The first job of teaching I had was to unemployed people in 1984, teaching computing (no one called it IT then), I taught BASIC programming to 16-78 yo. I hit the ground running without a single minute of training.Arising_uk wrote:I agree and I think its to ensure evidence for funding purposes, as the FE and private NEET sectors are heavily reliant upon this.chaz wyman wrote:Fuck that \
'evidence based" teaching bullshit eh?
My entire Portfolio was computer generated from a four page Teaching plan and a 3 page evaluation plan.
Dates, times and Classes were changed and random thoughts in the text.
The entire process got in the way of good teaching.
There was no active teaching from teachers on actual teaching method. The whole exercise was designed to facilitate the generation of evidence.
What a fuck up the whole system is. By the end I was convinced that the whole shebang was designed to put-off anyone with a real teaching talent.
I'm guessing you had an advantage over those who had never taught as I assume you had lots of previous practical experience.
A few good things tho' I think, ice-breakers, the lesson plan, learning to schedule the course syllabus over a semester and rapid assessment questionnaires. Making the major part of the course a placement with a mentor is also a positive.
I was pretty pissed-off when I realised that I should have done the school-teaching course if I wished full-time employment as FE looks to be effectively short-term part-time contracts and thats no use to me(although who wants to teach pre-16's!). Even better, when I finished my course they told me there was no chance I could even keep the course I had been teaching as they were having to cut a third of the dept. So no job and a bloody student loan to pay back.Still, its an addition to the skill-set and when 'they' start to slash and privatize the FE sector, which they will as its the biggest part of the education budget, I'll think about returning to teaching.
My take is that the FE sector has been used by New Labour to keep the youth dole figures down, rather than address the mess that the Tories left with respect to the their unemployed and their off-spring.
Remember the 'no more jobs for life' and 'life-long education'! Well the former is true for the bulk but the latter has been slashed with respect to adult-education just when its going to be needed more than ever.
I also did some grad training during the PhD, and designed an Access course from prospective mature Archaeology students.
By the time I took a PGCE in Secondary ICT I had pretty much developed some great skills.
I never did like secondary schools and found myself a nice Middle school to do my QTS in as a specialist IT teacher.
A lower intake a couple of years later meant that I was offered a class rather than just teaching all the IT.
There were big staff changes in the School which had an intransigent bull headed Head so I decide to fuck him off.
The PGCE still came in useful doing Primary supply work.
Kids turn into wilful fuck-head morons from 12 -15, so I never wanted to go on with that crap.
I'l can have I have taught all agers from 7-12, and 16 - 80, with great pleasure and engagement.
My time at FE was complete bollocks. I got fed up with being encouraged by Brighton City College to cheat my writing parts of the KEY SKILLS work that students could not be bothered to do. The co-ordinator that threatened me with less work unless I cheated for her figures, got a nice promotion.
What ever happened to honour?