Looking for secondary level Co-op placement - Limerick area

maggie_cork

hey all. im just wondefring if anyone could help me.

im currently a third level Liberal Arts student and next year i am on Co-op, i really want an educational placement in a secondary school, i have applied to several schools but im not having much look getting something and im starting to freak!!!!

im just wondering if anyone knows schools that would be willing to take on a student teacher for a full adacemic year. im looking for something in limerick city or county or a school not more than 40mins from limerick city area..

i would love anyones suggestions!!! (helpful ones!!)
thanks

Trotter

maggie_cork wrote: »

hey all. im just wondefring if anyone could help me.

im currently a third level Liberal Arts student and next year i am on Co-op, i really want an educational placement in a secondary school, i have applied to several schools but im not having much look getting something and im starting to freak!!!!

im just wondering if anyone knows schools that would be willing to take on a student teacher for a full adacemic year. im looking for something in limerick city or county or a school not more than 40mins from limerick city area..

i would love anyones suggestions!!! (helpful ones!!)
thanks

1. Go easy on the Help Help!! You're looking for a job, not being attacked! (I'll edit the title for you.. you might have more luck finding helpful suggestions)

2. Fully qualified teachers are finding it hard to get a full year of work in secondary schools so if you want a paid placement, I'd say it'll be tough to find. You may find a school who will give you some substitution work but I doubt they'll commit to giving you anything for a full year.

However!! Its not unheard of and I wish you all the luck in the world trying to find a spot!

Enright

you have applied to several school! how?
did you just drop in a cv, have you followed it up with a personal call to the principal?

call in in person is my advise
can you go to your own secondary school
use contacts to get you in

best of luck

rainbowtrout

I think the main problem you will have to overcome is that you are not going to get paid for this work. There are plenty of HDips looking for schools for placement as it is, and also if it's the Limerick area UL has a lot of teacher training courses and PGCE students that need to be placed every year. Unless you are incredibly lucky and get hired for say a maternity leave, you will probably find it tough to find work

Mainly because:

• There are lots of qualified teachers out there without work
• There are lots of Dip students that need to be placed and are training to be teachers unlike you
• Jobs in schools have to be advertised and no principal is going to take on a college student in paid employment when they can have a qualified teacher.
• As a Co-op student you are not going to get regular visits to your classes like a Dip student does, so essentially there is no regulation or grading of your performance.
• There are issues surrounding the employment of unqualified teachers and registration with Teachers' Council (see various threads)

That may all seem negative but that is the reality of the situation.

On the other hand if you are hell bent on doing this for your co-op you could call in person to some schools, explain to the principal what you want to do. If any of them are sympathetic to your cause they might take you on in the role of a Dip student, without pay, but might give you subbing hours every now and again, and you could get a part time job in the evenings to supplement your income.

Also if you are doing Arts and are looking for work in the Limerick area, could you try getting a placement set up through the Co-op office in your college? They should have contacts with the schools if the college you are in has a Dip/Teacher training program.

In reply to one of your other queries, I did my teacher training in Newport, Co. Tipperary, only about 10-12 miles from Limerick, small school and it was great, I got a lot of subbing there following my teaching practice and the following year when I was doing a postgrad

maggie_cork

yes i have sent cvs and called schools. it is possible to get schools. theres about 100 people in my course after getting educational placeemtns full time for the year and getting paid so it is possible to get it.

i can go to my own old school but i dont want to as i wouldnt get treated fair.

rainbowtrout

in what way wouldn't you be treated fairly? do you mean you would be taken advantage of?

maggie_cork

no i mean i know them too well and i want to work in a school where i dont no the teachers or the students

Enright

its my experience that schools welcome back former students, teachers like it when their students follow in their foot steps

wingnut

Yep same here. I guessing you are talking Mary I. I went back to my old school for placement ( a few years back now). As mentioned previosly schools would be slow to take on someone they don't know. If you can find anyone with connections is your best bet.

If you PM me I can give you details of the school I'm teaching in at the moment and you can try there. We take dip students, haven't taken a co op but I can pass on the CV and see.