Non science/maths teachers teaching maths: Part 2

loveroflight

A worrying trend creeping into our school. Teachers with various unrelated degrees being given maths classes. What can be done. Don't want to fall out with these colleagues either. A very unapproachable principal involved!!!

clartharlear

Be a little more precise than "non science/maths"...

I know a science degree holder who is not "qualified"* to teach maths, and a business degree holder who is. Plenty of business/economics/actuary/computer/IT type degree courses have enough maths to satisfy the Teaching Council whereas not all science courses do.
Are you sure that the people in question don't have enough maths credits in their degrees?



*"" because Teaching Council? :rolleyes:

Coolio

If you're sure that they are not qualified by Teaching Council standards then you should be annoyed. What you can do about it is another matter. Tread very carefully, and don't take any action individually. If you feel there's a large section of the staff that have similar views maybe bring it up at a union meeting where the rep can then approach the principal.

As regards another posters assertion that subject qualifications are more important than educational qualifications, I'd have some issues with that. Knowing the subject is vital but surely educational issues such as classroom management, special needs, differentiation, assessment for learning, understanding of where our profession is heading are all important parts of being a properly prepared and professional teacher. Why do the rest of us bother with a teaching degree and/or H.Dip. if there is no benefit to them?

evolving_doors

loveroflight wrote: »

A worrying trend creeping into our school. Teachers with various unrelated degrees being given maths classes. What can be done. Don't want to fall out with these colleagues either. A very unapproachable principal involved!!!

Just wondering loveroflight!! what are the teachers degree subjects ?...

implausible

Why is this any worse than any other subject being taught by someone who is unqualified?

In many schools, you'll find teachers often roped into teaching subjects they're not qualified for. I've taught Religion in my time, having absolutely no qualifications in it. I've also taught Maths. I did it in 1st year in college, but the TC don't recognise it as one of my teaching subjects. Principals are often stuck and make do with who's there. If a teacher is asked to teach a subject they're not qualified to, the teacher should object.

evolving_doors

Armelodie wrote: »

Just wondering loveroflight!! what are the teachers degree subjects ?...

still wondering!!

loveroflight

Sorry about delay.

One is a Hdip History and English teacher, and the other teaches Irish.

It's not the way our VEC school has operated in the past.

rainbowtrout

loveroflight wrote: »

Sorry about delay.

One is a Hdip History and English teacher, and the other teaches Irish.

It's not the way our VEC school has operated in the past.

But what is the real problem loveroflight? Is it that maths teachers are not getting the maths hours, have maths teachers taken a cut in hours while these non-maths teachers are teaching maths classes? Why does a HDip have teaching hours? Is it part of their Dip hours or have they been given hours of their own? Did the Irish teacher do maths as part of their degree?

Toto Wolfcastle

Posts have been copied from the original thread on this topic to this new thread in order to keep the discussion on-topic.

Anyone with any questions about this can PM me. Thank you.