Over the last few months of surfing on the TES forum, I've compiled a big list of potential interview questionbs/discussion topics - and i've just popped them up online for anyone who's got a PGCE interview to use.

Just click on the 'pgce interview questions etc' link at the top of the page to see them...

Good luck!

So it seems from 2006 PGCE student are going to be charged £3000 to do their course. That's terrible, it really is. The country still needs more teachers - that is going to put off so many people!

I'd really better get a place on the course for 2005...!

Just got back from school, and I am ABSOLUTELY KNACKERED. not sure walking 5 miles each day (2.5 to and from work), having a poo morning at work, and spending three hours with a very hyperactive class agrees with me...! ;) But seriously, it was pretty good again, although some of them were in very boisterous moods, so took some effort to keep calm.

We had RE first of all, which was interesting, although it made me wonder how I'm going to teach RE. I'm an agnostic/athiest, with pretty strong views on God, so I'd have to put them aside for the Christian side of RE teaching, as I know it's something that has to be done. But I think I'd be pretty big on teaching about other religions, and 'Christian style' values, as opposed to actual Christianity - I think it's important children grow up with a balanced view on religion, as opposed to a one sided one, as I think many do.

The lady who came in to do RE called me 'Sarah' as opposed to 'Miss Butterworth', so it took a bit of effort to get the children back into 'Miss Butterworth' mode, but it didn't take too long. Several children were in pretty awkward moods - can't believe it's the middle of January - they all seem like they're in need of a holiday already!

I'm learning a lot from observing other teachers/teaching assistants - and it hasn't put me off yet. I'm feeling drained and a bit woozy at the moment, but I think that's more to do with everything else that's going on at the moment (moving house, sleeping on the floor, stress to do with that etc) than my afternoon in school. :)

I am sitting here at work literally counting the minutes until 12.45pm when I leave for school. The anticipation of this afternoon has been what got me through yesterday - and now it's so close, yet still two hours away!

Roll on this afternoon...

My PGCE interview is now only 25 days away - so I guess I'd better get back into thinking about my presentation. From reading on the TES forum several months ago I knew I'd probably have to do a presentation if I got an interview, so I started on the research literally as soon as I'd submitted my form. I was slightly worried about the old tempting fate thang, but luckily I was ok, and I did get an interview.

I'm doing my 5 minute 'presentation on an educational issue' on the importance of music within primary schools - and I really need to get moving on it now. I'm not too worried about the actual speaking, but am a bit unsure as to the 'visual aid' side of things. I don't like using visual aids (powerpoint/OHP/flip chart) 'for the sake of it', but I get the idea that you're all but expected to have some sort of visual element to your presentation. So I'm trying to think of something 'different' - and not having too much luck so far!

2 1/2 in school tomorrow afternoon - yay! :D

Yesterday was my 2nd day volunteering with my year 1/2s, and again it was absolutely brilliant.

Even though it was raining a bit, we still walked the class up to the Juniors for their weekly IT session. They're doing a topic on 'toys' at the moment, so they had to think of their favourite toy and draw a picture of it in the programme they use to paint. Then they had to open up the word processing programme and write some questions that they had to ask their parents or grandparents about their favourite toy when they were young.

During the IT session, the children also went in groups to change their library book, and came in pairs to do a task with me or the teacher. Earlier in the day they'd worked in pairs to 'invent' a talking toy (like the ones in toy story). I talked to them about their toy, and they had to tell me words that described the toy's appearance, and personality, and I wrote them down on 2 sides of a piece of A4 paper. It was good because it meant they could concentrate on coming up with the ideas, as opposed to working out how to spell them. I had quite a range of abilities, which was very interesting, and 2 boys who refused to work together and kept starting to fight - fun fun!

I really enjoyed doing 'proper work' (last week we just watched the panto) and I now know the names of almost the whole class. The children are lovely - several of them wouldn't let go of my hands/legs/arms/clothes for ages. I love spending time with them - it's infinitely more interesting/exciting/worthwhile/inspiring than my current job, and I am hoping more than anything that I do well in my interview on 11th February. I can't not get onto the PGCE - this is absolutely definitely what I want to do.

Roll on next Tuesday!

Yesterday I spent my first afternoon in a primary school for a few years... and I absolutely loved it! I'm helping out in a split year 1/2 class one afternoon a week hopefully until the end of the year, and it really is going to be the highlight of my week. The children were wonderful - the first thing I was asked was if my husband was called Nick - Nick Butterworth is apparently one of their favourite authors! They said some absolutely wonderful things and it was wonderful to spend time with them.

We didn't actually have any proper lessons, as it was the visiting panto in the afternoon, so the first half an hour or so was spent getting the class ready to walk to the Juniors (about half a mile away) then walking them in crocodile fashion there. I chatted to several of the children, pointed out the University in the distance ("that's where I work in my other job") and answered loads of questions. It was amazing. The panto was good fun - seeing the infants loving it was fantastic - then we had the walk back. When we were walking out of the hall, I suddenly felt something touch my hand, and looked down to find a little 5 year old holding my hand and smiling up at me. Awww :)

Some of the best quotes:

Child 1: "Excuse me... but he's annoying me!!"
Child 2: "But he's annoying me too!"

Child 1 "Is your husband called Nick?"
Child 2 "She doesn't have a husband, she's a miss!"
Me: "That's right - i do have a boyfriend though, he's called Ben"
Child 3: "Bum?!"
Child 2: "Stop being rude, it's Ben!"

Child 1: "It's my mummy's birthday on the twentysomethingth of this month - I think I want to give her a sword!"

Child 1: (having found a price label on the floor) "Look, I cost £2.50 - noone can buy me!"
Child 2: "I could..."
Me: But would you want to?! ;) (Child 1 was being a little awkward just before this)
Child 2: (thinks about it) "naaaaah"
Child 1: "But if yuou did you could do things like kick me!"
Child 2: (thinks about it again) "naaaah"

I'm glad I'm writing about everything in here - I really want to keep track of everything I'm thinking and experiencing as this goes along. Being at school yesterday has strengthened my resolve to teach - this is definitely for me. Spending time with children is about a million times as exciting as the adults at work - roll on September 2005... I hope...

I reeeally hope I can get onto this course. I'm confident, but definitely not over confident. I've got lots of school experience (and some very recent stuff by the time I am interviewed), a good degree in a NC subject, my maths and english isn't bad, I enjoy giving presentations, and I hope i'd interview ok. I need to get working on my presentation soon - I've done lots of research, but need to start fashioning it into some sort of presentable form. I've been keeping up to date with 'educational issues' for months now, so hopefully I'll be ok on that front - although in my euphoric state after yesterday afternoon, I completely forgot to buy the Guardian on my way back to work - ah well!

Anyhow, enough raving from me - I guess I should get on with some work. Fingers crossed I'll only have 9 months left in this job...

It's been a while...

In an hour I'll be just about to start my first afternoon in infant school for a long time. I'm a little bit nervous (more about finding the hidden entrance to the school than anything!) but I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm exciting about the prospect of being inside a classroom again - it's been a few years - hopefully this'll confirm for me that this is definitely what I want to do...

P.S. Happy New Year!