Teaching cert

Howtodo?

Hi All,

Quick question, I am currently thinking about applying to the Teachers Council of Ireland to register as a teacher. The reason I am doing this is so I can, hopefully, provide workshops to secondary schools on issues related to human rights and international development. I have a BSc in international development and LLM (masters) in international human rights law. I've been told it is good to have the cert? Can some teachers/educators advice on this? Do I even have the correct qualifications? I have taught evening classes in adult education at 3rd level, also tutored at 3rd level.

mtoutlemonde

Howtodo? wrote: »

Hi All,

Quick question, I am currently thinking about applying to the Teachers Council of Ireland to register as a teacher. The reason I am doing this is so I can, hopefully, provide workshops to secondary schools on issues related to human rights and international development. I have a BSc in international development and LLM (masters) in international human rights law. I've been told it is good to have the cert? Can some teachers/educators advice on this? Do I even have the correct qualifications? I have taught evening classes in adult education at 3rd level, also tutored at 3rd level.

You have to have a teaching qualification which is the PME.

Be aware that Garda Vetting has changed so you need to have that in order.

Is there much of a niche for your talks? Would students have to pay for them?

Howtodo?

Ok I see. Complicates things a bit. Thanks, I am aware of Garda vetting, it is online now so I'll apply that way.

I'm pretty sure there is a niche, yes. Plus schools can now apply for funding to globalwiseschools.ie for talks/workshops relating to global and development issues-global warming, human rights issues etc. My idea is to pitch workshops from the perspective of an ethical dilemma on global poverty and inequality, for example.

What do you think? What do other people think for that matter?

man_no_plan

Howtodo? wrote: »

Ok I see. Complicates things a bit. Thanks, I am aware of Garda vetting, it is online now so I'll apply that way.

I'm pretty sure there is a niche, yes. Plus schools can now apply for funding to globalwiseschools.ie for talks/workshops relating to global and development issues-global warming, human rights issues etc. My idea is to pitch workshops from the perspective of an ethical dilemma on global poverty and inequality, for example.

What do you think? What do other people think for that matter?

You wouldn't need to be tc registered for this as not being paid from schools allocation

Howtodo?

Ok, may be a silly question, but what if it is paid from schools allocation?

TheDriver

Howtodo? wrote: »

Ok, may be a silly question, but what if it is paid from schools allocation?

Not a hope it would be unless you can teach a subject. You are more looking into tutoring

Redser87

Howtodo? wrote: »

Ok, may be a silly question, but what if it is paid from schools allocation?

You would be looking at pitching this to the principal/ BOM. Schools do sometimes have funds for extra things to benefit the children, but you would be competing with sports coaches, etc. Plus, if you are looking into primary, you would be competing with qualified teachers who are also trained in Curriculum Ethics. I don't know what it would be like at second level but I imagine teachers with CSPE qualifications would be looking at ethical and environmental issues anyway. Maybe someone from secondary could say if I am right on this.

mtoutlemonde

Redser87 wrote: »

You would be looking at pitching this to the principal/ BOM. Schools do sometimes have funds for extra things to benefit the children, but you would be competing with sports coaches, etc. Plus, if you are looking into primary, you would be competing with qualified teachers who are also trained in Curriculum Ethics. I don't know what it would be like at second level but I imagine teachers with CSPE qualifications would be looking at ethical and environmental issues anyway. Maybe someone from secondary could say if I am right on this.

I'm secondary and can't see many schools doing this course. As said previously, the OP would be in competition with sports coaches / language teachers etc. Schools money is tight and there would want to be a great learning outcome (which I can't see) compared to sports coaches where students compete in different sports / competitions or in the case of language (other than the leaving cert subjects) such as Chinese where the students are introduced to a new language / culture etc.

man_no_plan

mtoutlemonde wrote: »

I'm secondary and can't see many schools doing this course. As said previously, the OP would be in competition with sports coaches / language teachers etc. Schools money is tight and there would want to be a great learning outcome (which I can't see) compared to sports coaches where students compete in different sports / competitions or in the case of language (other than the leaving cert subjects) such as Chinese where the students are introduced to a new language / culture etc.

Allocation means it's from money yo pay teachers for teaching.

I agree with the above. We do development education with TY, its dobe for free by a person who volunteers with a development charity.

Sometimes the kids do a bit of fundraising for the charity as a thank you but its not a requirement

solerina

I am also secondary and I can't see my school paying for something like this, maybe try to get work with and NGO, their education programmes sometimes provide speakers to schools.

Howtodo?

Thanks all for replies. The idea is not to give a course rather as someone ponited out earlier, more as a guest speaker. As I said earlier there is funding from these guys -worldwiseschools.ie, and other areas too. Some teachers tell me that there are weeks specifically set aside for global education in many schools which might be a way to do it. For example, climate change/global warming is, and will be, the issue of the future, the science is practically unanimous at this point despite what you might read in some the papers about a 'debate'. Yet according to teachers I speak to, admitttedly a fairly small sample, there isn't a full or sometimes even partial inderstanding of its very real consequences and impacts. Good point about learning outcomes, but at this stage for me it would be more about TY, in other word introducing ideas, concepts (and provocations) rather than focusing on outcomes-active citizenship that sort of thing. Outcomes relating to one-off topic raising w/shops are difficuilt to measure, in a sense that is not the function they serve, but i guess that is a whole other topic. I guess see what I am trying to do is support the integration of development education into schools, from a human rights perspective in particular. Again, all comments welcome.

man_no_plan

Howtodo? wrote: »

Thanks all for replies. The idea is not to give a course rather as someone ponited out earlier, more as a guest speaker. As I said earlier there is funding from these guys -worldwiseschools.ie, and other areas too. Some teachers tell me that there are weeks specifically set aside for global education in many schools which might be a way to do it. For example, climate change/global warming is, and will be, the issue of the future, the science is practically unanimous at this point despite what you might read in some the papers about a 'debate'. Yet according to teachers I speak to, admitttedly a fairly small sample, there isn't a full or sometimes even partial inderstanding of its very real consequences and impacts. Good point about learning outcomes, but at this stage for me it would be more about TY, in other word introducing ideas, concepts (and provocations) rather than focusing on outcomes-active citizenship that sort of thing. Outcomes relating to one-off topic raising w/shops are difficuilt to measure, in a sense that is not the function they serve, but i guess that is a whole other topic. I guess see what I am trying to do is support the integration of development education into schools, from a human rights perspective in particular. Again, all comments welcome.

It is a good idea and worthwhile content. If you could apply for the funding and offer your workshops to schools on the back of it there might be more success.

Basically, there are too many things drawing on the school finances. There is enough paperwork without having to junp through hoops to get funding for a non essential programme.

As i said we have development ed, and its great. If i had to pay a fortune for it we wouldn't have it.

What were you thinking price wise?

Also.... Is this market research?

Howtodo?

Thanks for reply. Yeah I guess it is market research in a way although didn't really think of that way. Agreed about funding idea. I think from what I hear a lot deved in secondary schools isn't great, of course there are exceptions. I recently went to a conference hosted by globalwise schools and got talking to a lot of teachers, who were interested and often passionate but didn't really understand where deved is going, not their fault of course.

The 'charity and aid model' is out dated, and everything that flows from it. What really matters now is the idea of 'justice'-environmental, social, & economic. Tax dodging for example, this is a deved topic, but you wouldn't think it with some of the big NGOs! If tax isn't paid in 'developing' countries (another dodgy term) by tax dodging companies and individuals, then govts in those countries don't have revenue to fund public services. Here that means unemployment, there it causes extreme poverty and deaths in millions. I disagree it is non-essential, kids these days will need to be savvy and critically minded for the world they will go into.

Anyway, you get the point. Price wise is negotiable I'd be happy to charge 100 upwards per workshop, maybe a bit more depending on time.

spurious

Might you be better off aiming your talks at teachers? It might even be a decent use for the useless CP hours.

Howtodo?

Yeah maybe, good idea actually. What CP hours, And why are they useless?

spurious

In short, extra non-class contact hours that teachers were forced to do following the Croke Park agreement, essentially detention for teachers, where everyone sits around and some higher paid person who has not been in a classroom for years tells us all how to do our job.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/teachers-conference-croke-park-deal-is-the-greatest-waste-of-time-ever-322706.html

man_no_plan

spurious wrote: »

In short, extra non-class contact hours that teachers were forced to do following the Croke Park agreement, essentially detention for teachers, where everyone sits around and some higher paid person who has not been in a classroom for years tells us all how to do our job.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/teachers-conference-croke-park-deal-is-the-greatest-waste-of-time-ever-322706.html

In some schools.

Howtodo?

Christ, I can imagine. Lot of teachers pissed off then, obviously. Can't say I blame them. How do you get into CP hours with something like i am proposing, at least it would be interesting what I am suggesting, well, I think anyway!

spurious

I suppose contact Principals.

I know it's not just a CSPE topic, but their association might be an 'in' into schools: http://www.cspeteachers.ie/

Howtodo?

Yeah possibly, I'll try them. thanks for your help navigating this tricky world!