How to survive a PGCE....

I am currently doing my PGCE year in secondary science, and i thought it would be helpful for others to give just a little bit of advice. It has also given me a small break from my planning and marking! 

If you have any questions at all about a PGCE, teaching or anything else please feel free to ask! 

1. Make sure you make great course mates! 

Having that network of support is a massive help, it truly is! Whether it is just knowing that someone else is going through the same situation, same types of stress and that huge workload. Or whether it is having them there to ask questions, or to get resources and feedback from, they really do help. So make sure you create that very important support blanket. 

2. Remember that you are not superwoman, you cannot do absolutely everything (although I'm sure you will try). 

There is always something else that needs doing, but you need to remember to take that bit of time off to relax, and importantly to recuperate. If you don't then you will surely run yourself into the ground. Make sure you are taking a day off a week, whether it is Friday night and part of Saturday or all Saturday, just make sure you are taking that bit of time to relax, see friends or family, spend some time with your partner, or simply just to watch some rubbish tv and chill. So remember that you will really be working hard but it is so important not to burn out. A lot of people on their PGCE forget this important part of advice but it really is very important, and it was actually one of the first pieces of advice that my course leader gave us, and she was definitely not wrong!  

3. Collect resources! 

From each placement make sure you are taking all the resources that you can, even if it isn't a topic you teach, you never know when it may come in handy. Also if someone offers you any resources or advice, take it!! I cannot stress that enough either. All resources are helpful, and when it comes to planning later on you will really be grateful that you have those resources. 

4. Enjoy it! 

Remember the reasons why you decided to do the PGCE in the first place, so whenever times get tough you can remember why you started the torture in the first place! 

I hope my little bit of advice has been helpful for you, again, if you have any questions please do ask! 

May Wishlist!

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I haven't been posting lately due to being so busy all the time! A PGCE will do that to you... But I thought I would take advantage of the bank holiday to do a quick blog post.



I love this "I feel the need for tea" mug, I love the design and definitely suits me down to the tea... (nice pun there...haha). This Olaf mug from the disney store is so cute too! Would be great to add to the rest of my disney mug collection. 

The two dresses on my wish list this month are unsurprisingly blue, as I love the colour blue, and it is definitely one of my favourite colours to wear and it's so lovely in Summer. I am also graduating again in July and need a new dress to wear. Hopefully, weather permitting, I will be able to wear a lovely summer dress like the one from House of Fraser. I may also need to check my graduation colours too though. The top on my wish list is also very appropriate, seeing as my favourite thing to eat is pizza... 

I am also due some new trainers for summer, and Nike trainers are by far the most comfy trainers I have ever owned. I don't usually go for anything lilac or pink, especially not when it comes to trainers but I have to admit that I love these Nike trainers. They would look lovely with jeans or demin shorts in the summer months. 

I've noticed that this flat shoes from Oasis featured on my easter wish list and now again on my May wish list, definitely think I need to have a trip to Oasis!

With the weather (hopefully) getting sunnier it would be a good idea to invest in some sun care for my skin. This dream screen from benefit may be a bit more expensive but I'm sure it is a great product and worth splashing out on. I also got a sample of high beam in a benefit set for christmas and definitely need to invest in a bigger bottle soon! 

A few people I know have also been raving about this Nars foundation and I was thinking I should probably see what all the fuss is about. 

Nails of the week.

So I thought I would do a quick post on some new nail colours that I absolutely love at the moment. Both are Barry M nail varnishes, one called Pomegranate and the other Fondant and I picked them both up the other day from Boots as part of the 3 for 2 offer on Beauty products. 

I've had numerous nail varnishes from Barry M which are a similar colour to the Fondant nail colour, and I've used my last pot up not too long ago, but I always love lilac colours. Lilacs are great for wearing in Spring and Summer (if I don't use it all before Summer finally arrives) so I am always replacing them. The lilac colour is also great to wear whilst I am at school teaching because it allows me to add some colour to my look and outfit but it is not too abrasive or obvious which might cause some issues with work.

The other colour I picked up was a reddish/pink colour called Pomegranate, which is also a gelly nail varnish so it is also lovely and shiny. I also love red nails, so this nail colour is great for me because it is different to the other red nail colours I currently own. The colour is a really vibrant and bright colour, and looks great with dark colours such as black and dark blues, which are colours that I commonly wear. 

I would highly recommend both these colours and any Barry M nail varnishes for that matter, as I really cannot fault any Barry M nail varnish products that I have tried over the many years. I have been buying Barry M products for many years and my love for the brand is only growing. 

What are your favourite nail colours at the moment?  

Spring Wishlist!

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Hopefully the weather is going to improve over the next couple of weeks so I'll be able to wear all these lovely Spring colours.

I definitely need some more summery clothes to wear whilst I'm teaching, and this pink blazer would be perfect to add a bit more colour to an outfit, as I tend to only wear black whilst teaching or generally, so this blazer would be create a more summery outfit. This pink blazer would be perfect with some jeans too, or to dress up an outfit for special occasions. 

I love this black dress too, which is also from h&m, as its very flattering for my kind of figure and looks fairly comfortable. Also these ballerina shoes look like they would make be super comfortable and suitable for work wear as well with some jeans. The blue dress would also be lovely to wear when the weather is better. 

I am always needing some new jeans, and at £30 these jeans from h&m are a good price and should be a good quality pair of jeans. Hopefully the high waist jeans will fit my big bum in too!

Obviously the Michael Kors and Carvela shoes are definitely a 'wish' list item, I will be saving up for these items for a very long time! Whereas the bag from h&m is definitely more affordable, so this may be a nice new handbag for the summer months. 

What's on your Spring wishlist? 

Hello March!

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So March has begun, I know always say this but I really cannot believe how fast this year is going! For example I'm over halfway through my PGCE year (such a scary thought!!!), with only a few months to go till I'll be a qualified teacher.  I also start my new placement next week so I definitely need to prepare myself for that too, as I will be in school every day of the week and will have to teach a lot more. Especially seeing as the last school I was in was a EBD school so I had to focus more on behaviour management and acting as support in a classroom rather than the lead teacher, so it will be a massive step up and a change/challenge going into this new school. 

I'm also seeing Placebo at the end of the week which I cannot wait for, I have wanted to see this band for so many years and I'm finally going to get the chance! I have been a fan for years and have never really got the chance to see them, so getting to see them at a venue near where I live is fantastic. 

I also cannot wait for Easter either, hopefully I will get the chance to go see my university friends, or at least a holiday because I'm sure I will be ready for the break again! However I know I will also have lots of university work and planning to be getting on with also. Its ridiculous much university work you get whilst on a PGCE year, I think it should be more focused on just the actually teaching. 

I would say I'm excited for the 'Spring' weather, but as I'm typing this it is snowing outside, hardly spring weather! Hopefully because it's getting lighter earlier in the morning, and staying lighter for longer it will make it easier to get up in the morning and to make it easier to set off early for work. Also it may mean that I'll be able to watch my pooch in the evening in some daylight too! 

I hope you all have a wonderful March! 

x 

Weekend Wish List!

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Spring is coming and some new bedding would be a nice update for my room, this floral bedspread from H&M looks lovely and would be great in summer too. At just £30 this bedspread is a lovely choice and is definitely affordable too. 

I am in dire need of getting my eyes tested again soon and definitely need some new glasses and I would seriously love to treat myself to some more Ray-Bans. I got some Ray-Bans sunglasses and I love them so much, but I got them years ago and my eye sight has definitely changed since then. However, I managed to get them for £50 last time so I need to keep my eye out for another great deal again! 

I am definitely overdue some new straighteners and I would love to treat myself to some more GHDs. I used to have a pair and then I was stupid enough to leave them on the floor and I accidentally stood on them and broke them. I do have straight hair so I don't tend to use straighteners that often, but it would be nice to have some new ones. 

I love this Nails Inc nail varnish too, it is so cute! Anything red is a must for me, love my red nails especially on my toe nails! I have quite dry heels too so would love to try this Burt's Bees foot cream, I love their lip care range so it would be good to try some of their other products too. 

Book Review: The Silver Linings Playbook.

I have recently finished reading The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick and thought I would do a quick review of the book. I am yet to do a book review on my blog so hope its okay! 

I saw the film "The Silver Linings Playbook" when it first came out and absolutely loved it! The film definitely made me fall in love with Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence a little bit more after seeing the film, and from reading the book I appreciate how amazing both of them were and acted in the film too now. The both portrayed the characters so accurately. Definitely agree with the Oscar that Jennifer Lawrence received for this role! 

The book is narrated by Pat Peoples who comes from New Jersey, and has moved back home after spending some time in a psychiatric hospital ("The bad place"). Pat thinks he has only been in there for a few months when in reality it has been years. The book hints that his mind has repressed his bad memories and that is why he cannot remember everything that has happened to him. Pat is aware that he is separated from his wife, Nikki, but calls it "apart time". He has a theory that life is a film created by God and that its "silver lining" will be the end of 'Apart Time' with Nikki. Pat strives to improve himself, both physically and mentally, as he believes it will help him win his wife back. Pats old friend Ronnie introduces Pat to a girl called Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrences character in the film). Tiffany really doesn't need much of an introduction if you have seen the film or have heard of Jennifer Lawrences acting in this film.  

That is about as much of the story I will give away as I truly believe that everyone should give this book a read, or at the very least watch the film. The book is really easy to read and is quite a short book, and the chapters are fairly short so you feel like you can pick it up to read a couple of chapters before bed.

I love how much this book emphasised focusing on the positives in life and also to look for the silver linings in life. Throughout the book I was really rooting for Pat, in the hope that he would get his silver lining at the end of it all. I found that the story was so believable and felt  that the Peoples family was actually like or similar to a typical family that many people can relate to. 

One other point I like about this book is although Pat is argued to have mental health problems, (as he was in a psychiatric hospital and subconsciously repressed his memories, as well as having quite intense anger issues) however I found myself asking "what actually counts as 'normal'"? Several other characters in the book could also be argued to have mental health issues or at least causes for concern, which I love about this book as it made me further question some aspects of mental health diagnosis and treatment. And seeing as I have a keen interest in Psychology ( as that is what my degree is in), this book really interested and gripped me throughout. 

Furthermore, Pat is out to improve himself which is pretty inspiring, for example Pat often tries to be nice instead of right for a change, and this helps him to sympathise with other people more and understand their point of view, which I personally feel that a lot of people could benefit from doing too. 

The film doesn't allow for as much character development as the book does. For example Pats mother definitely deserves a mention because she is such a great and loveable character. Many parents could definitely relate to her and would be rooting for her during the book too. 

This book is definitely a 'happy' book and would recommend everyone to read it. I hope to read some more Matthew Quick novels in the future too! Don't feel like you shouldn't read the book if you have already seen the film because they are both different and great in their own ways! Some parts of the book are not included in the film so definitely give the book a try! 

Has anyone else read this book? Or have any similar reading recommendations?