Demand for English teachers

snowy2008

after alot of consideration ive decided to go back to college and do an english degree and hopefully teach it, is there a demand for secondary english teachers at the moment or am i just walking into this blindly?! thanks

lauralee28

snowy2008 wrote: »

after alot of consideration ive decided to go back to college and do an english degree and hopefully teach it, is there a demand for secondary english teachers at the moment or am i just walking into this blindly?! thanks

With the exception of a few subjects, there is no demand for any subjects in teaching. There is a high number of qualified unemployed teachers in Ireland at the minute.

That said, if teaching english is what you want to do, the situation will hopefully be a bit better by the time you qualify, go for it and best of luck

niall3r

English is one of the core subjects so in a sense its in demand. . . but ill be honest with you, its an extremely popular subject to study in uni and thus there are ALOT of English teachers out there unemployed. If possible pick a language as your other subject.

But teaching is fun so give it a lash.

peanuthead

I was more or less told when brought for interview in Trinity that if I were to get a place it would be down to my language as English is that common.

I happen to think it's a great subject, but I would make sure you have something to back it up with. Maybe this is bad advice, but I would avoid History as they seem to be a hugely popular combination (or maybe it's just my school!!)

EDIT: And I suppose about the in demand thing - English is a subject taught in EVERY school. In hindsight, I wouldn't have done a language as my 2nd subject, I would have chosen a core subject. I think English and Maths would be the ideal combination.

implausible

English will always be needed in schools, but as many of the above posters have said, there is an oversupply of teachers at the moment.

You will, however, be limiting your employability by only having subject. You really should consider doing a second one.

drusk

lauralee28 wrote: »

With the exception of a few subjects, there is no demand for any subjects in teaching.

This sentence makes absolutely no sense.

There is a higher proportion of English graduates each year than any other subject. However, as other posters have said, English is a core subject taken by every student in every school every year.

Your employability will depend on your second subject. The best advice I could give you would be that when picking four subjects for the first year of your degree, make sure all of them are applicable to second-level study. The best second degree subject you could pick would be another core subject: ie., Irish, Maths, French/German/Spanish.

Best of luck.

spurious

Your best bet for a more or less guaranteed job in teaching is woodwork or metalwork, followed by Home Economics. It's been that way for a while now.

Teachers of other subjects, especially 'core' subjects, are over supplied in most parts of the country.

peanuthead

spurious wrote: »

Your best bet for a more or less guaranteed job in teaching is woodwork or metalwork, followed by Home Economics. It's been that way for a while now.

Teachers of other subjects, especially 'core' subjects, are over supplied in most parts of the country.

Really? I would never have thought that actually? I would be thinking along the lines of say, for example, single sex schools. You wouldn't have a huge uptake of woodwork in an all girls school for example (the norm would have it that way)

I'm raging I didn't do Maths instead of Spanish in college, to the point that I've considered a part time maths degree in the evenings?

On a side note, anyone know how I would become officially registered to teach it that way - I'm assuming I wouldn't have to do the Dip all over again?

pathway33

peanuthead wrote: »

I wouldn't have to do the Dip all over again?

correct but check with the teaching council that the degree you do is recognised

gaeilgegrinds

Irish is a great second subject. I don't know anyone who did it that didn't get a teaching job within two years. Choose your second subject carefully.

lauralee28

drusk wrote: »

This sentence makes absolutely no sense.

There is a higher proportion of English graduates each year than any other subject. However, as other posters have said, English is a core subject taken by every student in every school every year.

Your employability will depend on your second subject. The best advice I could give you would be that when picking four subjects for the first year of your degree, make sure all of them are applicable to second-level study. The best second degree subject you could pick would be another core subject: ie., Irish, Maths, French/German/Spanish.


Quite a straightforward sentence I would've thought!:rolleyes: Regardless of english being a core subject taken by every student in school, there is no demand or shortage of teachers in that subject. There are currently hundreds of unemployed teachers due to the cutbacks!
Also, German and Spanish are not offered in a lot of schools nevermind being a "core" subject. English, Irish , Maths = Core Subjects.

peanuthead

gaeilgegrinds wrote: »

Irish is a great second subject. I don't know anyone who did it that didn't get a teaching job within two years. Choose your second subject carefully.

Yeah there does seem to be a high demand for Irish teachers actually, was reading the jobs section the last few weeks!!