Advice for someone wanting to become an educational psychologist

sunflower!

I am looking for some advise from someone who is on the same road as me or is an educational psychologist.

I have recently qualified as a secondary school teacher and would like to become an educational psychologist. I have a degree and a masters so have already spent plenty of time in college! but ive just signed up for the first module (child development) in the open university higher diploma in psychologist (conversion course).

I am basically wondering what type of experience people had going into the postgrads? I have been told that experience as a resource teacher is a plus and I do have some experience as a resource teacher in a primary school and am hoping to be able to get more experience along these lines but in light of the fact that teaching jobs are becoming harder and harder to come by I am worried that I wont be able to get enough experience in this area!:(

Is there other experiences that would be considered relevant? volunteering?

Like I said I have already been in education for a good while and I would like to get as much experience as possible while completing the conversion course so that I can apply for post grad courses as soon as I am finished. I would be prepared to go to the uk as well is this an easier option in terms of getting into courses?


Any help or advice would be great!

Moobui

Hi sunflower!

If you have experience in education it would probably help if you were to increase your experience in psychology. This will be difficult to get unless you have qualifications in psychology though so maybe some volunteer work in the area. I got on to the EDPsych course in UCD without teaching experience but I had a lot of experience in Psychology but most people on the course would have teaching experience with little or none in psychology so if you had both you would be at an advantage.

sunflower!

Thanks for that! yeah i was thinking experience in psychology will be hard to come by but i'll do my best! did those teachers tend to have years and years of experience??

Can I ask are you finished the course?? how did you find it??

Moobui

Not finished the course yet but enjoying it, it is very intensive though it's my third post grad and definitely the toughest in terms of workload.

I would say most of the teachers have at least 7-8 years working as a teacher just going by the age of the youngest on the course not sure how much of the time would be in learning support but most would have learning support experience. Some would have done the GradDip in SEN or a similar course too.

amz5

sunflower! wrote: »

but ive just signed up for the first module (child development) in the open university higher diploma in psychologist (conversion course).

Hi, I'm afraid I can't help because I'm trying to do the same thing myself. However, I was just wondering why you didn't have to do the exploring psychology module? Did you study psychology for a year in college? Thanks, and best of luck with your studies.

sunflower!

I do have to do it but not yet! it wont start until sept (or sometime around then) and I didnt want to wait until then so you can start with the child development one and then apply formally in May. When you start the course then you wont have to do the child development one again!! I spoke to them about it they said lots of people do it that way! are you starting soon?? the closing date is today so you could still do the same if you want to get started!!:)

taztastic

Hi all,
I am currently doing the doctorate in educational psychology in Belfast. I wasn't a teacher and had no experience teaching in mainstream school. In our course there are all kinds of backgrounds. Experience is important but only in how you apply it in the interview and demonstrate your understanding of frameworks.

Moobui hope things are going well. This is meant to be me writing an essay... as you can see very productive

amz5

Hi again sunflower! No, I'm doing the exploring module at the moment, but I thought maybe there was a way of skipping it...I hadn't enough psychology in my B.Ed. to get round it, but I thought maybe there was enough in the secondary h.dip when you said you were starting with child dev. I started with cognitive psych last year...it takes so long to get the conversion!!

Belfast seems like a good alternative to Dublin, but it's 3 years there.

sunflower!

wow!! so you are well on your way already!! Id love to hear how you got on with the open university?? at the mo im subbing and sometimes I dont get much work but then others I could be really busy for a few weeks so Im worried I'll find it difficult to fit in! Are you working as well? did you find it very time consuming??

Belfast is a def option for me! my partner is from Donegal and would only love for us to move up north!!:D

Moobui

Glad to see I am not the only one using avoidance tactics when I should be doing course work taztastic! Fortunately we had to hand in all assignments on Monday last so I am officially on hols! Hope the course is going well for you too.

amz5

sunflower! wrote: »

wow!! so you are well on your way already!! Id love to hear how you got on with the open university?? at the mo im subbing and sometimes I dont get much work but then others I could be really busy for a few weeks so Im worried I'll find it difficult to fit in! Are you working as well? did you find it very time consuming??

Belfast is a def option for me! my partner is from Donegal and would only love for us to move up north!!:D

I'll just send you a PM with details

taztastic

Sorry for the delay, actually got down to the essay.
If anyone is looking for details about the three year doctorate course in Belfast just pm me. I've really loved the course, even after three years.
I think I'm moving much more toward child psychology then educational psychology as a discipline. For anyone who is thinking about whether educational is for them or even in preparation I can't recommend enough shadowing an Ed Psych for a day.

Have a fantastic Christmas all (especially those who have got their essay's done - oh but to be organised like that)...

tolteq

H.D. Psych. UCD.

Stay away from OU. did physics with em. bad tutors. bad

RosieSea

taztastic wrote: »

Sorry for the delay, actually got down to the essay.
If anyone is looking for details about the three year doctorate course in Belfast just pm me. I've really loved the course, even after three years.
I think I'm moving much more toward child psychology then educational psychology as a discipline. For anyone who is thinking about whether educational is for them or even in preparation I can't recommend enough shadowing an Ed Psych for a day.

Have a fantastic Christmas all (especially those who have got their essay's done - oh but to be organised like that)...

Hi there Taztastic
I've just read your message about shadowing an educational psychologist. How did you go about organising it?
I have a degree in Psychology, I'm currently working as a primary teacher and have a year's experience of working as a care assistant working with children with severe and profound special needs.
Any advice you could give me about how to get on to the educational doctorate would be great.
Thanks