Do I want to teach NVQ? Teetering on the edge…
(cc image by The Majestic Fool)
I’ve got a big dilemma at the moment. Do I stay with what I’m doing or leap off the edge?
I’ve just spent a year teaching NCFE2 to a fine group of teaching assistants. I’ve built up lots of resources and lesson plans and I’d actually started to feel that I might just know what I’m doing.
Then whoosh, everything changes, again. The place I work isn’t offering NCFE2 next year, only NVQ 2 because of changes in funding. They propose that I just switch to that instead but NVQ2 is a very different proposition:
- Ideally meant for those already employed, it is less easy for people on voluntary placements. Yet it is mostly volunteers that have already signed up for the course.
- It involves a much higher commitment to placement observations than NCFE
- No scope for simulations - everything has to happen in school, no role plays.
- Much more involvement from placement schools and teachers. Hard to get for volunteers rather than staff members.
- The dreaded grids need to be tracked, collated and generally understood by all concerned.
- It’s just been revised and the text books are now all out of date.
- I haven’t a clue how to organise the materials or sessions so I’d have to start again from scratch with my planning.
Add to this a higher tutor/ student ratio and I’m left wondering if this is going to be more trouble than it is worth.
All of this doesn’t even begin to address the other issues I have with teaching at the moment.
I have been totally unable to find any sort of online network of UK based peers interested in adult education at pre-degree level. No forums, bloggers, twitterers, ning groups, nix. So no personal learning network of peers again this year. (Nothing wrong with all my great primary school network but a few peers would be nice)
The paperwork is daunting, hard to keep on top of and NVQ has even more of it.
I hated the Preparing to Teach in the Life Long Learning Sector course with a vengeance. It was a real pain and had me tearing my hair out. Teaching NVQ would mean embarking on yet another course, this time for assessors of NVQs.
On the plus side I mostly enjoyed the actual teaching sessions, the interactions, watching people grow in confidence and competence. I quite enjoyed the school visits and learning to navigate my way round unfamiliar parts of London.
Not teaching next year feels very high risk. It means I’m totally dependant on my writing and my online activities to provide me with an income. The return might be that with more energy and input from me my other stuff really takes off.
Shall I jump and hope that I can fly?
(cc image by SFTC/Gill)
I blog here and at the 
Hi Linda
I’m afraid I am off-topic but couldn’t find a ‘contact you’ page.
I have just stumbled across your blogs and love your writing. We are looking for new publishing opportunities and a few areas of your work/interests strike an immediate chord with what we are doing at the moment.
If you would like to discuss this please email me.
Best wishes
Jenny Lee
Commissioning Editor
Optimus Professional Publishing
Take the Leap, do the NVQ, there is decent money to be made from being an NVQ assessor
Thanks for the advice, but I’m not sure the money is ‘decent’ when you take into account the marking and prep, the unpaid time spent travelling to the large number of observations, and the level of personalisation the new NVQ for TAs involves.
Plus you’ve got to sort out the grids as most people don’t really understand how to do it at Level 2. Actually not sure I do!
I feel your pain and dilemma i have just started teaching the NVQ level 2 in hairdressing. It is really hard work and i don’t think i am cut out for it i hate all the paperwork! Hairdressing is definitley a lot easier i feel like i have made a big mistake.
I’m just doing my PTLLS and not really enjoying it but the teacher is good so that’s a little bonus. Like you said the pay might be good but you don’t really get a life do you?
But i’m not sure what do either so good luck to you, i thought you might just like to know you are not alone.
Kind regards
Chantel
Hi Chantel
I sort of managed to side step the issue as at the last minute I got the chance to teach the old course again this year. Trouble is it has been rewritten too and I’m doing it in 2/3rds of the time for 2 classes rather than 1!So lots of re-planning again.
It really does get in the way of other stuff and right now I’m regretting my choice. Nice to know I’m not alone and I’m glad you are having a positive experience with PTTLLS.
Hi
Iv started the 7303 course and hate it!! is there any way i can look at students passed work as i am clue less and need some help
thank you
Hi Helen
Sorry you are not enjoying the course. I loathed it! I haven’t found any examples of students work for PTLLS online and it’s not for lack of trying. I’m not a good choice to help as I’m still struggling with it too. Have you talked to your lecturer? Do you have access to smartscreen?