Second Level Teaching

DavidKelly1 · 26-10-2010 4:51pm #1

Ok so I am considering Second Level teaching as a future career choice. Subject-wise I am leaning towads English & Geography/ English & Music..
What would be the route to follow if I wished to teach the subjects mentioned?. Any help appreciated, thanks

Ciaramb92 · 26-10-2010 6:01pm

I'd imagine a degree in the both (an Arts degree) and then a hDip afterwards.

spurious · 26-10-2010 6:18pm

Degree and PGDE is the way most people do it.

Please closely look at the numbers of unemployed teachers, the numbers being pumped out of teacher training courses and colleges here and in the UK and be realistic about employment prospects in Ireland.

DavidKelly1 · 26-10-2010 6:56pm

Thanks for your replies

. Hey Spurious, I am in 5th year at the moment so it would be at least 6 years until i'm qualified, do you think it will have picked up any more in that space of time?.

Do you think maybe doing a course like Arts(English&Geography) with Creative Writing would increase my employment chances?. Any more comments feel free to say!!

spurious · 26-10-2010 9:29pm

The more subjects you can offer the better. Try and get other qualifications like first aid, or best of all a licence to drive a mini-bus - that would be a big 'in' for any school.

Whether things will improve, I don't know. We were expecting loads of new jobs as the 1968-1973 intake of teachers (post 'free' education) started to retire but that hasn't materialised. In the frenzy of public sector cuts, I wouldn't be hopeful, but we might have an election and then, who knows?

DavidKelly1 · 26-10-2010 11:42pm

Well i'm a qualified Piano Teacher if that would help?. Would doing a First Aid Course help employment?

spurious · 27-10-2010 7:20am

DavidKelly1 wrote: »

Well i'm a qualified Piano Teacher if that would help?. Would doing a First Aid Course help employment?

Yes, if the school you're applying to work in doesn't have a qualified person on staff - and many don't.

Any specialist skill you can add on will help you get work. A 'Speech and Drama' qualification?

Most teachers these days start off subbing first - a class or two here and there everyday, though sometimes no work on a given day. If they're lucky, they might get a few hours a week of their own classes in the second year. A jackpot for a new teacher would be a maternity or sick leave, where you would get someone's entire timetable for a fixed period.

It seems to be after four years and up that people are getting on to reasonable hours these days, though the elusive full-time permanent job seems to be gone. It's all 'Contracts of Indefinite Duration' now.

Of the 'Dippers' (PGDE people) we've had in our school over the last three years or so (we'd have 4 or 5 a year), only one is in a full hours job now and she was lucky enough to get it first year out. That would certainly not be the norm.

coffeelover · 27-10-2010 1:45pm

I'm in 5th year too and I'd absolutly love to become a teacher.. Subject wise i'd go for a music and business. But i'd really worry that I wouldn't get a job when i'm qualified

gaeilgegrinds1 · 27-10-2010 1:56pm

Steer clear of Business or English in my opinion. I don't know anyone who got a job with the recently. That said, if that's where you passion lies you'll obviously be more interested in those subjects.

dambarude · 27-10-2010 6:42pm

coffeelover wrote: »

I'm in 5th year too and I'd absolutly love to become a teacher.. Subject wise i'd go for a music and business. But i'd really worry that I wouldn't get a job when i'm qualified

What Gaeilgegrinds said, and it will be difficult to find a degree that combines music and business. I don't think one exists, but I could be wrong. You'd end up having two do two separate degrees if you wanted to be recognised in both of them.

coffeelover · 29-10-2010 12:35pm

What Gaeilgegrinds said, and it will be difficult to find a degree that combines music and business. I don't think one exists, but I could be wrong. You'd end up having two do two separate degrees if you wanted to be recognised in both of them.

Ya thats true but I don't know what other subject to put with music

spurious · 29-10-2010 12:49pm

coffeelover wrote: »

Ya thats true but I don't know what other subject to put with music

Mater Dei do a Religion and Music teaching degree.
Irish and Music, if you could do it, would be a pretty good combination.

coffeelover · 29-10-2010 12:59pm

Mater Dei do a Religion and Music teaching degree.
Irish and Music, if you could do it, would be a pretty good combination.

Ya i had thought of doing irish but my standard is waaaay down

I just about scaped a C in the JC..

dambarude · 29-10-2010 1:14pm

You can do a BA in Music with English, French, Gaeilge, German, Geography, History, Religion or Maths in Mary Immaculate College Limerick (There are other subjects too, but they're not taught in secondary schools). The last time I checked the degree was accredited by the Teaching Council for teaching those subjects. You'd have to do the PGDE (H Dip) afterwards to be qualified though. And obviously some of the subjects in that list are in no demand in secondary schools.

nermal15 · 29-10-2010 1:34pm

You can do a degree in Religion, Education and either History, English or Music in Mater Dei Institute. No need for an extra degree!

UpTheSlashers · 29-10-2010 4:59pm

spurious wrote: »

The more subjects you can offer the better. Try and get other qualifications like first aid, or best of all a licence to drive a mini-bus - that would be a big 'in' for any school.

Whether things will improve, I don't know. We were expecting loads of new jobs as the 1968-1973 intake of teachers (post 'free' education) started to retire but that hasn't materialised. In the frenzy of public sector cuts, I wouldn't be hopeful, but we might have an election and then, who knows?

Ive seen you mention this before, whats the benefit of being qualified to drive a mini-bus?

fonpokno · 29-10-2010 5:09pm

coffeelover wrote: »

Ya thats true but I don't know what other subject to put with music

Trinity do a Music Education course. My sister did it, she's qualified to teach Leaving Cert Music and up to Junior Cert in History. You can do History to a Leaving Cert standard too but she chose to drop it halfway through. At the end you're fully qualified without having to do an extra H Dip. Just another option.

Ciaramb92 · 29-10-2010 5:33pm

UpTheSlashers wrote: »

Ive seen you mention this before, whats the benefit of being qualified to drive a mini-bus?

I second that.. I mean I have only ever seen one school that had their own mini-bus and that was a Galway City school...

Our school, the lads next door and all the schools in surrounding towns rent buses when needed, seems much more cost efficient that paying for the keep of a mini-bus, insurance and all that..

I wouldn't recommend wasting the time or money needed to get a bus license.

UpTheSlashers · 29-10-2010 5:46pm

I wasnt arguing that it wouldnt be beneficial, i just wasnt aware that there were schools which had their own buses driven by teachers.

coffeelover · 29-10-2010 6:36pm

You can do a degree in Religion, Education and either History, English or Music in Mater Dei Institute. No need for an extra degree!

That sounds like a great degree.. Would you have to do a H Dip. afterwards though?

Trinity do a Music Education course. My sister did it, she's qualified to teach Leaving Cert Music and up to Junior Cert in History. You can do History to a Leaving Cert standard too but she chose to drop it halfway through. At the end you're fully qualified without having to do an extra H Dip. Just another option.

Ya the music course in trinity sounds amazing.. Could you do any subject other than history?. Does your sister finding it ok in relation to getting jobs?

readystudypass · 29-10-2010 7:03pm

coffeelover wrote: »

That sounds like a great degree.. Would you have to do a H Dip. afterwards though?

No. The 4 year Mater Dei Teacher Education degree means you are qualified to the same extent as somebody who completed The H.Dip

spurious · 29-10-2010 7:07pm

UpTheSlashers wrote: »

I wasnt arguing that it wouldnt be beneficial, i just wasnt aware that there were schools which had their own buses driven by teachers.

Quite a number of schools in the Dublin area have them but can't use them because there is no-one on staff to drive them, or free at the time they are needed.
It works out very expensive to keep hiring buses for sports events etc. I suppose it would depend how big a school it is and how active the students are in competitions as to whether it would work out cheaper to have your own.

dambarude · 29-10-2010 7:11pm

It must be a regional thing, no schools own buses in my area.

randylonghorn · 29-10-2010 9:04pm

NUI Maynooth do either a Single Honours degree in Music, or a joint Honours BA in Music and one of a range of teaching subjects.

DavidKelly1 · 29-10-2010 9:07pm

AFAIK You can combine Music and Business as part of a BA in NUIM..

gaeilgegrinds1 · 29-10-2010 9:50pm

Thing is you don't need your own bus. I've a bus license as do quite a few of the teachers in our school and we use the community bus at very little cost.

randylonghorn · 30-10-2010 12:51am

DavidKelly1 wrote: »

AFAIK You can combine Music and Business as part of a BA in NUIM..

You can.

I'd be inclined to agree with others though that business teachers are not / will not be in short supply.

fonpokno · 30-10-2010 12:54am

coffeelover wrote: »

Ya the music course in trinity sounds amazing.. Could you do any subject other than history?. Does your sister finding it ok in relation to getting jobs?

I think it's history only but don't take my word for that, she graduated a few years ago. Bear in mind also that my sister didn't do leaving cert history herself and it wasn't an issue for her. She doesn't actually teach in secondary now, (she hates teenagers

) but she wasn't short of offers from where she did teaching practice, she teaches piano privately and she's doing primary teaching at the minute. Got a lot of work in primary schools as music teacher and special needs assistant. They all seemed to love the fact that she had music.

DavidKelly1 · 30-10-2010 1:36pm

Hi fonpokno did your sister do work placements as part of the Music Education Course?. Also what instruments does she play?. I'm in Grade 7 Piano but would I need more instruments than this?..

coffeelover · 30-10-2010 3:46pm

I think it's history only but don't take my word for that, she graduated a few years ago. Bear in mind also that my sister didn't do leaving cert history herself and it wasn't an issue for her. She doesn't actually teach in secondary now, (she hates teenagers ) but she wasn't short of offers from where she did teaching practice, she teaches piano privately and she's doing primary teaching at the minute. Got a lot of work in primary schools as music teacher and special needs assistant. They all seemed to love the fact that she had music.

O thats good because I'm not doing history for leaving cert. Ya i play piano but I'm only on grade 5

.. God that sounds brillant. And was she just teaching them music in the primary school?

randylonghorn · 13-11-2010 3:31am

Rockshandy90 wrote: »

Ya an arts degree and the H dip is the way to go for ur subjects. and if u are going to be a teacher its easier to get a job if u have a core subject like english because every1 has to do it!

also when ur in 1st year in arts u pick 4 subjects and then u choose 2 to do in 2nd year until the end. If u want to be a teacher pick 2 proper subjects as ur other 2 in 1st year! I know it might be interesting to do psychology but u will be more employable if u do like history and geography or something because if u do the subject in 1st year u can teach it to JC level.

Rockshandy, welcome to Boards.

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Second Level Teaching

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