School Placements by @Long_Tailed_Tit

Name: LTT
Twitter name: Long_Tailed_Tit
Sector: Secondary
Subject taught (if applicable): Maths
Position: Teacher
What is your advice about? School placements

1: If you are given a requirement about when to submit your lesson plan by, try your best to hit these. They are set for a reason to allow you follow up time to make changes.

2: Spend some time socialising with your departmental colleagues. Don’t just spend 24/7 with other trainees, as you’ll miss out on building relationships.

3: Do listen to your fellow trainees, but don’t judge yourself against them. It doesn’t matter that Billy has already been made deputy head of photocopying at his school.

4: My first placement was the hardest. Ignore the naysayers who celebrate your achievements (completing long placement etc) but who tell you the hardest is yet to come.

5: Be critical, but not to the extent where you can’t celebrate a lesson you have taught. If that lesson wasn’t perfect, then you should see all the lessons going on around you.

Getting the Most From Your Training Placements by @JenJayneWilson

Name: Jennifer Wilson
Twitter name: @JenJayneWilson
Sector: Secondary
Subject taught (if applicable): English
Position: English teacher, middle leader and SCITT mentor
What is your advice about? Getting the most from your training placements

1: Get to know your team. If you’re stuck/shy, bringing in biscuits is a great talking point.

2: Spend more time with your curriculum team through the week than with other trainees. You’ll learn a lot through informal discussions and general camaraderie.

3: Be proactive and look ahead. Arrange times to collect information from colleagues rather than rely on catching them ‘on the run’.

4: Know when to stop and have a break. Don’t get pushed into believing that ‘those who work the most hours are the best’ – it’s not true.

5: Make sure you ask questions, share the highs/lows and reflect honestly on your teaching. We’ve all been there and want to help you grow as a teacher.

Going on a Special School ITT Placement by @simonknight100

Name: Simon Knight
Twitter: @simonknight100
Sector:  Special School
Subject: All subjects
Position: Deputy Headteacher
5 Bits of Advice About: Going on a special school ITT placement

1. Try and visit your class in advance of the start of the placement. Address any concerns with your class teacher or tutor before you start.
2. Read the behaviour policy and make sure you stick to it, seeking guidance from the classroom staff where necessary.
3. Don’t make presumptions about the pupils, particularly regarding diagnostic labels. They are all individuals and should be treated as such.
4. Don’t expect to be as competent in Special as you are in Mainstream straight away. This can be frustrating but is completely normal. You will pick it up quickly.
5. It can seem very different at times, so if you are concerned about something, don’t go home without talking it though. We were all new to it once.