Teaching Placement

Luno · 12-06-2014 12:44am #1

I'm just after completing my second year of a three year course in Irish and Geography. I've become aware of people who have undertaken teaching placement whom are in the same course as I am and it got me thinking that it would be a great opportunity to have experience under my belt if I decide to go down that route.

My question is how does one go about organizing some placement that is not mandatory for their course? Would it be best just to contact schools at the end of August and ask if they'd be looking for someone?

Also, would it be possible to do such a placement in a primary school?

I realise how uninformed this post sounds but have found it extremely difficult to find any information on this topic on the internet.

Thanks in advance!

evolving_doors · 12-06-2014 10:04am

Luno wrote: »

I'm just after completing my second year of a three year course in Irish and Geography. I've become aware of people who have undertaken teaching placement whom are in the same course as I am and it got me thinking that it would be a great opportunity to have experience under my belt if I decide to go down that route.

My question is how does one go about organizing some placement that is not mandatory for their course? Would it be best just to contact schools at the end of August and ask if they'd be looking for someone?

Also, would it be possible to do such a placement in a primary school?

I realise how uninformed this post sounds but have found it extremely difficult to find any information on this topic on the internet.

Thanks in advance!

Not too clear on how your colleagues got 'teaching placement' whilst doing an arts degree (unless they are doing the BEd and attending some of the same subjects as your BA course!).

First off anyhow you would need garda clearance to work with kids. Have a look on the teachinf council website.

Is it primary or secondary teaching you are most interested in?

Crazyteacher · 12-06-2014 10:32am

I think it's shadowing the OP wants. You can try schools to do observation , might be useful if you can get your vetting started early through barnardos but I think the school will still revett you .

Luno · 12-06-2014 11:23am

Armelodie wrote: »

Not too clear on how your colleagues got 'teaching placement' whilst doing an arts degree (unless they are doing the BEd and attending some of the same subjects as your BA course!).

First off anyhow you would need garda clearance to work with kids. Have a look on the teachinf council website.

Is it primary or secondary teaching you are most interested in?

Someone I know had a booklet labelled 'Teaching Placement Evaluation' and had the official teaching council labels and that on it. They were most definitely BA students anyway.
I'm not sure I've always questioned which I'd be more interested in that's why I mentioned both, I'd assume it'd be more difficult to get into a primary school?

Crazyteacher wrote: »

I think it's shadowing the OP wants. You can try schools to do observation , might be useful if you can get your vetting started early through barnardos but I think the school will still revett you .

It could quite be that I couldn't remember the term! Thanks for letting me know about the vetting through Barnardos I'm literally just thinking of this right now so haven't fully investigated the ins and outs, thought starting a plan in summer would be my best shot.

Caiseoipe19 · 12-06-2014 12:12pm

To be honest, you'd be much better off asking the person that had the booklet, rather than us guessing what course/how someone doing a general Arts degree would be doing Teaching Placement. I personally think you've gotten your wires crossed, or else the person is doing a course aimed specifically at training teachers such as the BA in Mathematics and Education in NUI Galway.

If somebody has a booklet labelled 'Teaching Placement Evaluation' it means that they are being assessed on their placement, which means it's part of a course they are doing.

When I was in college doing general Arts, there was a module we has the option of taking in Mathematics which was basically teaching some Maths classes in local secondary schools. Again though, this was part of the university course, not volunteering or anything like that.

Luno · 12-06-2014 4:31pm

Armelodie wrote: »

Not too clear on how your colleagues got 'teaching placement' whilst doing an arts degree (unless they are doing the BEd and attending some of the same subjects as your BA course!).

First off anyhow you would need garda clearance to work with kids. Have a look on the teachinf council website.

Is it primary or secondary teaching you are most interested in?

Caiseoipe19 wrote: »

To be honest, you'd be much better off asking the person that had the booklet, rather than us guessing what course/how someone doing a general Arts degree would be doing Teaching Placement. I personally think you've gotten your wires crossed, or else the person is doing a course aimed specifically at training teachers such as the BA in Mathematics and Education in NUI Galway.

If somebody has a booklet labelled 'Teaching Placement Evaluation' it means that they are being assessed on their placement, which means it's part of a course they are doing.

When I was in college doing general Arts, there was a module we has the option of taking in Mathematics which was basically teaching some Maths classes in local secondary schools. Again though, this was part of the university course, not volunteering or anything like that.

I completely understand I would ask but I don't particularly know the perso, I'll probably send them a facebook message in the week and figure it out! It's possible that it's related to their subjects.

Thanks for the advice I'm going to find out what exactly they were doing.

With regards to shadowing, is this something that would be useful for future prospects, every little helps is what I'd assume?

Crazyteacher · 12-06-2014 5:48pm

Shadowing would give you a real perspective on teaching as a career. You could even try both primary and post primary to be certain.

Pinkycharm · 12-06-2014 7:37pm

When I did my degree in Mary I a number of years ago we had an off campus programme and I went to a secondary school for it. I shadowed a teacher for the year and she gave me two classes a week to teach, they were first years and was doing Irish and Geography as well.

I'm not sure how they do it nowadays or that but I get where you are coming from.

I think now you only get observation and that, you can't even get the bit of subbing without being registered. I remember being paid to do a bit of it at the time. That was 2007.

seavill · 12-06-2014 9:16pm

We get business students from an IT in for teaching practice. They are not doing a teaching course. They come in twos and generally assist with classes 3 days a week. We had one come on her own few years back, she took classes on her own, not sure was that a regular thing or just every now and then for experience, but I think they were assessed on their own by someone from the college if I recall correctly. Bit unclear post I know but we definitely have people come in that are not doing a teaching course

Luno · 13-06-2014 1:52pm

Thanks for all the replies.

I am going to sort out garda vetting and wait until August to contact schools and find out their position on this and will go from there.

Teaching Placement

Comments