Experiences of Hibernia College

noe

Hello,

I'd love to hear of people's recent experiences of the PME (primary) with Hibernia. I'm finally in a position to return to study and part time is probably the best option, so would be grateful to hear any opinions on the course.

If I've posted on the wrong board, please do redirect me!

Makapakka

I am following this. I am looking to get into the PME for primary but have to sit my LC Irish first.

I have read others talk about on this before but would still like to hear recent people in it.

byhookorbycrook

Before you consider shelling out large amounts of cash to become a primary teacher, consider the following:
New entrants to teaching have had their wages slashed even more than older teachers (and that's presuming you can get work)

Jobs,even subbing are like gold dust, many, many teachers are working part time hours, Can you travel to other parts of the country to take up work or are you tied to a particular geographical area?

There are hundreds of experienced teachers out there who will get preference ahead of you for any job

Conditions are being constantly eroded. The Teaching Council are looking to make continuing professional development (in your own time and probably at your own cost) compulsory

HRA and the Croke Park agreement mean we work longer hours- for less pay.

I'm sorry to sound so negative but this is the current state of play and doesn't look like changing any time soon.

noe

Thanks for replying byhookorbycrook with all that info. I'm aware of the difficulties facing teachers at the moment but only as far as someone who is not actually working in the sector can be, so it's good to hear some of the realities.

One of my concerns is definitely that I'll spend money on the course and in the current climate, my cv won't even make it to the principal's desk because of where I studied. Is there a stigma attached to achieving the post grad part time?

byhookorbycrook

Is there a "stigma?" Depends on what you define as a stigma, some principals prefer the traditional face to face colleges for teacher education, others don't. it varies from school to school.

evolving_doors

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Is there a "stigma?" Depends on what you define as a stigma, some principals prefer the traditional face to face colleges for teacher education, others don't. it varies from school to school.

Personally, I dont think it matters a jot on the face2face thing. My experiences of 'hdip' face to face was sitting listening to lectures , you can do that at home on a laptop if your that way inclined. Although for me watching online lectures at home is definitely not my thing... unless they open up the online lecture to 'the floor' so students can ask questions or give opinions.
Teaching practice is same as any I presume. then for your subject tutorials I think you do some face to face on weekends!

Dunno, if I was going to give anyone advice about teaching is just go for it.... and go off to Saudi Arabia and make some real money. then maybe settle down in the UK (or US !) ... but Ireland??? If youre already financially secure (living at home with parents!) and no kids/intentions of falling in love (house mortgage etc!) then its a pure gamble with poor odds.

Spread the love

I do think there is a stigma attached to Hibernia. My principal will openly tell you that she would not employ a Hibernia graduate and she isn't that old either. My friends who have completed the B.Ed still frown upon the course, if I'm being brutally honest.
I know about 20 people who have done the course but I do not know one person who has not got into the course so I do doubt what their criteria is for accepting people into the course. If it were me and I was serious about teaching, then I would stick to the traditional face to face teacher training colleges. This is just my opinion but also my experience of what is being said but perhaps not always openly.

solerina

We currently have 2 people on their own hours ( both about 10 hours) who came to us on TP from Hibernia. Both were excellent and have been called back as a result.

evolving_doors

solerina wrote: »

We currently have 2 people on their own hours ( both about 10 hours) who came to us on TP from Hibernia. Both were excellent and have been called back as a result.

when you think about it, a lot of those Hibernia students might be still working and studying part time (unlike fulltime PME's) with a few years work experience behind them, so maybe it might be a slightly different profile!

solerina

Gebgbegb wrote: »

when you think about it, a lot of those Hibernia students might be still working and studying part time (unlike fulltime PME's) with a few years work experience behind them, so maybe it might be a slightly different profile!

Agreed, in the past 5/6 years we have had students on TP from UL, UCC, St. Angelas etc, and from those that I have encountered the Hibernia people were the best, more mature, more diligent etc. Their supervisors definitely were very good and consulted staff about them, which doesn't usually happen with the traditional colleges.

evolving_doors

solerina wrote: »

Agreed, in the past 5/6 years we have had students on TP from UL, UCC, St. Angelas etc, and from those that I have encountered the Hibernia people were the best, more mature, more diligent etc. Their supervisors definitely were very good and consulted staff about them, which doesn't usually happen with the traditional colleges.

You'd be kind of shooting yourself in the foot if you were sending the wrong type of person out to a school. It wouldn't really represent a new college well, plus it might close off an avenue for future Hibernia students to use that school.

At the end of the day though I don't think you can ever know for sure what a person is going to do until they are put onto that stage in front of the kiddies, even at that it might take a year or two before people can find their 'teacher voice' (I'm still working on mine!).

gaiscioch

I don't know about the primary courses. However, I will say that the people I know who have done the Hibernia course all chose it because they had full-time jobs and financial responsibilities and Hibernia was the only provider which could facilitate their desire for a career change. They all had degrees in other areas and all were obviously very motivated to make the sacrifices necessary to do the course while continuing to work fulltime (and in many cases keep a family going).

Whatever about anything else, that sort of motivation, maturity and ability to juggle things gets my respect.

gaiscioch

Gebgbegb wrote: »

If youre already financially secure (living at home with parents!) and no kids/intentions of falling in love (house mortgage etc!) then its a pure gamble with poor odds.

This. 100% - particularly in Dublin where house prices are beyond the reach of any teacher's salary (if anybody doubts this, put your salary into a mortgage calculator). Moreover, in the entire state the declining conditions of employment cannot be ignored. Few people went into teaching for the money; they did, however, go in for the conditions of employment.

noe

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies, great to get the varied opinions and experiences.
I applied for the traditional face to face route a few years back but couldn't take up my place. I will be juggling a job and young family this time but feel as though it's now or never. I suppose I'll only get out of the course what I put into it but it's good to hear people's positive experiences.

spurious

PLEASE be fully aware of the jobs situation. It hasn't changed in years, despite people persisting in believing things will get better - meanwhile hundreds of newly qualified teachers get into the queue ahead of you.

byhookorbycrook

Gebgbegb wrote: »

even at that it might take a year or two before people can find their 'teacher voice' (I'm still working on mine!).

Funnily enough , we have some Ty students in this week and one of them asked me how I got the infants to be so quiet, just by telling them to listen (without raising my voice!) I told him that it's taken over 25 years to get there!:D:D:D

evolving_doors

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Funnily enough , we have some Ty students in this week and one of them asked me how I got the infants to be so quiet, just by telling them to listen (without raising my voice!) I told him that it's taken over 25 years to get there!:D:D:D

Is it the stare!!!

Crazyteacher

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Funnily enough , we have some Ty students in this week and one of them asked me how I got the infants to be so quiet, just by telling them to listen (without raising my voice!) I told him that it's taken over 25 years to get there!:D:D:D

When I was on TY work experience, I managed to get the infant class settled down to work after lunch. Their teacher came back from lunch and she was astonished they had listened to me:) I was made promise I'd do primary teaching, should have listened to her, now I'm secondary trained
😕