Primary teaching postgrad, any advice??

cork26

Hi all,
im planning to apply for the primary teaching postgrad in mary I at the end of this year. Has anybody done the interview already and could maybe offer advice on it? Is it essential to have subbing hours to apply for it? Any advice on what I should be doing over the summer to prepare?

Thanks in advance anyone that replies, it would be a great help to get some advice:)

dambarude

Regarding the subbing I doubt very much that they'd be able to look for that from now on, given it's seriously frowned upon and that it more or less can't happen from September onwards. Until you've the postgrad you're unqualified.

byhookorbycrook

How's your Gaeilge?Maybe a weekend or more in the Gaeltacht to brush up if needs be?Are you involved in any voluntary work with children?Have a look at educationposts.ie and check out some of the qs people have beenasked at recent interviews.

Just to sound a note of caution though, primary jobs are in very,very,short supply, many NQTS haven't even had regular subbing.

That said, if it's what you want, go for it and best of luck.

cork26

Hi, Ya I was thinking that myself about the subbing, I had just been reading other threads and was surprised that people had been gettin subbing jobs before being qualified, thanks for your help anyway.

cork26

HI, Ive been plugging away at my gaeilge for the past few months. Heading to the gaeltacht for a week in August so hopefully that will be a good help. Finding it hard to keep up practise of my spoken Irish though over the Summer because theres no courses on, trying to read books and all that to keep it up. Thanks for the advice anyways, its a great help, i'll check out educationposts, thanks again:)

byhookorbycrook

Cork26, there may be informal gatherings as Gaeilge, near you. There is one once a month in a pub here,just people chatting away, no classes or anything.

curly from cork

Just wondering if a level 7 degree is acceptable as a degree for a post grad in order to do primary teaching or does the degree need to be level 8 ? filling out my daughters change of mind CAO . Thanks.

curly from cork

curly from cork wrote: »

Just wondering if a level 7 degree is acceptable as a degree for a post grad in order to do primary teaching or does the degree need to be level 8 ? filling out my daughters change of mind CAO . Thanks.

To apply for the Primary Teaching postgrad a level 8 degree is required.

curly from cork

Thank you.

curly from cork

curly from cork wrote: »

Thank you.

You're welcome. Also, the minimum of grade C3 in Higher level Gaeilge is required for it too, if she wants to apply to do it in Ireland. If she hasn't got it in her leaving cert, she can repeat it as a subject on it's own before applying, when the time comes. It's handy to know about these things in advance

ShamoBuc

Deleted User wrote: »

You're welcome. Also, the minimum of grade C3 in Higher level Gaeilge is required for it too, if she wants to apply to do it in Ireland. If she hasn't got it in her leaving cert, she can repeat it as a subject on it's own before applying, when the time comes. It's handy to know about these things in advance

It is certainly very important to find out all the minimum requirements - another I think is a grade C at ordinary level English and I'm sure there are others.

ShamoBuc

ShamoBuc wrote: »

It is certainly very important to find out all the minimum requirements - another I think is a grade C at ordinary level English and I'm sure there are others.

Absoultely. Here they are :

Minimum grade C (higher level) in Leaving Cert. Irish

Minimum grade D (ordinary or higher level) in Leaving Cert. Mathematics

Minimum grade C (ordinary level) or grade D (higher level in Leaving Cert. English

Most people would have the English and Maths requirements from their LC anyway for getting in to do their level 8 degrees in the first place, most people get stung by the irish requirement though, by either a)obtaining just a D in higher or b) sitting ordinary level in the LC. There are countless classes being run in places around the country specifically for people who need to get the higher C in Irish to get into primary teaching. I see flyers for night classes in my letterbox in my area and this is one of the things listed on it, so there must be a demand for it. This is in spite of the fact that there are very few jobs in Ireland for qualified teachers at the moment, and it's looking like it's gonna be very bleak for years to come.

Brookie123

I'm a qualified teacher with my dip done also & there isn't any work for teachers, so I'd seriously think about a career in teaching these days!

pele2010

HI there

Just read the last thread saying that anyone looking into a career into teaching should re-consider. Want i need is some good advice.

I have gone for Hibernia three times, Froebal once and Scotland having failed on all attempts. On my last Hibernia interview i was very confident until they caught me out with a sean focal which i didnt understand. I have studied Irish, work in an Irish school once a week coaching so i have a good level of Irish. I work for the GAA and i volunteer in a youth centre. This to date has still not been enough. What i really need to know is there any point in continuing my efforts or should i just opt for a different career path?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

zetorman

I know you will not want to hear this BUT....think very carefully before paying €8500 to Hibernia to get qualified for a job that may not exist when you graduate ????? If you are working at anything else stick at it. If you are not working then you simply cannot afford to pay out these huge fees. Sometimes people get totally screwed up mentally with THE DREAM of becoming X, Y or Z in life. In my old age I now realise that all forms of work are honourable e.g bin men, cleaner etc. In the tiger years we all shunned blue collar jobs......Shame on us !!! Good luck!! As my granny used to say " if its for you it will not pass you by"

pele2010

thanks a million for the advice, lot of truth in what your saying there. I do have a job at the moment so all is not bad!!

thanks very much

Pamela89

Hey guyz...:) ive a intervie for postgrad in primary coming up on 16th january!! just wondering does anyone no of anywhere i cud get help with interview preparationz...mainly the irish part!! i would love maybe 4/5 one on one grindz.... if anyone has any info on this id really appreaciate it... cheerz!

Mod Note:
Please do not use text speak.

aisling_jo

hi, this year will be my first attempt at the interviews for froebel and hibernia and I'm very nervous. I have been preparing the questions for the interview for a few months now but I was just wondering was there any obscure questions that threw people off that I should prepare.

byhookorbycrook

The gang on educationposts.ie will probably be better placed to help you.

Mairead7

does anyone have a link for that forum on education posts as I cant find it!! thanks!!

NoelJ

Mairead7 wrote: »

does anyone have a link for that forum on education posts as I cant find it!! thanks!!

http://forum.educationposts.ie/

Mairead7

still cant find it???:(

E.T.

This is the direct link to the colleges/SCG forum on educationposts. If you do a search, just ticking the box for that forum you should get loads of answers. educationposts works a bit differently to here, you're encouraged to do a search before posting a new question as the old questions, with great answers end up disappearing into the ether somewhere!

http://forum.educationposts.ie/viewforum.php?id=8