Questions for teachers !!

DozeyRozey

Hellooo.. Emm sorry if this isn't meant to be here I can't work boards at all!!!:o. I'm a Student Teacher (if you like :rolleyes:) in 1st year (doing a B.Ed in Languages).I tend to waffle alot so I'll keep this as short as I can..

1. Just finished TP (in a primary school) but making secondary school observations to compare each. Our tutors place a big emphasis on Constructivism and just wondering do many teachers of you teachers (primary or secondary) actually achieve the 70:30 ratio? I'm bad at judging when I'm observing, but it seems impossible to achieve that ratio!. Would 50:50 be more realistic?

2. If for example people signed up for a "beginners French" module in college (but they actually done it for their LC) are they breaking any rules? (I didn't by the way! I just suspect a few people and find it v.unfair).

2. My course is very difficult for me (It's a v.specific course so most are mature students and bilinguals.). and as much as I love Education and teaching, would I be better off changing to Arts and then doing a H.Dip? or would it be handier to stick with the concurrent programme? Friends of mine are talking about dropping out already!.

3. If I do change to Arts, would I need First Class honours to even get into the H.Dip? I know it would be a few years away but I need to have an idea if I decide to change!.

4. If anyone can tell me anything at all about the H.Dip programme in Trinity I'd be very thankful or the Hibernian one.....is that online or something?

5. Do most courses get recognised by the Teaching council? mine is "actively seeking" recognition.

6.I keep hearing that it's "a terrible time to be a teacher" (or to be studying to become one). Is this true??

Thanks (and sorry if this isnt meant to go here?!):o

implausible

DozeyRozey wrote: »

4. If anyone can tell me anything at all about the H.Dip programme in Trinity I'd be very thankful or the Hibernian one.....is that online or something?

5. Do most courses get recognised by the Teaching council? mine is "actively seeking" recognition.

Alarm bells here! If you're doing a course that hasn't got recognition from the Teaching Council, you could end up unqualified to teach. Is the H.Dip included? I ask because I have come across a few people who have done Dip inclusive courses that didn't get the recognition; they ended up having to do the H.Dip after anyway.

Your qualifications have to be recognised by the Teaching Council if you want a job.

As for the question about Trinity and Hibernian, are you hedging your bets by looking into primary and secondary? Have you tried googling the Hibernian course?

DozeyRozey

deemark wrote: »

Alarm bells here! If you're doing a course that hasn't got recognition from the Teaching Council, you could end up unqualified to teach. Is the H.Dip included? I ask because I have come across a few people who have done Dip inclusive courses that didn't get the recognition; they ended up having to do the H.Dip after anyway.

Your qualifications have to be recognised by the Teaching Council if you want a job.

As for the question about Trinity and Hibernian, are you hedging your bets by looking into primary and secondary? Have you tried googling the Hibernian course?

I'm not sure exactly if its the H.Dip thats included, we call our modules "Education" anyway and the title of the course is a B.Education in Languages, so I think it is? I would find it very very annoying to do the 4 years and then have to do a H.Dip!!.

I think our lecturers are just saying that everything will be fine- One lecturer we asked said that we are definately getting recognition from the teaching council, it just "takes time"- the course is relatively new (commenced in 2007), but I'm not sure whether to believe them or not... does it really take 2 years to get recognition?. And aswell about jobs- Our lecturer assures us that all this Recession business will blow over, and she also seems quite adamant that we will get jobs when we get our degrees. There is no talk about the cutbacks etc. which I find strange?!. Alot of students I know have just got their degrees and have no jobs.. and their lecturers told them they would be fine!.

Worrying about actually getting the degree is bad enough,let alone having to worry about job prospects during our 1st year of college!! (all the teaching students I know are going crazy at the moment!)

Just realised how long this is sorry! :eek: I'm definately going to look into H.Dip courses now, thanks for telling me that.:D

ceacht

Deemark-what are the "dip inclusive" courses that didn't get recognition from the teaching council?

rainbowtrout

DozeyRozey wrote: »

Hellooo.. Emm sorry if this isn't meant to be here I can't work boards at all!!!:o. I'm a Student Teacher (if you like :rolleyes:) in 1st year (doing a B.Ed in Languages).I tend to waffle alot so I'll keep this as short as I can..

1. Just finished TP (in a primary school) but making secondary school observations to compare each. Our tutors place a big emphasis on Constructivism and just wondering do many teachers of you teachers (primary or secondary) actually achieve the 70:30 ratio? I'm bad at judging when I'm observing, but it seems impossible to achieve that ratio!. Would 50:50 be more realistic?

2. If for example people signed up for a "beginners French" module in college (but they actually done it for their LC) are they breaking any rules? (I didn't by the way! I just suspect a few people and find it v.unfair).

2. My course is very difficult for me (It's a v.specific course so most are mature students and bilinguals.). and as much as I love Education and teaching, would I be better off changing to Arts and then doing a H.Dip? or would it be handier to stick with the concurrent programme? Friends of mine are talking about dropping out already!.

3. If I do change to Arts, would I need First Class honours to even get into the H.Dip? I know it would be a few years away but I need to have an idea if I decide to change!.

4. If anyone can tell me anything at all about the H.Dip programme in Trinity I'd be very thankful or the Hibernian one.....is that online or something?

5. Do most courses get recognised by the Teaching council? mine is "actively seeking" recognition.

6.I keep hearing that it's "a terrible time to be a teacher" (or to be studying to become one). Is this true??

Thanks (and sorry if this isnt meant to go here?!):o

Is this the BA Ed in Modern Languages in UL? It's the only one that I can think of that fits your description.

Assuming it is:

Dealing with your second point .... you suspect a few people. you don't know.

From the course website:

A student with a proven record of exceptionally successful language learning - e.g. an A2 or better at Higher Level in two Leaving Certificate (or approved equivalent) languages - may, with the agreement of the Course Director and Head of Department, take two languages at beginners level.

This may be the case for some of your classmates. You can't beat the CAO system.

The dip much like any other course is related to supply and demand. It's not possible to say how much of a demand there will be in 4 years. It will always be popular though, unless there are massive cuts in teaching in the next few years.


The Hibernian course has a website.


Your course is running two years. Many colleges start degree programmes without having official recognition for the course. I suppose it's a risk but I assume again if it's run along the same lines and standards as other teaching training courses in UL (PE/Science/Woodwork/Metalwork) I can't see there being a major problem with it.

"It's a terrible time to be a teacher" Well there are going to be job losses next year as pupil teacher ratios are going up as a result of the budget. As as you are probably aware there are talks of wage cuts... but that conversation is for another thread.

DozeyRozey wrote: »

I'm not sure exactly if its the H.Dip thats included, we call our modules "Education" anyway and the title of the course is a B.Education in Languages, so I think it is? I would find it very very annoying to do the 4 years and then have to do a H.Dip!!.

I think our lecturers are just saying that everything will be fine- One lecturer we asked said that we are definately getting recognition from the teaching council, it just "takes time"- the course is relatively new (commenced in 2007), but I'm not sure whether to believe them or not... does it really take 2 years to get recognition?. And aswell about jobs- Our lecturer assures us that all this Recession business will blow over, and she also seems quite adamant that we will get jobs when we get our degrees. There is no talk about the cutbacks etc. which I find strange?!. Alot of students I know have just got their degrees and have no jobs.. and their lecturers told them they would be fine!.

Worrying about actually getting the degree is bad enough,let alone having to worry about job prospects during our 1st year of college!! (all the teaching students I know are going crazy at the moment!)

Just realised how long this is sorry! :eek: I'm definately going to look into H.Dip courses now, thanks for telling me that.:D

Yes they call the modules 'Education' modules... you're probably going to be doing philosophy and psychology this term with bridie barnacle No offence but I'd be more concerned that you entered a course without knowing if you would be a teacher at the end of it or not, (course recognition aside). You don't need to do the dip after it, it's part of the degree, I did science teaching in UL.


No lecturer is going to tell you that there are no jobs from the course. If they do they are basically telling you their course is pointless. Your course isn't pointless, you will have a definite qualification at the end of it, but there aren't many teaching jobs out there at present. That may or may not change. Nobody knows. But for this year I wouldn't like to be a graduating Dip student.

Ask some of the sports science students in the college if their lecturers tell them there's jobs for them, they've been graduating from that course for more than 10 years and there's no jobs in that industry in this country, recession or not.


Anyway if you're happy on the course, no point worrying about it for another three years, you can't do much about it now.

DozeyRozey

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Is this the BA Ed in Modern Languages in UL? It's the only one that I can think of that fits your description.

tis indeed

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Dealing with your second point .... you suspect a few people. you don't know.

I suppose myself and a few others just jumped to conclusions

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Anyway if you're happy on the course, no point worrying about it for another three years, you can't do much about it now.

Your right. I actually didn't hear these things firsthand from the lecturers, so now I'm starting to think that people might be exagerrating things!! or even telling a few fibs hoping to cause some sort of debate/strike/ dont know what motives they have!! And not sure if the whole "The lecturer says" thing even came from a very reliable source in the first place!! Some tend to have wild imaginations..:rolleyes: ahh I shouldnt of got so worked up I suppose its best to just keep studying and see what happens!!.

Thank you

guess

hey just saw the post did P.E and English at U.L. One excellent thing about studying Education at U.L for degree is that once you get a job you will receive about 5000e more a year as the allowance for primary degree in education, start off pay is very good.. one also receives Hdip allowance in pay check.

I found it great coming out of College at 22 Hdip included and straight into workforce. Now 23 have nearly a year & half of teaching experience....

Have to say U.L education was very well taught in both my subjects..Had Carmel Hinchion for English Pedagogy and FYP...Very good lecturer and supervisor.. Jim Gleeson is excellent too, he knows his field & very approachable..

TheDriver

only if its an honours degree, degree gets degree money no matter where its from and not all BEd get HDip allowance automatically as lot of us had to do a year extra hence why the allowance is there.

guess

ya sorry forgot bout the differences in honours and pass. Thought that allowance was just for the primary degree in education..i was informed badly in college so it seems..

My mistake

implausible

ceacht wrote: »

Deemark-what are the "dip inclusive" courses that didn't get recognition from the teaching council?

I'm thinking of a science course in Co Kildare that a friend of mine did. She was under the impression that she wouldn't need a Dip as there were Education modules included. The teaching hours didn't add up and the course didn't get the recognition for teaching, like the UL course.

A girl I once taught started a course in a Northside college, which also included Education. She still had to do the Dip. at the end.

OP, as it is a UL course, I take back my reservations. They know their stuff down there. Any UL graduates I have met in teaching are hyper-prepared and organised.

rainbowtrout

deemark wrote: »

OP, as it is a UL course, I take back my reservations. They know their stuff down there. Any UL graduates I have met in teaching are hyper-prepared and organised.

yep, it's drilled in from day one