If you’re reading this and you’ve just finished Placement A of your PGCE, take a moment.
A real one.
Because learning to teach is fucking hard — and you’ve just survived the first half of it.
There are very few jobs where “training” involves standing in a room with 30 other people’s children, trying to stop them from killing each other, while simultaneously being convinced that they want to kill you.
All while being observed.
Assessed.
Graded.
And politely told you should “project your voice more.”
And yet — here you are.
Placement A Wasn’t Just Hard. It Was Character Building. (In a Bad Way.)
Placement A is grim because it’s your first exposure to the reality of teaching.
It’s where you learn that:
- Lesson plans rarely survive contact with students
- Behaviour management is not something you “pick up naturally”
- You will replay entire lessons in your head at 3am
- And confidence is mostly pretending until something sticks
You’ve stood in front of classes with sweaty palms and a racing heart, trying to remember your learning objective while someone at the back asks if they can “just go toilet, miss, I’m actually dying.”
You’ve done break duty.
You’ve been stared at.
You’ve been tested.
You’ve questioned your life choices.
That alone deserves respect.
If Placement A Didn’t Go to Plan — That’s OK Too
This bit matters.
If you didn’t pass Placement A — you are not a failure.
Read that again.
Teaching is not linear.
Confidence doesn’t arrive on schedule.
And some people need more time, support, or the right environment to thrive.
Use this moment properly:
- Reflect honestly
- Ask uncomfortable questions
- Identify what didn’t work
- Come back stronger
Some of the best teachers I know stumbled early.
What matters is whether you learn from it — not whether everything went smoothly the first time.
Placement B: You’re Not Starting From Scratch Anymore
Here’s the good news.
You’re not going into Placement B as a complete beginner.
You now:
- Know how a school actually functions
- Understand classroom dynamics
- Have felt what it’s like to be in it
- Know your weaknesses — and that’s powerful
You’ll still have wobbles.
You’ll still have lessons that implode.
But you’ll also start to notice moments where things just… work.
Those moments matter.
They mean you’re becoming a teacher.
The Unsung Heroes of Schools
Let’s say this loudly:
Teacher trainees are the unsung heroes of schools.
You’re often:
- Used as extra hands
- Given the “can you just…?” jobs
- Asked to cover, support, help, and adapt
- Doing the emotional labour of learning while performing
But here’s the thing — you don’t just teach young people.
You teach us, too.
Experienced teachers learn from trainees all the time:
- New ideas
- Fresh perspectives
- Updated pedagogy
- Actual enthusiasm (which is unsettling but welcome)
You remind us why we started.
And that matters more than you realise.
Final Word and a few moments of reflection
So if you’re heading into Placement B feeling:
- Nervous
- Excited
- Terrified
- Proud
- Or all of the above
Good.
That means you care.
Teaching isn’t easy.
Training to teach is harder.
And you are doing something genuinely brave.
Big up the PGCEs.
You’re not just surviving — you’re becoming.
And that’s something to be proud of.
Now… have a think – ask yourself some questions:
What Have I Actually Learned So Far?
- What do I understand now about teaching that I didn’t understand before Placement A?
- Which skills have improved the most — even if they’re still messy?
- What has surprised me most about myself in the classroom?
- When did I feel most like a “real” teacher, even briefly?
- What mistakes taught me the biggest lessons?
How Am I Really Feeling About Teaching Right Now?
- What emotions come up when I think about starting Placement B?
- What moments from Placement A still sit with me — good or bad?
- What situations cause me the most anxiety, and why?
- When did I feel proud of myself, even if no one else noticed?
- What do I need more support with this time around?
What Do I Want to Get Out of Placement B?
- What would “progress” look like for me by the end of this placement?
- Which areas do I want to actively work on (behaviour, confidence, planning, relationships)?
- What kind of feedback do I want to seek out — and from who?
- What risks am I willing to take to improve (trying new strategies, asking for help)?
- How do I want students to experience me as their teacher?
What Do I Want From My Teaching Career?
- What kind of teacher do I want to be remembered as?
- What values matter most to me in education?
- What parts of teaching give me energy — and what drains it?
- How do I want teaching to fit into my wider life, not consume it?
- In five years, what would make me say, “I’m glad I stuck with this”?
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