above statements, it's hard work but worthwhile. I think it was a good decision for me, however I do have days where I wonder what I'm doing - though I think it's like that with any career!!

Good Luck with your application, happy to help if I can in any way! :)
 
I find it hard atm, but have got good feedback in my observations. I'm 26 and got my degree in Environmental Earth Science, spent 5 years in the industry, didn't like my career direction, spent one day a week volunteering at my local Primary school. Then applied for my PGCE course.

It's ahrd for me at the minute because I don't have kids, don't have T.A. experience but I am learning fast.

Be prepared to be up till 1am doing lesson plans on your placements. :)
 
sparklebox said:
I'm currently in my 2nd year of Primary Education - I agree with the above statements, it's hard work but worthwhile. I think it was a good decision for me, however I do have days where I wonder what I'm doing - though I think it's like that with any career!!

Good Luck with your application, happy to help if I can in any way! :)
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What kind of funding is there for PGCE courses? I understand the government's keen on encouraging uptake, but the devil's always in the detail...
 
I'm on Canterburys Secondary PGCE. The course has been great, the other people on it have been fantastic, workload's not bad (9-5's a bit of a shock to the system after a degrees hours, and I did a proper degree too, but there are people on the course commuting for 3 hours a day, keeping jobs & families going, etc).

Even on the bad days I'm still sure that it was Absolutely the right decision for me.
 
sr4470 said:
What kind of funding is there for PGCE courses? I understand the government's keen on encouraging uptake, but the devil's always in the detail...
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I got nothing, except a £440 per month grant to do the course, as a bloke in primary I was disappointed, there are only 6/60 on my yr1-4 course, males are a rare breed!

It was hard to tick the primary box when you see high school science teachers with a massive golden hello cheque :/
 
sr4470 said:
What kind of funding is there for PGCE courses? I understand the government's keen on encouraging uptake, but the devil's always in the detail...
Click to expand...

I'm not actually doing a PGCE course, I'm doing a BaHons degree in Primary education (3 years) so I'm not actually sure about the funding for PGCE's. Sorry! :(
 
Oxy said:
yeh there are.

proffessional dev
study skills
english
maths
science
drama
history
geography
D & T
ICT
R.E.

and probably some I forgot! :p
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Oh dear. Professional skills\development is a real time-waster (IMO), especially when your lecturer insists on setting 30-page reports with two week deadlines. While you have 4 other modules all loading coursework onto you :p I'm too used to exam-based education I guess...

As for study skills, well I do have to wonder why people are starting degrees if they can't write referenced reports in the first place. Obviously there's more to it, but when you've already been in the field it is kind of tedious.

Seems my fellow students who are studying journalism don't have a professional development module :confused:
 
Oxy said:
I got nothing, except a £440 per month grant to do the course, as a bloke in primary I was disappointed, there are only 6/60 on my yr1-4 course, males are a rare breed!

It was hard to tick the primary box when you see high school science teachers with a massive golden hello cheque :/
Click to expand...

Sounds lame. I'd be better off on the dole than trying to study further :rolleyes: not that I'd like it, but in terms of survival you need an income...and I have no illusions about the future market.
 
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