Hi everyone,
My husband is considering undertaking the Teach Now Program. We are in the UK and plan to go back to Asia as a 'teaching couple'. I am currently teaching at a UK mainstream secondary school and in my second year since completing my PGCE. My husband is considering this program because he is currently working full time as an administrator to support our family, and as an American citizen he does not qualify for the bursaries offered for PGCE students in the UK.
We have a couple of questions that we would appreciate if anyone has any insight:
1. We realise the need to complete some teaching practice as part of the program and are wondering if anyone has any experience of UK mainstream secondary schools providing a platform for this?
2. I am wondering if it would be appropriate to ask my school to train him (he wants to be an Art and Design teacher) and if necessary perhaps we need to contribute to the school fund?
Many thanks,
Arsenalfc
Teach Now Program - is it possible to have the teaching placement in the UK?
Re: Teach Now Program - is it possible to have the teaching placement in the UK?
Hi,
Teach Now will do their best to find him a school nearby, in the UK. (source: TN)
An internship in the US, found by TN, will not be paid. I assume it will be a similar treatment in the UK, unless there is a law imposing schools to pay their trainees.
I don't have the answer to your other questions.
Teach Now will do their best to find him a school nearby, in the UK. (source: TN)
An internship in the US, found by TN, will not be paid. I assume it will be a similar treatment in the UK, unless there is a law imposing schools to pay their trainees.
I don't have the answer to your other questions.
Re: Teach Now Program - is it possible to have the teaching placement in the UK?
Hi,
Thanks, Boomba for responding. We are ok that the internship will be unpaid, but we are not sure if UK mainstream schools will accommodate the Teach Now program. Therefore we got a bit creative with our thinking and are wondering if it would be possible to offer some contribution to school funds as we may have to be a bit flexible. However, we are not sure this may is suitable either.
So, I guess I am looking to see if anyone has completed the TN program in the UK and how they went about securing a clinical practice/teaching placement.
Thanks,
Arsenalfc
Thanks, Boomba for responding. We are ok that the internship will be unpaid, but we are not sure if UK mainstream schools will accommodate the Teach Now program. Therefore we got a bit creative with our thinking and are wondering if it would be possible to offer some contribution to school funds as we may have to be a bit flexible. However, we are not sure this may is suitable either.
So, I guess I am looking to see if anyone has completed the TN program in the UK and how they went about securing a clinical practice/teaching placement.
Thanks,
Arsenalfc
Re: Teach Now Program - is it possible to have the teaching placement in the UK?
> 1. We realise the need to complete some teaching practice as part of the
> program and are wondering if anyone has any experience of UK mainstream
> secondary schools providing a platform for this?
I didn't do it the the UK, but I did it abroad. The main things that the school has to do is have the Headteacher sign a form confirming that you spent at least 200 hours working with them in a 3 month period, and be okay with you getting parental permission to video record the students (if the school doesn't have permission already). Ideally they should also provide a mentor who will meet with you regularly and assess you against teaching standards, but if this isn't possible then Teach-Now can assign an online mentor.
> 2. I am wondering if it would be appropriate to ask my school to train him
> (he wants to be an Art and Design teacher) and if necessary perhaps we need
> to contribute to the school fund?
Offering some money to go towards a mentor might be worth investigating. I don't know if Teach-Now offer this already, or whether it would be allowed in case it was interpreted as 'bribing' the mentor. I think the main issue will be finding a school that will take him on for only 3 months.
> program and are wondering if anyone has any experience of UK mainstream
> secondary schools providing a platform for this?
I didn't do it the the UK, but I did it abroad. The main things that the school has to do is have the Headteacher sign a form confirming that you spent at least 200 hours working with them in a 3 month period, and be okay with you getting parental permission to video record the students (if the school doesn't have permission already). Ideally they should also provide a mentor who will meet with you regularly and assess you against teaching standards, but if this isn't possible then Teach-Now can assign an online mentor.
> 2. I am wondering if it would be appropriate to ask my school to train him
> (he wants to be an Art and Design teacher) and if necessary perhaps we need
> to contribute to the school fund?
Offering some money to go towards a mentor might be worth investigating. I don't know if Teach-Now offer this already, or whether it would be allowed in case it was interpreted as 'bribing' the mentor. I think the main issue will be finding a school that will take him on for only 3 months.
PsyGuy
Its possible, but its only really probable if you know someone in a maintained DS who would essentially be willing to hire him as an unqualified DT since the field experience is 12 weeks, half a year and his content area is art. Meaning someone needs an art DT so bad there willing to give him a classroom as TOR for half a year. I dont think that scenario exists in England outside of having connections that can make that happen.
It would be VERY appropriate for your current DS to take him on, its probably the best chance you have, especially if they really dont want to lose you.
So like bribe them, sure if it works, just call it 'quid pro quo', and its fine. The issue becomes when the subject of the quid wants more than the quo is prepared to offer.
A better pitch though would be to have him pursue Teach Ready out of FL as opposed to Teach Now. The Teach Ready field experience requirement is only 5 days. Convincing your current DS to give him an art classroom for 5 days is a lot easier than 3 months and a lot easier logistically as well. The rest of the observations are just him shadowing the current art DT.
The added benefit is hes also more likely to get QTS out of the FL credential obtained in association with Teach Ready as opposed to any of the credentials associated with Teach Now.
It would be VERY appropriate for your current DS to take him on, its probably the best chance you have, especially if they really dont want to lose you.
So like bribe them, sure if it works, just call it 'quid pro quo', and its fine. The issue becomes when the subject of the quid wants more than the quo is prepared to offer.
A better pitch though would be to have him pursue Teach Ready out of FL as opposed to Teach Now. The Teach Ready field experience requirement is only 5 days. Convincing your current DS to give him an art classroom for 5 days is a lot easier than 3 months and a lot easier logistically as well. The rest of the observations are just him shadowing the current art DT.
The added benefit is hes also more likely to get QTS out of the FL credential obtained in association with Teach Ready as opposed to any of the credentials associated with Teach Now.