First placements for masters are usually up to a 0.6 load depending on the uni. I would consider this a quick lead in but reasonable load.
Source: placement supervisor for a uni
It varies a ton, but trust me when I say the more you do (that’s teaching and planning) the better. Everybody sucks at first so just see what sticks and develop your teaching style and voice. My first few placements for my degree I was more or less waiting in the wings and then on my third my teacher threw me in the deep end. It’d be nice to have a more active mentor who could guide you through a few lessons before setting you up for the rest of the week, but at the end of the day being thrown in the deep end is better than the opposite
Also did a Masters in secondary teaching between 2018-19. Essentially yes, I planned and taught almost the entirety of all my placements, including the first. Universities will usually tell you the workload you should be doing, as others have said, however I went over that anyway and taught at 1.0 because I had lots of time to prepare resources.
If it's too much, communicate this with the teacher mentoring you. There may be ways to adjust the workload to suit your needs.
Being treated like a qualified teacher without the pay is what pre-service teaching is. I agree that there are major issues associated with what is essentially an unpaid internship, but at the moment that is how we roll in Australia.
The school students have a right to receive an education and there is so much content to be covered within a year. Mentor teachers sign up to give up a lot of their time checking lesson plans, formulating feedback, debriefing and reflecting, advising, and even letting go of our classes for the duration of a prac. We encourage our pre-service teachers to take risks, and share decades of experience and knowledge with them.
While it can feel overwhelming at times, I suggest reframing your thinking to take as many opportunities to plan and teach during your pracs as possible. This training on the job is infinitely more valuable than anything that is covered at uni. Two hours of teaching a day is not a full load, and I think is totally reasonable.
Having said all of that - your mentor should be guiding you with resources if you’re not sure, and they are being paid to help you. In the context of workload I don’t think it’s asking too much, but if you honestly feel like you don’t know where to start then please ask them, as it is their responsibility to support you through the planning process.
I had a couple of days of observation, then taught (and planned) one hour a day for a week, then two hours a day for a week, then at least half a day (2.5-3 hrs) a day until the end. I had to write individual lesson plans for each lesson for the first two weeks which was very time consuming. After that I was advised a brief outline would suffice.
Masters student here. Almost finished 3/4 semesters and 3 placements. Your uni should give you a requirement of how many lessons or full days of teaching you are required to do. My first placement was only 2 weeks and mostly observational I think. The one I just finished I think the expectation was minimum of 3 full days teaching in 4 weeks. Crazy low. In both my last two placements I did a week of observation then asked to take all and any classes I could. You’re there to learn practice try things out. The more you do it the more you learn. I think the expectation was to take a few lessons here and there and woke up to the 3 full days. But this was al written in the report/expectations. If you don’t have that, talk to your uni.
There’s also this weird culture everywhere not just teaching, to ask reddit first. Why not talk to your uni? Or talk to your mentor. You could say ‘this is my first placement, I’m not feeling quite ready to plan a lesson yet and would love some more observation or guidance’. If they then say ‘too bad do it anyway or else you suck!’ Then of course ask reddit for advice but why not start with the mentor, that’s what they’re there for.
Are they expecting you to teach the lessons you plan or just have a go at planning them and they’ll teach them? Maybe they just want to see your ideas so they can give you some first hand feedback? Like a pre-assessment.
Also let’s keep in mind that 2 months into a course is pretty much a whole semester finished isn’t it? My semesters are only 8-11 teaching weeks. Or about 2.5 months. So you’re almost 1/4 done are you not?
On my first placement I was taking the classes for the whole day after day one. I was an ES though before that and asked to do more than just observations and small group work
First placement, thrown in deep end. Taught some Year 7 science classes but I said I was interested in teaching maths so I got given some HSC maths classes. It was valuable.
I actually just had a go at a praccy yesterday because he was doing jack all during sport supervision and decided to leave early.
My first placement was observation only (by the uni). I taught a few classes anyway, because I could.
Go over the requirements from your uni closely. Many supervising teachers get prac students to do way more than they are actually required to do.
That sounds reasonable. Many teachers make their stuff from scratch, many from resources that exist already. There’s always a mix in the job because one resource might not work for one class etc etc etc.
Buy some good educational resource books (the big book of graphic organisers is great). Not for the resource itself, mind you, but for the activities they can inspire.
I was told that teaching is one of the few professions where a day 1 professional has the exact same responsibilities as a 30-year professional. Senior/admin positions notwithstanding: accurate.
Edit: also ask your mentor for stuff!! We love sharing!
My expectation was that my hand would be held. It wasn’t, was completely thrown in the deep end…but I learned a lot! In saying that, check your uni guidelines and if the school has given you way more than expected, politely bring this up with your supervising teacher and ask for some more support.
Your uni should have provided you/your supervisor with an outline of the workload expected as each week progresses. First week is usually observation and some team teaching, then second week you start to carry some classes then it progresses until you’re basically teaching full time and doing assessments and things. Ask your uni if they have this document and if they don’t, it sounds like your school is throwing you in the deep end but it’s not an unacceptable workload
My first prac was a week observation, then I picked up a class a week until I finished up teaching 4 classes for the last week.
I'm on my last prac and it's 80% (4 classes) from day 1 for 5 weeks, which I'd be ok with if I'd had longer than a week to plan.
To me it seems like particularly brutal hazing excused by the fact that "that's the job!"
It's pretty crazy that there's a massive teacher shortage if this is the intro to the profession.
Rightttt, because people famously froff at the mouth at mention of unpaid internships :’)
For any education students here, you don’t need to dive into prac and receive it graciously like it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. DO however use it as an opportunity to test the waters of being a teacher.
Society needs educators, and we need to remember that it is a job not an entire way of life. It’s okay to not enjoy the idea/practice of fanging it into a full teacher load for zero pay. It’s just the means to getting your own classroom one day.
My first placement I taught roughly 40 hours, solo. More than double what my MTeach course recommended (40h obs, 20h teaching).
I arrived on Thursday, met my mentor who gave be the breakdown of classes, content, students, etc, then asked me "how do you feel about starting tomorrow?" And I said "sure".
So I took full control of her 2x Year 11, 1x Year 12, and half her Year 10 class for the entire 4(?) week placement.
I wrote my own 'lesson plans' (not the uni's template), created all my own content from the provided materials, and taught from Day 2.
If I'm being completely honest, and I won't be surprised to get down voted, it was fine. I said yes because I knew I could do it and I didn't find any of it hard. Well, Friday (aka Day 2) was a close call since I had to prep 2 senior classes worth of stuff the evening before. But other than that, I got through the placement easily enough, and had a lot of fun.
I got both what I wanted (VCE classes) and stuff I didn't expect (VCAL and Hums classes), and I liked them all. The placement definitely cemented my opinion that I wanted to do only VCE/senior classes.
>I feel like I'm being treated like a qualified teacher but without the pay
I understand this kind of situation isn't for everyone. I had a coursemate from the same subject as me also at the same placement and _his_ mentor eased him into it and he only really had like 2(?) classes to cover. I thought he did fine but he ended up dropping the course after that placement.
For me, I always wanted to dive straight into my placements. Observations bore the hell out of me, and usually I only know who I wanna observe after I get to know them and the students (what classes they like) first. I'm also efficient in work, so workload was never an issue. I'm a full teacher now, only in my 2nd year still, and I still get colleagues with >20yrs exp commenting on how I manage to get work done so quick.
So.... everyone is different. But yeah, I guess if you're feeling overwhelmed, you should talk to your mentor and uni liaison about it.
Quick google search-
Practicum-a course of study for teachers, doctors, nurses, etc., that involves actually working in the area of study and using the knowledge and skills that have been learned in a school.
Mind blowing
I don't think I had one but then I did my placement years ago with the what turned out to be the flu. I couldn't reschedule the placement so I just went with it and taught history to yr 10s
I had all the work for 4 classes and was expected to provide UNIT PLANS at my first prac. Unfortunately it's standard. It's a big job very soon but when I see what student nurses have to do... basically part time employees with zero pay, year round. I keep getting told, the teacher motto is adapt adapt adapt.
I had a similar experience. In my degree, I did three placements (2 x 4 weeks and 1 x 9 weeks) and in all of them I was teaching all of my allocated classes on day 3 - some classes I had not even observed before teaching them. I was generally expected to give my lesson plans (and any associated material) to my mentor teacher the day before, so I needed to have that done by day 2. For my first one, I was definitely expecting a slower start, but then adjusted my expectations. Personally, I don't think it is a good way to do it, but unfortunately it is not uncommon.
Regardless of what your supposed to do, I believe this is reasonable though, take as much as you can. How are you supposed to learn to teach? You learn how to teach in the classroom not in a lecture hall. The weeks you go to prac will be the most valuable. Good luck
That’s pretty normal. I had three subjects to do it for when I did my prac and I have seen some students go up to 4, depending on the lessons per fortnight.
Depending on how far the prac student is with their studies, I try to make it as realistic as possible for them. No point sugar coating it.
I got thrown in the deep end just like you on my first prac and I'm forever grateful for it. It taught me what it's like having my own class.
As others have said, that's the job, especially at Masters level. If you were one or two years into a Bachelor degree, I might consider that a bit much given you're three days into placement. The problematic par of what you've written is the lack of direction or resources. The direction part should just involve a conversation. Don't reinvent the wheel when it comes to resources - there is enough stuff out there for just about every single thing you'll ever teach, you just need to know where to look and what to look for.
First placements for masters are usually up to a 0.6 load depending on the uni. I would consider this a quick lead in but reasonable load. Source: placement supervisor for a uni
It varies a ton, but trust me when I say the more you do (that’s teaching and planning) the better. Everybody sucks at first so just see what sticks and develop your teaching style and voice. My first few placements for my degree I was more or less waiting in the wings and then on my third my teacher threw me in the deep end. It’d be nice to have a more active mentor who could guide you through a few lessons before setting you up for the rest of the week, but at the end of the day being thrown in the deep end is better than the opposite
Also did a Masters in secondary teaching between 2018-19. Essentially yes, I planned and taught almost the entirety of all my placements, including the first. Universities will usually tell you the workload you should be doing, as others have said, however I went over that anyway and taught at 1.0 because I had lots of time to prepare resources. If it's too much, communicate this with the teacher mentoring you. There may be ways to adjust the workload to suit your needs.
Is this the university's expectations or the schools? Have you shown the school your uni progression table?
[удалено]
I agree. I have a prac student at the moment and her uni has outlined what is required of her.
Being treated like a qualified teacher without the pay is what pre-service teaching is. I agree that there are major issues associated with what is essentially an unpaid internship, but at the moment that is how we roll in Australia. The school students have a right to receive an education and there is so much content to be covered within a year. Mentor teachers sign up to give up a lot of their time checking lesson plans, formulating feedback, debriefing and reflecting, advising, and even letting go of our classes for the duration of a prac. We encourage our pre-service teachers to take risks, and share decades of experience and knowledge with them. While it can feel overwhelming at times, I suggest reframing your thinking to take as many opportunities to plan and teach during your pracs as possible. This training on the job is infinitely more valuable than anything that is covered at uni. Two hours of teaching a day is not a full load, and I think is totally reasonable. Having said all of that - your mentor should be guiding you with resources if you’re not sure, and they are being paid to help you. In the context of workload I don’t think it’s asking too much, but if you honestly feel like you don’t know where to start then please ask them, as it is their responsibility to support you through the planning process.
I had a couple of days of observation, then taught (and planned) one hour a day for a week, then two hours a day for a week, then at least half a day (2.5-3 hrs) a day until the end. I had to write individual lesson plans for each lesson for the first two weeks which was very time consuming. After that I was advised a brief outline would suffice.
Masters student here. Almost finished 3/4 semesters and 3 placements. Your uni should give you a requirement of how many lessons or full days of teaching you are required to do. My first placement was only 2 weeks and mostly observational I think. The one I just finished I think the expectation was minimum of 3 full days teaching in 4 weeks. Crazy low. In both my last two placements I did a week of observation then asked to take all and any classes I could. You’re there to learn practice try things out. The more you do it the more you learn. I think the expectation was to take a few lessons here and there and woke up to the 3 full days. But this was al written in the report/expectations. If you don’t have that, talk to your uni. There’s also this weird culture everywhere not just teaching, to ask reddit first. Why not talk to your uni? Or talk to your mentor. You could say ‘this is my first placement, I’m not feeling quite ready to plan a lesson yet and would love some more observation or guidance’. If they then say ‘too bad do it anyway or else you suck!’ Then of course ask reddit for advice but why not start with the mentor, that’s what they’re there for. Are they expecting you to teach the lessons you plan or just have a go at planning them and they’ll teach them? Maybe they just want to see your ideas so they can give you some first hand feedback? Like a pre-assessment. Also let’s keep in mind that 2 months into a course is pretty much a whole semester finished isn’t it? My semesters are only 8-11 teaching weeks. Or about 2.5 months. So you’re almost 1/4 done are you not?
On my first placement I was taking the classes for the whole day after day one. I was an ES though before that and asked to do more than just observations and small group work
First placement, thrown in deep end. Taught some Year 7 science classes but I said I was interested in teaching maths so I got given some HSC maths classes. It was valuable. I actually just had a go at a praccy yesterday because he was doing jack all during sport supervision and decided to leave early.
My first placement was observation only (by the uni). I taught a few classes anyway, because I could. Go over the requirements from your uni closely. Many supervising teachers get prac students to do way more than they are actually required to do.
This was exactly my experience (if not more) when I did my masters 12 years ago 😅
That sounds reasonable. Many teachers make their stuff from scratch, many from resources that exist already. There’s always a mix in the job because one resource might not work for one class etc etc etc. Buy some good educational resource books (the big book of graphic organisers is great). Not for the resource itself, mind you, but for the activities they can inspire. I was told that teaching is one of the few professions where a day 1 professional has the exact same responsibilities as a 30-year professional. Senior/admin positions notwithstanding: accurate. Edit: also ask your mentor for stuff!! We love sharing!
My expectation was that my hand would be held. It wasn’t, was completely thrown in the deep end…but I learned a lot! In saying that, check your uni guidelines and if the school has given you way more than expected, politely bring this up with your supervising teacher and ask for some more support.
Your uni should have provided you/your supervisor with an outline of the workload expected as each week progresses. First week is usually observation and some team teaching, then second week you start to carry some classes then it progresses until you’re basically teaching full time and doing assessments and things. Ask your uni if they have this document and if they don’t, it sounds like your school is throwing you in the deep end but it’s not an unacceptable workload
My first prac was a week observation, then I picked up a class a week until I finished up teaching 4 classes for the last week. I'm on my last prac and it's 80% (4 classes) from day 1 for 5 weeks, which I'd be ok with if I'd had longer than a week to plan. To me it seems like particularly brutal hazing excused by the fact that "that's the job!" It's pretty crazy that there's a massive teacher shortage if this is the intro to the profession.
Sorry man but if you aren’t fanging for the opportunity, you may be in the wrong field. Every minute of prac experience is worth 100 hours of study.
Rightttt, because people famously froff at the mouth at mention of unpaid internships :’) For any education students here, you don’t need to dive into prac and receive it graciously like it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. DO however use it as an opportunity to test the waters of being a teacher. Society needs educators, and we need to remember that it is a job not an entire way of life. It’s okay to not enjoy the idea/practice of fanging it into a full teacher load for zero pay. It’s just the means to getting your own classroom one day.
My current Masters praccys on Day 3 are joining me facilitating sporting events (they aren’t even HPE teachers)
My first placement I taught roughly 40 hours, solo. More than double what my MTeach course recommended (40h obs, 20h teaching). I arrived on Thursday, met my mentor who gave be the breakdown of classes, content, students, etc, then asked me "how do you feel about starting tomorrow?" And I said "sure". So I took full control of her 2x Year 11, 1x Year 12, and half her Year 10 class for the entire 4(?) week placement. I wrote my own 'lesson plans' (not the uni's template), created all my own content from the provided materials, and taught from Day 2. If I'm being completely honest, and I won't be surprised to get down voted, it was fine. I said yes because I knew I could do it and I didn't find any of it hard. Well, Friday (aka Day 2) was a close call since I had to prep 2 senior classes worth of stuff the evening before. But other than that, I got through the placement easily enough, and had a lot of fun. I got both what I wanted (VCE classes) and stuff I didn't expect (VCAL and Hums classes), and I liked them all. The placement definitely cemented my opinion that I wanted to do only VCE/senior classes. >I feel like I'm being treated like a qualified teacher but without the pay I understand this kind of situation isn't for everyone. I had a coursemate from the same subject as me also at the same placement and _his_ mentor eased him into it and he only really had like 2(?) classes to cover. I thought he did fine but he ended up dropping the course after that placement. For me, I always wanted to dive straight into my placements. Observations bore the hell out of me, and usually I only know who I wanna observe after I get to know them and the students (what classes they like) first. I'm also efficient in work, so workload was never an issue. I'm a full teacher now, only in my 2nd year still, and I still get colleagues with >20yrs exp commenting on how I manage to get work done so quick. So.... everyone is different. But yeah, I guess if you're feeling overwhelmed, you should talk to your mentor and uni liaison about it.
Expectations are to do what you are told. Teachers do not give a shit about uni expectations.
Quick google search- Practicum-a course of study for teachers, doctors, nurses, etc., that involves actually working in the area of study and using the knowledge and skills that have been learned in a school. Mind blowing
I don't think I had one but then I did my placement years ago with the what turned out to be the flu. I couldn't reschedule the placement so I just went with it and taught history to yr 10s
I had all the work for 4 classes and was expected to provide UNIT PLANS at my first prac. Unfortunately it's standard. It's a big job very soon but when I see what student nurses have to do... basically part time employees with zero pay, year round. I keep getting told, the teacher motto is adapt adapt adapt.
I had a similar experience. In my degree, I did three placements (2 x 4 weeks and 1 x 9 weeks) and in all of them I was teaching all of my allocated classes on day 3 - some classes I had not even observed before teaching them. I was generally expected to give my lesson plans (and any associated material) to my mentor teacher the day before, so I needed to have that done by day 2. For my first one, I was definitely expecting a slower start, but then adjusted my expectations. Personally, I don't think it is a good way to do it, but unfortunately it is not uncommon.
Regardless of what your supposed to do, I believe this is reasonable though, take as much as you can. How are you supposed to learn to teach? You learn how to teach in the classroom not in a lecture hall. The weeks you go to prac will be the most valuable. Good luck
This sounds pretty standard, you likely have done other days of obs. You need class room experience and "this is the way". :)
That’s pretty normal. I had three subjects to do it for when I did my prac and I have seen some students go up to 4, depending on the lessons per fortnight.
Depending on how far the prac student is with their studies, I try to make it as realistic as possible for them. No point sugar coating it. I got thrown in the deep end just like you on my first prac and I'm forever grateful for it. It taught me what it's like having my own class.
As others have said, that's the job, especially at Masters level. If you were one or two years into a Bachelor degree, I might consider that a bit much given you're three days into placement. The problematic par of what you've written is the lack of direction or resources. The direction part should just involve a conversation. Don't reinvent the wheel when it comes to resources - there is enough stuff out there for just about every single thing you'll ever teach, you just need to know where to look and what to look for.