Student teacher placement folder
Posted by RoseRodent
Just wondering what level of workload others find on their placements. I find that I have to give up everything else during mine, which includes cooking, most eating, laundry etc. I work from about 7am till gone 10pm, or until my body goes to sleep over the computer, yet I never come close to catching up. I am guessing there is something I am taking too seriously in there. I have never understood half the tasks and the university just says you should be able to understand them by now from your research. It frustrates me, because they say that if you can’t keep up with the folder, clearly you cannot manage teaching. But that’s nonsense, because you never arrive and hit the ground running like that as a teacher.
Posted by 1add1equals2
I got really worked up about my file in placement. I spent ages on the tasks and research, only to have the tutor flick over it. I was gutted - I had spent so much time on it, only for nothing to be read in any detail. So placement 2, I didn’t put half as much effort in, just done the basics, not had anything from tutor to say it’s not good enough. On the other hand, a friend in my course (different tutor) had tutor read through file for 20 minutes prior to crit. Also, teacher asked to see it at weekly meetings. She was given cause for concern for file not being as thorough as it should have been. Gauge from your tutor if you’ve done enough. Also, check with other students on course, compare notes.
Posted by Raymagnol
I understand the problem - we call it a portfolio at our institution. You need to find a balance, obviously, between spending hours on it and doing enough to make it a worthwhile task. It IS worthwhile. It is YOUR document, and begins a process of professional reflection that is demanded in the profession. In a sense, it doesn’t matter whether your tutor spends 10 minutes making sure you’ve done the basics or an hour giving you detailed feedback. It’s the process that’s important - if you’re not going through the process, your tutor will have something to say about that. We regularly have headteachers complimenting us on the quality of the students going on to probation - “much, much better than before” - and a lot of it is put down to the ‘folio, which helps develop a professional approach that, in my day, was lacking. Find that balance, but remember it’s worth doing!
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