University Interview on Monday!!! Teachers - help me!!

Thank you...I am squeeeing away to myself here!

Nothing to add, but Well done and good luck!!

It is an interview for a place on a nine month post graduate degree course, at the end of which I would be a fully qualified primary school teacher.

They received just over 1000 applications, invite 220 people to interview, and have 90 places available - so I am gobsmacked to even get this far!

Not a clue. I'll be given a question, like a typical exam I guess, except much shorter (only 300 words). I have no proof, but my theory is that the written assignment is a way of judging grammar, spelling, etc. as there is no spell check available or time to proof read. Somebody could have a great application but could have spent months perfecting it, IYSWIM?

Not a teacher but wanted to wish you luck!

Make sure you're up to date with any new curriculum changes, changes in education law (if necessary) etc. Try to keep calm, remember to breathe (!) and smile. Make sure you have a good hand shake, too. Fingers firmly crossed for you ?

I replied on MD, sorry I can offer any advice as I failed mine ? but best of luck. I had a group interview and individual at Strathclyde and a written and individual at Edinburgh. u will be ace though

Not a clue! The entire interview process lasts three hours though ?

Thankfully, I have always found that grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. comes very easily to me - maths is the part I struggle with.

I don't know what I want to do, as such...but I know that I think I want to do this. It is nine months, so if at the end I realise that it is not for me, at least I will never regret not giving it my best shot!

Noted - I shall practice on Mr Mellow ?

Thanks Storky ?

When my friend had her interview to start a PGCE in Food economics, they asked her to peel an apple and they gave her one of these rather than one of these

she had never used on of the first ones and got in a right kerfuffle! They were only esting her Health and safety of using one and she couldnt even do it! she still got a place though!

I know this is not help at all but i still find it a funny story!!

Good luck!!!

I used fifteen days of my annual leave over the last twelve months to volunteer at a local primary ?

Nope. If you have a degree in any subject, along with Maths and English qualifications at SCQF point 5 or above, then you can do a nine month post grad.

Yes - you could do a standard degree in teaching instead, not sure if it is three or four years.

Good luck yellow one! I can imagine you as a primary teacher!

Ooh excellent news MY - have no useful advice I don't think. Looks like you have most of it covered, but I'd just say be confident and friendly. Personality is a huge part of being a teacher in my opinion.

missrae - my sister did a three year primary teaching degree. I think it was called BA Education with QTS (qualified teacher status I think). She had to choose one or two subjects to specialise in. Most people these days go down the degree plus PGCE route. She's a staunch hater of anyone who does the PGCE as she thinks that they can't get the experience in a year that she got in three years. I see her point, but she forgets that they would have gained prior experience in their degree, albeit not directly related to teaching, but transferrable skills.

Adding to Knees' comment. I believe you can only do Primary Education as an actual degree, you need a degree in an actual subject to teach your subject at secondary school.

So whatever route you choose, whether it is education degree, degree then PGCE or the GTP you will always need a degree to be a teacher.

Yes Ducky is right re the primary/secondary distinction.

I did the 3 year BA (hons) course with QTS although there are zero jobs where I live (had I have known this I would never have wasted 3 years doing the degree!)

You have had some good advice already about making sure you are uptodate on education law and curriculum.

Yes the essay is to check whether you can actually write for yourself and have basic literacy skills.

The group interview is to check that you can deal with situations where takign turning and using basic manners are needed! You have obvioudly impressed them the rest of the way through or you wouldn't have got this far. This final bit is the inter personal skills which can be tested through written communication which are an essential part of teaching. For my course 250 applied, 100 called to interview, 60 places, 40 qualified/finished, 10 years on possibly only 20 max still teaching. Hope that makes some sense but answering this whilst be jumped upon by two small people that don't quite realise how cross I am (something that was picked upon during my training - I couldn't get angry!)

Thanks P! From what I understand this course is very intense, I think that they are interviewing me for two purposes: to find out whether they feel that I would be right for teaching, but also to find out whether as a student I can handle the pressure of the course.

I know this is a daft one, but what should I wear. My heart says dress for an interview, so formal business wear...but then my head questions whether I'll look like a business woman who wouldn't be suited to teaching as I'm too uppity. Does that even make sense? am I over thinking it?

Def suit up! The more like a lawyer the better ? It is a profession and you want to be dressed like a professional. Like I said with my course (although I can't remember where) lots of applicants but ten years after the course not many people still in teaching. The trainig year (9 months) for me was the equivalent of workign a full time job plus doing a full time course, it was very full on and they do need to know that you are going into it with open eyes and not being expectionally naive. There are some who got on to my course still thinking that teaching was a 9-3 job?

But def dress like a lawyer, so basic make up as well, very subtle.

Thanks - that's fab! I was planning a grey business dress, tights, and smart shoes.

This year I took on eight modules (full time students do six), an intermediate 2 Maths course, planned a wedding, and held down a full time job...my conclusion is that I can just about handle any workload ?

Why do you think that so few are still teaching?

The official line is that the training doesn't prepare you for the job. The unofficial line is if you want to have a good career in teachign you have to give up having a personal life. The people that do well are those that can typical check out of dealing with a personal life (sexist but tends to be men - leave everythign to their partners to do), don't have a personal life or another person at work has her parents living with her (there are quite a few that still live with their parents in their 30s) and her parents look after after her children, clean her home do her washign and ironing etc The work load thing that was introduced a few years ago was to deal with this to try and keep people in the profession but many schools totally disregarded it and the con-dem government is basically getting rid of it. I was getting on in my career until I had a child and wasn't willing to work 7.30 til 6 and take work home every day and all the weekend for 46 weeks of the year. Also expect to not get praise but get criticised at every opportunity. And be expected to get results from somethign that you have little control over. Sooooooooooooooooooo many things. I love helping children and soemtimes beign the only adult that they can trust but as a single parent I'm not sure how much longer I can continue in this profession that I love.

By the way I'm not trying to put you off! Believe it or not.

I appreciate the honesty P.

Mid term (5yrs time) we are planning to move abroad, so I can only hope that it is more about the children, and less about the box ticking, outwith the UK.

It is my saddest regret that I haev little talent for languages otherwise I would move to a Scandavian country - although I'm not sure how my Ex would react to that. There is so much I would change about the education system but can't!