All Primary / Secondary Masters Courses - Post Q's Here Please

katg27

hi everyone
just a quick question. I am taking biology as my main subject and need to pick two methodologies, i am interested in the career guidance, not sure about my second one...is there any one in particular that might open up more doors when i look for a job seems i only have one main subject. Was thinking TY would be good but is fairly well established in schools at this stage so may not be of benefit!

UnLuckyAgain

katg27 wrote: »

hi everyone
just a quick question. I am taking biology as my main subject and need to pick two methodologies, i am interested in the career guidance, not sure about my second one...is there any one in particular that might open up more doors when i look for a job seems i only have one main subject. Was thinking TY would be good but is fairly well established in schools at this stage so may not be of benefit!

Does you degree only warrant one subject for teaching purposes? I know that recognition to teach Biology to the highest level infers the ability to teach Science and Junior Cert level. A lot of science teachers that I know chose mathematics as their second methodology as the two subjects often go hand in hand. Alternatively, you could take CSPE.

However, if you do select Maths during your PGDE, you won't be qualified to teach maths unless you have a degree in it.

katg27

yeah my degree allows me to teach j.c science and l.c biology. only did maths for the first year of my degree, was told to do maths but i dont see the point seems i cant teach it! would rather put my energy into two good smaller modules.

Postgrad10

Just so you know, you cant teach CSPE without a degree in sociology or politics. Same goes for RE.

katg27

yeah i am going by the student information form we have to have handed in before june 1st, because i have only one main subject i need to take two specialist methodology from the following

career guidance, transition year, social, personal and health education, teachingin the further education sector, intro to team coaching, LCVP, Leaving cert applied

I was just wondering if any of these would be of more benefit then others when looking for a job in the future.

Toto Wolfcastle

I did a career guidance module when I did the PGDE. We were told that obviously it wouldn't qualify us for anything but I did it because it was interesting. However, out of that list, I would not choose career guidance over any of the other ones. I'd imagine that the other ones would be much more useful.

dno7239

Could I teach CSPE if I did my degree in Anthropology? It is a social science afterall.

fakearms123

Another question here, maths is my only recognized subject for the PGDE from my graduate course, seeing as I did mathematical sciences. I was told to have CSPE as my secondary subject, would it be fair to say that when or if I finish this course I will be at a bit of a disadvantage with only having maths as a teacher? Or will I have to do another year teaching of something else?

Lord TSC

dno7239 wrote: »

Could I teach CSPE if I did my degree in Anthropology? It is a social science afterall.

Have you got another subject? The reality is no school will hire you just as a CSPE teacher, since the majority of CSPE teachers aren't even qualifed to begin with; it's a subject they get anyone to teach...

kodwyer

Hey everyone,

I'll be moving up to Dublin from Limerick. I'm not planning to live on campus or in student accomodation but I'd love to share with other PGDE students, preferably some relatively close to UCD, or the city centre. Anyone else in the same boat or have any advice?

Thanks!!

dno7239

ah ya I have english which is my main subject. just wondering if anthropology is approved by tge teaching council for teaching cspe years from now when they are still hiring

miralheti

I know I need to have between 6 and 9 hours teaching per week for my Trinity PGDE. Does anyone know if they specify how much of this should be in your major subject? Also am I right in saying they only supervise your teaching in your major subject? Thanks for your advice.:)

electoralshock

Others goin to NUIG!

Garda Vetting form was due in today! What is the next set of forms? when are they due? (Double checking) and they coming in the post?

sjms

miralheti wrote: »

I know I need to have between 6 and 9 hours teaching per week for my Trinity PGDE. Does anyone know if they specify how much of this should be in your major subject? Also am I right in saying they only supervise your teaching in your major subject? Thanks for your advice.:)

I have just completed my PGDE in Trinity! My major was science! I was teaching science and maths - more maths than science as a result of timetable issues. At the end of the day that's what they have to deal with! I have only ever been supervised in science, however, I have heard of people getting inspections in their other subject! It probably just depends on what your subjects are and who your supervisor is! To be honest the PGDE wasn't half as bad as I expected! So chin up and keep up with your work and you'll do fine! Best of luck for next year!!

sjms

katg27 wrote: »

hi everyone
just a quick question. I am taking biology as my main subject and need to pick two methodologies, i am interested in the career guidance, not sure about my second one...is there any one in particular that might open up more doors when i look for a job seems i only have one main subject. Was thinking TY would be good but is fairly well established in schools at this stage so may not be of benefit!

If you are anyway good at maths take it! It looks great on your CV from an employability perspective! I know you may not be 'fully qualified' to teach maths but often you'll end up taking some maths to plump your timetable up! I know it sounds wrong or incorrect to say that but that's the feedback I received after I did biology and maths! Beat of luck!

miralheti

Thanks SJMS for your advice.

C. Jennings

Hello all.

I have just completed my second year in Arts and have History and Philosophy as my two subjects. It is my intention at the moment to lecture in History. However I am becoming more and more aware of the unlikelihood of this happening. (Miniscule job vacancies, don't know if I want to do a masters and a PhD and risk ending up with no job)


I am just wondering would I be eligible to apply for the PGDE even though I have only one teaching subject? I am told by theTeaching Council that doing an English H.Dip would not qualify me to teach it, which is a bit of a joke. Anyone have any advice apart from doing the OSCAIL degree?

rainbowtrout

C. Jennings wrote: »

Hello all.

I have just completed my second year in Arts and have History and Philosophy as my two subjects. It is my intention at the moment to lecture in History. However I am becoming more and more aware of the unlikelihood of this happening. (Miniscule job vacancies, don't know if I want to do a masters and a PhD and risk ending up with no job)


I am just wondering would I be eligible to apply for the PGDE even though I have only one teaching subject? I am told by theTeaching Council that doing an English H.Dip would not qualify me to teach it, which is a bit of a joke. Anyone have any advice apart from doing the OSCAIL degree?

And quite rightly so. The HDip/PGDE does not qualify you to teach any subject, it qualifies you to teach and then you teach the subjects you are qualified in. You will not have any English qualifications at the end of your degree so you will not be qualified to teach English.

You would probably be qualified to teach History, you could apply for the PGDE with one subject but realistically if you want any proper job prospects you would really need two subjects.

You could repeat second year Arts and change elective from History or when you are finished do a course through Oscail like you suggested or perhaps though Open University.

C. Jennings

rainbowtrout wrote: »

And quite rightly so. The HDip/PGDE does not qualify you to teach any subject, it qualifies you to teach and then you teach the subjects you are qualified in. You will not have any English qualifications at the end of your degree so you will not be qualified to teach English.

I am talking about doing a seperate H. Dip in English and then doing the PGDE the year after. I find it a bit angering that a one year intensive study of a subject wouldn't qualify a person to teach it, considering some of my secondary teachers obviously and openly admitted that they weren't even qualified to teach some of the subjects they did.


Anyway thanks for the help.

miralheti

I think there is confusion over the names of the courses. I think PGDE is the new name for the H Dip.

C. Jennings

miralheti wrote: »

I think there is confusion over the names of the courses. I think PGDE is the new name for the H Dip.

It is possible to do a Higher Diploma in English which is a completely separate thing from doing the PGDE. Two entirely different courses. One is a year long intense study of English, the other as I'm sure you know is the teacher training course.

rainbowtrout

C. Jennings wrote: »

I am talking about doing a seperate H. Dip in English and then doing the PGDE the year after. I find it a bit angering that a one year intensive study of a subject wouldn't qualify a person to teach it, considering some of my secondary teachers obviously and openly admitted that they weren't even qualified to teach some of the subjects they did.


Anyway thanks for the help.

Angering? Most people who are teaching have a 3-4 year degree in the subject they are qualified to teach. Higher Diplomas are not acccepted by the Teaching Council, only degrees.

To be honest you sound bitter about your teachers. Do realise that sometimes they have no choice in what they teach? Sometimes you get handed a timetable with a subject on it that you are not qualified in and you have no choice. The principal has to put a timetable together from the staff available and if there is no option to hire in more teachers (like at the moment) you make do with what you have. Our PE and Geography teacher was put teaching History last year because there was no one else to do it. He would have preferred not to. I've taught first year German and I'm a Science teacher. Is that fair on the students?? No, it's not, but we couldn't get a German teacher to teach 2.5 hours a week so I taught it

lauraSha

Hi all,

Just wondering has anyone heard anything from Trinity about Garda Vetting forms etc yet??

miralheti

No I have not heard anything from them yet.

sarahb82

I haven't received anything from TCD yet either. I was a little worried that when I saw on here that those in other colleges had received forms but better now that I see noone else in TCD has gotten anything yet.

fakearms123

Has anyone from UCC received any more documents than just the Garda Vetting form, I am heading off travelling for 2 months of the summer starting next week and I need to have a look at these forms before I go? Anyone got them yet? I thought it would have been last week that we got them

Tidygirl

Hey All, I got accepted in the second round this year which was a complete shock (didnt think there was a hope when I didnt get it 1st round) and now I just dont know where to start. I m so confused as to what to even put in a cover letter to apply to schools!!!!

Im gathering that the preferred way of going about securing a placement is actually going to the schools and dropping off a cv?

Does anyone know what wold happen if by the end of June you hadnt got a place?!

Backfire

fakearms123 wrote: »

Has anyone from UCC received any more documents than just the Garda Vetting form, I am heading off travelling for 2 months of the summer starting next week and I need to have a look at these forms before I go? Anyone got them yet? I thought it would have been last week that we got them

hey mate, I too havnt received any of the other stuff and forms, and I thought we would get it last week aswell, and def this week...but nothing so far.

if the forms are just general stuff, applicable to all of us, and you are on holidays, would you have access to your email? if you want i could scan what I recieve and forward them to you to your email, if you want to have a look, etc.

fakearms123

Backfire wrote: »

hey mate, I too havnt received any of the other stuff and forms, and I thought we would get it last week aswell, and def this week...but nothing so far.

if the forms are just general stuff, applicable to all of us, and you are on holidays, would you have access to your email? if you want i could scan what I recieve and forward them to you to your email, if you want to have a look, etc.

Thanks Backfire but I rang UCC yesterday and they said they are sending them out today so I should receive it by Monday or Tuesday but if it arrives when I am gone I can get my mam to fill it out since I was told you don't need a signature, I just have to get two passport photos ready so she can attach them in the event I am away. Cheers for the offer though, very sound!

Delaine

Tidygirl wrote: »

Hey All, I got accepted in the second round this year which was a complete shock (didnt think there was a hope when I didnt get it 1st round) and now I just dont know where to start. I m so confused as to what to even put in a cover letter to apply to schools!!!!

Im gathering that the preferred way of going about securing a placement is actually going to the schools and dropping off a cv?

Does anyone know what wold happen if by the end of June you hadnt got a place?!

I posted a bunch of CVs out, then sent a bunch of them out by email, and then after a little bit I started phoning the places I'd sent stuff to asking about it. I'd advise you get started right away, its unfortunate but the people on the second round will have to deal with the rest of the hdips having a headstart on getting schools. You don't need to put a whole lot in your cover letters I wouldn't think, just a little bit about yourself, tell them what your undergraduate was in and what subjects you'll be teaching in their school and have them refer to the CV for the rest.