Chances of getting a post after hDip??

whisper_77

After receiving my offer of a place for the hDip for the coming September I am now left with some questions in relation to my subjects and teaching:

I'd be entitled to teach Technology and Business Studies.

Now given these subjects can anyone [in the know] give me an idea on how hard it would be to get a place teaching these subjects in a school?

Basically I am asking would there be a glut of people available to teach these subjects or would there be some opportunities for temping and subbing with these subjects?

You might be wondering why I didn't ask these questions before I applied for the hDip but I thought I may as well wait to see if an offer came through and as of yesterday it did so here I am!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Nead21

First of all congrats on getting your place

You need to break down your degree into what subjects you did....eg if you did maths as a subject then you'll be able to teach it till leaving cert, same applies of economic or accounting etc.

I really wouldn't worry about it at this point. Sort your school for teaching practice, and once you're in the school next year you can chat to a few teachers about your concerns.

Its a really great year so best of luck and enjoy

whisper_77

thanks Nead, but I thought I was only restricted to teach the subjects specified in the 'Yellow Pages' of the hDip Handbook for my degree and anything outside that would be subject to a special investigation on my subjects during my degree, to see if the subject made up 30% of the actual degree content.

Nead21

well thats the official rule but it doesn't necessarily work like that in schools. i did classics for my degree and although im currently teaching classics till leaving cert, im also teaching history to junior certs.

when i did my teaching practice last year, i was teaching history as the school i was in didn't offer classics.

basically when ur applying for jobs apply for everything thats related to your degree....all they can do is say no!

whisper_77

Nead21 wrote: »

well thats the official rule but it doesn't necessarily work like that in schools. i did classics for my degree and although im currently teaching classics till leaving cert, im also teaching history to junior certs.

when i did my teaching practice last year, i was teaching history as the school i was in didn't offer classics.

basically when ur applying for jobs apply for everything thats related to your degree....all they can do is say no!

so does that mean that the teaching council doesn't actually follow up on your specific eligibility to teach a subject??

I feel given my degree subjects I could teach Business ,Economics and possibly maths but the official 'Yellow Pages' of the PDEAC handbook does not state that I am eligible to teach those and only eligible to teach computer studies.

I feel I need a leaving cert subject to really have any chance of getting a place once i finish the Dip.

Nead21

whisper_77 wrote: »

so does that mean that the teaching council doesn't actually follow up on your specific eligibility to teach a subject??

I feel given my degree subjects I could teach Business ,Economics and possibly maths but the official 'Yellow Pages' of the PDEAC handbook does not state that I am eligible to teach those and only eligible to teach computer studies.

I feel I need a leaving cert subject to really have any chance of getting a place once i finish the Dip.

im not really sure about the teaching council......but im teaching history, having done classics for my degree, and they haven't notified me of any "investigations" or my principal hasn't questioned my abilities to teach this subject.

spurious

The Teaching Council never heard of my Junior Cert. exam subject, so they don't instil any great confidence in me.

run_Forrest_run

Nead21 wrote: »

im not really sure about the teaching council......but im teaching history, having done classics for my degree, and they haven't notified me of any "investigations" or my principal hasn't questioned my abilities to teach this subject.

After speaking to many teachers (and one deputy principal) in the past 3 days I have realised that this area is very hazy. Some teachers have done the dip and then went out to teach in subjects that may not have hugely featured in their degree at all.

On the other hand some teachers have said that you must be qualified to teach subjects based on a percentage of coverage across their entire degree content.

I am baffled by all these different stories and I can't get the Teaching Council on the phone :mad:

Rosita

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

After speaking to many teachers (and one deputy principal) in the past 3 days I have realised that this area is very hazy. Some teachers have done the dip and then went out to teach in subjects that may not have hugely featured in their degree at all.

On the other hand some teachers have said that you must be qualified to teach subjects based on a percentage of coverage across their entire degree content.

I am baffled by all these different stories and I can't get the Teaching Council on the phone :mad:

Frankly, I don't believe you'll be any wiser after speaking to the Teaching Council. The Teaching Council has its information on the www.pac.ie website giving guidelines for all subjects and what is required to teach them. Presumably all they will do is direct you to this or read it out to you.

The requirements for each subject are quite clear. What is also clear, however, is that it bears little enough reality to what is the practice in schools. For example, the Teaching Council regularions imply strongly that you cannot teach at second-level a subject you have not studied for three years (i.e. to degree level).

But there is a long-standing convention in most schools that teachers can teach subjects up to junior cert they have studied for much less than this and at times it seems that some schools aren't even that stringent about having studied some subjects at all, when local needs are greater than Teaching Council recommendations.