Am i mad?

smelly girl

if anyone has read my previous post on portfoilo courses, you'll know i want to do art teaching. The only thing is whenever i mention this to anyone (esspecially my teachers) they think i'm crazy!! is teaching really that bad? And is the ncad course really that bad? (by the looks of it anyway i wont be going there)

Doctor Funfrock

yes

DadaKopf

The NCAD course is extremely hard work. Obviously they work people to test their commitment.

Other people's opinions shouldn't matter. If you *really* want to teach, then do the course and become a teacher.

Teachings a difficult profession, but I'm sure for those born to teach, I'm sure job satisfaction is very high.

Don't care what people tell you. It's a good job with a good salary with great holiday time with which to pursue any personal ambitions you have yourself.

Just my 2c.

pork99

Teaching is always good.

The laws of the country will protect you from competition; you will never find anyone opening a competing school down the road to educate the kids for half the price nor will the kids ever be sent to India to be educated for a tenth of the price.

In fact it seems to work the other way, rather perversely, with parents opting to send their kids to the most expensive private school possible causing some free school's roles to fall to the point where they have to consider closing down. :dunno:

Also you practically have to murder one of the kids to get sacked (well they even used to get away with that when I was a kid - its kinda unfashionable nowadays)

And with benchmarking! what more do ye want?

Karoma

it's a good way to make a steady wage whilst doing your own thing. it can be quite tough work obviously,and dangerous... if it's what you wanna do-then go for it, ignore everyone else.

Silent Grape

u cud always keep ur options open and do a fine art degree and then the teaching add on year.

Figment

Teaching all depends on your personality. It can be very hard frustrating work for a number of reasons.

-Uninterested students.
-No discipline in classes anymore and with the items like blades, lino cutters, white spirits in an art class you can be responsible.
-Overcrowding.
-Little support from school.
-Art class and other practical subjects are normally very under funded. you will have to fight for every penny for materials from uninterested principals.
-Very Very very hard to get a permanent position to get the job stability mentioned above. If you work a certain number of years you automatically get maid permanent however many schools will let you go before that period as they can push you around less when you are permanent.
-Staff room politics. They are in every school and are not worth the hassle.
-Few other reasons I cant think of at the moment.


However if you are the type of person who can maintain discipline, connect with the students and inspire and feel rewarded by inspiring then go for it. there are not enough teachers like that and you would be badly needed.

Walter Ego

I used to teach and believe me it beats the sh1t out of working. Go for it.

smelly girl

what do you do now?

Walter Ego

I.T Management

paddyc

About to finish teaching trainign after4 years in IT... it rocks and i taught a placement in Belfast in a UBF type school with the name Paddy, so if I can do that anyonw can teach.

Its hard hard work, but well well worth it if you get an okay school.

paddy

karma kabbage

Have you applied to do the education course in NCAD? If so go for it you might like it. If not you can (as someone else mentioned) do a degree in any other 'arty' area and then go on to do a post-grad course if you still have the teaching urge.

Personally I'm with you, I applied to several courses this year and at the mo the education in NCAD is my first choice. The career appeals to me, what else can I say?!

smelly girl

yeah its my first choice too. i really have to start my drawing brief. What mechanical object have you decided on. im just lost.. And my portfolio is ****e. ...
(moan moan, whinge whinge)

henry828

?

Samson

Do you have something to contribute to this discussion Henry?

karma kabbage

Yup, I decided almost instantly that my mechanical thingy was going to be a hair clip due to the fact that I had already done some studies on this and so if I do my mechanical object will tie in with my portfolio of DOOM!!!

I was advised that if you can find a mechanical thingy that relates to work you've done previously it can help!

Can I ask when your interview is?

smelly girl

monday. I'm doing a cork screw. Not sure why i'm going to the interview anyway. I'm not kidding myself, portfolio is crap, so i'll probably do a portfolio course because i got a letter from ballyfermot.
On the whole idea of teaching, i'm in a heap. Never actually wanted to be a teacher so i'm wondering what the hell i'm gonna do.
thanks for the help though.

Silent Grape

if ur unsure about whether or not you want to do teaching, thentake the year to do a portfolio course. this'll give u time to think and find out more about different career options. anyway once ur in college u ahve four years to think about what career u want. teaching is not the only 'proper'(sigh) career to come out of doing art.