Getting additional subjects

dory

Hello people.
I am considering a move to the wonderful profession of teaching. I hear it's the up and coming sector to get in to. :rolleyes:

Anywho, my current qualification only lets me teach one subject which won't impress many prospective employers, so I'm looking for courses I could do to allow me stretch my net so to speak.
My two favourite subjects in school were PE and Biology so I'm considering going to DCU to do the 4 year course there but I'm old and don't fancy another 4 years. I know there are there H.Dips in some subjects, UCC and NUIM do them. Would that qualify me at all?
I notice PE is one of the few subjects I can't do that in, to teach that I would have to do 4 years, but I could live without that and get my sporting fix from training the football team or something.

Any advice would be fantastic. Also - is there somewhere where one can get info on fees for adults who already have a degree. I know I'll have to pay full fees and fair enough, I don't expect free education forever. But is there any grant or tax off or something?
Thank you people!

Toto Wolfcastle

In order to teach a subject you will have to have a degree in it. I think that subject needs to make up at least 30% of the degree over at least 3 years. Get on to www.pac.ie for a list of courses and what they qualify you in.

Morgase

I too would be interested to know if anybody can shed some light on the OP's question as I'm in the same boat - my engineering degree allows me to teach maths and applied maths but I'd love to teach physics or technical drawing also.

Of course I'd also love to know if there is any funding for those of us who have a degree and want to do a H.Dip.

Thanks!

bdoo

Depends on your original subject dory check this out http://www2.ul.ie/web/WWW/Services/Research/Graduate_School/Prospective_Students/Graduate_Programmes/Taught_Programmes/Education_&_Health_Sciences/Physical_Education.

For morgase check out UL too they do a grad dip in technology education (like the h.dip) your degree might do for teaching but you'll need that too, if you did drawing in your first and seconmd year you'll be qualified to teach it to JC and in third or fourth year to leaving cert (nearly sure!). http://www2.ul.ie/web/WWW/Services/Research/Graduate_School/Prospective_Students/Graduate_Programmes/Taught_Programmes/Education_&_Health_Sciences/Technology
Be careful with your degree and make sure it is recognised before you do a dip - Teaching Council are very tight on this they have a list of degrees which are recognised.

Powerhouse

A few things should be borne in mind.

One is that there is no such thing as "being qualified to teach to JC". You are either qualified to teach as per the teaching council requirements or you are not. Informal arrangements about teaching subjects you have studied to some point (or even not at all in some cases) to JC should not be relied upon.

Second, only degree level counts for the teaching council. Doing H-Dips is subjects does not qualify you to teach the subjects. It might open a door for you informally for a few extra hours if working in a school, and they are stuck, as it suggests a knowledge of a subject. But it does not qualify you.

I would really urge people to consider, in the current environment, if chasing a second subject will make a significant difference to their employment prospects.

beemurf

bdoo wrote: »

Depends on your original subject dory check this out http://www2.ul.ie/web/WWW/Services/Research/Graduate_School/Prospective_Students/Graduate_Programmes/Taught_Programmes/Education_&_Health_Sciences/Physical_Education.

For morgase check out UL too they do a grad dip in technology education (like the h.dip) your degree might do for teaching but you'll need that too, if you did drawing in your first and seconmd year you'll be qualified to teach it to JC and in third or fourth year to leaving cert (nearly sure!). http://www2.ul.ie/web/WWW/Services/Research/Graduate_School/Prospective_Students/Graduate_Programmes/Taught_Programmes/Education_&_Health_Sciences/Technology
Be careful with your degree and make sure it is recognised before you do a dip - Teaching Council are very tight on this they have a list of degrees which are recognised.

I think the post grad P.E in U.L is limited to those finished the P.E strand of studies in the degree from Tralee I.T (so you still need an initial qualification in the subject at degree level to get into that Hdip, you would be talking about 5 yrs in Tralee before getting onto the hdip in Limerick for another year studying)

dory

Thanks for the replies.
My original degree is Media and Irish with Biology in first year so I wouldn't be allowed into the H.Dip in Limerick. And even if Iwas I still wouldn't be qualified!
There is an Oscail degree that would add English and History to my porfolio but I don't like those subjects. I would love if some of the Open University degree were admissable, they have the subjects I'd like.

And as for
"I would really urge people to consider, in the current environment, if
chasing a second subject will make a significant difference to their employment prospects".

See for me it would. Not many people are willing to teach Biology, PE, Economics etc through Irish, there are often jobs available in Gaelscoileanna. I was even offered a job as resource teacher in one. So I think it would be worth my while, but for a general person, yes I get your point. I'd never let a recession stop me though.

And terribly sorry about the title, I cringe when I see it. Why can't we change them?

spurious

dory wrote: »

And terribly sorry about the title, I cringe when I see it. Why can't we change them?

Cringe no more - fixed it for you.

gaeilgebeo

Hi, i am teaching 6 years,have been qualified for 4. In a permanent job teaching irish. The reason i was made permanent so early on my career is because it was difficult to find irish teachers. I would urge you to consider researching the demand for certain subjects. For example, tech graphics,woodwork,etc... Every school has 1 or 2 P.E teachers. Like Art, it is very difficult to secure a permanent job or even any job as the demand is not there.

I know in our school,the art teacher (who has been in the job for years) took a years career break and the principal had over 50 applications for the job! This was 3 years ago when things were good. My advice is to seriously consider subjects were there is a demand.

dory

Thanks for the reply gaeilgebeo.

But I'm wondering, did you get your job with just Irish? Or did you have a second subject that you don't teach? I'm afraid I won't get that first leg in the door because I will only have Irish, my other arts subjects is not a school subject. Hence why I think I should go back.

gaeilgebeo

dory wrote: »

Thanks for the reply gaeilgebeo.

But I'm wondering, did you get your job with just Irish? Or did you have a second subject that you don't teach? I'm afraid I won't get that first leg in the door because I will only have Irish, my other arts subjects is not a school subject. Hence why I think I should go back.

Religion is my second degree subject. I got my job soley on my irish. At the time, I was also offered another permanent job in a neighbouring town. It was irish only. Ask any principal in your local area and they will tell you how difficult it is to get irish teachers. Before I did my dip, I did 2 maternity leaves in irish. My sister has just finished her degree in Arts in St.Pats, has a job lined up for september. She has zero experience but was called for 2 interviews with our local VEC. Again, for Irish. Obviously they didn't have many applicants(even in the current teaching crisis) as she got the job.

I think your job prospects will be very high even compared to those with 2 subjects provided you have a good standard of irish.

dory

Wahey! Gaeilgebeo you may have just changed the course of my life! My Irish and English are pretty much the same (and I teach Irish to adults right now anyway) so I might just go ahead and do the dip next year with one subject. Otherwise I was looking at 4 years of serious financial hardship going back to do Biology (my 2nd best subject).
Go raibh míle maith agat!

gaeilgebeo

Glad to be able to help. Seriously think you'd be mad in the head to spend 3/4 years just to get a 2nd subject when you already have a very strong in demand subject! I did my dip in maynooth, that year 58 graduated from the religion course. 9 graduated with irish. From that 9, only 3 of us had takin Irish to degree level(rest only to 1rst year). See the ratio??? When you go to do your dip, you can attend the teaching methodologies for CSPE or ENGLISH etc... You won't be 100% qualified to teach them but will get credited for it and have it on your c.v.
Like all schools, you will be timetabled to suit the needs of the school. I teach 2 classes of SPHE and 1 of CSPE as well as a TEFL class, none of which are my subjects! The rest is irish. So go straight for the dip and you will get a job no problem! Trust me! Or better still ask any principal!

dory

Yea, I have a master in Development Studies so I think I could teach CSPE!
I've also heard of people going to England and doing the PGDE in PE and while not technically being qualifed for that, they've gotten jobs. I would love that as a second subject.
I really need to talk to teachers or principals, career guidance people only give me the official line which isn't helpful. I'll be financially crippled really if I go back as they suggested.

marblesolutions

As you have already been told you will get a job with just Irish our school has been trying for 2 years to get an Irish teacher !! Last year an unqualified student got the job on full hours because the head was desperate, so don't worry about another subject Irish will open many doors for you .

dory

Now the next step is to find one of these schools! On educationposts.ie it says Teaching Council registration is necessary to apply so I'm always afraid to. For this year anyway I'd just like some subbing work as I'm not finished my current contract until September 4th anyway so I'd miss the start of term (even if there were jobs available).

I would just like some experience to be sure this is what I want. My nighttime gig can pay the bills so I would just even like to volunteer in a school, train the football team or something to make sure I really do enjoy instructing teenagers.

Thanks all for the advice!

gaeilgebeo

As I said, my 21 year old sister has just finished her degree. Doesn't have a h.dip. Applied for 2 VEC jobs, one a materninty leave and the other just a 22 hour post. It also said on the application form that registration with the teaching council was compulsary. She applied and has got the second job which is a full 22hours for a full year. Not even the maternity leave. She has since been called for another interview in a community school where there are 2 jobs going. 1 part-time, one full-time. As you can see, for someone unqualified, she has had a great start and choice.
I advise you to just apply for jobs as normal. A maternity leave would be perfect. I would recommend that more so than subbing. To get true experience and a good sense of the job, you're better off with your own classes(which you would have doing a maternity leave) rather than just day to day subbing, where students would just see you as the "Subby"!
And definitely, DON'T offer to volunteer in any school. You'll only be used and abused. If a school needs you, they can pay you.

anoisaris

gaeilgebeo wrote: »

As I said, my 21 year old sister has just finished her degree. Doesn't have a h.dip. Applied for 2 VEC jobs, one a materninty leave and the other just a 22 hour post. It also said on the application form that registration with the teaching council was compulsary. She applied and has got the second job which is a full 22hours for a full year. Not even the maternity leave. She has since been called for another interview in a community school where there are 2 jobs going. 1 part-time, one full-time. As you can see, for someone unqualified, she has had a great start and choice.
I advise you to just apply for jobs as normal. A maternity leave would be perfect. I would recommend that more so than subbing. To get true experience and a good sense of the job, you're better off with your own classes(which you would have doing a maternity leave) rather than just day to day subbing, where students would just see you as the "Subby"!
And definitely, DON'T offer to volunteer in any school. You'll only be used and abused. If a school needs you, they can pay you.

But is she not technically a qualified teacher in regard to a VEC position? I always thought a degree alone qualified you to teach in a VEC setting but I'm not sure, maybe just further education colleges?

Edit-just checked there! She would be qualified to teach in VEC schools according to this there are some subject restrictions but not in languages; http://www.teachingcouncil.ie/registration_information/default.asp?NCID=508

(VEC positions are often advertised on their own websites btw)

gaeilgebeo

anoisaris wrote: »

But is she not technically a qualified teacher in regard to a VEC position? I always thought a degree alone qualified you to teach in a VEC setting but I'm not sure, maybe just further education colleges?

Edit-just checked there! She would be qualified to teach in VEC schools according to this there are some subject restrictions but not in languages; http://www.teachingcouncil.ie/registration_information/default.asp?NCID=508

(VEC positions are often advertised on their own websites btw)

Hi anoisaris, technically you can teach in any school without the hdip. I did 2 maternity leaves in non vec schools. Years ago you could get a permanent post in a vec school without having the hdip but that is not the case now. I was in my current job for 2 years without the dip and was told by the vec that permanency was not an option without the hdip. Thankfully I had applied and did it. My sister (with no dip) has also been called for interview for an irish post in a community school.