applying for hdip

stressed1

hi

iam 25 & graduated in 2005 with 2:1 hons degree in history & english.
at the time i considered teaching but was offered a high paid job which i took. this eventually took me into the training area. here i realised that i really want to teach.

i now want to apply for the hdip however i know that will need to have teaching practice hours to raise my points.

i know that subing is the obvious option but that this will be difficult to obtain. i was wondering if teaching practice, if it is not paid can be considered and placed on my application?

any help or advice on how to proceed would be much appreciated as i have been out of the system for the last few years.

thanks

drusk

Yeah, any help you can give in a school may be counted as points for the dip. A girl in my school this year taught a few hours every week from Christmas to the end of the year. She didn't get paid, but she knocked up enough points for the dip as far as I know.

Before you resort to this, you should start applying for jobs in September NOW! Even though you don't have a dip, you could still get a job.

Go to www.educationposts.ie and www.loadzajobs.ie and start sending CVs.

However, not to throw a downer on it, there's an overflow of english and history teachers. Substitution has been cut by the government in a big way. And many teachers qualified in history and english have been laid off this year, and will be looking for work.

But I still think you should apply everywhere. And if nothing turns up, call into your old principal, and ask him or her for some regular hours free of charge.

All the best.

purpleladyxxx

i applied for dip last year and had a good few hours teaching voluntary done however this was not accepted for me as i was told i needed a letter from the principle stating i was paid for all the hours i did. however i got a low 2 1 depending on your percentage you might still have enough points. generally anything from 65% upwards would get it for you

slingerz

Can someone explain to me how this points thing works for the hDIp

peanuthead

slingerz wrote: »

Can someone explain to me how this points thing works for the hDIp

Yeah, you will have a chart on the application form, and depending on your grade, or grade average, you will be awarded a number of points.

Then, for every additional course, postgrad (has to be one yr full time at least), PHd, masters, additional degree, you will get some points for that too.

Additionally, if you have teaching experience, you will be asked to count up the hours, and they will award you some more points based on how many hours you have.

http://www.pac.ie/hdip.php?page=downloads

You can download literature from the above address to go through.

peanuthead

Also, don't worry about having a record of your hours, your employer will have this.

OP, subbing was never too hard to find, but at the moment it may be. You should try other areas of education, for example, apply for positions teaching adults who are going back to education. These positions are usually alot easier to grasp as alot of the adult ed. goes on during the day, and regular teachers wouldn't be able to take these classes as they have their own.

It would also be a nice way of easing yourself into the job, and once your foot is in the door.....

EDIT: Closong date for applications for this course, which will start in September 2010, will be 01 December of this year. Don't forget that

donagh23

Hey Guys,
Need some further advice and clarity, I graduated in 2007 with 1st Class honours in a Bachelour of Engineering but am keen to get into teaching either physics, maths, or TD, is it possible for me to apply for the Hdip I have no teaching experience, is this unheard before or is the only way to teaching through an arts degree?

Rosita

donagh23 wrote: »

Hey Guys,
Need some further advice and clarity, I graduated in 2007 with 1st Class honours in a Bachelour of Engineering but am keen to get into teaching either physics, maths, or TD, is it possible for me to apply for the Hdip I have no teaching experience, is this unheard before or is the only way to teaching through an arts degree?

There is an illusion that teaching experience is necessary for the Hdip but it is simply not true. I am starting the Hdip in Spetember and I have no teaching experience. The reason many people have teaching experience is that they can pick up points in the Hdip points system using teaching experience which is necessary for people in a situation where their degree marks might be a little shy of the usual benchmark. So teaching experience per se is not required - the only reason it can be an issue is that it provides these additional points. In your case with a First Class honours degree you won't need such experience.

As for an Arts degree - think of people who teach woodwork, engineering, science subjects, most of these will not have Arts degrees. There are plenty of courses which provide avenues into teaching, some naturally are more useful than others.

Go to the www.pac.ie site, choose Postgraduate Diploma in Education-Literature Downloads-Recognised Degrees for Eligibility 2009, and you'll see courses listed by college and it'll tell you what you would be eligible to teach.

Rosita

drusk wrote: »

Yeah, any help you can give in a school may be counted as points for the dip. A girl in my school this year taught a few hours every week from Christmas to the end of the year. She didn't get paid, but she knocked up enough points for the dip as far as I know.

However, not to throw a downer on it, there's an overflow of english and history teachers.

I was under the impression that only paid hours of teaching could be counted towards the Hdip points. How such hours are genuinely verified and how accurate my impression is is another matter.

In relation to English-History, there's no doubt it's a remarkably popular Arts combination, but I was amazed to read in the newspaper today that just one in five of all Leaving Cert students sit History in the Leaving. This seems a shame for such an interesting subject but does not bode well for potential teaching prospects.

donagh23

Cheers for the input Rosita, I spoke with the Teaching Council and they directed me to the forms. But I am unsure as to the meaning of the 1st requirement.
q The study of Mathematics as a major subject in the degree extending over at least three years and of the order of 30% at a minimum of that period
1st Read I picked up you have to study Maths for at least 3 years of your degree.

2nd time I read it, have to study Maths as a subject for a Degree course which is at least 3years long and a minimum of 30% i.e. one year of maths three year degree.

I studied 2 years of Maths in an Engineering degree of 4 years, so I need it to be the second interpretation, what do you guys think?

Zuri

Hi sorry to jump into the middle of your discussion but just wondering if anyone knows how many points are awarded for the ACA qualification.. I also have a 2.1 maths and comp science degree but dont know how many points i'll get for the accounting qualification?..thanks a mill, zuri