Career change

Hi all,

I just want to get an idea of what is involved in a plan I have.
First of all, I've always had an interest in becoming a teacher. It just so happened that I got a computer science course in the CAO first and I took it.

Now I would like to see if there is a way to move into teaching. I realise that it would involve a lot of work and I am prepared to do all that is neccesary. However, am I right in thinking that there wouldn't be an obvious way in transferring that skill set into the domain of teaching? There aren't really positions for I.T. teachers, or am I just badly informed?
Would anyone know if I would have to go back to college for another 4 years or could I use my existing knowledge for a position in a school?

The reason I ask is that I know of several people who have completed courses in science and maths (without the intention of teaching) and who have gone on to become teachers.
Does anyone think that would be true of anyone with a computing background?

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated, as it's something that has been at the back of my mind for some time now.
Thanks

sigma45

I know of one person who has a computer science degree and is a teacher. He had to do an ordinary degree in maths as well (2 years at night in Kevin St D.I.T). Now teaches P.E, computers and maths at secondary level. The maths that he had convered in his C.S. degree was good enough to get him entry to the BSc (Ord.) Maths course.

Thanks for that.

I'll have to look into this more, I'm not sure even what other requirements are (how many subjects to teach, etc.).

It's something that I've been thinking about for a while now, must act on it.

sunnyjim

Why would anyone want to teach computers? Kids hate Excel and Powerpoint, and thats all ICT teachers ever teach!

Trotter

sunnyjim wrote:

Why would anyone want to teach computers? Kids hate Excel and Powerpoint, and thats all ICT teachers ever teach!

So you've been in all of my ICT classes?

Theres tonne loads of other ICT things I teach to children from 4 - 18 years old.

Its cool that you managed to talk to all of the children who have learned ICT and found the time to realise they ALL hate it.

Silly statements bug me.


ICT is really interesting and fun to teach when you do it right.

killbillvol2

Easy there Trotter. I take it sunnyjim was joking? Taking a flippant comment about someone else's post personally is a bit much!

Trotter

killbillvol2 wrote:

Easy there Trotter. I take it sunnyjim was joking? Taking a flippant comment about someone else's post personally is a bit much!

If sunnyjim was joking, I whole heartedly apologise. However, as I spend a whole lot of time working my tail off to come up with ways of teaching IT to kids who enjoy it, then its only fair to say that not all children hate ICT classes and not all ICT classes are simply powerpoint etc.

My comment was in no way a personal reflection on Sunnyjim, and in no way would I personalise it.

Apologies.

Trotter, sunnyjim,

I'll be honest and say that I'm not too sure what to expect from that line of work, it's just something that I always thought about doing. It is only when I was working for a software company and met a teacher who completed the same type of course as I did that I realised that such aspirations are realistic.

I can imagine I'd probably need some other subject though and that's where I fall short...would like English, although that might be another 4 years in college (if that's what I have to do, then so be it).

Trotter

MoonHawk wrote:

Trotter, sunnyjim,

I'll be honest and say that I'm not too sure what to expect from that line of work, it's just something that I always thought about doing. It is only when I was working for a software company and met a teacher who completed the same type of course as I did that I realised that such aspirations are realistic.

I can imagine I'd probably need some other subject though and that's where I fall short...would like English, although that might be another 4 years in college (if that's what I have to do, then so be it).

Well I have an hons BSc in computing, and I was able to go for the HDip in teaching. (I pulled out to switch to primary).. and because I had studied a good bit of business (MIS) in my course, I was going to put that down as my main subject.

If you look at the Hdip postgrad website (its in the useful links section) theres a list somewhere there of degrees that are eligable for the HDip and what subjects you can teach in the beginning. As far as I know, you only need two, and IT can be one of them.

Ok, cool thanks, I'll take a look at that.

Is the HDip only for secondary school teaching?

Trotter

MoonHawk wrote:

Ok, cool thanks, I'll take a look at that.

Is the HDip only for secondary school teaching?

Kinda.. Well usually when you see people talking about the HDip around here they mean secondary.