Qualified Secondary Teachers

joeharte123

Has anyone come across stories like this on the 'Voice For Teachers' Facebook page?

Some of them paint a very clear picture of the modern profession - working two jobs, mortgage applications rejected, sleepless nights etc.



There is one piece of advice that I believe the thousands of students starting their teacher training this year, and of course, the thousands graduating this year deserve to have - don't get your hopes up. There are simply far too many people in the teaching industry looking for work.

rainbowtrout

joeharte123 wrote: »

Has anyone come across stories like this on the 'Voice For Teachers' Facebook page?

Some of them paint a very clear picture of the modern profession - working two jobs, mortgage applications rejected, sleepless nights etc.



There is one piece of advice that I believe the thousands of students starting their teacher training this year, and of course, the thousands graduating this year deserve to have - don't get your hopes up. There are simply far too many people in the teaching industry looking for work.

It was said earlier on in this thread by a poster, they heard the stories but believed they would be the lucky one to land a job. A lot of people think like that.

I was studying physics in Maynooth part time last year. My lab partner was in the Science Education degree doing Physics and Maths (and has probably just finished their degree at this stage). I asked her out of curiosity how she felt about her hopes of getting a teaching job when she graduated. Her response was 'It'll be fine, there won't be a problem getting a job' I was pretty gobsmacked and outlined my reasons why, which have all been listed on this thread. Her response was 'My lecturer (pedagogy) said there are only 7 qualified physics teachers in the country, so it shouldn't be a problem'. Again I was gobsmacked. I said that was simply not true, that I was able to name 7 qualified, permanent physics teachers off the top of my head, but she simply wouldn't believe it. She took what was said by the lecturer as gospel.

I did Science Ed myself in UL, and typically in a class of 30 about 10 would choose the physics option. I put this to her based on 15 years of graduating classes since I had finished college that there might be more than 7 qualified physics teachers in the country, not even considering maynooth graduates. She wasn't having it. The mind boggles.

joeharte123

rainbowtrout wrote: »

It was said earlier on in this thread by a poster, they heard the stories but believed they would be the lucky one to land a job. A lot of people think like that.

I was studying physics in Maynooth part time last year. My lab partner was in the Science Education degree doing Physics and Maths (and has probably just finished their degree at this stage). I asked her out of curiosity how she felt about her hopes of getting a teaching job when she graduated. Her response was 'It'll be fine, there won't be a problem getting a job' I was pretty gobsmacked and outlined my reasons why, which have all been listed on this thread. Her response was 'My lecturer (pedagogy) said there are only 7 qualified physics teachers in the country, so it shouldn't be a problem'. Again I was gobsmacked. I said that was simply not true, that I was able to name 7 qualified, permanent physics teachers off the top of my head, but she simply wouldn't believe it. She took what was said by the lecturer as gospel.

I did Science Ed myself in UL, and typically in a class of 30 about 10 would choose the physics option. I put this to her based on 15 years of graduating classes since I had finished college that there might be more than 7 qualified physics teachers in the country, not even considering maynooth graduates. She wasn't having it. The mind boggles.

Nearly every school in the country provides physics as LC option which is something I hope this particular student understands. Engineering graduates can teach physics provided core modules are completed - and how many engineering courses are there!

Students like this end up getting qualified, apply in Ireland, get nothing and travel abroad where they're snapped up.

However, I don't blame any young person for dropping the pursuit of a teaching career in Ireland when they can't even secure substitution hours in a school. Life is too short to be waiting around until you 34, haven't never secured full time employment since you've graduated 10 years prior.

It makes complete sense that a young person wants to move on with their life, get a job, a mortgage, family etc. - it shouldn't be the case that they're in the dole queue every 6 weeks signing on, or renting cheap accommodation, staying in b&bs for a weeks subbing 4 hours drive away. Paying car insurance monthly as they don't have enough to pay the annual premium.

The status the profession once had is dead and gone. For many, teaching is a part time job with part time pay.

I don't mean this in anyway condescending to anyone working in the retail industry but most shop clerks and store operatives in Tesco, Aldi are earning more than the average teacher. This is a fact. Did they have to get a degree? A masters? Spend up to 12,000 for the new Hdip? No.

Friends in other sectors, getting on. Getting married, just got a house, baby on the way, promotion. I understand the grass is always greener and all that but these are things we should all be entitled to and not restricted because of the career we foolishly chose a couple of years back.

I understand that it can be very hard for a person who has put so much effort, time and money into becoming a teacher; to realise there is a massive oversupply, so big it would take about 9 years of no graduates coming out to help secure a position for each one.

But It's only a but of advice for those prospective about secondary teaching in Ireland.

1612

Very true a lot of students seem to put the head down when in college and then see what happens when qualified!!
Opportunities are few and far between in the teaching world and the reality of low hours low pay can be very demoralizing when experienced first hand after years of hard work!!

Notorious

xtralong wrote: »

I'd certainly like to think that this is true. Can you think of any meaningful and relatively well paid jobs that teachers can get into fairly easily without retraining?

Management. Might not be meaningful, but it can be very well paid.

I went from management to teaching. I decided to focus on job satisfaction and not pay. I luckily landed a full time teaching position straight out of the PDPPE, and I can't believe how bad the money is. Realistically a mortgage is going to be unattainable unless I've a partner.

In response to the over-supply of teaching graduates; I find it funny how the colleges (mine anyway), sell the profession using the increasing population stats. I couldn't keep count of how many times we were told that in two years time there'll be a shortage of secondary teachers. Ireland's population is increasing so rapidly that there won't be enough teachers for the amount of students. It's easy to look back and read through the BS, but as a young and eager teacher, relishing a new career or a career change, I lapped that up.

xtralong

The reality is that for many teaching is a part time job with no security and low wages. I would advise anyone thinking of entering the profession to do so with eyes wide open, unfortunately I don't think enough is done to publicise the realities of the profession. Quotas on certain subjects should be enforced by the colleges and a centralised recruitment process similar to Gardai should be in place for all state funded teachers. From reading through this post it seems a few teachers are indeed securing teaching positions with decent hours straight after qualifying. Presumably they are beating more experienced teachers at interview. From my experience the following increases the chances of success for NQTs:
Playing county football/hurling.
Knowing a principal/local politician very well.
Good subject combination eg. Maths and Irish

Notorious

xtralong wrote: »

From reading through this post it seems a few teachers are indeed securing teaching positions with decent hours straight after qualifying. Presumably they are beating more experienced teachers at interview. From my experience the following increases the chances of success for NQTs:
Playing county football/hurling.
Knowing a principal/local politician very well.
Good subject combination eg. Maths and Irish

I think luck has a huge part to play. We've a county hurler in our school, yet we don't have enough students to make up a team. We've "friends" of the principal who have only 8 hours CID. It's not all nepotism.

A lot of it is luck of the draw. Being lucky enough to land the interview and doing the best you can. I've friends who graduated who are now teaching in Quatar, or working in the miserable English teaching system. I know others who landed a job on their first interview. Go figure.