O/T...Primary School Teachers - in here!

Hello again! (I've just replied to your post about being short - lol!)

What should I take with me - for your first day I can't really think of anything in particular, just make sure you're there with plenty of time in the morning, gives you a chance to meet the teacher you'll be based with.

What kind of clothing is best - I wear smart casual, you have to bear in mind that you'll be painting, working with clay, getting your sleeves rolled up and getting stuck in etc! My lot have just started working in pen and have a knack of accidentally drawing on me! If you're with younger children you will find yourself kneeling down, sitting with them on the carpet etc, so you don't want to wear clothes you are precious about! Find out when your class are doing P.E as you may want to have a pair of trainers to hand!

What things do volunteers do that annoy you - most annoying is not being willing to muck in, particularly with the "unpleasant, boring" jobs (putting out line guides first thing, cleaning up paints, hearing readers etc.) It is also pretty annoying as a teacher to teach a method, for example in maths, and over hear a volunteer telling the children another way - it is not very helpful! I also find it doesn't pay to try and be the children's "friend" - they lose respect for you and ultimately when you do have to tell them what to do they pay no attention. The children respect you much more for acting and behaving like an adult.

What would be helpful - Just be willing to help with anything, show interest, muck in, take lead from the teacher......

I'm sure you'll love it, let us know how you get on!?

Thanks! The head teacher said smart/casual - I feckin hate that term...who invented it? I was going to just wear black trousers, black shirt, and flat shoes, and then kind of see what everyone else wears and take it from there - sound ok?

Wear black trousers and flat shoes, wouldn't bother with a shirt. Just wear a cotton top or some light knitwear or something. Something that's easily cleaned and that you won't mind dusting glitter and peeling glue off

I'd second Happy Annie on not trying to be their friend. Not being able to find that line between friend and disciplinarian is the reason I chose not to teach after finishing my degree!

What school are you going to, are you allowed to say?!

Sounds perfect! Yep - see what others are wearing, good plan. Good luck - let me know what yr group you end up in

All I would say is look happy and be friendly. I have had some helpers in my class and they look like they don't want to be there and don't enjoy working with the children. A smile goes a long way with teachers and children ?

Good luck, hopefully your love as much as I do.

Thanks everyone for all of your advice...this time tomorrow - eeek! I'm terrified, ha ha!

Will update you all through the week.

Best piece of advice I can give, is make sure you wear trousers that don't slip down and reveal your underwear, more of a problem if your working with the yonger ones. Also be careful about your top, I have made the mistake a few times of utting on a top and only realising when I get to work then if i bend down you can see down it. If like me your with the little ones, be prepared to wipe noses, as most of my class struggle with that.

But just follow the advice that the others have said in following the teachers instructions, and most importnantly don't be afraid to ask if yu dont understand or know where something is kept. I started at my school in September and feel like I constantly ask the other teachers where different things are kept.

Have fun and make sure you enjoy it.

How did the first week go?

Only just seen this, but would echo all of the above!

Also don't sit on the tables - drives me mad as I spend half of my life trying to get my class to remember their manners and treat furniture appropriately, so then when the TA or a volunteer perches their bum on the table to talk to a child I want to scream! (Instead I usually make a sarky comment about 'Ms X needs to check the class rules again!' as it's the only thing I've found that works with one of mine!)

Hope the first week went well!

Hey everyone, first week was great...although I've never been so exhausted! I've been non stop, even through lunch and after school so I'm getting a good idea of the reality of teaching. I've loved every minute though. I'm definitely a teacher more than a friend, haven't stood about idle, and haven't flashed my underwear. Will update you all at the end of this week. Thanks again for all the advice.

Well, that's my two weeks up and I absolutely loved it. There is a lot more to the job than I could have ever imagined, and I appreciate that my working week will be anything but normal, but this last fortnight I have really found my calling - I have never been so happy or motivated in my life! I'm going to go back in the new year hopefully, and be based in the upper school, as I want a good all round experience.

Thanks again to all you lovely teachers for your advice! x

Glad you loved it! You're definitely right though - there is no such things as a normal working week when you're a teacher! I had the same happy and motivated feeling when I did a weeks work experience in schools. I'm now in my third year of teaching, Head of Dept (secondary school) and still loving it. It really can be stressful, but I also spend a lot of my day laughing and smiling and I can't imagine doing anything else - if you've got that feeling then fab! Are you going to try to get a job as a TA or apply for teacher training?