So you've decided to do a PGCE?

So you've decided to do a PGCE? Good for you! It's a noble cause and you whatever your experience level you are going to learn a lot!

Before I started my PGCE this year I was nervous about studying again after a ten year break and so I searched for tips from people who had already done their PGCE. Most of the advice can be summed up as follows:

• Look after yourself. Get plenty of sleep. Eat well. Exercise.
• Buy plenty of stationary, including an academic diary and ring binders.
• Don't worry if you take forever to plan lessons at the beginning. You will get faster. 
• When you enter the classroom, be confident and fake it 'til you make it.
• Collect lots of evidence of students' work.

This is all undoubtedly good advice, with limitations on the third point (let's be honest, writing a great formal lesson plan and a thorough reflection afterward takes time, full stop) but I think I can add a few things. 

Academic Reading and Writing

Firstly, there is a lot of reading to do so improve your note taking. I learnt and used the Cornell method. You can watch a tutorial below. I don't know how I got through my BA without this now. 

My top tip is to add the page numbers in that left hand column along with key words and ideas, because it will make essay writing so much quicker when you need to cite something.

Secondly, there will be other students who have already read all the texts before starting the course (How?! When?!). Don't feel guilty or behind like I did. I soon found out that if you read the texts before they are recommended, without context and recommended page numbers and chapters you'll be missing key information for your understanding and have to go back and read it again anyway. 

Thirdly, when you read texts think critically. For good grades at Post Grad level it's not enough to cite sources. You need to consider their argument, their evidence and its limitations and think about the significance of it as well as putting it all into the context of what else has been written on the topic. I'm still working on this.

Fourthly, plan every paragraph of each section before writing because you'll be so much quicker if you do. You've heard that before, I know. For some reason I still waited to be over 30 before following that advice so it seems worth repeating.

Academic Research

I think I was most nervous about this element of the course but in the end it worked out alright because the University knows that you have probably never carried out academic research in the classroom before and they are going to provide you with plenty of guidance. Therefore:

• read instructions carefully;
• choose a model of research that realistically fits with the little amount of time you will have for collecting data;
• make your data easy to process (take legible notes and tally charts and you will thank yourself later);
• narrow your topic of research down as far as you think you can get away with;
• read the feedback on your proposal carefully and double check if you didn't quite understand any of the points (I misinterpreted some of my feedback and needlessly made life harder for myself); and
• don't do a half-hearted literature review before starting the research. Be clear about the themes and arguments of your sources before getting started on Action Research especially.

The Teaching Practice

Actually, I still haven't finished mine because of the school closures but I still have some advice because I know it's the thing that new teachers worry about the most. I have plenty of classroom experience but I was still horribly nervous before my first observed lessons. 

The thing about teaching is that it is impossible to get it right all the time and "right" is subjective anyway so accept that you will make many mistakes, but as long as you are learning from them that's OK.

For this reason jump in at the deep end. Do the thing that you are scared of the most during the first days of the first week. In my case it was an observed Grade 6 Maths lesson. I did it with clammy, trembling hands and a dry mouth. We all survived and afterwards observations felt much less scary. 

You mentor will be often really busy so find other teachers who can answer some of your many questions (they won't mind, most teachers love to give advice) and give your mentor a break sometimes from your neediness. You will also get a lot more ideas and view points as well.

Finally, a few words on managing behaviour, because I know that is something many new teachers shed tears/lose sleep over (I certainly used to but I had no one to mentor me!).  Many excellent books have been written on the topic and I particularly like Doug Lemov's and Bill Rogers' ideas. I wish I had known the following when I started:

• You can plan what you could say if a student doesn't follow directions or refuses to work. Plan what you would do even in that worst nightmare situation (a student starts throwing chairs, say). Keep some consequences for regular misdemeanours up your sleeve and use them. This way you will feel more prepared and more confident;
• Treat students as you would wish to be treated. Don't take it personally and don't get personal. Always give the students the benefit of the doubt. Focus on the behaviour ("It's an inappropriate time"), instead of the student ("Do you ever listen?"). If you allow the student to keep their dignity intact with a calm whispered or private correction they are much less likely to challenge you and much more likely to respect you;
• The only person you can control is yourself, so stay calm. If that means addressing something later because you are too worked up now, so be it. If you are losing your calm it's because you left it too late. You need to address the behaviours that drive you mad much earlier next time;
• Be clear about your expectations. E.g. when students wander around the classroom it really irritates me, but some other teachers don't mind it. Students aren't mind readers so tell them explicitly exactly what you want to see; and
• Keep them busy and make it fun whenever you can. 

Good luck! 

Ps. Maybe warn your friends and family before you start your Teaching Practice that you are about to  disappear and will resurface again in 6 weeks.