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

maloc4792

Hey guys! I'm not quite sure if these questions have already been asked but I've been um-ing and ah-ing over where and when I should do my PME. I went to college in the UK for a change of scenery but I am now back in Ireland. I loved the UK and would be happy to do a PGCE (PME) overthere - it has it's pluses; money off fee depending on your final grade, only 1 year, you don't need honours Irish for primary school etc. etc. THAT BEEING SAID...I'm finally back in Ireland and quite settled here. It's just the whole PME application and fees are a joke. Like I'd have to pay €200-300 to get the Teaching Council to assess my UK degree. :eek:

I majored in History and minored in French.

I keep bouncing back on doing a PME/PGCE OR using my TEFL and heading over to France for a year before doing my teacher training.

My queries are;

- Regarding the TC, do I have to get my degree assessed before applying to PAC?? (I'd actually be broke if this is so )

- Will I be able to teach French in Ireland as I minored in it?
I will definitely be spending 3+ months there BEFORE actually getting a teaching job.

- If I end up going to the UK for the PGCE do I have to do the 2 year PME in Ireland?
(I'm pretty sure this answer is no, but want to double-check. I think there is some Irish History of Teaching module/course you have to do though? But I hear you may have to wait for up to a year until the course has sufficient numbers...this true???)

- Also on the PAC application it asks for either an overall % mark/QCA/GPA. My college degree transcript doesn't state any of these. Am I supposed to calculate them on my own? I'm working most of the time so I never get a chance to ring the PME application centre and I can't seem to find an email address to contact.

PLEASE HELP KIND PEOPLE.

whiteandlight

You did your degree in uk? While I don't think you 'have' to get it assessed before the dip why on earth would you take the chance that they won't register you? Get it assessed. You know that there are significant fees involved in the dip? If you can't afford the 2-300 are you realistically going to be able to afford the course? (Not trying to be smart here, just I would be concerned)

You are unlikely to be qualified to teach French if you minored in it. You need to check how many credits you would need to make up (this will require you paying the teaching council to assess your degree).

Asfaik there has been no word yet on what is to be done about the year long difference between the UK and Ireland. I would advise against starting in England until you have a definitive answer on this.


You will need to do the history of Irish education module to register to teach in Ireland

You need a transcript of your results, not the degree parchment. Usually the mark is out of 1000. Asfaik this is an international requirement now so your college in the uk should be able to tell you what your percentage mark was

ViveLaVie

Musicmental85 wrote: »

You did your degree in uk? While I don't think you 'have' to get it assessed before the dip why on earth would you take the chance that they won't register you? Get it assessed. You know that there are significant fees involved in the dip? If you can't afford the 2-300 are you realistically going to be able to afford the course? (Not trying to be smart here, just I would be concerned)

You are unlikely to be qualified to teach French if you minored in it. You need to check how many credits you would need to make up (this will require you paying the teaching council to assess your degree).

Asfaik there has been no word yet on what is to be done about the year long difference between the UK and Ireland. I would advise against starting in England until you have a definitive answer on this.


You will need to do the history of Irish education module to register to teach in Ireland

You need a transcript of your results, not the degree parchment. Usually the mark is out of 1000. Asfaik this is an international requirement now so your college in the uk should be able to tell you what your percentage mark was

I minored in French and I'm qualified to teach it. I completed 55 credits over three years. The minimum is 54. However, the TC is increasing that to 60 soon.

Why would you need to get your degree assessed if it is a bog standard Arts degree with teaching subjects?

ViveLaVie

Musicmental85 wrote: »

You did your degree in uk? While I don't think you 'have' to get it assessed before the dip why on earth would you take the chance that they won't register you? Get it assessed. You know that there are significant fees involved in the dip? If you can't afford the 2-300 are you realistically going to be able to afford the course? (Not trying to be smart here, just I would be concerned)

You are unlikely to be qualified to teach French if you minored in it. You need to check how many credits you would need to make up (this will require you paying the teaching council to assess your degree).

Asfaik there has been no word yet on what is to be done about the year long difference between the UK and Ireland. I would advise against starting in England until you have a definitive answer on this.


You will need to do the history of Irish education module to register to teach in Ireland

You need a transcript of your results, not the degree parchment. Usually the mark is out of 1000. Asfaik this is an international requirement now so your college in the uk should be able to tell you what your percentage mark was

I minored in French and I'm qualified to teach it. I completed 55 credits over three years. The minimum is 54. However, the TC is increasing that to 60 soon.

Why would you need to get your degree assessed if it is a bog standard Arts degree with teaching subjects?

whiteandlight

ViveLaVie wrote: »

I minored in French and I'm qualified to teach it. I completed 55 credits over three years. The minimum is 54. However, the TC is increasing that to 60 soon.

Why would you need to get your degree assessed if it is a bog standard Arts degree with teaching subjects?

Because they did it in the UK? I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure all international degrees need to be assessed

maloc4792

Musicmental85 wrote: »

You did your degree in uk? While I don't think you 'have' to get it assessed before the dip why on earth would you take the chance that they won't register you? Get it assessed. You know that there are significant fees involved in the dip? If you can't afford the 2-300 are you realistically going to be able to afford the course? (Not trying to be smart here, just I would be concerned)

You are unlikely to be qualified to teach French if you minored in it. You need to check how many credits you would need to make up (this will require you paying the teaching council to assess your degree).

Asfaik there has been no word yet on what is to be done about the year long difference between the UK and Ireland. I would advise against starting in England until you have a definitive answer on this.


You will need to do the history of Irish education module to register to teach in Ireland

You need a transcript of your results, not the degree parchment. Usually the mark is out of 1000. Asfaik this is an international requirement now so your college in the uk should be able to tell you what your percentage mark was

Thanks for the reply
I'm totally aware that I have to get my degree assessed to actually teach French...or at least I'd be stupid not too, in case it's rejected completely. (I'm pretty sure there's gonna be some problem with it) I was just wondering if I have to get my degree assessed BEFORE the PAC application. I'll have the money at a later date just not at the moment.

Sure I'll apply for the PAC and then I'll get my degree assessed. I just wasn't sure if the TC eligibility is necessary when applying for the PAC.

Thanks again though. If it's causing me too many problems at least I'll have TEFL or the PGCE to opt for in the mean time.

whiteandlight

maloc4792 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply
I'm totally aware that I have to get my degree assessed to actually teach French...or at least I'd be stupid not too, in case it's rejected completely. (I'm pretty sure there's gonna be some problem with it) I was just wondering if I have to get my degree assessed BEFORE the PAC application. I'll have the money at a later date just not at the moment.

Sure I'll apply for the PAC and then I'll get my degree assessed. I just wasn't sure if the TC eligibility is necessary when applying for the PAC.

Thanks again though. If it's causing me too many problems at least I'll have TEFL or the PGCE to opt for in the mean time.

Thats grand-I misread you! I'm pretty sure you don't need to have it before the PAC application, the colleges will be more than happy to take your money even if you can't get registered!

debz61288

ledgebag1 wrote: »

Yeah that would be magic if you could, unfortunately I have no choice on the work front I have a mortgage etc, I did my masters while working so I will cope ( hopefully) thanks for the advice I really appreciate it

Apologies for the delay. I hope Im not too late.
Here is a mixture of questions I got asked at the interview for DCU and hibernia however to be honest the really tough questions came from Hibernia. My DCU interview was a breeze in comparison to it.
What can you bring to the classroom?
How are schools now compared to when you were in school?
Dealing with a difficult parent. How would you prepare before the meeting and how would you handle it?
My subject is business so they asked how I felt about teaching accounting in the junior cert.
A business person I look up to.
Is there much enterprise in schools.
How would you plan a 3 year course for JC and 2 year course for LC.
If you had a student in your class who never spoke out but they knew the answers, what would you do to get them participating.
At the end they asked if there was anything I was expecting them to ask me
Is there anything you would like add
Do you have any questions
What have you been doing since your degree
Your opinion on teamwork
Discipline methods (it would be helpful to mention restorative practice)
Your first class with a 1st year group, what topic would you start with.
If you have a subject that's an option, they asked me what would I do to help promote my subject in the school.
How would you approach a new class for the first time
Your opinion on ICT in the classroom.
How did you prepare for the interview.
Has anything happened in your working life such as a difficult situation that you've learned from and can bring to teaching and the classroom.

I hope some of these help. Apologies it's a bit messy, posting from a phone isn't ideal!

Best of luck in the interview!

I_teach_French

debz61288 wrote: »

Apologies for the delay. I hope Im not too late.
Here is a mixture of questions I got asked at the interview for DCU and hibernia however to be honest the really tough questions came from Hibernia. My DCU interview was a breeze in comparison to it.
What can you bring to the classroom?
How are schools now compared to when you were in school?
Dealing with a difficult parent. How would you prepare before the meeting and how would you handle it?
My subject is business so they asked how I felt about teaching accounting in the junior cert.
A business person I look up to.
Is there much enterprise in schools.
How would you plan a 3 year course for JC and 2 year course for LC.
If you had a student in your class who never spoke out but they knew the answers, what would you do to get them participating.
At the end they asked if there was anything I was expecting them to ask me
Is there anything you would like add
Do you have any questions
What have you been doing since your degree
Your opinion on teamwork
Discipline methods (it would be helpful to mention restorative practice)
Your first class with a 1st year group, what topic would you start with.
If you have a subject that's an option, they asked me what would I do to help promote my subject in the school.
How would you approach a new class for the first time
Your opinion on ICT in the classroom.
How did you prepare for the interview.
Has anything happened in your working life such as a difficult situation that you've learned from and can bring to teaching and the classroom.

I hope some of these help. Apologies it's a bit messy, posting from a phone isn't ideal!

Best of luck in the interview!

This is great, thanks! I've just applied to TCD for the PME (French). I'm presuming the questions would be similar. Has anyone done one there?
I'm wondering how much of it would be in French.

ledgebag1

Thanks for getting back, it's really helpful and really appreciated

rhapsodyinblu

Hi there, I applied for the PME in Trinity through Music and also through the PAC I was wondering if anyone had any idea how long it takes to hear back from them?

daveyboy123

PAC is usually April methinks

rhapsodyinblu

daveyboy123 wrote: »

PAC is usually April methinks

Thanks! I emailed them the other day and just got a reply, 1st offers come out first week in April.

daveyboy123

So... what do you guys think re this year's PME intake? Will it go down... will people still need 1.1's to get in... What about 2.2's...?

ledgebag1

No idea still waiting to hear from dcu about the interviews

rhapsodyinblu

daveyboy123 wrote: »

So... what do you guys think re this year's PME intake? Will it go down... will people still need 1.1's to get in... What about 2.2's...?

I'm hoping to get in with a 2.1

I applied for Trinity (music) and then through the PAC in the order UCD, NUIM, UCC, NUIG

dwayneshintzy

Hey, I applied for the PME in December. I didn't think I was going to have a problem with the Teaching Council assessment, but just got my reply from them today that it was rejected. I got a 2:2 in English and Film Studies from Queen's University Belfast, and they've said they won't recognise the degree because I did not do a dedicated Renaissance module. I have informed them that I wish to dispute this, but anyone know what the chances of success there might be?

spurious

dwayneshintzy wrote: »

Hey, I applied for the PME in December. I didn't think I was going to have a problem with the Teaching Council assessment, but just got my reply from them today that it was rejected. I got a 2:2 in English and Film Studies from Queen's University Belfast, and they've said they won't recognise the degree because I did not do a dedicated Renaissance module. I have informed them that I wish to dispute this, but anyone know what the chances of success there might be?

Fairly slim, I'd say. Is there no short course you could do to become qualified?

dwayneshintzy

It's just a single module that I'd need to do, but I'm working fulltime at the minute and wouldn't even know where to start. Also, the assessment is required for the PME application. Even if I did somehow manage to find a module on a course that I could complete by this summer, it wouldn't be in time for the 2014 masters application. It would have been rejected by the time I got the result.

rhapsodyinblu

I have an interview with trinity for the pme in music next week, any advice?

ViveLaVie

dwayneshintzy wrote: »

It's just a single module that I'd need to do, but I'm working fulltime at the minute and wouldn't even know where to start. Also, the assessment is required for the PME application. Even if I did somehow manage to find a module on a course that I could complete by this summer, it wouldn't be in time for the 2014 masters application. It would have been rejected by the time I got the result.

Can you not do the PME first and then the module after? You don't need to register with the TC until you're job seeking. A few of my friends did it that way this year.

dwayneshintzy

Apparently not, as it wasn't an Irish university I went to. They won't let me on the PME course without the assessment from the Teaching Council that it's an acceptable degree (from Queen's). Really very annoyed about this, wasn't expecting to be denied because I didn't do a dedicated Renaissance literature module. I mean, I had studied Shakespeare in other modules (amply supported by the amount of documentation they made me send in); what Renaissance literature apart from Shakespeare is even on the Leaving?

Mardy Bum

dwayneshintzy wrote: »

Apparently not, as it wasn't an Irish university I went to. They won't let me on the PME course without the assessment from the Teaching Council that it's an acceptable degree (from Queen's). Really very annoyed about this, wasn't expecting to be denied because I didn't do a dedicated Renaissance literature module. I mean, I had studied Shakespeare in other modules (amply supported by the amount of documentation they made me send in); what Renaissance literature apart from Shakespeare is even on the Leaving?

Stringent bureaucracy is inevitable as the box ticking exercises of the TC become the norm.

dwayneshintzy

Well I'll have to see what dispute procedures they have, though I wouldn't be at all optimistic there. Also gonna email and ask if it's possible to register pending completion of that one module, and try and explain to PAC that 2 years would be ample time to complete that one module alongside the PME.

I've got my application in to UCAS now (ranked Cardiff, Ebinburgh, Glasgow) as a back up.....really had been hoping to do teaching qualification in Ireland though.

dory

dwayneshintzy wrote: »

Well I'll have to see what dispute procedures they have, though I wouldn't be at all optimistic there. Also gonna email and ask if it's possible to register pending completion of that one module, and try and explain to PAC that 2 years would be ample time to complete that one module alongside the PME.

I've got my application in to UCAS now (ranked Cardiff, Ebinburgh, Glasgow) as a back up.....really had been hoping to do teaching qualification in Ireland though.

Oscail would have the module I'd say. Google it.

Also, I think UCAS is the best thing. If English if your only subject then realisticly you'll be working in the UK anyway, so might as well get qualified there.

tippy25

Anyybody else hear from DCU today regarding interviews?

Cuerva

tippy25 wrote: »

Anyybody else hear from DCU today regarding interviews?

Hi! Yeah I did. Although I just logged on to check whether I still had an interview booking and it had disappeared so had to book another day...

debz61288

dwayneshintzy wrote: »

Apparently not, as it wasn't an Irish university I went to. They won't let me on the PME course without the assessment from the Teaching Council that it's an acceptable degree (from Queen's). Really very annoyed about this, wasn't expecting to be denied because I didn't do a dedicated Renaissance literature module. I mean, I had studied Shakespeare in other modules (amply supported by the amount of documentation they made me send in); what Renaissance literature apart from Shakespeare is even on the Leaving?

You should be able to do the course without the TC recognising your degree. The universities don't check to see if your degree is approved, it is your responsibility. So you can still apply for the PME and just complete your module throughout the two years. Just make sure that once you complete the module, the TC will definitely approve you. Best of luck

pancake_tuesday

Cuerva wrote: »

Hi! Yeah I did. Although I just logged on to check whether I still had an interview booking and it had disappeared so had to book another day...

Strange, it only closed on the 28th allowing the submission of the other documents until the 14th. I was late applying but didn't think they'd start interviews until all applications were received.

dwayneshintzy

debz61288 wrote: »

You should be able to do the course without the TC recognising your degree. The universities don't check to see if your degree is approved, it is your responsibility. So you can still apply for the PME and just complete your module throughout the two years. Just make sure that once you complete the module, the TC will definitely approve you. Best of luck

That doesn't seem to be the case. I applied to PAC, and they are indeed checking if my degree is approved. They've said without TC approval I can't get into the course at all. Gonna send them in a letter with the TC decision, and let them know that I will definitely be completing the required module. We'll see what happens.

Have completed my application for UCAS anyway (reference check finally came through), so hopefully will just get into Cardiff or Edinburgh instead now. Just very frustrated with the whole thing.