Probationer Teacher Scotland

February's guidance for Teacher Induction Scheme Probationers

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:38:00 EST

This section will act as your online support network, guiding you through your probationary period towards full registration.

The monthly newsletters and RSS feed will keep you informed of when this area has been updated with new guidance information.

January: How are you using the 0.3 element of your induction experience?

Having looked at the Interim Profiles that were submitted to us at Christmas, we were able to get a good feel for how probationers have utilised the 0.3 element of their timetable during the first phase of induction. This month we will look at how you can ensure the effective use of the 0.3 element of your probation year.

The allocated 0.3 time for professional development is a very important element of the induction experience and it is worth reconsidering just how effectively you are utilising this.

Previous research with teachers identified that collaborative working with other teachers is one of the most valuable types of CPD experience that can be engaged in. Our recommendation is that the 0.3 element be divided in three, as follows:

0.1- Collaborative Working

Learning from more experienced teaching staff is a great way to develop your own practice. Try team teaching, observing other teachers and work shadowing to give you a broader knowledge and understanding of the work of the whole school. It is also worth visiting other associated schools where possible.

0.1- Enhanced planning

Enhanced planning and additional study can help develop your knowledge and understanding. This is a good time to carry out your own self-evaluation looking at how you are progressing towards meeting the Standard for Full Registration (SFR). You can also use this time to carry out professional reading and study new learning and teaching strategies.

0.1- Other CPD experiences

Engaging in other CPD experiences include core experiences organised with your local authority and experiences identified on a personal basis which may be carried out in school or from a centralised CPD register. These will have been identified through personal reflection and following discussions with your supporter.

This suggested split is provided as a guide as we are well aware of the flexibility that is required to enable probationers to receive appropriate experiences in the school setting.

The Teacher Induction Scheme and CPD section explains these suggested elements in more depth and offers more examples of CPD experiences that you should consider.

Online Profiles

Remember to keep your online profile up to date.

Supporter Meetings - you should continue to have a weekly meeting ensuring you record this after each session. Remember to alert your supporter when it is ready to be checked and signed off.

Record of Observed Teaching - where possible, continue to follow the recommended 3-weekly cycle. Recording these and having them signed off is an important part of the probation process.

Planning for the Future

At this time of year, some of you may be starting to think about your future teaching career. However, the successful completion of your probation year should continue to be your priority.

When you do start to think about job hunting, you may wish to follow these tips in order to use your time effectively.

Ensure your Online Profile is up to date. Having everything together in one place (i.e. in your profile) you are, in effect, keeping your CV up to date.

Local authorities will have standard application forms on their websites, so you could download one and have a go at filling it in. You may also wish to spend a little bit of time preparing well thought-out responses to the more common questions that are found on most job applications. This will save you time in the long run as you should only need to tweak your answers for each application.

Save yourself time by signing up for email alerts, instead of constantly checking various websites for job vacancies. The Local Authority recruitment portal My Job Scotland www.myjobscotland.gov.uk is a good place to start.

GTC Scotland is well aware of the difficulties many probationers currently face in finding employment. If you are concerned about the current employment situation for newly qualified teachers, then please see Job hunting: information on current difficulties, which answers some frequently asked questions on this matter.

Further Information

Remember, you can visit the discussion forums to chat with other probationers.

Looking for last month's guidance?

The monthly guidance archive holds all the previous months' guidance, in case you've missed any of the monthly newsletters.

Peer tutoring

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:04:00 EST

P class=feature-lead>Seema Sircar discovered that peer tutoring could be a powerful learning and teaching tool.

My maths teacher in S1 at school was the most relaxed and effective teacher I had. I looked forward every morning to the first two periods of his class.

When I became a teacher, I considered what had made him so effective. He never seemed to rush through the course like most of us do, yet would manage to finish before us with plenty of time for revision.

His class management was perfect: none of us misbehaved or were diverted from what we were supposed to do in class. He never shouted. There was no ICT, video or smartboards to keep us occupied and amused. So, how did he do it?

I came to realise that it was because he had paired us up well in the classroom: a weak maths pupil with a more competent maths pupil, and then encouraged peer tutoring.

How it works

After he had explained a maths problem to the class, it was our turn to solve it. Anyone struggling would be paired with others who were doing better. Peers corrected and explained queries to each other.

I tried this strategy in my teaching practice, and it worked.

I realised that, at times, I was unable to explain things in simple terms and was making things more complicated for some pupils. Peers explain things to each other in very simple terms and in their own language.

The effect of peer tutoring

It initially came as a shock to some pupils when I asked then to relate to their classmates who hadn't understood. But, after settling into peer tutoring, the self-esteem and confidence of all the pupils was noticeably boosted.

Now, like my maths teacher, I felt more relaxed in the classroom. Introducing peer assessment helped me overcome behavioural problems in class as pupils were engaged in an adult-like activity, which made them feel trusted and valued.

Seema Sircar
Biology Teacher
Aberdeen

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the discussion forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Top tips for teachers: Graffiti is not the new art form

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:52:00 EST

Watch out for graffiti in the classroom. It's like a rash and will spread if you do not control it. Keep clearing it up. Do not weaken to the idea that graffiti is the new art. Your room is not a gallery. Self expression should be kept within the confines of the curriculum.

Top Tips for Teachers

The top tips of the week are taken from the GTCS' book Top Tips For Teachers.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland joined forces with Bob Dewar, one of the UK's top satirical cartoonists, and the charity Education Action International to help support teachers in countries affected by conflict. The Council has published its popular and humorous tips for teachers in its first ever book entitled Top Tips for Teachers.

Top Tips for Teachers covers all sorts of tricks of the trade to help you cope with pupils, parents and the everlasting pile of marking. This book can save you from losing your dignity when all you want to do is hurl chalk at the board!

The tips are written by Glenise Borthwick, who spent nearly 20 years as a teacher, learning the hard way how to deal with the difficult moments. Whether you're new and nervous or already in charge of a classroom (and wondering how you got there!), her practical, wise and funny tips can bring a smile to the face of the most overwrought educator.

All proceeds from Top Tips for Teachers are donated to Education Action to help them continue their important work. The book is available to buy from Luath Press and all good book shops.

Top Tips for Teachers: Get different skills to work together

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:28:00 EST

As you get to know your pupils you will work to their strengths. You'll know the good leaders, the good contributors who will lead discussion and keep ideas on track, the artists who will turn your walls into the Louvre and the team members who will carry the cup home at the end of the season.

Different talents work together in a classroom and school. Get to know your pupils and get Picasso working with Beckham.

Goodreads / GTC Scotland and social media

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 04:48:00 EST

Study can play an important part in your professional development as you work towards the Standard for Full Registration. But there is so much information out there for new teachers. Where should you begin?

We've created a virtual bookshelf of recommended books on the website Goodreads. View the bookshelf now.

GTC Scotland and social media

GTC Scotland is now using various social media websites to keep you up to date with the latest news and other events that we're involved in. You can visit us at these other place on the web:

Flickr

www.flickr.com/gtcs

Flickr is a photo-sharing website where we've been posting photos from our events.

Goodreads

www.goodreads.com/gtcs

Goodreads is a social network of book readers who use the site to catalogue books they've read. We've used the site to create a virtual bookshelf of recommended books for probationer teachers.

Slideshare

www.slideshare.net/gtcs

Slideshare is the media-sharing website we use to upload the PowerPoint presentations from our conferences and events.

Twitter

www.twitter.com/gtcs

Twitter is a microblogging service that we use to keep our followers up to date with our news. You can sign up for your own free account and follow us to receive our updates automatically.

Vimeo

www.vimeo.com/gtcs

Vimeo is a video-sharing website that we use to host the probationer videoblogs and our other video clips.

Your experiences: Researching Asperger's Syndrome

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:44:00 EST

Laura Richardson chose to conduct research in the area of Asperger's Syndrome as part of her probation year.

As part of Dumfries and Galloway's probation scheme, we were asked to carry out a mini research topic. This was an optional activity but it was one that I thought would benefit me both professionally and personally. And it certainly did!

I chose to research the area of Asperger's Syndrome as I had a child in my class who suffered from this condition and although I had tried my best to help meet this child's needs I realised that to help him succeed more successfully I would have to research his condition further.

I therefore decided the aim of my research topic would be "What strategies are available to classroom teachers to help children with Asperger's Syndrome succeed in a mainstream classroom".

Observation

After I had devised my aim I carried out an observation profile on the child and I asked his mum and my classroom assistant to do the same so he was being observed in different situations and to try and avoid bias.

This worked well and it allowed me to identify the child's area of difficulties, which not surprisingly, were within his ability to use appropriate social skills.

I carried out a series of lessons which all focused on different social skills such as making eye contact when speaking, listening skills and identifying his own and other peoples feelings and how to deal with these.

Findings

One of my main findings from the research was that it was very easy to include this series of lessons with in my class PSD plan as all the skills being looked at are important for all children to learn therefore my research took place during my own classroom teaching!

Due to the length of time the research was carried out in and other limitations such as the child starting new medication I can't make any conclusions.

However, one of the main benefits of carrying out this research is that it has provided me with a series of techniques that can be used daily, if necessary, to help children with Asperger's Syndrome develop their social skills.

I thoroughly enjoyed this activity and it has allowed me to see the benefits of carrying out classroom based research as I feel it has helped me develop further as a teacher. In fact, at a recent job interview I discussed my research topic. It must have impressed the interviewees, as I got the job!

Laura Richardson
Primary Teacher
Castle Douglas Primary School, Dumfries & Galloway

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the discussion forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Your experiences: Blogging it

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:43:00 EST

John Johnson, a teacher at Sandaig Primary School, finds that blogging is a way of breathing new life into the curriculum.

Despite what some educational consultants and gurus say, new media in schools is not a revolution. It is actually a natural extension of what we, as teachers, already do.

About 2 years ago I set up Sandaig Primary's first blog for my Primary 6 class. The idea was to give the children more ownership of the school website, and an increased audience and purpose for writing.

Boosting confidence

What was immediately apparent on setting it up was the pupil's enthusiasm. Online publishing changed the pupils' perceptions of work. Publishing their work not only boosted their confidence but also gave their efforts a purpose.

After blogging for a while some of the pupils' posts began to receive comments from around the world. This has had a positive effect on the pupils: as a teacher, my comments on their poems, for example, may be welcome, but it's even more encouraging to get praise from a real poet.

Recently I was introducing a primary four class to blogging as a shared writing activity using an interactive whiteboard. The children took photos of a wall display and together wrote a post describing them and the work involved in creating them.

Within a few hours they had a comment from a teacher in Slovakia asking if she could use the idea in her classroom. Another blogger on classroom displays also commented and asked permission to use the photo on that blog. A lovely "conversation" developed between some of the Primary 4 pupils (some from home) and the teachers involved, giving the children real validation and pride in their work.

Blogging as classwork

We have used blogs for creative writing, communication to parents from school trips, shared writing, consolidation of ideas and concepts for individual and group work.

Posting such work online is not a dramatic evolution; it's just another way of displaying and creating pupils' work. The web has become just another wall (albeit stretching the globe) on which to pin stories, essays, compositions and pictures. And blogs can breathe new life into tasks across the curriculum. For example, we include podcasts (audio which can be downloaded) on our sites.

Although pupils think they are making a fun radio show and learning about computers, they are in fact working on writing, talking and listening. The pupils involved are beginning to give each other valuable feedback. They willingly write and record in their own time, if necessary to get a program out in time.

Setting up a blog

Setting up a blog for schools need not just be for enthusiasts. The software is becoming easier and easier to use and, can be installed on school websites or developed for free through online services, some designed specifically for education.

For blogging all you need is an internet enabled computer; for podcasting, some free software and a cheap microphone.
You also need a wee bit of enthusiasm to make a blog work for your pupils, and this may even mean using some of your spare time.

The value of blogging

Blogs have a value far beyond simply helping improve pupils' computer skills. In fact, it is not really about computer skills at all. Blogs give children a voice, build a sense of community and help make pupils feel more a part of the school. Also, parents are given a window to their children's' work and teachers can witness the unbridled enthusiasm of their classes for tasks that would normally elicit less enthusiasm.

For me, Sandaig Primary's blogs are just another teaching method, and one we have only just started to scratch the surface of.

Visit Sandaig Primary's blogs at www.sandaigprimary.co.uk

John Johnson
Primary Teacher
Sandaig Primary School

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the discussion forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Top tip of the week: Listen to both sides of the story

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:43:00 EST

No matter how angry you are, always let your pupils tell you their version of events. What you see going wrong isn't always the full story.

Even the worst pupil in the room can sometimes be the innocent party, although all your instincts will not be in their favour.

You hold the scales of justice in your hands. Use them fairly and don't let stress and exhaustion colour the truth.

Read more hints and tips.

Your experiences: Time management

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:04:00 EST

Emma Galbraith's New Year's resolution is to make sure her CPD doesn't become a juggling act.

My first term at school was non-stop. I was enthusiastic and excited about starting my new job; feeling super-motivated and eager to succeed, I jumped into the life of the school with both feet. I took every CPD opportunity I could and offered my services at various extracurricular activities. Theatre trips, discos, hikes . . . you name it, and I'd say yes to it.

Feeling the pressure

Of course it was only a matter of time before my good intentions came back to bite me. Overstretched and stressed out, my classes and my personal life began to suffer, with my ever-patient boyfriend taking most of the flak. It was a mistake I've noticed a lot of my fellow probationers make as well. I'd taken on far too much, but why?

I think there were a few reasons. In the current employment climate, NQTs appreciate all the help they can get when building up their CV. The more, the better - anything to dispel the looming spectre of the dole queue that I think many of us have lingering at the back of our minds, a horrifying worst-case scenario.

Other teachers in my school were kind enough to help me build up a bank of useful experience that I could draw on later, and I appreciated their thoughtfulness in asking me to join in.

Another reason was simply my own reluctance to say 'no'. I wanted to be seen as helpful and willing and didn't like to turn people down when they asked for a favour.

And, lastly, it felt like it was expected of me. At one CPD event, I remember the speaker telling us an anecdote about two probationers who went home instead of helping out at an S1 disco. Shock horror! They were the very ones who should be staying!

As probationers, we're already under a lot of pressure. Adding an extra dollop of CPD is great, but we have to make sure we don't overdo it. Tiredness and stress can disrupt your personal life and health and prevent you from doing your job properly, therefore becoming counter-productive.

Time management tips

In the end, it's a case of time management. Here are my hard-learned tips:

Target your extracurricular activities

Choose things that will help you achieve your development goals. You might have stayed in school until 10:30 on Tuesday night for the S5 art show, but what did you learn from it?

Think first!

When asked to do something by another member of staff, politely tell them you'll have a think about it first. Don't be embarrassed to say no.

Always make your classes a priority

You could join in all the development opportunities under the sun, but if you can't deliver in the classroom then you're not getting anywhere.

Make sure you plan time for yourself

It's important not to let your hobbies and relationships suffer unnecessarily - it'll only make you miserable (and yet again, become counter-productive).

Learn some stress-management techniques

I felt that the recent EDC course on stress management was one of the most useful I've been on, but possibly the most effective technique is simply talking to other NQTs about how you're feeling - chances are, they're feeling it too.

I'm still very busy at the moment, and I still get tired and grumpy from time to time. But I've learned the hard way that, although CPD is great and extracurricular activities can be good fun, it doesn't pay to do too much. Teaching is a difficult job, and there's no need to make it any harder than it has to be.

Emma Galbraith
English teacher
Lenzie Academy, East Dumbartonshire

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the discussion forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Top tip of the week: You can be overshadowed by the weather

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:02:00 EST

The slightest change in the weather will gain immediate attention from your pupils over anything you say or do in the classroom. Just expect, on occasion, to be upstaged by heavy rain or a strong gust of wind. Snow will totally eclipse your lesson as your pupils sniff early closure in the air.

Read more hints and tips.

January monthly guidance

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:00:00 EST

January: the next stage of your Online Profile

Depending on the recommendation you received on your Interim Profile, your Second Interim Profile or Final Profile will be automatically generated in the Online Profile system.

Those with a "Cause for concern" or an "Unsatisfactory" recommendation will be given a Second Interim Profile, which is due for submission in April. Please see the guidance on how to complete your second Interim Profile. We will also be sending out an additional newsletter to those probationers with this information.

Those with a "Satisfactory" recommendation will be given a Final Profile, which is due for submission in April/May. Please see the Online Profile section for information on how to start completing this.

It is extremely important that you complete your Online Profile as you go along, rather than waiting until the last moment.

Managing your professional development in 2010

The start of this second phase of your induction year will no doubt feel a little less daunting than when you started in the summer. The work that you put into completing your Interim Profile should have given you an opportunity to take stock, note your progress and make plans for the next phase. At this point, it is also worth remembering how you should manage the process of your induction.

Timetable

Please remember that the timetable arrangements for the induction year are an important aspect of your professional development experience. The expectation is that a maximum of 0.7 FTE (and a minimum of 0.55 FTE) of your timetable should be spent with you taking sole responsibility for your class(es). The remaining 0.3 FTE of your timetable should be spent engaged in CPD experiences. This is fundamental to the design of the scheme.

Where this is compromised, you are not adhering to the requirements of the induction experience and can jeopardise your chances of successfully achieving full registration at the end of the year. Most timetable queries will have been dealt with in the first term, but you should still feel confident that your timetable arrangements from the last term remain appropriate.

Professional Development Action Plan (PDAP)

The Professional Development Action Plan from your Interim Profile will be automatically copied across into your Second Interim Profile or Final Profile in the Initial professional development action plan (IPDAP) section so that it can be used as a starting point for this term.

Having completed your first profile, it is important that you demonstrate that you are continuing to work towards meeting the SFR. Ensure that what you have identified in your PDAP is what you are focussing on meeting.

CPD

There should be an obvious relationship between your PDAP and your CPD. It should be your PDAP that drives your CPD.

In the same way that you addressed your CPD requirements in the first term, you should now select an initial focus for your CPD and record it in your CPD Record.

During the period that you address a CPD focus, you can use the tracking record in Appendix II: Self-Evaluation Templates (MS Word, 127KB) to record your engagement with the process of CPD. This will include your evaluation of how it has impacted in your professional practice and how your CPD was focussed on in Supporter Meetings and Observed Teaching Sessions.

Supporter Meetings

It is important that the weekly Supporter Meetings are continued (approximately 12 are recommended in the January to June period). Meetings should have a pre-arranged focus that has been decided by you and your supporter. The majority of these meetings should have a very limited and specific focus that is directly linked to the PDAP that you devised (although, on occasion, the PDAP may need to be adjusted as you progress).

A record should be kept of your Supporter Meetings on the "Supporter Meeting Notes" section of your Online Profile. This should include the actions to be taken as a result of the discussion to ensure you are progressing in your professional development.

Observed Teaching Sessions

Similarly, it is important that the Observed Teaching Sessions are continued; four are recommended between January and June.

Observations should have a very limited and specific focus, directly linked to your PDAP and decided by you and your supporter during your Supporter Meeting discussions. These targets that you identified at the end of your Interim Profile are the ones you should be concentrating on meeting.

You should keep a record of the feedback that your supporter provides in the "Record of Observed Teaching" section of your Online Profile.

Online Profiles

The Online Profile section details the requirements for recording your information. This is a key aspect of self-evaluation and it is important that you continue to compile a neat and succinct professional development portfolio.

This portfolio provides the evidence that is required for completing your Final Profile. We were generally very pleased with the way the Interim Profiles were completed and we urge you to maintain this standard for your Final Profile

Need more information?

Remember that there is detailed guidance available on how to complete your Online Profile. This information is also available in the Online Profile system itself by selecting the "Guidance notes" link at the top of each page.

Remember you can contact us at any time with questions or visit the discussion forums to chat with other probationers.

Looking for last month's guidance?

The monthly guidance archive holds all the previous months' guidance, in case you've missed any of the monthly newsletters.

Top tip of the week: Even social time needs a few guidelines

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:21:00 EST

End of term is a time for the teacher to get to know their pupils in a more social setting, be that riding around a local park on a bike or watching a DVD in your classroom, where you can cry together at the sad ending.

But spending social time with pupils can be like living with the neighbours from hell. Have rules and standards even in this more social setting to stop the over-friendly pupil becoming disruptive.

Read more hints and tips.

Signing off and submitting your Online Profile

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:16:00 EST

It's almost time for most of you to sign off and submit your Online Profiles, so we thought it would be helpful to explain the process that you must follow in order to do this.

Once your profile has been completed and all sections are green on the status bar, a green arrow will appear on the main menu page under the status bar:

You should click on this arrow to submit your completed profile to the supporter for recommendation. Once the recommendation is made, your headteacher will need to confirm (or override) it and then the profile will be available for the local authority probation manager to check prior to submission to the GTCS.

Once your Interim Profile has been submitted to the GTCS you will have access to the second Interim or Final Profile as appropriate:

If the recommendation is Satisfactory you will be given access to the Final Profile.
If the recommendation is Unsatisfactory or Cause for Concern you will be given access to a second Interim Profile, which should be completed and submitted at Easter. You will then be given access to the Final Profile to complete and submit in June.

Processing your Online Profile

The procedure for processing your Online Profile differs depending on whether you have signed off and submitted your:

Videoblog: Mr M's parents' evening

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:55:00 EST

In this videoblog, Mr M reflects on his first parents' evening.

Watch Mr M's videoblog

Top tip of the week: Support parents but don't get too close

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:54:00 EST

Parents' meetings are not about traumatising the pupil, the teacher or the parent. They are supportive and informative meetings.

No matter how big or how scary a parent or guardian may look or act, they need the truth and help for their charges.

Waiting parents get grumpy and you can get off to a bad start but don't overindulge a parent; keep to the allotted time.

Watch out for the not-uncommon parent's need to share personal problems with you. Alarm bells should ring and you should not go there, regardless of how interesting you find the conversation.

Read more hints and tips.

My first parents� evening

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:09:00 EST

The prospect of her first parents' evening may have been daunting, but Jennifer Kelly learned not to panic and enjoyed the experience.

As a probationer, you have to tackle a lot of firsts. There's your first day, your first meeting with the staff and your first meeting with the kids to name a few.

I was so caught up in making good first impressions, planning elaborate lessons and making sure I regularly evaluated that I forgot all about the scary prospect of meeting parents for the first time.

My first daunting experience of this came 10 weeks into my probation year. My mind was glued to S2 assessments, marking Standard Grade folios and prelims when suddenly my little gems began demanding 'the best' appointments for Monday night.

While I scribbled down names next to the most sought-after time slots, I started to panic. What should I say? How do I open the meeting? What if I want to talk about bad behaviour? Will they even like me? Will they question what I'm saying? The list of worries was endless.

Preparation

I spent hours looking at jotters, test marks and homework, wondering how I could phrase what I wanted to say without upsetting or angering parents. I used my old friend Google to find ideas, but couldn't find exactly what I was looking for.

I decided to ask for advice and as soon as I spoke to my mentor I realised that every teacher still worries about making a good impression with parents. I was given extremely useful pointers such as maintaining eye contact, always smiling and outlining the course content. These all seemed obvious but, for some reason, disappeared from my mind as soon as I sat down to devise my plan of action.

After thinking about the whole process I realised that parents' evenings are just like delivering a lesson in the sense that everyone has their own style. I was fully aware that different teachers teach in different ways but this reasoning went out the window as soon as I let myself panic about making a good impression with parents.

Be honest

Parents come to parents' evening to see how their children are getting on in class and with you. They don't want to see you acting or pretending to be something you're not. They want to see the teacher that their child goes home talking about.

I realised that I just needed to be myself and tell them exactly how their child was getting on. All you need to remember is to be tactful and sensitive, especially if what you need to say involves misbehaviour. Parents want to know if their child is behaving in class. They don't want you to stretch the truth just so you can get on their good side.

Be yourself

I looked to my own learning and teaching style to direct the way I delivered my comments. I am a list-maker, efficient if organised, yet not so efficient when playing with spontaneity. I therefore decided to make a detailed written evaluation of each pupil's class work, homework, behaviour, participation, improvements and test results.

I realised later that this process had greatly improved my understanding of individuals' strengths and weaknesses as well as providing me with a basis for talking to parents.

The evaluations helped to achieve success at the parents' evening as well as improving my teaching. The point is that you should use a strategy that compliments your style. If you feel more comfortable talking spontaneously without relying on a list for direction, then go for it.

There is not a single tried-and-tested way of preparing for a parents evening; the important thing is to trust your instincts and stick by your decisions.

Enjoy the experience

My first parents' evening flew by and I found that I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. It was fantastic to give positive feedback to parents and see how proud they were of their children. It felt brilliant to be the bearer of good news.

All you have to remember is to be honest and polite. Focus on the positives and ask for more, rather than dwelling for too long on the negative.

Finally, remember to enjoy yourself. At a tired time in the year it is easy to plateau and forget your passion for teaching but I found that this was re-ignited after talking for two hours about the thing that I love doing. Before you know it you will be looking forward to your next parents' evening.

Jennifer Kelly
French Teacher
Aboyne Academy, Aberdeenshire

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the discussion forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

I survived parents' evening!

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:04:00 EST

Parents' evenings are a major part of the school year. Helen Cluett explains how she survived hers.

Any fear I felt about parents' evenings was a mere shadow of what I had felt some 14 or so weeks previously, when I had gone out and collected my class for the first time.

That was nerve wracking, but the survival of the experience and the following weeks have left me feeling able to take on anything, even parents' evenings.

Planning ahead

To be honest, I wasn't too worried about parents' evening as I had a P2 class and I had already met most parents at the start or the end of the day.

Despite many stories to the contrary, I found them to be a very normal bunch without gnashing teeth and a million complaints.

During the week prior to the parents' evenings, our excellent weekly probationer's training equipped us with strategies on how to deal with every type of parent under the sun and also several techniques to remove parents from the room when their time was up.

I was given much advice about this particular aspect, but found that P2 size seats was enough to ensure that parents did not become too comfy and move in for the night.

The event was not exactly up there with my top ten things to do of an evening, but I did enjoy the experience; it was very positive and encouraging.

After pacing up and down my room waiting for the first appointment to start, anxiously checking that the room was tidy and each child had work up, I found the time passed quickly and without a hitch.

I even managed to overrun by just ten minutes, which has to be a miracle. Not one parent checked out my room to see if it was tidy and full of educational stimulation, or came through the door with a tick list as I had been warned they might.

Sharing information

I had left a few jotters outside and a small report that each child had made, detailing what they enjoyed and what they thought they should work on.

I discovered most parents laughing about the stories, many of which, it emerged, contained a great deal of imagination and little truth.

Most parents were just anxious to hear that their child was happy and had friends. They were well aware of any slight areas needing attention such as too much chatting and a lack of concentration and few were interested in class position or test results.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not the female dominated occasion that I thought it might be. A number of dads came, all anxious to hear how their child was doing and what they could do to help.

All my appointments turned up and I was left feeling as if I was making a difference. Result!

Helen Cluett
Primary Teacher
Cambusbarron Primary School, Stirling

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the discussion forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Top tip of the week: Teachers need nap time

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:03:00 EST

Napping is not age related. You need quiet me time when you get home after a long day of lining up pupils, collecting jotters, counting in worksheets, stopping disagreements, seeking out pencils, emphasising points, detailing and repeating and breaking up arguments.

Your brain has been a racetrack all day so now is your time for a pit stop. Put your feet up, have a snack, a herbal tea or something stronger, and hug the dog or your significant other. Be inventive and don't feel guilty.

Read more hints and tips.

Trains, ferries, buses and cars

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:31:00 EST

Christina Smith explains how, despite her epic daily commute, she became a better and stronger teacher by the end of her probation.

From the title of this piece you might think that I am talking about a complicated journey to a far flung place that could be made into an exciting film but only the first part of that statement is true.

Appearances can be deceiving

My daily journey as a probationer could definitely be described as complicated - and lengthy - but I was only travelling about ten miles from my home as the crow flies. The village I stay in is Cardross and I was allocated Dunoon Grammar School in Cowal, which can nearly be seen from the local beach on a good day. However, it took some time for me to fully appreciate the logistics of this allocation.

I received letters from the GTCS and Argyll and Bute Council on the same day and in a matter of moments I had the atlas out and Google Earth up and running, frantically trying to find out exactly where Dunoon was and how I could possibly travel there on a daily basis.

It didn't take long for me to realise that I couldn't just jump in the car or onto a train and have a straightforward journey to work each day. My daily commute was going to be no less than three hours each day and with a son going into primary two you will appreciate how concerned I was.

Doing the maths

I had been made fully aware of how much work would be involved in order to become a fully registered teacher and started planning how I could balance my home and work lives successfully over the course of the academic year.

I initially tried to have my school changed due to the travelling time but was told that this was not possible.

I was even told at one point that the school year is only 39 weeks long and it would go by in a flash. It might have been pertinent for me to point out that "only 39 weeks" constituted 585 hours or 24 days of travelling!

Making the journey

Anyway, once I got my head around the fact that I would have a long journey each day I started to think about the best way to do it. I had three choices:

car (nearly one and half hours continuous driving on country roads)
train (a very early start of 6.18am)
a combination of different methods of transport

I tried a car-share but got car sick due to the type of roads.

I tried driving part way to Gourock, getting the train, then ferry then bus. Whilst trying this method, I thought that it may be possible to walk from the school to the ferry (Caledonian MacBrayne for this one) but the blisters on my heels on arrival at the boat proved me wrong.

I have no idea why I thought I could walk for 40 minutes in heels and even took the longest route possible because I wasn't familiar with the area yet!

However, the best way turned out to be driving to the Western Ferries at Gourock, taking the ferry and then sharing a car for the last leg to school.

Even this fairly straightforward plan wasn't without its difficulties. On one occasion it took me over five hours to get home due to high winds and flooding - driving round Greenock on your way home for Christmas when you don't know the roads is not recommended.

Weathering the storm

Once I made it to January, the whole process of becoming fully registered became a lot more relaxed and I made some really good friends along the way that wouldn't have been possible if I had been travelling alone.

So, in spite of arriving at school soaked to my underwear due to "adverse weather conditions" and not being sure whether I would make it home or not I'm glad I went to Dunoon because the support I received from colleagues and travel companions was invaluable.

Broadening my horizons

Well I've made it to the end and although I wouldn't have chosen to travel to Dunoon everyday, the process has broadened my horizons and I am now registered with eight councils for supply work because I now know how far you can travel in a day and still work well.

So, anybody that's finding travel difficult, take heart - you will get there! I'm proof that it's possible to juggle family difficulties, probationer pressure and difficult travel and come out a better and stronger teacher in the end.

Christina Smith
Geography Teacher
Dunoon Grammar School, Argyll and Bute

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the discussion forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Top tip of the week: Develop an inner self

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST

Learn to temper your language and always be the professional in the classroom.

You can think to yourself "How can they be so stupid?" or "How can they make such a mess of this?" but you must never say it.

You will develop the inner you and the outer you: the one that screams loudly but silently on the inside, and the one that smiles gently on the outside.

Read more hints and tips.

Settling in

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:06:00 EST

It took Steve McColl three months to start enjoying his new teaching career.

I was a little nervous. Nothing major, just that slight unsettled feeling in my stomach, the same as when I put to sea after a long time ashore and thought it would be a breeze.

My placements and academic work had all gone really well and I'd come away from university with a first. What could be so difficult about teaching less than 16 hours a week and getting paid for it?

What could be so difficult?

On 14 August, I walked into my probationer post at an Edinburgh City secondary school, and on 16 August I walked out of the school in a state of shock.

I'd had an excellent induction course and two in-service days, but my first day's real teaching – and it wasn't even a full day, just two periods – had left me feeling completely deflated.

Rude awakening

Smiling confidently, I greeted my new S4 at the door, waited for them to sit, then asked for quiet whilst I took the register. A couple of the nice kids turned and faced me, the others didn't even skip a beat.

"Quiet whilst I take the register, thanks," then a little louder and more assertively, standing with arms folded. It went on for a full 15 minutes until I managed to work out who was here and who was not – agony.

Four months on from that August nausea and I can say with honesty that I'm enjoying my job.

The S3 pupils were worse, last period of the day, hyper from PE and a new teacher to bait. I tried a different tack; "I'd like you to think of your favourite sandwich, whilst I take the register."

I worked my way down the list, recording the pupils' names and favourite fillings on my seating plan.

Quite noisy, but a nice little ice-breaker I thought, until I got to Brendan, "Favourite sandwich, Brendan?" He could hardly contain himself; he blurted out with a huge sneer, "S#*t", as his classmates howled. Um, maybe I'll reserve that one for the lower school.

Four months on from that August nausea and I can say with honesty that I'm enjoying my job. Obviously the whole five-day-a-week thing is a shock to the system when you've been a student for four years, but I actually had fun today, and yesterday, and the day before that, and the one before that…

Finding my feet

So, why am I enjoying it? I don't have a definitive answer. I think it's a combination of so many things.

I try to be super-organised; I have a shelf full of subdivided ring binders containing class records, support materials from the department or ones that I have made up and very brief notes for lesson plans.

I've had superb support from my supporter through our weekly meetings and at any other times when I've needed the answer to a question or just some reassurance.

I try to talk to other teachers and probationers about specific pupils – it's so good to realise that you are not the only one having difficulties.

I get up to the staff room as often as I can as it's necessary to have a break and chat about something other than education, even if it is just the most effective way to defrost a fridge.

I've got involved with extra-curricular activities to get to know pupils and for them to get to know me in a different setting.

Time flies

It seems like another decade that I was standing in line, wearing a friend's suit and a hired fur-trimmed hooded gown, waiting to be doffed with John Knox's breeches, smiling with the realisation that I was about to graduate and would soon be on probation.

Actually, I think I do have a definitive answer: teaching is all about building good relationships, which is maybe why it's taken me three months to start enjoying my new career.

Steve McColl
Technological Education Teacher
Craigmount High School, Edinburgh

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the discussion forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Top tip of the week: Positive reinforcement works better than yelling

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:05:00 EST

You will always come across the pupils who need constant nudges to keep them on the educational pathway. Use the nudges of repetition and reinforcement rather than those of shouting, growling and glaring.

Read more hints and tips.

Challenges, achievement and satisfaction

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:33:00 EST

Rachel Tsai reflects on a year of challenges and achievements as one of Scotland's first ever probationer teachers in Mandarin Chinese.

In 2008, I finished the first ever PGDE Mandarin Chinese course offered by Moray House, and soon after that I found myself in a probationary role at an Edinburgh school.

I was lucky to be one of the first six probationer teachers in Mandarin Chinese to be trained in Scotland. At my new school, which is a Confucius classroom where Chinese has a very high profile, I was also very honoured to be given responsibility for teaching the first ever class of Intermediate 2 Mandarin Chinese, a brand new qualification.

What concerned me most was that the students were due to sit the exam at the end of my probation year!

Vital support

Looking back, it was a very tough and challenging year. I was fortunate to have a very supportive principal teacher as well as very helpful and experienced colleagues in my department. I don't think it would have been possible to get through such a tough probationary year that had such heavy responsibility without the support of the principal teacher (PT) and the help of my fellow colleagues in the Modern Languages Faculty.

In my opinion, it is vitally important for probationers to have good solid support from their PT and colleagues. The Chinese qualification that I taught was so new that there were no past papers available or teachers with experience of teaching for the exam.

My PT helped me to gain an understanding of the exam and to develop my lessons to bring the students up to exam standard. I also got a lot of tips from my colleagues about motivating my students to work hard.

It's also very important to keep in touch with your friends from the PGDE course, so that you can share the ups and downs of life as a probationer as well as sharing professional knowledge and resources.

High expectations

The school I work for has a history of high achievement, which has naturally resulted in high expectations. Like all teachers, I couldn't help feeling responsible for the success of my students; as a result I worked extremely hard and did everything in my power to support them.

Preparation and time management

I was teaching from P4 all the way to Higher and A Level. I developed all of the syllabi and course work in the summer before I started my probationer year.

I would advise new probationers to develop their own work as soon as they have finished their PGDE course, as once teaching, so much time will be taken up with other things such as writing reports, going to meetings, courses, taking students for trips and such like that there just won't be time for lesson planning.

Most probationers I've spoken to have said that they felt rushed off their feet and struggled to catch up with things.

Challenges, achievement, satisfaction

If I was to summarise my probationary year in few words, I would have to say: Challenges, Achievement and Satisfaction. I wish all this year's probationers the best in their probationary year. It's worth it! Go for it!

Rachel Tsai
Mandarin Teacher
St George's School, Edinburgh

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the discussion forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

November monthly guidance

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:29:00 EST

Completing your Profile

At this stage of the Teacher Induction Scheme, it is worth pointing out that meeting the Standard for Full Registration requires probationers to take responsibility for their own professional learning and development.

This means that Online Profiles should be kept up to date and must be submitted on time. By this stage, you should have completed at least six supporter meeting records and feedback from at least two observed teaching sessions.

You should now be working on the remaining sections of your Interim Profile, getting it ready to submit to your headteacher in November/December. (You should contact your headteacher or your local authority probation manager to find out the exact submission date for your local authority area.)

Supporter Meetings

You should now have at least six Supporter Meetings recorded. These should be written up every week after your meeting, and submitted by you to be signed off individually by your supporter. The whole section should be signed off at the end of term prior to the profile being submitted to your headteacher to make the recommendation.

Observed Teaching Sessions

By now there should be at least two Observed Teaching Sessions recorded. You need to have four or five observations recorded on your Interim Profile before you submit it at the end of this term. Depending on when you submit the Interim Profile the final observation this term may be recorded in the next profile in January.

Key Strengths and Areas for Development

The Key Strengths and Areas for Development section will be completed by your Headteacher / Supporter / Principal Teacher as appropriate. You should view and act upon these comments in your future practice.

Professional Development Action Plan (PDAP)

Although this is a particularly busy time of year for you, it really is important to stop and reflect. Looking over the Interim Profile that you have compiled over the past few months will give you a good sense of how you are progressing towards the standard for full registration. The comments and feedback you may have received should also give you some clear direction on what else you could work on.

Hence the final section of your Interim Profile is where you look at the future and identify your Professional Development Action Plan for the January–June period. This plan should also be discussed and agreed upon with your Supporter to ensure that the targets and actions are realistic.

To help you complete your PDAP, you may wish to have a meeting with your Supporter that has a more formal review focus to it. To gain a fuller picture of your progress, there should be input from a variety of sources:

your supporter
any independent observer of your teaching
your headteacher
you, the probationer

Need more information?

Remember that you can get lots of information on the profile system if you access the guidance notes and video clips through the link on the tool bar when you are in your profile pages.

Remember you can contact us at any time with questions or visit the discussion forums to chat with other probationers.

Looking for last month's guidance?

The monthly guidance archive holds all the previous months' guidance, in case you've missed any of the monthly newsletters.

Top tip of the week: Don't play behavioural chess

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:28:00 EST

Constant poor behaviour will drive you crazy. You have to deal with it before it drives you under.

Try not to let it keep you awake at night as you scheme and create strategies trying to outwit their next move. The truth is they don't have a next move or even a plan, and you've been up all night pacing the bedroom in your furry slippers playing behavioural chess against an imaginary opponent.

You'll go in ready to battle the next day and the opposition is sitting, doing their work. Pupils are fickle.

Read more hints and tips.

Probationer Teacher Scotland website scoops prestigious PRide award

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:26:00 EST

The Probationer Teacher Scotland website won a prestigious Chartered Institute of Public Relations PRide award for Best Website on Friday night.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland beat off competition from a host of PR agencies and other public bodies including RR Donnelly and NHS Lothian, to scoop the accolade.

Speaking at the glitzy annual awards held at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Glasgow, GTC Scotland Head of Web Services Angela Hamilton said: "We are delighted to win our first PR award. To have beaten so many talented organisations to win Best Website is a great achievement.

"As the professional regulatory body for teachers in Scotland, we work hard to maintain and enhance the professional standards of Scotland's teachers and to support new teachers. Consequently, we need to find effective ways of communicating with them through our websites.

"Probationerteacherscotland.org.uk supports and guides probationer teachers through their induction year, providing useful information, hints and tips, video blogs and much more. Probationer teachers are the lifeblood of the profession, they bring new ideas, skills and energy and we work hard to support them in their transition to becoming fully-registered teachers.

"This is all part of our strategy of using new media to communicate more effectively with teachers to make sure they are fully informed and to encourage their participation in wider CPD opportunities."

We are always striving to improve this website for probationer teachers. Please help us do this by letting us know what you think of the site, or recommending improvements. You can email webservices@gtcs.org.uk or complete the short feedback survey.

Videoblog: Mr C's first few months

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:21:00 EST

In this videoblog, Mr C reflects on his first couple of months of his probation year. Remembering pupils' names is hard enough, but there is also an case of vandalism to be dealt with.

Watch Mr C's videoblog

Top tip of the week: Re-energise during the breaks

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:20:00 EST

Take some time during the day at school to relax and keep calm.
It's very tempting to work through your breaks and lunchtime, but you will tire and burn out by the end of the day. Lunchtime should be for re-energising yourself.

You can use the time to get out of the building or take part in some gentle exercise.

Some teachers use stretching exercises at their desk to ease stress. If you partake in this particular activity make sure you do not have an audience. Otherwise, some thoughtful pupils will report you to the school office because they think you're having mental difficulties.

Read more hints and tips.

Top tip of the week: Fine-tune your body language

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:06:00 EST

Do not over-gesture. Do not cause a draft by flapping your hands about to emphasise a point. But equally do not be so unexpressive that your entire body looks as though you've just had a massive Botox injection.

Don't look like a rabbit in the headlights nor lie back on your chair with feet up on the desk.

Be yourself, but look and act professional. Pupils react to how you look and act.

Read more hints and tips.

Videoblog: Mr M's first few weeks

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:50:00 EST

In this videoblog, Mr M reflects on his first few weeks of his year as a probationer teacher. His verdict? Shattered. Totally shattered.

Watch Mr M's videoblog.

Ups and downs of probation

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:48:00 EST

The ups and downs of Nicola Henderson's probationer year.

After having a relatively positive and smooth experience during my PGDE, I came into my Probation year last August with high hopes.

Not only was I full of excitement about my upcoming year, but I was nervous and apprehensive about what was waiting for me behind those double doors, what would my school be like, would my mentor and the staff be supportive and would I really be able to cope with a class full of 4 and 5 year olds?

Little did I realise however, that my probation year would have more ups and downs than a yo-yo and that I had to seriously prepare myself for what was now going to be my heart racing, exhilarating, daunting and extremely demanding life.

Would I really manage?

Well, 7 months on and I can honestly say that I have cheered with joy, been on top of the world one moment and in the depths of despair the next.

But you really can't help but smile when you get a marriage proposal from a 5 year old or see the proud looks on the parents' faces at the Christmas Nativity.

The highs

I've had lots of high points so far, mainly around planning, shadowing and enterprising.

Planning

I know, a rather strange one, but receiving some excellent feedback about my terms planning folder from my head teacher really gave me a buzz and proved to myself that I was capable of forward planning despite my previous doubts

Shadowing

Definitely one of the most beneficial uses of my CPD time, especially being able to see other schools and 'borrow' ideas from more experienced staff. Also being Queen Hendilot for an afternoon in a P4 class learning about castles wasn't half bad either, it's not everyday you can be royalty

Enterprising

Having recently held a toy exhibition, I can't forget to include this definite high. It was great seeing my class revel in becoming tour guides for their parents. They created everything for their exhibition and made their own invitations and tickets for the event. The hard work in the lead up to the day was exhausting but well worth it, hearing the children share their learning with them

The lows

Despite these frequent jumps for joy, my low experiences really did hit me hard. I've cried on numerous occasions and questioned myself continually. The support of my mentor and the school staff really helped get me through these difficult times.

Some of my key low points have been my nerves about teaching Primary 1, my observations and the prospect of job-hunting.

Nerves

Finding out that for a whole year I would be responsible for the first year of 19 children's entire school careers, the heavy feeling on my shoulders was immense, I wasn't sure I could do it and did I really want to teach in early years?

Observations

Flashback to university tutor visits! Will my next observed lesson be the one when they will eventually decide that I'm not any good? Has it all been a dream and I'll soon wake up and find myself in a nightmare and not qualify after all my hard work and effort.

Jobs

As with all probationers in my situation, that impending dread that after this year I won't be able to find a job really plays on my mind. I comfort myself in the solace that it will all turn out all right in the end. (Well it has to, doesn't it?)

These despairing moments have, despite feeling horrendous at the time, I think made me into a more reflective teacher. I've accepted that these low feelings are mostly due to my own impossible high expectations and that putting myself under too much pressure to be 'practically perfect in every way' was resulting in what felt like failure too many times.

Looking forward

This job is so demanding that to be able to do everything 'excellent' is virtually impossible and instead to do everything 'well' and some things hopefully 'excellent' was, for me, a more plausible goal.

So, with only a few months left, I'm beginning to look forward, already I'm trying not to think about my class having another teacher next year, because despite my initial reservations about the early years, I very quickly came to realise that I really do think my class are great.

They have grown up, changed and learned so much over the past year and I know I will miss them dearly, they really are what makes my job worthwhile and it is them who motivate me and make me love what I do.

Nicola Henderson
Primary Teacher
Clermiston Primary School, Edinburgh

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the discussion forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

The October rollercoaster

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:46:00 EST

Your probation year so far has no doubt been crammed with experiences - some of them fun, enjoyable and motivating, but also some that didn't go quite to plan or were down-right scary!

At this stage of the school year, you'll be looking forward to the October break. (Don't worry about admitting that!) Make time to do something you enjoy; relax, take some time for yourself and catch up on sleep. This will help you feel refreshed when you go back to school and you'll be raring to go again, just the way you were at the start way back in August.

The beauty of post-October break term time, is that you've already done a lot of the hard work: you've met all your pupils, established your class rules and settled in to a routine. The groundwork has been laid and things will be easier when you go back. You'll find yourself motivated by the break. Your pupils will recognise you as a real teacher since you've come back after the holidays - not like students who disappear - and so, together, you can make long-term plans.

The school year has a lot of these ups and downs; we like to think of this fondly as the "rollercoaster effect". We hope you're enjoying the ride. And, remember, there're lots of other people in your carriage. Check out some of the "Your experiences" articles and videoblogs by other probationers who are on the same rollercoaster as you.

Top tip of the week: They like you more than you realise

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:57:00 EST

Teachers come quite far down the pecking order for pupils, trailing badly in the list of preferences that includes mobile phones, DVDs, computer games and chicken nuggets.

They may make your life difficult, but you are more important to them than any of these items. Although you do not bleep, flicker or teach to catchy music, you point the way to their future. Bask in the warmth of this thought.

Read more hints and tips.

October monthly guidance

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:52:00 EST

Progressing your Online Profile

You are now about half-way through the first term and you should have lots of information on your Online Profile.

Personal details

The personal details should be verified by you. If there are any changes to be made please get in touch with your local authority contact and let them know.

IPDAP

The Initial professional development action plan (IPDAP) should have been completed at one of your early Supporter Meetings and you should be working on the actions that were identified.

Timetable

Your timetable should now be completed and signed off by your supporter.

Remember, you should be teaching between 0.55 (12 hours 23 minutes) and 0.7 (15 hours and 55 minutes). This teaching should be sole class contact time. If you area primary teacher then you should have sole responsibility for a class including all planning and preparation. If you are a secondary teacher then you should have a good spread of classes including certificate classes.

If you are unable to submit your timetable because it isn't within the parameters of 0.55 and 0.7 then please check the number of hours you are teaching, if it is over or under the guidelines then please speak to your supporter, headteacher or local authority manager to get it corrected. If, however, you are working within the required hours and your timetable still shows as being outwith the parameters please contact us so that we can check it for you.

All sections must be signed off as correct at the end of the term or your profile cannot be recorded so it is important that you ensure that your timetable is correct.

Supporter Meetings

You should now have a few Supporter Meetings recorded, these should be written up every week after your meeting, and submitted by you to be signed off individually by your supporter. The whole section should be signed off at the end of term prior to the profile being submitted to your headteacher to make the recommendation.

By now there should be two or three observations recorded. You need to have four or five observations recorded on your Interim Profile before you submit it at the end of this term. Depending on when you submit the Interim Profile the final observation this term may be recorded in the next profile in January.

Other sections

The Professional Development Action Plan (PDAP) and Key Strengths and Areas for Development are completed during November/December just prior to the profile being sent to the local authority.

Need more information?

Remember that you can get lots of information on the profile system if you access the guidance notes and video clips through the link on the tool bar when you are in your profile pages, but if you have any questions that aren't answered on the guidance notes and videos then please contact us.

For further details about the process of self-evaluation and how you should document this, please see the Online Profile section.

Remember you can contact us at any time with questions or visit the discussion forums to chat with other probationers.

Looking for last month's guidance?

The monthly guidance archive holds all the previous months' guidance, in case you have missed any of the monthly newsletters.

Comfort words feel the pinch

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:50:00 EST

Okay guys, Jim Moore has found a way to help him break his catchphrase habit.

How many of us have certain words, phrases or mannerisms we use all of the time in class? If you say, "Not me!" then you're either very lucky, not being entirely truthful with yourself, or you're oblivious to the fact you're doing it.

"Okay guys . . ."

For me it was saying "Okay guys": "Okay guys, let's get in and settled quickly"; "Okay guys, listen up"; "Okay guys, today we're going to . . ."; "Okay guys, time to pack up"; "Okay guys . . ." repeat ad nauseum. I also had a bad habit of saying "youse" as a result of English being the secondary language to my Glaswegian mother tongue.

I was aware that I was doing it and the kids most certainly were. I was giving them lots of ammunition with something so obvious to impersonate me with. Other teachers had pointed it out to me too, but no one had any advice on how to stop it, except for telling me just not to say it! But if it was that simple then none of us would have our little signature phrases to contend with.

Advice

This really began to bother me, but I had a plan. A good friend of mine is a hypnotist who also runs positive thinking seminars. What does that have to do with teaching? Well, his job revolves around how the brain works; whether it's (allegedly) hypnotising people, showing businessmen how to win the upper hand in deals, or improving people's memory.

I described my problem to him and he explained to me that I was using "comfort words": words people rely on when they're anxious or need assurance. It makes sense when you think about it, but how do you stop using them?

Nip it in the bud

He advised me that, anytime I was speaking to the class, I should pinch my index, middle or ring finger with the edge of my thumbnail. This is a trick that public speakers use all the time.

He went on to explain that you use these comfort words subconsciously and, in order to stop using them, you need to bring it to your conscious mind. When you pinch your finger it creates a slight bit of pain, you can still talk and do your job but, in the back of your head, you are aware that it's there. Your brain does the hard part and joins the dots by telling you that you're feeling this pain because it's supposed to remind you not to use your comfort words.

Because it's always in the back of your conscious mind, it's continually reminding you not to use those words. So, whereas you would normally just blurt the words out without thinking about it, now you have a subtle reminder to think about the words you are using when speaking. The exact same is true of 'comfort actions'.

Breaking the habit

It doesn't work instantly, but eventually you'll train your brain to stop using your comfort words and actions. Once you've managed to break the habit, you can stop pinching your fingers when you teach. If a new comfort word or action comes along, just do the same thing. It does sound strange and I thought my friend was pulling my leg when he suggested it, but it really does work. Give it a try.

Jim Moore
History teacher
Calderglen High School, South Lanarkshire

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We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Top tip of the week: You are the master of all classroom decisions

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:48:00 EST

Your life as a teacher is all about making decisions every day and every hour. You will decide who is doing what, where and when, what your pupils need, what you need and what everyone else needs to allow you to concentrate.

A bell will ring to allow you to refuel, ready to make more decisions between the custard creams and the Hobnobs in the staffroom.

As the day wears on you will become tired, so that by the time you get home you will find that really simple choices become huge under takings. That is because you are all 'decided out'.

There is nothing wrong with you, so don't worry if you find yourself in the supermarket unable to make a simple decision between a carrot and a leek.

Read more hints and tips.

Blogging good stuff!

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:56:00 EST

Reflective, honest, funny: your fellow probationers are writing some great blogs this year! Check them out now.

Blogging is a great way to share your probation year experiences with others. If you're interested in writing your own blog, email webservices@gtcs.org.uk and we'll set one up for you.

Tackling the Alternative Route

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:49:00 EST

For Christine Walford, finding a mentor on the Alternative Route made all the difference to her probation experience.

I successfully achieved the Standard for Full Registration on the Alternative Route in October 2008 and am writing to honestly share my experiences.

I'd like to start off by saying a huge thank you to the Alternative Route as, without it, I would not have been able to gain full registration as a primary teacher.

Accumulating service

I worked regularly in various schools in Cumbria as a supply teacher between September 2004 and December 2006, but this did not count towards my probationary service in England. Thankfully I had registered with GTC Scotland in January 2005 and was regularly updating them with my progress.

From March 2007 I was employed by Dumfries and Galloway to work as a supply teacher and from then on things really picked up. I felt valued as a teacher, attended CPD training courses/twilight sessions, met other probationers and worked regularly for various schools.

I was very fortunate to be taken on as Reduction in Class Contact Time (RICCT) cover by a school in Dumfries. The thrill of really belonging to a school gave me so much encouragement, and the feedback from class observations for Interim and Final Reports made me realise I could actually achieve my goal.

Finding support

I was lucky enough to be able to find my own mentor, and she has been such a help to me. She had fully registered through the Alternative Route and was able to answer my specific questions and queries about how to successfully gain Full Registration.

I really would recommend a personal mentor to everyone on the Alternative Route as, for me, it started out as a very lonely route and quite scary at the start not initially knowing the schools you were going to have to teach at for the day.

I am very grateful for all the schools both in England and in Dumfries and Galloway who have regularly employed me as a supply teacher enabling my dream to come true. I'm also grateful to all the staff that have befriended me.

But, most of all, I'm grateful to the children I've taught: they've been polite, eager to join in the lessons and try their hardest, and have always offered to help keep me right as to how their particular class does things. Their class teachers should be very proud of them.

Christine Walford
Alternative Route probationer

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We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Top tip of the week: It's great that some are keen, but don't ignore the others

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:48:00 EST

Some pupils, in their sheer enthusiasm to answer a question, will get over-excited and throw their arms in the air, jump up and down behind their desk, or even resort to shouting out your name to drown out all other attempts in the room.

There are other pupils who will not enter this display of attention-seeking as it does not match their cool image.

Choose many pupils to make sure everyone gets a turn and only reward over-exuberance occasionally.

Read more hints and tips.

Second time around . . .

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:46:00 EST

Gaining full registration in a second subject meant travelling on the Alternative Route for modern languages teacher Mhairi Mitchell.

I completed my first probationary period in 2000. At that time it took two years! However, in comparison with my second probation it was relatively short!

In 2004 I completed an ATQ (Additional Teaching Qualification) in Spanish. As I was already fully registered in French and German, and in a full time post, I could follow the route for alternative probation - only 135 days.

However, as my school only offered Spanish as a third language option, it took me almost four years to get the necessary 20% teaching commitment on my timetable. After two years of Standard Grade classes, we were finally able to run an Intermediate/Higher Spanish class.

Supporter meetings

As an experienced teacher and an Alternative Route probationer with a full timetable, I did not have allotted meetings with the probationer mentor, nor did I attend the regional probationer meetings. It would have been a bit odd, as I was buddying one of the probationers at the time as part of Hawick High's staff welfare programme.

Nevertheless, Barbara (probationer mentor and fellow languages teacher) was extremely helpful with hints for finishing the final report, particularly regarding current educational phrasing and suggesting information to include. In actual fact, the preparation discussions with her and Colin (my PT) and completion of the form were the only things that did not fit into my normal teaching cycle.

As I did not have a supporter, I identified relevant departmental meetings and personal review discussions, which I used where the report asks for a record of meetings with your supporter.

Observed teaching sessions

Throughout the three years, as part of the school's peer observation programme, I asked colleagues, my PT and SMT members to observe my teaching with the classes. When I filled out the final profile, I was able to use their observation comments.

CPD record

It was also very useful to update and review my CPD record. Over three years of CPD covers a lot of paper. I did feel a little guilty mentioning holidays to Spain, but as a language teacher, it's always important to keep language and resources current!

Form-filling

Certain aspects of the form seemed inappropriate for someone with 10 years committed teaching experience and, and in discussion with my head teacher, these were abbreviated or omitted.

Reflecting on the Alternative Route through probation

While it was great to successfully achieve full registration, and the whole process was a real confidence boost, the best part was being able to teach a small, dedicated group of Spanish learners - last double on Fridays for three years was an absolute pleasure - and not many teachers can say that!

Mhairi Mitchell
Alternative Route probationer
Hawick High School

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Balancing probation priorities

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:44:00 EST

Managing priorities during probation can be a balancing act writes Lynda Banks.

Beginning this is almost like beginning a career as a teacher. There's so much, where do you start? How about at the beginning?

Allocation day

The start of the story so far is the day that the letter came in June 2007, informing me of my school for the year. I cried: it was 35 miles away!

When I called the school and was told it would be a P5 class I cried again (after I had put the phone down!). My heart had been set on an infant class.

On discovering that the P5 class consisted of 33 children, 'bawled' is a more appropriate adjective to use to describe what I did!

That was it. I had given up before even stepping foot on the school grounds. The Alternative Route seemed a viable option. Not, however, to my husband, who had put up with a 'Year from Hell' whilst I was doing the PGDE.

A steady income was foremost in his mind and he reminded me that actually this was what I had wanted for a very long time – a class that I could call my own.

I knew he was right.

Preparations

Before dwelling on the whole will I/won't I scenario or indeed, can I/I can't do it, the very next day I drove to the school.

Then a funny thing happened. As soon as I entered the school I knew immediately that it would all be just fine. The vibe, the staff and the children – that's what did it! I would take up the post that I was offered and I would drive the 70 miles a day. All the negative thoughts from the day (and night) before had gone. Roll on August was my thought (but not too quickly!).

August did arrive rather rapidly, but I approached it with great excitement and even greater nervousness. I had chosen to go into the classroom the week before we officially started for a couple of days.

Labels on drawers, posters on the walls, backing paper up, and the huge task of deciding how to organise the tables and chairs, all took time (well spent!). Before I could do any of this I had to cross the threshold of my very own classroom.

I remember standing at the door for a number of heart stopping moments before making the great leap! First thing was to put my name and class on the door (which had, by the way, changed to a P4/5 with 21 children, something which I was more than a little relieved about!).

It was real, all of it. I spent the next two days filling the library with cushions, bringing in plants, labelling everything so that both the children and I could find things in an instant (this is ESSENTIAL!).

The first day

The day that we met each other...wonderful, glorious, exciting, and in the end, not the least bit nerve racking. It was all meant to be.

By the end of the first week it felt like I had being teaching for years! This is meant in a positive way. I simply loved it. I was driven. I was intent on being all singing, all dancing, all, well, everything!

I did learn very quickly (or perhaps it took longer than I am admitting) that this kind/level of commitment is possible for a very short time without completely burning yourself out.

Getting the balance right

One of the most important lessons I have learned over the past few months is to strike a balance between home life and life at work. As a teacher you are never done, ever. Your 'to do' list always has something on it. You cross off the top one or two and meantime add another ten at the other end!

That's just it, there is so much. I've learned that I can only do a certain amount: I can't do it all. I've learned to prioritise and because of all this I am a better teacher. I have more energy and am not run ragged.

I do what I can to the best of my ability and then I go home! I love my life as a teacher and I also love my life as me, a wife, a mum and a friend.

Lynda Banks
Primary Teacher
Smithton Primary School, Inverness

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We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Top tip of the week: Eat right

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:43:00 EST

As a teacher you are in a high performance job, which will need energy and well-being. Your diet will help you through this. So think broccoli, think fruit and think healthy.

You need to look bright and fresh, as very often you will be the only one exhibiting these features in the classroom.

You have to carry pupils who may be attempting the curriculum on fuel made up of pizza and artificial flavours through the day, so keep hydrated and wean yourself off the caffeine.

Read more hints and tips.

Making the most of your supporter

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 07:20:00 EST

Karen Lawrie, a probationer supporter, explains how to your supporter can act as the springboard to your career.

Teaching has changed a great deal since I qualified in the 1980s, not least in the approach to probation.

Key to that new approach is the requirement on schools to provide a dedicated supporter, or mentor, for each probationer, a role that I currently occupy.

I support the newest member of a large, successful and sometimes bewilderingly busy English department.

While it is undeniable that more demands are placed on you in terms of record-keeping, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and so on, far more support is also given by schools to help you make the most of that all-important first year.�

That's where the supporter comes in.

Formal and informal support

Supporters provide mandatory formal support through regular meetings, in addition to agreed observations. I'd suggest that both you and your supporter make brief, but clear, records of progress and necessary next steps as you go along.

On the thorny issue of record keeping, I suggest that a few minutes are left at the end of each meeting in order to complete this sometimes onerous, but essential, task. Little and often is a good rule here.

No one wants to finish up with screeds of illegible notes to transfer into one's best handwriting for inclusion in that portfolio � think bullet points!

Supporters can also provide the equally essential informal support: a shoulder to cry on is very helpful in a demanding job like teaching. A quick word is sometimes all that is needed to reassure or console.

A helping hand

Another useful role that supporters can play is to help you deliver on your CPD priorities, as well as to act as a link to the designated Senior Management Team (SMT) member in overall chare of probationers.

The supporter can also liaise with members of their own, and other, departments to arrange observation, shadowing of pupils, co-operative teaching and so on.

Arguably though, the most important part of a supporter's job is to know when to let go. A probationer will usually require a great deal of support initially, but must strive to become independent well before their first teaching year is over.

The enhanced non-contact time is a fantastic advantage that you will never have again � use it to the full!

Enhance your experience

Planning, preparation, and marking, especially in a subject like English, can all too easily dominate a teacher's time, but there is so much more to being a teacher today.

You could investigate your school's learning and support systems, find out about personal action plans, read up on areas of the curriculum�that you haven't yet experienced.

Remember, the portfolio must contain details of how the enhanced time was used.

Finally, I believe the main function of a supporter should be to encourage the probationer to develop his or her own teaching style.

Supporters must gradually retreat into the background as the new teacher gains in confidence and experience, yet should always be ready with advice at any stage.

Karen Lawrie
English Teacher and Probationer Supporter

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If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please�share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Top tip of the week: displaying student artwork

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 07:17:00 EST

Expect mixed feelings about displaying student artwork

Suggesting to your pupils that you will display their work on the wall in full public view brings out the best and worst in them.

Some will be inspired to produce work that will be viewed with awe by others. Some pupils will be appalled that their work will be on show at all. Listen to pleas about displayed art and work with the volunteers.

Crucially, watch out for sabotage! Jealousy can raise its head when artwork is compared; additions and comments can appear on the work that can offend or surprise.

Read more hints and tips.

Me and my mentor

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 07:15:00 EST

Mick Kitson from Stranraer Academy doesn't know where he'd be without his mentor.

I just hope she doesn't read this. I also hope my wife doesn't read it.

When we were introduced, someone (and it may have been me) made the rather weak pun: "Ah…you must be the tormentor..." Oh how we laughed.

Three months on and I am afraid the only torment I feel is the rather panicky feeling I get when I know she is not in school and I have to do something without asking her what she thinks. Like: "Is it time for my dinner now Jane?"

I fear I have come to rely on her rather too much and I have been undeservedly lucky in getting her. Not just because she is a fab teacher and a master at controlling unruly second years, but she and I are about the same age; we both have three kids; are both refugees from England and both teach English.

I have been slightly alarmed to hear from other probationers that they are not as smitten as I with their mentors. Poor things.

Constant support

Aside from offering brilliant advice in my own subject and frequent criticism of my lessons, she displays an almost German efficiency in sorting out all the bits of paper and forms and things I have to fill in.

She oversees my bulging CPD diary and tells me off when my first years leave her classroom untidy. And, when she is not teaching her own full timetable or acting as my "playground buddy" stopping big hairy fourth years from scaring me when I walk down the corridors, she somehow finds time to mentor two other probationers in our school.

But I'm not jealous because I know I am her favourite. Which leaves me with a bit of a problem come June and the possibility that I will register and lose her to another probationer.

I am not sure it is healthy to become so reliant, but it shows that the system seems to work in providing a constant support and point of contact for new teachers.

Moving on?

I am going to have to be weaned off her, and I fear periods of enforced separation are planned towards the end of the year. But we'll still have our weekly meetings because I need to be tormented for a little bit longer.

Mick Kitson
English Teacher
Stranraer Academy, Dumfries and Galloway

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That S4 feeling

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 07:14:00 EST

Sarra Lumsden recalls that unique feeling that can only mean . . . the dreaded first day in school has arrived.

Fear paralysed her, disabling every rational, calm part of her mind. Sweat trickled down her back in slow, snaking paths. She simultaneously felt terror's ice cold fingers take a strangle hold around her neck, restricting her breathing, as hot waves of panic swept through her body.

As she stood studying herself in the mottled mirror, she watched as the colour drained from her face with her confidence. One last check of her clothing, ironed, starched, formal and black. One last smooth of her dark hair in a vain attempt to tame the external signs of the inner struggle that twisted her stomach and quickened her heart rate. A last pinch of her cheeks in vain attempt to draw back some sign of health. A search for the flaws and imperfections she knew they would find.

Her footsteps echoed along the silent tiled corridor, autumn light flickering through the narrow windows. The wind and rained stormed outside, duplicating her inner turmoil. The old building howled with the tempest battering its aged walls. The ghosts of her predecessors followed her slow steps, offering support and acknowledging her as one of them. She could not let them down. She was only one, the latest one, in a long line of determined, strong souls who had, as she did now, fought for a better world in face of hardship and difficulty.

The voices of the mob sought her out through the maze of passageways, calling her back into the moment. 'Show no fear,' her mentor's voice said again in her mind. Like wolves, they would sense her emotions and prey on any signs of weakness. "Remember the plan, show no emotion," she instructed herself. "Follow your dream."

She repeated her mantra, trying desperately to maintain her determination. This was her destiny. Everything she had worked towards had brought her here, to this place, to this moment. "Deep breaths," she whispered. She spoke to herself, trying to calm her nerves and focus her tortured and terrified mind.

Her trembling, cold hand reached for the door. She paused, steadying herself, trying to still the obvious sights of her fear. She set her face, firm, confident and calm. She had fought for this and now she must be the leader she had always wanted to be. Even if it meant marching into Hell to lead the troops back out. "No," she halted her thoughts, "remain rational and in control."

"Remember," she thought, "It's only fourth year."

Sarra Lumsden
English Teacher
Ardrossan Academy, North Ayrshire

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September monthly guidance

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:42:00 EST

September: developing a routine

Your first few weeks in school will have been very busy but, hopefully, you'll be getting into the swing of things now.

Your probationary service should follow a structured process, which is outlined on the Probation process�page.

Timetable

Full-time probationer teachers should have�22.5 hours of class contact (actual teaching) time each week. To meet The Standard for Full Registration in the category in which you are qualified, you are required to undertake a percentage of this time as class contact time and a percentage as CPD, as follows:

15.75 hours of teaching (0.7 full-time equivalent)
6.75 hours CPD (0.3 full-time equivalent)

More details can be found on the Timetable�page.

It is important to note that Teacher Induction Scheme probationers are contracted to teach 0.7 sole responsibility. Your teaching time should�not�be more than 0.7 as this is against your conditions of service.

Supporter Meetings

One of the main elements of your CPD in the probationary period is your weekly meeting with your in-school supporter. During September you'll begin to have regular Supporter Meetings and you'll start to draw up your Initial�Professional Development Action Plan (IPDAP).

Your�IPDAP allows you to detail in your portfolio your professional development targets and actions that you are seeking during your probationary year.

Online Profiles

By the end of this month, all probationers on the Teacher Induction Scheme should have access the Online Profile system.

You�can log in by clicking on the Log In button at the top right hand side of either the GTCS or Probationer Teacher Scotland websites.

An account will automatically be created for you, so you don't need to register or attempt to create a new account.

To log in for the first time, you will use your GTCS registration number as both your username and password. You will then be taken to a security screen where you should enter your details and choose a new password.

If you cannot access the system, you should contact your local authority probation manager�in the first instance.

More help and advice

Remember you can Contact us at any time with questions or visit the Discussion forums to chat with other probationers.

Looking for last month's guidance?

The Monthly guidance archive�holds all the previous months' guidance, in case you have missed any of the monthly newsletters.

�

Top tip of the week: There's not much in a name

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:49:00 EST

There's not much in a name Don’t let a name influence what you think about a pupil.

If you have a Wayne in the football team don’t expect him to take trophies for you. Likewise if you have Chanterelle in the room don’t expect her to have heard of the mushroom she has been named after.

Pupils have strange names at times. It is not their fault, but you will somehow have to get over it.

Names come in batches, and there will always be a clutch of pupils coming through named after the latest hot pop star. Kylie has now worked its way through and out of the secondary schools, as has Britney with a late surge of Jades and Chantelles on their way. Be grateful for the ones you can spell.

Pupils are landed with names they neither wanted nor like. You will need to read it out on the register each day, so don’t make it a stick to beat the poor pupil with, nor a joke everyone tires of.

Welcome Miss Shark!

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:43:00 EST

Caroline Sharp has developed some shark-like qualities to get her through the first few weeks of term.

The first four weeks with my new class have passed in the blink of an eye and the first day is now a distant memory.

My class and I have begun to get to know each other. During our first chat on the carpet it transpired that one child thought her new teacher was called Miss Shark and had discussed this the night before with her grandpa who thought this was an interesting name! This got me thinking, maybe a probationer teacher is a little like a shark!

Survival instinct

Sharks are good survivors and that survival instinct has definitely kicked in as I try to find my way through the forward plan process. With support from my school I have learnt some valuable lessons that will help me to survive the next phase!

Evolution

Unlike sharks, which have had little need to evolve in the last 150 million years, I am evolving everyday as I try to make sense of my new situation. Charles Darwin would be proud at the speed at which I am evolving: I now have eyes in the back of my head and it spins round 360 degrees!

Thick skin

Shark skin is made of denticles instead of ordinary fish scales. The denticles are like hard, sharp teeth and help to protect the shark from injury. Developing a bit of a thick skin is essential for probationers too; there's no time to dwell on things that didn't go according to plan. Take it on board, learn and move on!

Being prepared

Sharks never run out of teeth. If one is lost, another spins forward from the rows and rows of backup teeth. That sounds familiar! How many times have I gone into school armed with plans and resources and other ideas just for back up?

Sixth sense

Sharks are successful predators because of their super senses. They have a sensory organ called the "ampullae of Lorenzini", which they use to feel electrical fields. I definitely need to develop that 'sixth' sense to be able to read my class and respond.

Food for thought

Some sharks eat plankton by swimming forward with their mouths wide open. "Gill rakers" at the back of their throat strain the tiny food from the water. I am scooping up masses of new information and still raking through it!

So, maybe there are a few similarities between sharks and probationers. We congregate in schools and don't really sleep. We just have active and inactive periods.

Every day is a challenge

All being said, the start of my probationary year has been positive but stressful. Every day is a challenge, but I have great support and I know I can ask for help to navigate through the murky waters ahead. There have been ups and downs, but the children in my class are great and certainly keep me on my toes!

If you can identify with a little of this, then, when the going gets tough, remember: s/he who laughs, lasts!

Caroline Sharp
Primary Teacher
Kingsland Primary School, Scottish Borders

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We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Nerves are natural: my first day

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:38:00 EST

Elaine Todd didn't let first day nerves get the better of her.

I have to admit, at the start of term, I was in blind panic when thinking about how I would cope in class.

I'd been told after visiting the school I was placed in that I would be teaching Primary 7. This news was not what I'd expected! At first, there was fear . . . then panic. I'd only ever worked with a Primary 6 class on placement, and that was only for five weeks.

But, to be honest, after a day to process the news, I was really looking forward to it. This would be something different and I was ready for a wee change after continually working with infant classes on placement.

Preparation

I had been into school for four days over the summer holidays, for 3-5 hours each day just getting the classroom set up. In hindsight, I'm glad I did this as I felt more prepared for the first day of term.

The in-service day came . . . and went. I got to meet all the staff and my mentor sat me down to discuss any questions I had about the first week. I'd recommend chatting about any worries you're having - no matter how ridiculous you think the question may be (or how daft you may feel asking it!) there is always someone there to help.

I felt much better after talking with my stage partner about what to expect over the coming weeks. Working collaboratively with you're stage partner is also really important, I think I'd be lost without mine and I'm so grateful for all the little tips and bits of advice she has given me.

The first day

Before I knew it, it was the first day of term.

I'd arrived relatively early that morning just to double check everything in the classroom was still in place. It's strange the things that go through your mind: "What if all the desks have been removed?"

As the bell rang, my legs were like jelly. I couldn't understand why I was so nervous! I was not brave enough to bring in the line, a task which is now second nature to me, so my stage partner brought both classes in.

My new Primary 7 class piled into the classroom, and sat down in their chairs and then . . . there was silence. I think they were sussing me out, so I gathered them together and carried out the activities I'd arranged for the day (a few icebreakers, team-building exercises, deciding on class rules and such like).

Still standing

By break time, I was feeling much better and by lunch time, I was enjoying myself. At the end of the day, I couldn't wait for the next day to begin. It just goes to show nerves are natural and keep you on your toes!

So I made it through the dreaded first day, and the first week, and I'm still standing. Although it can seem daunting, you've got to take things one step at a time, and I think it's definitely fair to say that about every aspect in the probationary year.

Elaine Todd
Primary Teacher
St Nicholas Primary School, West Lothian

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We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Surviving your probation year

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:31:00 EST

Elizabeth Platfoot offers some survival tips from deep within the jungle that is the modern classroom.

It's a wonderful feeling when you reach the halfway stage in your probation year. I've now been teaching for nearly six months, I've still got a lot more to learn but I know that I'm well on my way to making it up that teaching mountain.

At this point I feel a great sense of achievement as I've experienced most of my "firsts".

Climb every mountain!

I'll never forget that first in-service day when my university ego was quashed as I suddenly realised how much I didn't know, including how to organise the mountain of paper handed to me that morning.

Be prepared

My first teaching day was a flurry of nerves, excitement and anxious mental questions:

Will they like me?
What time is break?
Will I get lost?
How will I remember all their names?

Forget about the children – I was terrified! However, it all went well, the children were kept busy and they actually wanted to come back the next day!

Slowly, as the weeks passed, I began to realise that this intriguing, new initiative called A Curriculum for Excellence was actually beginning to work for me. I was becoming a successful learner with an enthusiasm and motivation for learning my craft.

I was also developing into a responsible citizen with a deep respect for those wonderful people who provided me with daily advice in the staffroom. The forward planning that, at first, took me hours became a simpler task and things began to get easier.

Then came my first assembly, which was an exhausting but hugely rewarding experience, particularly as I decided that my class would perform a play written by yours truly.

Although this earned me extra brownie points, I'd suggest looking in the teacher's resource room when it's your class's turn. You'll get more sleep that way!

Meet the parents

My first parents evening was looming. I was well prepared for this. I created an information sheet on each child. This was an effective communication tool and a fantastic support for any awkward pauses.

Parents evening is never as scary as you expect. It's actually rather fun particularly when you’re told that the work you're doing is pretty good.

However, you might just have a challenging parent or two and I had my fair share. Miraculously, you do survive the wrath of that dreaded parent, and then you realise that you've developed the resilience to be an effective contributor – third capacity of the new curriculum achieved – well done!

Make your classroom a haven of tranquillity – a scented candle and vase of flowers really do make a happy parent.

Be one of the team

Suddenly, I arrived in Winter Wonderland, my school was transformed and I was swept into the arms of Christmas.

As an eager probationer I enthusiastically grasped the opportunities to start a dance club and choreograph the P3 and P7 productions, along with making sure my Primary 5s performed their Christmas concert with the confidence of professionals.

Embrace these opportunities, it really is great to be in a place "where everybody knows your name" and this happens when you get involved.

On reflection

So now, after those observations, it's a good time to reflect. I'd say the single most important thing to focus upon is the building of relationships. You need effective relationships with your pupils, colleagues, supporter and parents.

Make an effort with everyone. It enables you to become a confident, ambitious individual – tick off your fourth capacity!

Probation year is a year of "firsts". Despite all the advice you’ll hear from courses and colleagues, you'll learn the most from your own experiences. There are hard times, happy times, scary times and easy times.

When you're juggling children, parents, displays, learning assistants, productions and assessments, just always remember, you’re doing the job of your dreams.

Final advice

How to get through your probation year and remain a normal human being, although some might question your normality as you’ve chosen to be a teacher!

Spend time with friends, they'll make you laugh
Understand that your life is not just about formative assessment, teachers can have lives out of school
Relax and rest – music or the pub are proven effective remedies!
Vitamins will stop you dropping down with the assorted winter ailments
Instant coffee does the trick on a Monday morning
Vegetable soup will keep your immune system strong and warm you up when the school heating system's on the blink!
Accept you don’t know it all and you're not meant to
Long lies on a Saturday morning – sleep's the best cure for everything!

Elizabeth Platfoot
Primary Teacher
Balgreen Primary School, Edinburgh

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the Discussion Forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Hello and welcome!

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:30:00 EST

Whether you're a new teacher on the Teacher Induction Scheme or are continuing your probation on the Alternative Route, we're here to help you.

Please check out the Teacher Induction Scheme guidance or the Alternative Route guidance for more information and support.

Teaching Scotland Online relaunched

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:29:00 EST

Teaching Scotland online has relaunched with more content, more functionality and more reasons to visit than ever before. The new site gives you the opportunity to comment on features, take part in online polls and view exclusive content that is only available online.

Lee Polson, of GTC Scotland's web services team, was instrumental in the design and build of the site. She said: "Teaching Scotland online complements the magazine by taking advantage of some of the interactivity the internet allows. It's been an exciting project to work on and I hope readers enjoy the new site."

Editor Daniel Lambie said: "We were keen to develop the site to be more than just a replica of the magazine. We are hoping both will now feed off each other, and the feedback and comments we receive from our readers online will help us to decide appropriate future content."

Get involved

Look out for your chance to ask questions, make comments or vote in our special online polls.

We've teamed up with Leckie & Leckie, Scotland's leading educational publisher, to offer everyone who leaves a question or comment on our new site the chance to win £100 worth of books.

Visit www.teachingscotland.org.uk now to take part.

August monthly guidance

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:23:00 EST

This section will act as your online support network, guiding you through your probationary period towards full registration.

The monthly newsletter and RSS feed will keep you informed of when this area has been updated with new guidance information.

August: starting out

Come August we know that you'll be excited as well as a nervous at the prospect of starting your probation year. You'll have lots of new staff and pupils to meet, you'll probably be finding your way around a new school, and you'll want to make sure your new coffee mug stays in the staffroom.

Starting out

You'll find the first few weeks in school can be very full and more than a bit daunting. But, don't worry; this website is here to help you!

We'll be posting Monthly guidance to help you through your probationary period towards full registration.

We'll email you a keep you informed to let you know when the new guidance is online, and you can also receive it through our RSS news feeds.

On the website, you'll find lots of hints and tips to help you prepare, as well as real-life experiences from probationers to help you see that you're not alone!

You'll probably want to check out some of these pages first:

Probation process will let you see what's coming up this term
How to meet the SFR sets out the qualities and capabilities expected of you during your induction year and explains how you meet Standard for Full Registration
Starting out hints and tips will help you survive the first weeks of term
Your experiences will give you an insight into how recent probationers managed at the start of term

Online Profiles

Throughout your probationary teaching year, you should be gathering information and evidence to prove that you are meeting the Standard for Full Registration (SFR). This is compiled and submitted to GTCS in the form of Online Profiles.

Accessing the Online Profile system

All probationers on the Teacher Induction Scheme will be automatically registered on the My GTCS and Online Profiles systems.

However, you will not be able to access the system until your local authority probation manager has created your profile and assigned you to a school, headteacher and supporter on the system.

Once your local authority manager has done this, you will be able to log in by clicking on the Log In button at the top right hand side of either the GTCS or Probationer Teacher Scotland websites.

More help and advice

Remember you can Contact us at any time with questions or visit the Discussion forums to chat with other probationers.

A year in the life

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:20:00 EST

Alison Hughes on her year as a probationer teacher.

"Summer time and the livin' is easy…" - or at least it used to be!

School starts back on 1September, doesn't it? (I grew up in Northern Ireland). Apparently not in Scotland; term resumes in the height of Summer. In fact as a probationer it's even earlier, 9 August. Yes 9 August! It was a foreboding thought.

The probation routine

Probation CPD was a chance to meet other probationers and to get some hints and tips from last year's cohort.

It gave an insight into what life is like for a pupil…timetabled lectures, registration, queuing for lunch and tactically choosing your seat.

My placement was to be Wester Hailes Education Centre (WHEC). It's amazing how many people purport to know so much about the place.

I was to learn a lot from the prejudices of Edinburghers about life in the "ghetto" as some referred to WHEC. In this case, outsiders' views were most definitely incorrect! I found myself quickly settling into routine and enjoying the challenge of my new career.

Behaviour management

Classroom and behaviour management, a favourite topic of conversation among teachers, featured substantially during the first couple of months in CPD courses, school/supporter meetings and general chit-chat.

"Remember that you know your boundaries and what you term acceptable behaviour. Your pupils don't. Yet."

A wise man shared this sage advice. This gave me the freedom to stop pressurising myself into creating a meticulously organised and well behaved class in the first three weeks. The trick is to stick with your rules, re-enforce, and follow through with what you say and demand.

The run up to Christmas was full of tests, reports, marking, Christmas shows, classroom displays, meetings, etc, etc. Diaries were packed and time passed in a blur. It was a rewarding term as relationships with staff and pupils developed. And so the holidays arrived.

Second term

Coming back for a second term was no longer the new experience. January had potential to be a month of long dark evenings. There was so much to do - new courses to plan, extra curricular activities, and only five weeks in school till the half term holidays…

Job hunting

"What will you be doing next year?" is a question that probationers are likely to hear constantly. Come March, life changes gear, the topic of conversation shifting to next year's job prospects.

You begin a serious relationship with application forms, progressing to a short affair with interviewers (best to try not to prolong this).

My advice: plan well in advance, arrange mock interviews, seek advice from those you know have been through this recently. Securing a job is not easy, but take heart that every single probationer has to go through this process.

The end in sight

Summer term isn't just about application forms. There are external exams, S1 residential, field trips, new timetables, staff events, a mad dash to finish courses, P7 visits and a host of other activities going on in and around the school.

For me, it means the end of an era. My probation year has been a great experience. I don't think I would change any of it, not even the difficult days when I contemplated the idea that some pupils might never follow the classroom code!

Earning pupil trust by being consistent and fair is fundamental. Perseverance with behaviour management strategies is an investment that has paid off.

Having reached this point, it's worth noting that earning pupil trust by being consistent and fair is fundamental. This can provide the foundation to build positive relationships with pupils, an asset most teachers find essential in order to reap the real benefits of life in this profession.

I've had a fantastic department to work in, the support for new teachers is excellent and generally, everyone is very positive here.

So I leave WHEC with a heavy heart, taking many happy memories with me. To those of you fortunate to have a student placement, probation year or permanent job here…you're very blessed.

Alison Hughes
Geography Teacher
Wester Hailes Education Centre, Edinburgh

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the Discussion forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

A week in the life of a probationer

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:22:00 EST

Kathryn Munro guides you through five days in the working week of a probationer teacher.

Monday

The start of another week and a new set of lesson plans. The pupils start off quietly as they recover from their weekends and wake up.

The morning is spent teaching and the afternoon is 0.3 time on the Timetable, which means paperwork. I write up the last week, recording any CPD I have done in my 0.3 time - this record needs to be completed accurately to ensure that, come time it's all nice and easy...

Some development of department resources comes next - all good for the CPD portfolio! Oh, and time for a wee coffee with the other probationers. It's important to support each other and to take a few moments out.

Tuesday

My busiest teaching day. I have my two second-year classes in one day - surely a crime! The day ends and I feel like I've done a marathon. Yet I've a sense of achievement that my classes have had a good day.

It's not finished yet.

Study club runs today, so I wait, hopeful that some of the exam classes will turn up for extra help.

One of the best things about study club is meeting the kids on an individual basis and being able to give them a bit of confidence about their abilities in Biology...oh, and have a gossip!

Wednesday

First period is our department meeting and I report back on the resources I have been developing. At the latest of my Supporter Meetings we go through the school week. I have prepared an agenda and take the minutes from the meeting. It has become very much a routine and isn't as much work as it first appeared to be.

At lunchtime, I meet with some of the most enthusiastic kids in the school at Gracemount Environmental Team meetings. I always come away with a smile as we plan another enterprise project around the school.

Thursday

Today is double second years again...challenging yet fulfilling. They love the practical I have planned and go away talking about Science. How can I ask for anything more?!

Lunchtime is my SIM (Senior Induction Manager) meeting and we usually go through various aspects of the SFR. Someone comes along to speak to us about an aspect of the school and I look forward to learning more about other people’s roles in the life of a school.

Thursday afternoon is always tough as, nearing the end of week, the kids and I treat ourselves to a night off with no lesson planning or organisation.

This is my night off to socialise and forget about teaching and catch up with my friends - it's vital not to let teaching over take your life! It will fill any space you give it.

Friday

Friday is a half day and it flies by.

While most other teachers head home, we head to a CPD course provided by the council. I have grasped any opportunity to learn more this year and develop as a teacher so have a course most Fridays.

I come away with new ideas to include in my lesson planning over the weekend before the week begins again...

Kathryn Munro
Biology and Science Teacher
Gracemount High School, Edinburgh

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the Discussion Forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

The allocation situation

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:09:00 EST

Kirstin Parker remembers the initial worry of living away from home during her probation period.

In my usual chat with the girls about how time flies and how quickly this year has gone, I realised it was exactly one year to the day that we received our letter from the GTC telling us the local authority we would be allocated in our probation year.

But as I laugh and make jokes now, I remember all the tears inMay 2006. And I’m sure there will be many of you in the same position this year.

The dream

My plan in life never changed: I'd go to Edinburgh University to do my teaching degree then move back home to Dumfries and Galloway.

As my final year ended, everyone looked for flats around Edinburgh for their probation year while I thought about moving back home to the people I missed so much. I couldn’t wait!

I didn’t even seem to be nervous about the letter arriving as I was convinced I was going home. Everyone else I had known in previous years that had selected Dumfries and Galloway as their first choice had been placed there. Surely I would be too?

"Miss Parker, we are pleased to inform you that you will complete your probation year in…West Lothian."

I cried. I don’t cry very often but on this day, I cried like I had never cried before. This was not my plan. I couldn’t do it. I wanted to be at home. When I was finally in a fit state to talk, I spoke to my friends and my family.

I've always believed that everything happens for a reason. So I knew what I had to do. I went back to Edinburgh, and off to West Lothian to be a teacher.

The reality

I’ve loved it! I can't see why I was so upset to begin with. Every time I had a bad day, I kept all the positive things in mind.

Like everyone, I’ve had my ups and downs. Sometimes you’ll have observations that don’t go well or you feel like you’re disappearing under all the work you have to do on your desk!

Every time I had a bad day, I kept all the positive things in mind. Remember the effort you’ve put in and what you achieved.

I entered a group of Primary 5s in a football tournament. When we got there, we were the only team without a kit, but the look on their faces when we came second was one of the moments I like to remember.

I was so proud! And their faces lit up when I announced we had recycled enough mobile phones and print cartridges for a free football kit.

Every note from a parent saying thanks and all the pictures and cards from the children, they always bring a smile to my face. And if you reach the stage when you find yourself saying "I can’t do this anymore", you're wrong. I’ve said it so many times.

Full circle

Looking back at my whole year I can’t imagine what life would have been like if I'd gone home. I’ve come such a long way.

I’m lucky to have worked in a school where we have such hard working staff and everyone pulls together to help. It’s almost like I have my own little family at work everyday when I can’t see my real family.

I don’t think there is one person in my school that I couldn’t ask for advice or for that wee extra bit of help.

I always thought that going to West Lothian was the hardest thing I had ever had to do, but leaving will be a million times harder.

Well, my plan didn’t really change that much! I went to Edinburgh University for four years, took a little detour through West Lothian and I’m now moving back to Dumfries and Galloway at the end of this year.

So maybe you did get your first choice and that is great. If you didn’t, trust me. Everything that is thrown at you makes you a stronger teacher. I wouldn’t have changed this year for the world!

Kirstin Parker
Primary Teacher
Uphall Primary School, West Lothian

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the Discussion Forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Games-based learning

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:37:00 EST

Maree Innes tells us about her experience of games-based learning with her primary 2/3 class.

During my probation year, I have been the class teacher for a P2/3 class of 24 pupils and we were fortunate to be given the opportunity to participate in a games-based learning initiative.

My class took part in a "Nintendogs" project and we were loaned eight Nintendo DS consoles and related software. The purpose of the project was to provide a rich context for learning and, on this occasion, I believe that this objective was fully met.

The project was supported by the Aberdeenshire Glow team who provided comprehensive plans that showed how the project contributes to the entitlements of A Curriculum for Excellence. They also gave good ideas for suggested learning activities.

First impressions

My immediate thoughts on receiving the consoles centred on the implication of having only 8 consoles for a class of 24 pupils. I wondered how the children would cope with sharing the equipment and the impact on their team-working skills. I need not have been concerned as development of these skills was one of the most successful outcomes of the topic.

Through discussion of team formation, the pupils organised themselves into groups of three, with each team including a child who already owned the game. Over the six-week period we rolled out the game "Nintendogs", while engaging in other related activities such as making dog registration forms and researching and reporting on a breed of dog. We had a visit from the Guide Dogs charity and continue to be involved with them by taking part in fund raising activities.

Glow-ing introduction

This project was a great way to introduce the pupils to Glow as their Puppydog Tales Group encouraged us to share our learning in the form of diaries and entering our competition results in a league table.

An enjoyable project

This has been a most enjoyable project for both the pupils and me; I found it to be engaging and relevant for the class.

It was an active approach to learning, which has allowed for choice and the pupils have been given opportunities to collaborate and develop their problem-solving skills. They have been given opportunities to learn through technology by using the Nintendo consoles and its Pictochat facility.

Their knowledge of Glow has increased as they used the Puppydog tales group to record and share information and they are now keen to engage further with this learning resource.

I particularly noticed the improvement in the pupils' skills in team working and respecting others' needs and opinion. They worked through their problems and understood the rules regarding behaviour within the team and were co-operating effectively.

Overall, I would strongly recommend taking part in this type of games based learning and hope to be able to participate in similar activities in the future.

Maree Innes
Primary Teacher
Aboyne Primary School, Aberdeenshire

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the Discussion forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

TeachMeet 2009: Student Edition

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:06:00 EST

Learn something new, be amazed, amused and enthused. TeachMeet 2009 is an informal gathering of student and probationer teachers who are curious about technologies. Anyone can share cool ideas they have or great ideas they've trialled in their classrooms.

TeachMeet 2009: Student Edition will take place on Tuesday 9 June 2009, 6.00-8.00pm; McCance Building, 16 Richmond Street, Glasgow, G1 1XQ. See the TeachMeet 2009: Student Edition website for more details.

Improvements to the Online Profile system

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:41:00 EST

Improvements to the Online Profile system

In response to the feedback we received from users of the Online Profile system, we have made some improvements to the system.

Observed Teaching Sessions

We've added a "Back" link to the top of the Observed Teaching Sessions page so you can now to go directly back to the Online Profile page.

Key strengths and areas for development

Each field on the Key strengths page is now mandatory and has to be completed before the headteacher can sign the profile off.

We've made the Key strengths fields bigger so that more text can be seen on screen without having to scroll down the page.

We've added a "save and continue option" to the Key strengths page so you can save your work periodically before the system times out.

CPD Record

We've changed the CPD Record so that you only need to add a brief evaluation and impact of your CPD experience, rather than extensive detail. You only need to give a snapshot of the CPD you have completed; detailed information on CPD experiences should be saved in a CPD portfolio instead.

Spellchecker

We've added an "ignore all" option to the spellchecker, so you can choose to ignore all instances of words that are not in the dictionary.

Headteacher notes

Headteachers can now add notes to all Online Profiles, regardless of the type of recommendation made.

Printing

We have improved the page layout so that the profile can now be printed out if required.

Time-out limit

We have increased the time-out limit to 80 minutes, which should be enough time to complete sections before the system logs you out. We still recommend that you save your profile regularly to avoid losing any unsaved information.

Future changes

One of the most significant changes for the Online Profiles next year will be that the recommendation process (affectionately known as the ping pong game) at the end of each profile will be simplified.

We will update you of any other changes as they occur. If you have any questions about these changes or any aspect of completing the Online Profile or of the probation process then please contact the Professional Learning and Development Department.

Games-based learning with Nintendogs

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 05:46:00 EST

Jo Barcas Buchan espouses the benefits of games-based learning.

I'm currently a probationer with a P2 class at Fraserburgh South Park Primary School in Aberdeenshire. When I started in August the school was already committed to games-based learning, with Dr Kawashima brain training in full swing. A class pack of Nintendo DS consoles and the Nintendogs game was earmarked for my P2s to use.

Inspiration

After attending a fantastic games-based learning in-service course, run by Anna Rossvoll, in November, I was keen to try Nintendogs for myself. I asked my mentor for permission to replace the existing Environmental Studies topic for the third term with Nintendogs as a context for learning. From then on it was all systems go!

Getting started

There were lots of ideas already available on Glow, and I took inspiration from these, and drew upon the children's own ideas as to what they would like to do as part of a dog-themed project.

Learning outcomes

Planning a topic from scratch was time-consuming but enjoyable, as I was able to tailor the activities and learning outcomes more closely to the needs of my own class.

I also found the new 3-18 outcomes easier to use and more flexible than the 5-14 documents. The 3-18 outcomes, along with the four capacities of the Curriculum for Excellence, really allowed me to plan more cross-curricular learning.

How it worked

The children loved the Nintendogs from day one. Each mixed-ability group of three children shared a console and named and trained their own puppy pal, writing diaries about their pooch.

The results

The consoles promoted group work and real co-operation, and gave us many opportunities for the children to work together to solve problems.

Communication skills have improved too, both verbally and in writing. Numeracy has been extended, as children have managed budgets running into thousands of pounds, and successfully discussed place value to thousands not just the tens and units used in their maths.

We've had trips to the library to check out non-fiction dog books, a real dog in class for a visit, newspaper reporters and photographers in, a visit from Derek Robertson from the Learning and Teaching Scotland Consolarium to record a podcast, and even a TV crew in for a day.

We've learnt how to take care for a dog, made dog finger puppets, had a vet role play centre in class, looked at dogs in art and made fantastic art work in response. The list goes on. It's hard to pick a highlight, and even harder to see a lowlight! Perhaps the day the Nintendogs got fleas...

Benefits

The Nintendogs project has been an amazing opportunity for me as a probationer, and has had such benefits for my class. The children are more confident, more willing to take on a challenge and more able to talk about what they are doing in class now.

What's next?

I'm evaluating the project as part of my Aberdeenshire Council probationer mini-research and I'm looking forward to sharing the work we've been doing with everyone else! I'd jump at the chance for another games-based learning project to try and am now firmly convinced of the value of technology in the classroom to enrich the learning experience.

Jo Barcas Buchan
Primary Teacher
Fraserburgh South Park Primary School, Aberdeenshire

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the Discussion forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Inspiring the uninspired

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:05:00 EST

Using an inspiring topic across different areas of the curriculum can help to keep pupils motivated.

As a teacher, you always try to make your lessons as fun and interesting as possible. I remember being in lessons I didn't enjoy, and I think we can all agree that it is rather de-motivating.

When I first met my class in August I was impressed with the general motivation in the class towards almost every curricular area. Maths lessons were always approached enthusiastically, and the children never lacked imagination in writing.

However, there was one area where the children seemed disinterested and lacked motivation.

Whenever I introduced reading comprehension exercises, I would get a bit of a sigh from the children. I was continuing to use the scheme the class had been following from the previous year, but I was not happy with their level of interest. I knew I needed to do something to make the children enjoy their learning in this area.

Finding inspiration

The children always really enjoyed listening to the class novel. They would ask lots of questions and maintain good discussion surrounding the themes of the book. In an aim to capitalise on this, I decided to have a trial run at putting together comprehension exercises from the class novel. Now all I had to do was wait and see if the response was more favourable.

When I mentioned the word comprehension I was met with the usual sigh, until I mentioned the name of the class novel when all of a sudden the children began to perk up.

I continued to explain the exercise, and I was met with the usual gasps of excitement I am used to in other areas! I was a happy teacher with a happy class!

Setback

But of course there was a little something I hadn't thought of.

I continued to build my comprehension tasks around the novel each week, and differentiated the work for each group. The problem I was beginning to come across now was not a lack of enthusiasm, but a tendency to rely on what they had remembered happening in the story, rather than answering directly from the text. I knew then that I had to change my tactic slightly.

From that week on I picked passages from the book that were quite obscure. This encouraged the children to look deeper into the text rather than writing down what they had remembered.

Benefits

I am really glad that I took the approach that I did. If I had kept plodding on with a scheme that the children were disinterested in, I don't think I would have seen the same results. Of course, what I am doing is time consuming but if it makes the children happier then it's worth it.

Probationary primary teacher
West Lothian

Share your experiences

You can comment on this article in the Discussion Forums.

If you'd like to write your own article on any aspect of being a probationer teacher, please share your experiences with us.

We will consider all topics, and any published work can be counted towards your CPD time and added to your CPD portfolio.

Join us in the Twitterverse!

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:02:00 EST

GTCS is now using Twitter to keep you up to date with the latest news and other events that we're involved in. Twitter is a microblogging service that makes it easy to keep up with friends and contacts. It is free to use, and you can check our feed anytime by visiting www.twitter.com/gtcs. You can also sign up for your own account and follow us to receive automatic updates.

Storyline approach

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:49:00 EST

Natalie Rooney shares her experience using the storyline approach.

As a student teacher, I was enthused and excited about the opportunities for cross-curricular work within a storyline approach. I recently had the opportunity to develop and plan my own storyline topic for my Primary 1 class.

Having done a lot of research, I realised that the key to a successful Storyline is to have an exciting and dramatic start that captures children's imagination and enthusiasm.

Introducing the story

My first episode saw children coming into their classroom to find that an alien had crashed in through the ceiling (through a large hole in the roof). The impact had to be huge so the desks were knocked over, there was space dust all over the classroom, and the class teddy bear was hiding under his bed sheets!

The children were encouraged to put the pieces of the jigsaw together to try to determine what had happened. One child found the broken spaceship and the whole class stood with bated breath while he opened up the door . . .

Findings

Having found an alien inside the spaceship, the children then decided to look inside his bag. They looked at the range of objects and as a class we pieced the story together to work out who this alien was and why he was here.

They found that this name was Alin and they also found his mission document, detailing his tasks. The tasks were directly related to the key questions of the class Environmental Studies project "Me and My Family".

Integrating learning experiences

The children were then encouraged to think of ways we could help Alin the alien with his task and this led them off on a variety of learning experiences.

Alin went home with pupils to find out about life in their family, children took photographs of him and wrote entries in his logbook to describe their activities.

The storyline also saw children adding up nuts and bolts in order to help Alin repair his spaceship. They created dramatic role-plays to show family roles and children were enthralled by the chance to write a story for the "Galactic Times".

A classroom display was developed with the storyline and children were encouraged to contribute. They created blow paintings of Alin's alien family and friends, and this became a central focus of the classroom and provided children an opportunity to share their learning with parents during our weekly "busy start".
Planning the storyline

My planning for the storyline started out with a basic frame of 6-7 key episodes, but was adapted and changed to meet children's interests and the development of the story that the children were creating.

It was essential to let go of the reigns and let children have ownership of the project while facilitating and planning interesting episodes.

Enthusiasm

I was really wowed by the enthusiasm of the children and it was great to see that they were motivated and engaged with the dramatic context.

Parents commented how much they had heard their child speak about Alin the alien and how enthusiastic they were to write their logbook entries.

Concluding the story

After a few weeks it was time to draw the storyline to an end. A clear ending is just as important as a dramatic start, in order to bring closure to the experience for the children.

The children in my class became very attached to their visitor and many had dismissed suggestions that he would eventually leave.

The penultimate episode saw Alin receive a letter from his mother saying that she missed him and that it was time for him to come home. Children were able to sympathise with Alin's mother and could relate their own feelings about being separated from a family member and could empathise with Alin.

The class decided a suitable way to say farewell to their friend before he departed for home. Alin left school one evening on his newly repaired spaceship after a space-themed farewell party.

Natalie Rooney
Primary Teacher
Donibristle Primary School, Fife

Further information

Using the storyline approach (LTS website)

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Blogging good teaching

webservices@gtcs.org.uk — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:47:00 EST

Russell Imrie shares his thoughts on the benefits of blogging in the classroom.

As a probationer teacher of Physical Education, I expected ICT to be an aspect of teaching I would use sporadically in the games hall, videoing and analysing straddle vaults or overhead clears.

My recent discovery of web logs (also known as blogs) has led to a dramatic overuse, some may say obsession, with possibly the best interactive tool available to schools.

Blog basics

It's important not to confuse a blog with a website. A blog allows a distinctive writing place where individuals are able to communicate online, creating a sense of identity, personality and ownership.

Currently I have three blogs up and running: one for a Standard Grade class, one for a Higher class and one for a school football team.

The simplest way to blog is to publish for practical reasons, transferring basic information relating to your class or club. I've uploaded various documents and information to my blogs, including:

class notes
powerpoint presentations
homework sheets
team news
links to various websites

Your blog effectively acts as an online school notice board, newspaper and resource bank for pupils, accessible anytime and anywhere. As the editor, you can easily revise previous posts.

It can also contribute to assessment for learning; publishing future lessons and lesson intentions enables pupils to go online and know what to expect for that day. Pupils who are absent can see what they're missing and what to catch up on.

Extra support

I've occasionally used my blog to offer additional reading or to provide extra support. This can be set as optional, for pupils to complete at home in their own free time or, if you're lucky (as I am) to have access to a computer suite, be completed in class.

It's also possible for pupils to respond to blog posts and discuss topics that you've set. This can be completed in class as individual, paired or group work. The excitement of being online offers an innovative and motivating lesson that the pupils respond well to.

I generally have my blogs operating through comment moderation. This means a comment will not be published online unless I have authorised it and it has an identified author.

Blogs can be used as a place where students (or even parents) can leave feedback or voice their concerns on any issue they feel relevant.

I encourage my pupils to use the "comment" feature to ask everyday questions about lessons, homework or general concerns. On this occasion I allow pupils to publish their comments as anonymous.

Pros and cons

If blogs are so simple to use and offer so many benefits to a school and its pupils then why are they not more widely used? Well, like all good things there are drawbacks.

Firstly, the success of a blog relies on all pupils having easy access to the Internet. When asked, all my pupils said they had access outside of school. However, this should not be a deterrent as pupils should be encouraged to use school computer labs or library.

Secondly, having to moderate every comment with for example a homework discussion requires the teacher to regularly check the blog to keep the discussion flowing. However, for my Higher blog I have adopted a new approach.

I emailed all pupils via the blog inviting them to join; this allowed pupils to create a username and password that they need in order to leave a comment.

I have now removed the comment moderation feature, as no pupil can leave a comment without first signing in. This encourages the pupils to have more ownership and responsibility for the blog.

A different approach

Blogging is by no means the new way to teach. However, I have found that it creates stimulation within the classroom with its unique slant on communication, publishing work and completing homework.

It requires, as with all teaching, a lot of planning, preparation and organisation in order to be successful. I would definitely recommend it.

Happy blogging!

You can visit my blogs at:

Russell Imrie
PE Teacher
Lenzie Academy, East Dunbartonshire

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