The PGCE interview yesterday was a bit of fun in places, but I always find there were other bits that make me cringe to remember them.

Group interviews seem to be assessed more on communication skills than on problem-solving competence. We covered three separate tasks within an hour. One involved discussing a free-range, explorative style of learning maths (using coloured number cards). Then we discussed the variety of ways that are available to prove a mathematical law. Which was the best? What was the right thing to do here? I don’t know - it was the most surprising task of the day. Lastly, we observed a maths class being taught and had to evaluate the teacher. I wanted to discuss the structure of lessons and so I piped up to say that I would pick and reinforce an aim for that particular class to give the details of the lesson a point of focus.

The personal interview was still to come, but we had to complete a written task first. Read three articles from ‘Mathematics Teaching Monthly’ on learning and organize your thoughts about them to demonstrate you have the correct level of written skills.

My personal interview included questions such as ‘Why maths given your degree choice? Why this university? Can you imagine yourself as a teacher?’ For the future, these questions need more personal answers than I gave. The last one is a bit of a test, I think, a request for my image of teachers and teaching. There were two more practical exercises as well. First off, ‘What lessons do you think you could teach with this piece of string?’ (several properties of circle), and ‘Suppose I am having problems with this equation, how would you help me?’ 

Basically, my degree didn’t have enough maths in so I was asked whether I would consider a subject knowledge enhancement course, which is a paid-for facility of intensive learning that is only available to those who have been offered a place on a PGCE course. It would probably run from January to July in 2010. 

My overall thoughts were that I kept my ambition chained up a bit, and should have had several questions to ask at the end. I didn’t get to justify why I’m lacking in school experience (exams) or why I could handle the course if it started this year (wishful-thinking). Either way, it was a good day and though the weather made it even more uncomfortable it paid to wear a shirt and tie.

My name is Paul. Hello. I have spent three years in a school of economics studying philosophy. I would like to be a teacher, I have decided. In April I applied for teaching courses and this has led to the situation that I am currently in.

On Wednesday, I believe I have an interview at Durham University. It is probably the closest one to my family’s home, so I’m returning to where I lived when I was at secondary school to train to teach at secondary school level. My bedroom was painted a brilliant green, but even now I think that’s a good thing.

At the interview, there is a group bit and an individual bit. I might be asked to write about a particular issue, or to do a small teaching activity. This is a bit puzzling, because I am so used to being able to prepare for assessments. Exam season finished a few weeks ago, and at least I felt like I was on familiar ground for its duration (except when swine flu broke out because I doubt if anyone didn’t find themselves more aware of people sneezing around them).

My plan is to warm up on the day. I like the days when you feel wide awake - sometimes they require coffee, other times they require a run around the block - and I like to run. On Wednesday, I would like to call several of my friends before my interview so I don’t start off cold and sprain one of the many muscles involved in communication.

If the interview goes well, I hope to be doing a postgraduate certificate of education (PGCE) course next year. The year after that I want to start working while studying for an MA in Education. At this moment, I would like to collect a few qualifications, but the education sector seems the most attractive. I would like to spend the year that it takes to achieve the PGCE in getting used to the idea of teaching stuff as well as being taught it. I think that I need a year for that because it took me a year to get used to learning philosophy when I thought I’d only study actuarial science (whatever that is) at university.

The most responsible use of my tumblelog is to post a record of the ideas that I pick up about teaching, but unless my brain snaps (such that I can only think of that one thing) I’ll include other stuff as well.