Job Discussion Forums

sheeba · Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 1123

I'd really appreciate any advice with my application for a PGCE . I'm currently filling in the application and as I expected have been having some problems.

The application allows you to apply to 4 institutes. I haven't filled this part in yet. I only have one University in mind for the reason that it is near family and friends and was my old University. I have no idea what chances I have on getting on a Business Education PGCE but I know after emailing the Uni that if I want to get on a course for 2006 I should do this ASAP. Therefore I was only going to apply to the one University. Is it worth me investing more time with other Universities, as I may well not get on this course?

The personal statement is going to throw me when I begin that tomorrow. What do you write about? Are there buzzwords? Anything in particular that they are looking for?
I'm quite sincere about my application and I was wondering whether to talk too much about my TEFL experience? It's really where I first thought about teaching and has lead me to the application.

Do I need to research the curriculum for Business Education and try to relate my experience? My degree was not Business Studies as such - More Statistical Analysis for Business Decision Making.

Any advice appreciated.

zai jian

Mark Loyd · Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 517

They will not count TEFL experience as teaching experience I am afraid. You will find that TEFL is considered to be what backpackers do to fund their backpacking.

benno · Joined: 28 Jun 2004 Posts: 501 Location: Fake Mongolia

joshua2004 · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 5:04 pm Post subject:

I think the personal essay is mainly a way for them to see if you can express yourself in a coherent manner. We all have interesting things to say, just explore your background and goals. Just do it in a succinct and grammatically correct manner.

Mark Loyd · Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 517

I didn`t say that TEFLers couldn`t get on a PGCE course.

I said that TEFL experience is not counted because it is not real teaching.

benno · Joined: 28 Jun 2004 Posts: 501 Location: Fake Mongolia

Mark Loyd · Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 517

But whether you treat your teaching seriously or not, the person deciding whether you get the place or not has his or her own opinion about tefl and it is invariably bad.

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 7:24 pm Post subject:

Disagree. I know several people in admin posts involved in the selection of PGCE applicants, who are former TEFLers themselves. (admittedly long ago teflers, but teflers nonetheless.)

TEFL experience at "Bob's Cambridge EFL warehouse" probably doesn't count for much applying for anything at all. But a respectable, traceable, EFL position for which you are well qualified looks fine on your CV or application.

If you spend your time in a $h�t job, people will figure there's a reason. If you do something real and professional, it has a tendency to look that way.

Justin

Mark Loyd · Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 517

Most TEFLers are working for Bob`s Cambridge EFL warehouse.

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 8:44 pm Post subject:

Okay Mark,
That I can agree with. But there are a lot of other options. I agree that if your TEFL experience is a longgggg backpacking holiday, with crap jobs to pay for it, then nobody will, or should, take that experience seriously if/when you head home. But if you treat it like any other career, (Get trained, get a job, progress from job to better job, continue to do further training, get better jobs, over a period of years in which you don't job hop, but spend at least a year or two each in a series of good professional situations.) then there's no reason to think that people will not look favourably on it. My experience is that they will.

If, on the other hand, you do the minimum necessary to get enough money together to pay your bar bill, choose schools purely by their closeness to the beach or the bar, and think that professionalism means washing off the vomit before you stumble again, unprepared, into your morning class, well, you have only yourself to blame. Many people, myself included, won't wait until that teacher returns home to stop taking him or her seriously. (Where I'm at, these antics could happen a maximum of once. And don't let the door hit you on the ass. But in fact, they never happen. We check references, set high standard and require pros.)

There are professional waiters out there. They do a good job, and do well at it. There are rude greasy spoon counter guys, too. It's about how well you decide to do in your occupation, and how well you go about it.

Regards,
Justin

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

Hi sheeba

If you haven't found it already,

try this: http://www.gttr.ac.uk/

for general info & a PGCE FAQ.

sheeba · Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 1123

Cheers Guys.

Still not sure whether to apply to 4 institutes or hope that my one choice will take me on .

Also when you do the PGCE in Business Studies who exactly do you teach whilst training and whilst doing your 1 year to gain QTS ? My understanding is secondary schools(14-16 year olds) in the UK therefore when writing my statement I need to highlight my Degree skills relevant to the GCSE Business Studies curriculum right?

My head is sore from typing and thinking !!

keepwalking · Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Posts: 194 Location: Peru, at last

[quote]I didn`t say that TEFLers couldn`t get on a PGCE course.

I said that TEFL experience is not counted because it is not real teaching.[/quote]

Sorry Mark, but that is rubbish. A few months TEFL to finance your travels may not be considered 'real teaching' but there are other forms of the trade. I completed two separate one year contracts before I applied for my PGCE and was told in the interview that my application was strengthened by this experience. I was also told that my knowledge of language was a strength, particularly as I was applying to teach English.

My advice would be to link your TEFL experience to your application because it has given you experience of preparing classes, assessing students and standing in front of a class. If you have taught kids/teenagers you have also had to deal with behaviour issues/motivating classes. And regardless of what you are applying to teach, the trend in education at the moment is for every teacher to be a teacher of literacy - now there's a buzz word to drop into the application!

I went on from my PGCE to get the first job I applied for and again I was told that my TEFL experience was a strength because teachers should have something other than the PGCE to bring to the classroom.

So, make a point of stressing what your TEFL experience has given you. At the very least it seems to have convinced you that a career in teaching is for you. That will come through in the application.

Good luck

Canedolia · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Posts: 14 Location: France

Hi Sheeba,

I'm TEFLer too, of sorts, and I've just sent off my application for a PGCE. I've always wanted to teach, but my TEFL experience (in primary schools) was what made me absolutely certain about applying. I gained far more knowledge and experience from it than from most of the work experience and observation I've done in UK schools, which may be all many of the other applicants have done. So that's what I wrote about on the form.

There seems to be so much discussion about what the "right" thing to say is, and so many theories about the panels and their prejudices. I've got no idea if these are true, but I suspect most of them come from people who didn't get in. We have no way of knowing. It's a "personal" statement - write about your own "personal" experience. If it's valid, it will show...and you'll probably be asked to talk about it at your interview.

That's my theory. We'll see if it works.

Regarding the curriculum, I'm not sure how much you'll fit in in the space they allow you, but again I think that will definitely come up at the interviews.

Good luck.

Russell Hadd · Joined: 06 May 2004 Posts: 181

Your TEFL experience will count as very positive in most places. Many tutors will see it as very encouraging that you have spent time in the classroom and want to carry on!

The important thing in you statement is to demontrate how you will will promote learning in the classroom. Make sure 'learning' & 'learners' outnumbers 'teaching' and 'my teaching' in the language you use. Also, make sure you are up to date with secondary level key skills which is important at the moment.

If you really want to get in then put down four options. Even if you don't get in via the GTTR many unis still have spaces for those who are prepared to uproot. If you really want to do a PGCE there are spaces left in September. It might not be first choice but if it gets you on the road to QTS then a year away from home for should be TEFLer is nothing.