pgce from the university of Buckingham

Pixie


Joined: 18/03/2009
Posts: 489

Message Posted:
26/08/2010 09:09

If anyone is interested in doing their pgce, send me an email.

I am also doing mine with a mentor in the south.

The fee is roughly the same as the uk.

send me an email for details. bluestriver@hotmail.com

Crumpy



Joined: 05/06/2010
Posts: 419

Message Posted:
26/08/2010 10:08

Hi Pixie,



I already have my PGCE, but I'm curious as to what you are doing. I presume you will do your teaching practice in the south ? By the way, for those who don't know, a PGCE means a Post-Graduate Certificate of Education ... and it is a one-year course to enable graduates to go into teaching.



Crumpy

Pixie


Joined: 18/03/2009
Posts: 489

Message Posted:
26/08/2010 10:57

Yes, Im doing mine with Maria, the lovely lady who owns highgate school just 11mins from the metehan crossing in Nicosia. I will be doing 2 morns a week at her school.

I am a native speaker with a degree in English lang and lit, which makes me a qualified teacher in Istanbul,but not here as they insist on a teaching degree or pgce.

It is essential if you want to work with the 3-18 age group.

Pixie


Joined: 18/03/2009
Posts: 489

Message Posted:
26/08/2010 11:28

By the way,I read some of your posts about maths and the different ways it is being taught here.I was wondering if you would be willing to share some of your ideas with me,or even possibly do some basic math activities with my young learners. after 1pm on a weekday,in Nicosia.

Crumpy



Joined: 05/06/2010
Posts: 419

Message Posted:
26/08/2010 12:37

Hi again Pixie,



Thank you for reading those posts on Maths ... and I am flattered that you would like me to share some of my ideas with you. However, I really don't have much experience with young learners - the youngest group I have ever taught was year 5. And as for doing some activities "after 1pm on a weekday", I think it would be difficult, as I have my own job to do ... teaching at a school in Girne.



I had a look at Highgate's website ... http://www.highgateprimary.com.cy/ ... it would seem to be a nice little friendly school

Crumpy



Joined: 05/06/2010
Posts: 419

Message Posted:
26/08/2010 12:38

(Continued from above)



Unfortunately Pixie, I have to raise issue with you on one point - It is also a requirement in Turkey for a teacher to have either a degree in teaching or a PGCE in the subject they are teaching. True, many schools there, get around this requirement and bring native-speaking-English teachers into the classroom, but these teachers often have the position of lab technicians on their work permits. Naturally, the ministry inspectors know what the schools are up to, but turn a blind eye ... as long as the school provides the inspectors with a nice meal, etc



However, most of the more prestigious schools in Turkey do everything by the book: For example, look at the Koç school web-site's recruitment page : http://www.kocschool.k12.tr/en/Home/Generalinformation/JobOpportunities/RecruitingAndSelection.aspx



Interestingly, some of the best teachers I have worked with in Istanbul have had "laboratuar teknisyeni" written on their work permits

Pixie


Joined: 18/03/2009
Posts: 489

Message Posted:
26/08/2010 13:35

I was able to get around this rule because I graduated from Bosphorus uni, and it is considered as a great uni.

But now we are here and I think gaining my pgce is the best thing for me at the moment, an investment, if you like.

I am still interested in discussing maths with you. Most of my students are attending colleges including esk and I am interested in creating something interesting and stimulating for the children, where they can explore and learn with an experienced, native speaker teacher. If you are interested saturdays are an option, if not I would still love to meet up for a chat.

I was always good at maths at school but I dropped it in high school. I wish I hadn't, and I would like to give children here the opportunity of enjoying maths. I found your posts to be articulate and educational. They gave me this great idea.

Maria is lovely.I am so lucky to be doing my pgce with her as my mentor.There are still a few places available so I thought I would post on here :

Crumpy



Joined: 05/06/2010
Posts: 419

Message Posted:
26/08/2010 15:33

Hi again,



Your reference to "high school" and the fact that you studied at Boğazici suggests to me that you are in fact Turkish, though I am also aware that the university accepts quite a number of foreign students.

(a) It must have been a pleasure for you to study at such a beautiful campus,

and

(b) if you are indeed Turkish, then I have no idea as to the Turkish ministry requirements



I don't know if I'd be that keen, even on a Saturday, to do an Maths activity session with the children at your centre, but that said, because my fiance's parents live in Lefkoşa, we are often there.



In any case, if the two of us continue to chat on this thread, I'm sure someone will soon complain ... so I suggest you write to me at the edress given on my profile ... to arrange a face-to-face chat ... that is, with our respective partners



I hope you and Maria find a few more takers for the PGCE course ... if nothing else I have helped keep this thread at the top of th

Crumpy



Joined: 05/06/2010
Posts: 419

Message Posted:
26/08/2010 15:51

Re : "... suggests to me that you are in fact Turkish"



In message 3 though, you wrote that you are "a native speaker" ... I'm confused still though by the use of the word "high school" ... Herneyse, maybe this is something for a possible off-forum chat

Pixie


Joined: 18/03/2009
Posts: 489

Message Posted:
26/08/2010 15:51

Well Im of Turkish Cypriot origin but have only spent 2.5 years of my life in Cyprus. I was born and bred in the Uk and Australia, moving out here when I was 18 and entering Uni in Turkey a few months later.

Schools in Australia are also called primary school,high school etc but lets continue offboard...

bonnie1707


Joined: 06/06/2010
Posts: 95

Message Posted:
28/08/2010 13:06

Pixie,



You probaly won't find many people (on this forum) interested in PAYING for this PGCE course. I guess most on this forum are British nationals, who, if graduates, could RECEIVE a grant of up to £2900 to do the PGCE in the UK ... with a additional bursary of up to £9000 in the "shortage subjects", such as mathematics and ICT:



http://www.studento.com/pgce/pgce-grants-awards.html



Incidentally, seeing as you are of Cypriot origin and were possibly born in the UK, you may have a British passport or at least an EU one. Therefore, you too are entitled to similar benefits in the UK :



http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/StudentsFromOtherEUCountries/DG_065322



However, I presume that you are settled here in Cyprus, and thus doing the PGCE in the UK is not an option for you :-(

Pixie


Joined: 18/03/2009
Posts: 489

Message Posted:
28/08/2010 18:12

Thankyou Bonnie,

I do reside here and I do have a British passport. I will be going to the UK 3 times for assessments etc. Moving to the UK just to do this course is not an option for me.

I will check out the websites and see if there is anything I can apply for.

However there are a few others(from the turkish side) also taking this course with me and I thought I would share the info with the forum in case there might be interest.

You need this to work with children here (legally) and my Turkish is not good enough to do this course in Turkish.