Anyone else in their 50's doing the L3 course?

[HarrietHotspur]

*wailing* Ye-e-e-esss! and finding every bit of it confusing and difficult.

[Kathryn t]

I am doing this course with no college night what so ever, I am 50. I started in sept. I looked at it at first and thought omg. I did level 2 and 3 childcare and education years ago. The terminology is what has caused me so much grief. This site has been my college !! I look up parts I simply have no idea what they mean and suddenly it makes sense. We don't have assignments it's hit the books and figure it out. The worse was the employment section awareness section took ages. To all who are struggling keep going.

[Fiona5]

Claire2004heath... I work in an International School, GEMS Cambridge, they are a middle range school,and are desperate for LSA s at the moment, not sure if that s your thing!! I love it, but with studying and running a home, this course is killing me. It s ALL online and the only help is this forum.... The terminology is baffling and I feel I should employ a solicitor to tell what s actually required in some places...

Anyway, the money out here is awful for TAs, if you re on your husbands visa, you ll be snapped up, if you have experience in schools..

I hate it out here, but you may like it... Good luck in whatever you decide

[Honeybun]

Hi everyone. I am 57 and just finished my Level 3 after doing an online course with a school placement. I hadn't done any studying since my late 20's so felt so overwhelmed at the start. Yes it's hard but to be honest I found that I enjoyed getting my brain into something different. I did a lot of research and then put it into practice at school, doing a lot of activities that the teachers observed and assessed and did a report for me to send in. I found it hard not having anyone to toss ideas around with or just ask for advice but this site was a god send. There is usually someone who has had the same question or can point you in the right direction.
Hope this helps but you will be surprised how much you know with experience.

[Mrs Williams]

Hello, nice to meet you. I've just spent the whole night summarising the behaviour and attendance policy and have only typed one sheet, argh! roll on spring!

[sallywag]

I think lots of people are finding harder than they thought it would be, I know I am! I started working at my son's pre-school in Sept 2013 and they said they would train me up to Level 3 (required by Ofsted for their staffing levels). The only way they could get funding was to do an apprentiship through adult learning. I started the course in April last year. I was seeing my tutor once a month and was given a written task to do but I too struggled to get the work done on time. I am a single parent with two boys, one at primary and one at pre-school. It is really hard to juggle work/study/life. I am now seeing my tutor once a week on an evening and she is giving me smaller pieces of work each week to help me get through the work. Also she has been out to my work place to do direct observations and has ticked off a lot of things in the units this way. I have until september this year to complete the course so I am just going to do my best.
If it wasn't for this website I think I would have thrown in the towel by now.
Good luck to everyone doing the course. Keep going - you will get there in the end.

[Kathryn t]

Hya I was just wondering how you are getting on? I am nearly finished but I am heartily sick of it. Love from kathie

[Mrs Williams]

Hello Kathie - I have just found out that I don't have to follow the 'session plan' assignments and can just work through each units standards! I only started in September so have a long way to go yet, delighted you have nearly finished - I keep seeing jobs advertised and they are asking for the L3 qual.

My tutor has also allowed me time to catch up as I was so behind and I am aiming to do one assignment a week. Just finishing positive behaviour. Lots of reading isn't there and I do waste time looking at rubbish websites whilst researching, wish we were given sites to start with. I do all the reading and then can't put it into words and spend ages trying to compose my answers. I've just been reading all about Female Genital Mutilation and the Newcastle Diocese documents that apply to us, I'm at a C of E Aided school.

I do admire the Headmistress and staff, you need such dedication to keep on top of all the reading/planning/marking!

Have a good half term, I'm going to do that FlyLady thing in the house next week, try and do my Equality and Diversity assignment and put my H&S on hold for the moment. :)

[Kathryn t]

Hi well half term is here and I am now starting the long hours, I normally work 4 1/4 a day now on 10 hr shifts!!! Your course sounds sooooo. Different to mine, we don't have assignments. It's a case of pick a unit!! I have done it unit by unit. I stated in sept. I have unit 17 to finish today and 18 . I have one lot of observation to do on 12th march I am finished. It's the dipolma in playwork level 3. It's the nvq 3 plus another qualification. I am really sick of it. I see the assessor for an hour and a half a month. It's taken over. I can't get my head around this 317 I just don't understand the occupational standards. I must admit this site has been a god send. When I am not nipping on the craft websites that is !!

[Fiona5]

I have just had my first unit returned as an excellent piece, so this is spurring me on now. My first observation went fantastically well. I am an LSA in an international school in Abu Dhabi, so I have lots of reflection I can use... I really want it to be finished by the planned date, 31 Oct 2014, but I can t see that happening.... Unless I devote ALL the school holidays to it. I m going away for 4 nights in April, so hopefully the break will help my brain... Ha ha ha
Good luck everyone, it s a hard slog and it's such a strange way of writing things but at least it will help on the job hunting when I return to Scotland.

Fiona xx