Finding placement

Dahix

Right so I've got a place for the h-dip next year but I'm finding it next to impossible to find teaching practise in any schools in Dublin. My subjects are history and spanish. I REALLY dont wanna teach in the school I went to if its avoidable. Have I left it to late? Would the university help if I'm really stuck?

Toto Wolfcastle

I'm just finishing my dip in NUIG and the Education department in college sent us out a list of schools who would take dips. Failing that, the course director tried to place people in schools.

If you're finding it very difficult I would suggest getting on to the course director in the college you will be attending and you might get help there.

I wouldn't discount the school you went to though, especially as you are finding it difficult to find a school. At the end of the day, it's not the school that matters, but the experience.

elle

I'm in Dublin too and I found it really hard! Finally got a place couple weeks ago but places I applied to as soon as i got my place are only getting in touch now which is a bit of a pain. I'm sure if you got onto the co-ordinator they might be able to help out! Did you try calling some of the schools on the list they sent out??

jingletree

hey im also finding it really hard to get placement, my subjects are Maths, Applied Maths and Computers. im not from Dublin and Ive sent off atleast 20 Cover Letters/CV's only five have gotten back to me to say that the place has already been filled or that they are not taking anyone. im starting to worry now are all the places filled?

elle

I was the same! I think its pretty crap they're only gettin back now. Have u tried just calling places?? Even ones you have sent cvs to and not heard from ?? Nothing to lose by calling, I was getting fed up waiting around and just called a few numbers to ask if they were looking for someone and told them the subjects I am doing! Least it saves you the waiting!

Dahix

Thanks Elle and Janey baby! Thats good advice and pretty much what I've been doing but not hearing anything back yet! Its a little hard to ring around during the day as I have a full time job that dont know I'm leavin yet. Apart from the acceptance letter have got nothing from Trinity re. the h-dip either, i.e. not a list of schools or whatever (though i found a list online so that was helpful)

MissLe

I'm in the exact same position! Sent out loads of CVs, only one school got back to me. Had the interview yesterday, it went well do fingers crossed that I get it! But it is so annoying just waiting around for the schools to call you back.

roxychix

hi
i did me dip in trinity two years ago they dont help you find a place and wont send a letter to u till june to say to go to the opening day best of luck with the placement i remember didnt get mine till july

Dionysus

I'm also wondering what happens when you cannot get a teaching placement.

I'm supposed to be going to UCD in Sept and have applied to 10 schools so far, and there were about another 10 who said that it was too late. This morning I put a call to the UCD secretary and she checked a list and said that she had no vacancies for my subjects (History and CSPE).

When the CAO offers these places in UCD/UCC etc, do they ensure that there will be teaching placements available to match them?

Dionysus

What is the Opening Day and who attends it, Roxychix?

spurious

Call in to schools in person. Don't just send a CV.

Dionysus

Spurious,

Good idea. I'm going over that list from UCD now, at 04:40am, and going to print out my page-long CV and a covering letter and drive around to around twenty schools and see if I can meet the principals tomorrow.


It just occured to me while doing this: how much money do trainee teachers get per hour on placement?

spurious

Dionysus wrote: »

It just occured to me while doing this: how much money do trainee teachers get per hour on placement?

AFAIK, they are not paid at all for the classes they take for their Dip. hours. Any extra sub classes picked up are paid for at the part-time rate. It may be different in voluntary secondary schools.

Dionysus

Thanks. It's 08:40am now and I did 17 covering letters during the night. Going to try and visit all 17 schools now. Will be good going if I get to them all today but will let you all know how I got on.

Dahix

Dionysus, don't stress too much. You'll get something alright. A lot of the schools haven't decided yet and sit down at the end of the year and disccuss it. Luckily I got a school the other day so randomingly c.v.ing schools does work

augwey

Hey I'm in the same boat. Waiting to hear back from schools, it's seriously stressing me out! And doing finals at the same time is not too much fun I've already rang around a couple of places and sent in CVs weeks ago, but they're only processing them now!! Here's hoping to hearing something by the end of the week or I'll have to get on to UCD to see what the story is!

Dionysus

Augwey,

Any news yet? I received one PFO last week, making 3 PFOs in total. I haven't heard a squeak out of any of the others. We are supposed to inform UCD before, well, today.

scut

what's a pfo??

Tom Dunne

scut wrote: »

what's a pfo??

It's a highly technical term, used mostly in academic circles during the recruitment of teachers.

It's short for Please F*** Off.

Dionysus

Just got another pfo, this time from the one school which I thought I'd get as I talked with the principal for a while. I sent some 18 cvs, and followed them up with visits. Admittedly, my subjects- History and CSPE- are not easy to get a place and the principals to whom I spoke said as much, invariably after the routine (and blatent) "Who do you know?".

This is crap.

Tom Dunne

It is very disheartening.

If it is any consolation, I have pretty much given up on ever getting a full-time lecturing post. A couple of months here and a couple of months there simply doesn't pay the mortgage.

I could probably get all the part-time hours I want, but it still doesn't add up to job security and decent wages.

I feel your pain.

elle

hey

I was really panicking about not getting placement, although I got mine a few weeks ago, in the last week or so I've had a few calls from schools I applied to ages ago. I think schools are just busy with the leaving cert and that, in fairness, april - may is a crap time to expect them to be worrying about placement... have u tried calling the schools u already applied to, seriously its worth a shot and maybe they have just been busy! I know its prob not a help but I really think it's worth a shot! Good luck!