Post primary or adult education teaching?

Teapot30

Hi could anyone please offer me some advice?
Ive had my heart set on becoming an art teacher for about 10 years now, I did the 4 years of art college but by the time I got my degree the requirements for the Hdip changed. It was no longer a one year course but a two year masters with increased fees and the grant was much harder to get but at this stage you could get fees paid and grant if you were on social welfare for 12 months. I found it impossible to find work so I decided to go the social welfare route. By the end of the year the financial requirements changed again and id only be entitled to a contribution fee of 2,000 towards fees meaning id have to pay the remaining 8,000 which I can't do.
I could take out a loan but ive heard so many times that secondary teaching jobs are hard to come by and you might only get 3 hours of work a week if youre lucky, it could take years to land a permanent role especially in art teaching.

Recently I found another Hdip course in adult education, so id be qualified to teach in PLC colleges, youth reach ect.. Id still just get the contribution fee of 2,000 but the course is much cheaper and only 1 year so I can pay the remaining 3,000 with my savings.

Over the past 10 years ive been building on my C.V and work experience volunteering in special needs schools working with children through arts and crafts, setting up my own art classes with kids and art teaching in Summer camps.

So I went to a guidance counsellor for advice, she was lovely and very helpful but on reflection im feeling very confused, she told me that they get people in every other week from these postgrad adult education courses looking for work experience, she said its very unlikely i'll get a job out of it and that the course is very limiting, she said id have more options with the secondary school teaching qualification but I can't afford that one.

My experience working with kids has only seemed to bite me on the backside as everywhere I go to ask for advice they focus on my work with children and encourage me to do a PLC in childcare. I love working with kids, ideally id be a children's art therapist or art teacher but neither are feasible right now, im not good at being disciplinary with kids, I raised my voice at a child in the Summer camp last Summer and im still feeling awful about it so working with kids in an environment were im required to be a disciplinarian won't work. Ive also worked so hard to get to this point I feel id be giving up if I went and did a PLC course in childcare. So ive had to start convincing the people that suggest childcare that I don't want to work with kids, making me sound like I hate working with them but otherwise they keep pushing so I don't feel ive another option.

I just don't know what to do. What I really want is out of reach and what I can afford might not secure me employment.

Does anyone have experience in secondary or adult education teaching or know anyone who could give advice? Im totally lost.

Crazyteacher

Job prospects are not good in both areas, however I would advise you to get a loan and finish off what you started. The pme qualification will keep your options open whereas the adult education course is very limiting and there are even less jobs there than post primary. Ignore the childcare comments, it's a very underpaid and under valued profession with also little job security.

Oh ,Do you have a letter stating that your grant/fees would be covered for the two years. I would argue that it shouldn't have changed from the first year they gave it to you. It would be misleading a student in to thinking they would get it a second year.

Also have you considered starting up your own art classes for all ages at weekends, evenings, summer/Easter camps. Senior citizens as well as children. That could help fund your second year. And I know there's a huge demand for specialist classes for children. All you need is a community hall, materials and insurance. A second helper would ease the pressure as would smaller groups than the summer camp.

Teapot30

Thanks for replying,
I was going to do a CELTA and hopefully that would get me a job teaching English as a second language in Dublin or abroad for atleast a year, with the adult education postgrad I felt that it would higher my chances. If I take out a loan ive no guarantee of getting a job then im stuck with huge loans and no way of paying them. I don't want to trap myself in that position. I know girls from school who trained as post primary teachers who spent years in and out of subbing positions all over the country, some of them had to go back to retrain in something else. It seems like the only way of finding work as a secondary school teacher is to move to the UK and even thats more difficult these days.

I have no letter? When I got a grant I was studying art as an undergrad, grants have changed for postgrad courses.

Edit : Yeah i've been doing my own classes, unfortunately with the price of materials, insurance and rents that places charge to use the space I dont make much of a profit

Crazyteacher

Sorry my mistake I thought you had completed first year of the PME with the grant.

Crazyteacher

It sounds like you still want to teach. Maybe save up for the PME by teaching English and see how it goes. Why I suggest the PME over the hdip adult ed is that they PME still qualifies you to teach adult ed so leaving your options open.

Teapot30

Yeah I think I might use the Hdip as a stepping stone to get a job, from there i'll save up for the masters. Thanks for your help. x

Crazyteacher

PME- 2 years -can teach in both sectors
Hdip adult ed-1 year -limited to adult ed

Doing it that way would make it longer and more expensive in the long run but it's up to you.

Teapot30

I know but taking out such a big loan without the guarantee of a job at the end leaves me in a really awkward position, I dont want to get into debt but ill look into it

Corkgirl18

If you go down the Secondary School teaching route you will absolutely have to be able to discipline your students. Your classroom will be chaos if you don't. Just something to keep in mind as you said being in a disciplinarian position won't work for you.

Teapot30

Thanks for all your replies,

I wouldn't get a job in Ireland, arts subjects are being cut from schools as it is, I know loads of girls from school who trained as second level teachers in different subjects, only one of them has found a permanent position and only recently too, we've been out of school over 10 years. The rest retrained in something else. Id hate to have to emigrate permanently from Ireland, im such a home bird, i'd be miserable.

My dream job would be an art therapist, I also really want to teach but after hearing about art therapy a few years ago I felt that maybe it would more suited to me, I love helping people and at the risk of sounding naive and inexperienced what made me want to teach in the first place was the idea that I could help students and encourage them to want to do well, id love to set up anti bullying programs in schools and I felt that my art class could be a place where students come to get away from the pressures of academia and exams, arts is such a practical subject, theyre not confined to a seat, theres more freedom to chat to their peers, relax and be creative.
I had a horrible time in school and I wanted to be the teacher for other students that I didnt have. Maybe these are the wrong reasons to pursue teaching as the reality of running a class of teenagers could be very different.
Art therapy isnt feasible right now but I was hoping I could save up through teaching and then do the art therapy masters. its just hard and expensive to get into.

Apart from the money side of things the PME adds an extra year onto things as its a two year course, the Hdip is just one year and much less expensive.

Sorry for the rant, I just really don't know what to do, im getting older and have been trying to find a way into a fulfilling job since finishing school but every year it gets pushed further away as fees increase, grants become harder to obtain and jobs are few and far between..