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Five tips for preparing a UCAS personal statement – what every parent needs to know

Wed 3 July 2024 - 12:06

By Dr Sharon Parry in Parents

This is the part of the university application process which causes a great deal of stress to teens – not to mention distress to their parents, who may not feel in the mood for an in-depth analysis of their son/daughter’s career prospects when they are trying to cook tea or put out the bins!

The truth is, we are ill-equipped to give that advice, and therefore need to be careful what we say. This time last year, I was going through the personal statement process with my eldest daughter, so I thought I’d share my thoughts and experiences just in case you are going through the same right now.

The UCAS personal statement
I started off full of optimism that I would be a great asset to my daughter as she prepared this extraordinary piece of writing. It wasn’t long before she had to point out my paragraphs were peppered with clichés, and I over-used the word ‘passionate’ – both of which are classic mistakes, apparently, so I turned out to be more of a liability...

Exam stress season

Fri 18 March 2022 - 11:26

By After the Playground in Parents

Dr Sharon Parry is a writer and editor of lifestyle blog @aftertheplayground. She is a Mum of three daughters who loves to write about the parenting, health and emotional challenges that parents face as their children need them less constantly.

Prior to establishing a writing career, Sharon was a Research Fellow in Public Health and has a PhD in Epidemiology.

I have been supporting my children through public examinations for nearly a decade and I’ve still got two years to go! Even within my own family, I have discovered that each child is very different in terms of what they need from me at this stage of their lives, and I have to learn to adapt to that!

So, here are the steps I...

Meningitis in students – what you need to know

Mon 22 July 2024 - 13:28

By UCAS in Parents

In the frenzy of excitement and emotion between A level results and a young adult leaving for university, it is unlikely that vaccinations will be one of your priorities. However it's important to check that you have had a meningitis vaccination. You may have had this when you were in school, but if not, there is a meningitis vaccine available for young adults. If you;re not sure, you can easily check by contacting your GP.
 
If you need the vaccination, make an appointment with your GP surgery to have the vaccination today. Your GP will know which one – it is called the Men ACWY.
 
Five reasons why you need to think about meningitis in students – right now!
  1. Meningitis is one of the major health risks for young adults in their first year at university. They are the second most ‘at risk’ group for contracting this disease.
  2. Most first year students opt to live in halls. Here they will...

What I wish I had known – Hannah Londorf

Tue 6 November 2018 - 15:53

By Hannah Londorf in Teacher Training

 

1.   Stay on top of things from day one

In those first weeks of starting your training you’ll only be teaching a few lessons and keeping on top of writing lesson plans and reflecting on your teaching practice will be relatively straightforward and not all that time consuming. However by the time March swings round and you are 6 months in, it’s a different story; with 15 or more lessons a week to plan and teach and all the responsibilities of a regular class teacher (think assessments, marking, homework…), you’ll be wishing that you put the time in to keep on top of things from the start. Getting into a routine early also means it can feel a lot less stressful later on in the game.
 
2.    Get to know your classes – make that extra effort
For me this has been the single...

My volunteering journey

Tue 20 August 2019 - 10:43

By NCS in Support

By NCS graduate, Georgie Burgess, from Birmingham.

I’d really recommend volunteering. I started by taking part in the National Citizen Service (NCS) programme in the summer after my GCSEs, and have continued volunteering through sixth form and my university studies. Giving back has changed my outlook on life. It’s also a great way to try out new things and push yourself to do whatever you can.

What was good about the NCS scheme? It gave me the opportunity to get involved in a local community project, addressing a real social need but in a supported and structured way. We decided to ask the public to sign a petition to...

Tips for teacher training interviews – David Douglass

Tue 6 November 2018 - 16:05

By David Douglass in Teacher Training

 
All teacher training providers have their own format for interviews. Some Higher Education Institutions and School Centred Initial Teacher Training providers will have individual and group tasks as part of their selection process. My tips below are therefore not an attempt to second guess interview questions, rather to act as food for thought.
 
Key areas to consider
A provider may wish to explore these key areas:
  • Why you feel you want to become a teacher.
  • How your experience and qualifications to date have prepared you for the role.
  • What specific qualities, skills and knowledge you'd bring to the role/school.
  • Your ability to reflect on lessons you've observed.
  • Areas of strength and areas you feel you'd need more support with.
  • How well you understand their course (vision, structure and aims etc.).
On the day...

Top three tips for trainee teachers – Iqra Abbasi

Thu 21 March 2019 - 15:52

By Iqra Abbasi in Teacher Training

 

 

 

 

 

I cannot believe that I am just short four months away from obtaining my PGCE. In some ways this course has been a bit of a blur, but the hard work that has been required has pushed me beyond belief. Here are my top three tips for trainee teachers-to-be...

1. Become as organised as you possibly can
If you don't have a diary, GET one! Life moves as fast as a flash when you're a trainee and if you don't keep track of your time and the dates it is very easy to get left behind. I have an academic diary which is separate to my journal and I use it every single day! If you didn't start organising before, you're going to have to now. I'm still working on it to...

Teaching provides an amazing, varied, irresistible career – Dame Alison Peacock

Tue 6 November 2018 - 15:52

By Dame Alison Peacock in Teacher Training

 

I became a teacher because I realised that I wanted to be free to plan my days, to work with young people in a vibrant ever-changing environment and because I wanted to do something that might make a positive difference.

I have worked in primary and secondary schools and have also spoken at hundreds of conferences, so you could say I have taught teachers too. Essentially, the job has many similarities throughout all age ranges. The key characteristic is one of connecting with others, engaging them in a compelling process that helps them to think, enabling them to learn something new.

When I started teaching I worked in a large secondary school. Every day was different and exciting but there were plenty of challenges too. When I look back, I remember the highs and lows of exhilaration when things went well as well as the exhaustion that came just before a holiday. I remember pupils that I taught and their delight and...

Common myths about the brain and learning – James Williams

Wed 3 July 2024 - 12:03

By James Williams in Teacher Training

 

Part of becoming a teacher is observing teachers and children in schools. If you’re on a teacher training degree programme, this will happen on a regular basis. But, is everything you see good teaching?

Neuroscientists have been trying to figure out how our brains work for decades. This includes how we learn. Some teachers will tell you they use ‘neuroscience’ based techniques. But beware, there are some bad teaching methods and brain myths still being used in some schools that aren’t backed by any scientific evidence.

In this blog I’ll look at some myths about the brain, look at those discredited teaching methods and explain how we know they don’t work.

We only use 10% of our brain!

This is a common ‘fact’ that’s false. We use all of our brain nearly all of the time. How do we know?

  • Studies of brain damage - If only 10% of the brain is normally used, then damage to other...

In at the deep end: top five tips for stepping into the classroom – Alex Nicholson

Tue 6 November 2018 - 15:52

By Alex Nicholson in Teacher Training

Stepping into the classroom as a trainee teacher for the first time can be daunting, and if you've signed up for a school direct course – it is a feeling you are going to get used to. From one trainee to another, here are five things I've learnt about life inside the classroom over the past six months of being in at the deep end.

1. Whatever you do, do it with passion
Hate maths? Find history boring? Worried about teaching English? It doesn’t matter, whatever subject you are delivering, give it a big dollop of passion. If you don't find the subject interesting – how you expect your students to? I've discovered that finding something within the topic or subject I'm teaching that captures my imagination, and sharing this with the class, has a great impact on how they respond to it. I don't know about you, but when I think back to my favourite teachers from my own childhood – they were the ones who loved the subjects they taught...

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