My Placement Experience
Throughout my Further Education and Training PGCE at Edge Hill University I have
been on placement at a sixth form college in St. Helens, which has been a high
quality, demanding and enjoyable experience.
On my first day of placement, I was warmly into the college with an informal
induction meeting with my Mentor, where I was given computer and email log- ins as
well as a fob for getting into the college and staffroom. This helped to ensure that my
first few days ran smoothly and gave me a sense of belonging at the college right
from the start. During the first two weeks of placement, I was able to observe my
mentor as well as other members of staff within the Psychology department. By
observing several members of staff, I was able to familiarise myself with different
topics in the syllabus as well as a variety of teaching styles. By being present in
various classes, I was able to meet some of my future students, allowing me to
create that initial rapport; which served me well when teaching my first lessons.
These two weeks allowed me to observe examples of good practice as well as
looking at a variety of different resources that other teachers used to support their
lessons. I was given a copy of these resources, which on reflection was of great
benefit when creating my own Psychology resources. I was able to use them as a
starting point and adapt them to the needs of the lesson and my learners. This also
gave me added confidence that I was producing resources and activities of a high
quality; a positive feature that is now highlighted within my lesson observations.
Whilst observing fellow teachers in the Psychology department, I was also given the
opportunity to observe teachers across a broad range of subjects including Law, PE
and Applied Business Studies. This not only allowed me to observe how other
subjects are taught but it allowed me to meet other teachers within the college.
Meeting other teachers outside my department was particularly helpful, as I was able
to build relationships with other departments; something that has proved to be of
great use later on in the course.
After four weeks of lesson observations, my mentor asked me if I was ready to start
teaching. Initially I was extremely hesitant, as I was worried about my confidence in
front of a class of students. With some encouragement and running my lesson plan
past those in the department, I taught my first lesson. On returning to the office, all
be it a little shell shocked, I reflected on my first lesson and it had gone really well. I
couldn’t wait to go back into the classroom and teach later on in the day!
As I progressed throughout my course, I gradually began to take on more
responsibility within the department running revision sessions with large groups of
students, taking extra lessons, taking part in parent – teacher consultation evenings
as well as psychology department enrichment activities. After Christmas, I was given
the responsibility of teaching my first A2 class. This was a great confidence boost as
attaining this class was evidence that my teaching thus far has been a success. As
well as being given this additional responsibility, I was told that I would be teaching
the complex topic of Methods in Psychology. This had always been an area of
Psychology that I had found most difficult, however on discussion with my mentor it
became my own personal “stretch and challenge.”
Following observed lessons my Mentor gave me positive but constructive feedback
and set me clear and practical targets for improvement for which I was very grateful.
For, despite my nervousness at being observed I was eager for feedback so I could
develop my own professional practice, after all I had never done this before and was
therefore grateful for any advice and support. I was very lucky in that my Mentor was
outstanding in her own subject knowledge and welcomed questions from me on
subject related issues. After my first official lesson observation I was thrilled that I
had attained a Grade 2. Over the next several observations, I maintained this
standard; at times this was a little frustrating as I wanted to see an improvement.
Despite this, both mentors supported my progress, helping me to reflect on my
teaching and look for ways to improve it. When I attained my first Grade 1 I was
delighted, and felt that I had truly earned it. This continuous reflection helped
improve my practice and helped me develop skills that I will continue to use in future
teaching.
Weekly meetings were scheduled each Monday for an hour where we discussed the
previous and forthcoming week’s lessons, evaluating those taught and planning
those to be taught. Every few weeks we would review my progress against the
professional standards, recording progress and achievement in the table on the
document provided by the University.
Overall my experience of my placement has been an extremely positive one, and the
experience of working within a highly skilled Psychology department has helped me
develop skills and attributes that will help me in my future teaching career.
Rebecca - PGCE Further Education & Training- Full Time 2014-2015