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Secondary School Music Teaching

  • 27-10-2014 2:43am
    #1
    KK94
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭KK94


    I'm currently in my final year of a bachelor of music degree and always planned on doing a masters of education and becoming a secondary school teacher in the future. However I'm becoming very concerned over the reported lack of jobs in secondary teaching, especially as I would only be qualified to teach one subject. I'm wondering are there any newly qualified music teachers who could share their experience of trying to find work? Any advice in general would be appreciated :)


Comments

  • #2
    solerina
    Registered Users Posts: 2,433 ✭✭✭solerina


    I am not a Music teacher but I can tell you that in my school we have one music teacher and she is only on half hours. All first years do music, after that its optional and we generally end up with one class group per year. I would say it would be difficult (not impossible) to find a full hours job for music alone.


  • #3
    mirrorwall14
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,751 ✭✭✭mirrorwall14


    I'm qualified in maths and music and in my 6th year teaching. I taught no music for the first four years. Now I'm the only music teacher in my school and teaching nearly every year group but I still have three class groups of maths making up the balance. It's very tough to get a job in music, and even tougher to get full hours when you only have the one subject


  • #4
    KK94
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭KK94


    Thanks for the replies, although I would love the job I think I better rethink my options as I don't want to corner myself into a career with very few job prospects :/


  • #5
    RH149
    Registered Users Posts: 349 ✭✭RH149


    If you're serious about teaching I wouldn't bother with the Masters and put the time and money into getting qualified in a second subject and one that would be in demand as Music would not be great in terms of job prospects. We have very small Music classes and quite a few students take Music as an extra subject outside of school (usually they are the very musical kids who play one or more instruments) so they wouldn't even be making up the numbers in a music class in school.


    Such a pity really, but its the reality.


  • #6
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    Might be a long haul until you get lucky.

    Things you need to do in meantime!
    Get Experience conducting choir: Local church, community groups, primary school (after school activity).. offer accompanist services if you play piano then you might be asked to take some rehearsals some night. Offering to start up stuff though would mean you are in for the long haul... and not just quit as soon as other work/job comes up
    Join a choir as singer (youll make contacts this way ). Local musical groups usually also attract teachers who might keep you informed of mat. leave/retirements coming up. I know of a few music colleagues who sing in the same choir and they basically keep each other in constant employment with gigs etc.
    Some music schools are part of the ETB/VEC so offering your services as a deputy/sub could get you in the door too, say you can take theory classes/LC/JC too (have a look at abrsm theory papers).
    Get basic instrument teaching diploma for starters (Associate of London college of music the easiest).
    Basic Skills at sound recording might tick the IT
    box in an interview.
    As someone mentioned, a lot of students take music outside school, so if you think you could put a course together it might be worthwhile offering your services to a music school/grind school for evening classes (at least if sub work came up you could still do the evening classes).

    Join ppmta / aoic for courses.

    Basically, get yourself out there.

    If its a BMus did you do any LC subject in 1st year with the arts crowd? A second subject degree would be a tough commitment after 4yrs us. After the PME you'ld probably find it easy to get a job in the UK if yer young and single.


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  • #7
    BonCourage
    Registered Users Posts: 42 ✭BonCourage


    I am in the third year of my degree in UCD, and am planning to do PME next year! I will be fully qualified to teach Music and Irish! Is this a good combination? Thanks :)


  • #8
    Postgrad10
    Registered Users Posts: 2,792 ✭✭✭Postgrad10


    BonCourage wrote: »
    I am in the third year of my degree in UCD, and am planning to do PME next year! I will be fully qualified to teach Music and Irish! Is this a good combination? Thanks :)

    Music is tricky to get work in as they stated above. But Irish is a much better subject to have ! :)


  • #9
    Joey Weak Self-restraint
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,962 ✭✭✭ Joey Weak Self-restraint


    BonCourage wrote: »
    I am in the third year of my degree in UCD, and am planning to do PME next year! I will be fully qualified to teach Music and Irish! Is this a good combination? Thanks :)

    Irish is a good subject. It's an unusual combination. You will no doubt get work teaching Irish. It is likely you may not get any music. Many Irish (and Home Ec) teachers I have spoken to complain of never getting to teach their second subject. So be prepared and ensure you will be happy teaching just Irish.


  • #10
    BonCourage
    Registered Users Posts: 42 ✭BonCourage


    Joey Weak Self-restraint wrote: »
    Irish is a good subject. It's an unusual combination. You will no doubt get work teaching Irish. It is likely you may not get any music. Many Irish (and Home Ec) teachers I have spoken to complain of never getting to teach their second subject. So be prepared and ensure you will be happy teaching just Irish.

    I totally get you! I do love Irish, and wouldnt mind just teaching it .... maybe after a few years in a school I could get to teach music, who knows!


  • #11
    man_no_plan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,018 ✭✭✭man_no_plan


    We have a teacher with music and Irish. She came as an Irish teacher but in the past few years has gotten some music too.

    There is enough Irish to keep her going all the time but not enough music to do the same.

    We have two music teachersin total, both excellent, so the numbers are growing in jc. It seems hard to carry the numbers through to lc though.

    The same is true for art, home ex, construction, DCG, engineering, and some of t he sciences. People seem to fixate on the humanities at the expense of the creative regardless of their ability in either field. Probably worthy of its own thread...


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  • #12
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    man_no_plan wrote: »
    We have a teacher with music and Irish. She came as an Irish teacher but in the past few years has gotten some music too.

    There is enough Irish to keep her going all the time but not enough music to do the same.

    We have two music teachersin total, both excellent, so the numbers are growing in jc. It seems hard to carry the numbers through to lc though.

    The same is true for art, home ex, construction, DCG, engineering, and some of t he sciences. People seem to fixate on the humanities at the expense of the creative regardless of their ability in either field. Probably worthy of its own thread...

    I think that depends from school to school. Humanities take up is low in my school with the exception of geography. On the other hand we run Construction, DCG, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, 2 Biology and 2 Ag Science every year.

    I think it can just develop as a tradition in a school, if students see good results coming in certain subjects and get good feedback about a subject from those in the years ahead of them, then they take up the subject. If numbers are low in say history like they are in my school, then it's not as visible and less students hear about it and don't want to take a chance on it.


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