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Secondary v Primary

  • 06-01-2008 08:15PM
    #1
    Rosita
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,147 ✭✭✭


    I am taking myself as an example in this case.

    I have a BA degree in two core compulsory secondary curriculum subjects (Irish & English) so would be well placed to consider secondary teaching I would imagine.

    Given that one of my subjects is Irish I would also have a fair chance at going for Primary Teaching via the Post-Grad route - at least from the Gaeilge requirement perspective.

    I was wondering what the advantages/disadvantages of the respective levels are?

    To deal with the obvious first, I would see little difference in salary or holidays between them. Any differences appear to me to be in the class-room with presumably secondary a far tougher test in terms of discipline and general misbehaviour. On the other hand second-level might give more academic satisfaction (I know there are second-level teachers now laughing at the naivete of this remark but indulge me!) but I may be misjudging primary in that sense. Just that the thought of maybe going into junior infants having taken the time to study for a BA such as the one I have seems strange in that I would have no direct use for it. That said I am sure there are smarter people than me teaching junior infants without going mad.

    I was wondering what the general feeling was on the matter.

    Thanks, R.


Comments

  • #2
    gaeilgegrinds
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,376 ✭✭✭gaeilgegrinds


    You sound very similiar to me a few years back. I tried out both to decide.
    Ended up in Secondary as I had no patience with the little ones. And I'm stricter than I thought I was. Have many friends in both though.


  • #3
    An Bradán Feasa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 406 ✭✭An Bradán Feasa


    Primary School all the way!


  • #4
    Toto Wolfcastle
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,005 ✭✭✭✭Toto Wolfcastle


    I think it really depends on the person. I wanted to teach either Primary or Secondary and I realised that I really can't relate to young kids in Primary and that I react much better when the students have to take a certain amount of responsibility. Because of this I chose Secondary and I'm loving the course (PGDE) and the teaching itself.

    I love that you can still be creative while teaching more demanding material.

    I teach English and Irish, by the way, and although some of the students really don't like Irish, I love drawing them in with interesting activities and projects.

    Having said that, my sister is also interested in teaching, and it's been pretty obvious from a young age that she'll make a fantastic Primary School teacher, so it does really depend on the person.

    From your post I think that you are leaning more towards Secondary, but if you think you will enjoy Primary don't dismiss it because you think you've worked too hard to 'just' teach Junior Infants. You need a degree to teach it whether it's the BA (plus the postgrad) or the Primary School teaching degree, so every one who teaches Junior Infants goes through the same thing. Anyway, there is more to Primary than Junior Infants.

    If both are equally as appealing I would go with the one you think you would enjoy doing long-term.


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