PGCE vs NQT: Which one’s tougher? I can finally exhale- it’s the Easter holidays. Is what you told yourself when you heard the final bell and made a beeline to your local to exchange stories, to drown sorrows, with fellow trainee teachers. No more 400 page lesson plans, you told yourself. No more hypercritical mentor … Continue reading PGCE vs NQT: Which one’s tougher?
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This is NOT you. You might think this is you; your mother and friends may even convince you that this is you, but I’m sorry- this is definitely not you. Was what your inner monologue said when you agreed to an innocent coffee with a nice sounding, nice looking person you met online. Silly you … Continue reading What Schools Will Hide From You . . . Until The Interview
Hi all, Below is my covering letter which has brought me much success in the past. Have a look! Adapt, chop, change, plagiarise, or plain discard at your leisure. Key point to take- succinct is better than long and waffly. The link to my blog on interview Q&A can be found here: https://theunofficialteachersmanual.blog/2018/01/14/first-blog-post/ There is … Continue reading Sample Covering Letter
What Does Good School Leadership Look Like? The Muppets. A fellow teacher I met at a union conference once told me that he and his colleagues used this term to describe their leadership team, when they decided that a Mocksted inspection was still necessary, after a good Ofsted inspection. Some staff indulged the term further … Continue reading What Does Good School Leadership Look Like?
Really? Get over yourself! Was what the voice in my head said when I once came across an advert for a science teaching post that said something to the effect of: ‘We are looking for an outstanding candidate to join our outstanding academy to contribute to outstanding school life; we provide outstanding CPD and our … Continue reading Before you apply: Why you shouldn’t obsess over a schools OFSTED grading
Livin’ in America! As someone who grew up in Los Angeles for much of their early life, and the remainder in the good ol’ city of Birmingham, UK, I have always embraced a dual identity. When it comes to waiting in a queue, complaining about the weather, or saying ‘I’m puzzled by this request,’ when … Continue reading School Shootings: Why We Should Be Careful
The days are short, the nights are long. Your classes are dancing circles around you, and as you panic your weekend away worrying about the looming book scrutiny- for which you have weeks of pupil response missing- you find yourself shutting down. You sit at your desk, your eyes glazed over, wondering why on earth … Continue reading How To Ask For Help: A Guide for PGCEs and NQTs
‘There seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel’ read a tweet from an NQT I came across last week. Every teacher who was once an NQT or a trainee has said this, thought this, and sadly, all too many act on this and quit when they’ve barely started. The mere fact … Continue reading 8 Reasons Why it Gets Easier: For Trainees and NQTs
You felt like you weren’t good enough. They may have even told you that you weren’t good enough. You may have even believed it. Nonetheless, you proved them all wrong and became a qualified teacher who now needs a job! Take heed of what follows and land a school of your choice, suited to you. … Continue reading Which School is Right for Me? Rough or Prim?
This is the excerpt for your very first post.
