The South Coast SCITT from a Trainee’s Perspective
"Ensure that you do not leave work until the last minute. Read lots during the Summer and try and read your Studentship books, they really help. Make sure that you complete your QTS tests early."
"An absolutely fantastic, tiring but all round exceptional experience. I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to teach and who is motivated to work hard. Enjoy the year, enjoy the teaching but keep up to date with the little things each week especially the Reflective Diaries!"
“Keep it steady and take every week as it comes. Don’t look too far ahead because you will just stress yourself out. You will be surprised what you are capable of in such a short space of time. Please make sure you back everything onto disc or memory stick”
“You will never have a year like this again! Stock up on food and drink – no time for anything like a social life. But we survived and so will you. The support from peers and tutors is great”
“It is one long rollercoaster ride! Try www.bookbutler.com for books – very competitive prices, offer new and used books”
“Wow! What a year! Expect to put in what you want to get out of your training! It’s been a tough year, but a great one too. Buy lots of folders and make sure you stay organised as much as possible, it will help you in the long term. Excellent support all round. Enjoy!"
“Don’t worry if you feel totally out of your depth up until December! There seems so much to take in and it’s very overwhelming. Take one week at a time and don’t look too far ahead on your timetable! Expectations develop gradually and you won’t believe how much you can learn in one year. Start your Standard Mapping Document in your first placement and keep adding to it throughout the year. Keep on top of the assignments and take time for some breaks. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and share your feelings and ideas with peers. You will need them throughout the course. Prepare to feel totally exhausted! Although it is hard work, it is manageable and you will make it. The kids in school will keep you going! Good luck!”
“When you’re having a bad day take some time with the children, it will remind you that it is all worth it. Small children are very perceptive, if you don’t feel in control they will know. Take the time to suss out your setting. You need to know and understand the ways of the school to make the most of your placement. Sometimes you need to just get your head down and get on with it – trust me you still learn.”
“Do your Standard Mapping Document throughout the course don’t leave it until the end. You will get stressed, but it is all worth it in the end. Try to take advantage of the Easter holiday to do all your assignments. Ask as many questions as you can. Reflect on all your lessons. Write down useful tips and resources as you go. Buy anti-bacterial gel, this will decrease your illness!”
“My evaluation of the course? I asked my boyfriend how I’d been – he said, in a word, stressed! He said now I’ve finished I’d better return to normal – he had a glint in his eye! After recovering from shock I realised that, on reflection, I must have appeared worse to other people than to myself! I have to say – be organised. So boring, but so true. Get 10 files, label them, fill them, do lesson evaluations as you go, always think at least one week ahead, and try really hard to plan as you go. Little and often is better than ‘wasting’ your whole weekend! Have at least one afternoon and evening off a week and take advantage of it – read trashy novels or get a massage! But, most importantly, have fun because it really is an excellent year and I’ve loved it!”
“Just expect to feel completely overwhelmed for at least the first 6 weeks – you are pushed so much in those first few weeks and if you can get through this you can do the course! It doesn’t get better though – the pressures change as the course goes on! My advice would be to keep on top of things, do essays before they are due, start your Standard Mapping Document during your first placement because we all had endless colds. Get to know your fellow students because they are your ultimate support and together you will get through. It is a completely mad year – it will push you to extremes, but it’s great!! And if you really want to be a teacher you will do it!!”
“It is a very intensive 10 months, but the rewards are worth it. Access to the internet is essential and if you are stuck for ideas just use Google – it’s great! Keep one step ahead of admin or it will pile up incredibly fast.”
“This course is very intensive, but extremely worthwhile. Be prepared before the course starts and read books on child development and child observation. Be prepared to work hard and you will be rewarded in the end. Keep one step ahead by keeping your admin up to date. Keep your family and friends close, you will need their support over the course of the year.”
“No matter how tough it seems, you will survive and it will all be worthwhile in the end. Keep one step ahead and make the most of any time when the pressure is less intense at the beginning of the course. Do your QTS tests asap. Work together as a team, together it will be much easier and you will achieve a great deal more."
“When they tell you to do your Standard Mapping Document early on – do it! Reflective Diary – do it every week or it will catch up with you!!”
“Tell your family you’ll not be yourself for 10 months, emotional snappy and stressed but reassure them their loved one will still return to normal by the end of June! Stock up on ready meals now! Train your partner to do housework, make children self sufficient! BUT it is worth it (and the house will survive a years dust).”
“It has been an emotional ride with lots of ups and downs – but I’ve got through it!
For new trainees – don’t be afraid to ask for help or talk to your tutor if you need support in your school – keep positive at all times – always have a back up of 1 or 2 books with you in school – there is always 5 minutes to read to the class and it’s a great way at the start of the course for the class to warm to you – talk to your fellow trainees, the course is tough but you will get so much support from your peers.”
“I thought my degree was full time – feels like a holiday compared to this course! It has been a real journey and I have really enjoyed it. You will think, learn and reflect a great deal.”
“It has been an amazing year! I cant believe what I have achieved but with the support of college and school it has been easy to embrace the full nature of the course. Here’s some tips for the future – buy lots of lever arch files – be organised – file everyday – share your experiences so others can learn and share with you – become an established member of your school, learn and observe effective practice – take tips from the professionals and be reflective.”
“It has been a very emotional year with lots of highs and lows. The hardest part was getting to Christmas and after that the time just flew past. My advice would be – keep on top of the work load as there is no let up – do everything as soon as you can – ask for advice and help – don’t wait until it is offered! – talk to your fellow trainees as much as possible – you are all in the same position. Broadband is essential, so is a digital camera for evidence of your work.”
“What a year!!! A very intense and fulfilling year. The team at the SCITT are very supportive and work very hard to help trainees succeed. The course is well balanced with very useful and stimulating college sessions and exciting and enriching school placements. It is hard work but also extremely rewarding.”
“Two main essentials for the course 1) internet at home – a must for gathering information on lesson ideas and resources (as your house will be the only place open in the very small hours of the morning) 2) Use of a car – lots of travelling to various places. A very supportive and fantastic course but you need to be very prepared for a long, hard and intense year! Stay organised, prepared and ahead of the game as much as you possibly can.”
“Sign up to MSN Messenger and put all of your SCITT friends’ emails onto it. That way when you are all working until the early hours of the morning, you will be able to see that others are suffering too! They also can help you with lesson ideas and catching up with the gossip!!”
“You get back what you put in!! This is an exciting and rewarding roller-coaster of a course. My top tip would be consistency. If you put the effort in throughout the course then stress levels will be less – not non existent but less!! Use your initiative, this is a good post-graduate course. You get a lot of support, but you need to stand on your own feet to achieve success. It’s a fantastic course – you will love it.”
“A brilliant course. One of the best experiences of my life. TIPS – be organised – try to enjoy yourself – talk about your feelings and experiences – as a group, try to include EVERYONE – look after each other – be proud of what you are doing.”
“Listen carefully to all advice given! Trust your tutor/lecturers etc, when they say that the pace will hot up! Do as much reading as you possibly can early on in the course. You will see the time you had during the first term as a luxury later! Use this time in schools to experiment (within reason) try those things you are not quite comfortable with – you will be successful, or not, but you will learn loads.”
“Set up the practice files and compile them as you go along – ask straight away when you aren’t sure about something, nobody ever minds, if you don’t get an answer that’s useful first time, keep asking. Tell the school at the start of each practice which tasks you have to do and the dates you need to do them by. Say yes to any and every opportunity offered in school, especially anything extra curricular that you can contribute to.”
“This course definitely has its highs and lows and I don’t think there is anyone who hasn’t had a few tears at some point. The hard work and dedication you have to commit to, leaves very little, if any spare time. Having said this the support is fantastic and having completed the course I feel totally prepared for my career ahead.”
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