NUIG PDGE 2010/2011

rose23

Hey everyone...

Just accepted a offer during the week to do the PDGE in NUIG... excited and nervous about it at the same time...

anyone else in the same boat or have done it recently and want to share their thoughts??

Would be glad to hear them...

ed3

hi Rose23...got offered NUIG as well last week....i'm nervous excited about it as well. I'm hearing horror stories about assignments and lesson planning though which is the part that is scaring me!

Have you sorted a school yet for your teaching practice?? I have meetings today with principles of 2 schools to try get things rolling...to be honest one of them didnt even know about how the teaching practice was run...which scares me but seemingly the vice principle deals with "all that stuff".

What subjects will you be doing? I only have 1, Biology. But from reading the documents on the website it looks like you make up the credits in another area!

roll on sept 1st then eh?!

rose23

Hey...

Yeah it is meant to be a tough enough year but Im sure we will all get through it..

God your very organised..wish I was the same..I only printed off the list there now of all the schools so may send out cvs to them all this evening.. wish I did this sooner but wasnt aware of it!...hopefully it will work out..

Im teaching all this year so will find it hard to have meetings with principles, especially as Im from Kilkenny.. its all very stressful already ha!

Are you looking for tp in Galway?? I have French and Geography!

Let me know how you meetings with the principles go for you??!!

Duffbeer

Hi all going to NUIG in Sept,
I am heading there aswell and I have been looking at a few schools today. I get the feeling that it is going to be tougher than previous years as one particular school wasn't sure if they were taking students as NUIG is all Block this year. Schools preferred the sequential system as 'we' didn't take up as much time around the place... no need to panic but it is only one school...
I hear the Bish in Nuns Island take in 10+ Dips every year so try there 1st. Very close to the college aswell...

ed3

well had 2 meetings today with schools in Clare for Teaching Practice which i have now been told is called TP the first went well....was more interested in what i did in industry, as i am not just fresh out of college! the second was with the secondary school i went to and that was just a grand ol chat and going through my cv should know tommorow i recon.

I'm working nights at the moment, so will find it hard to meet with principles over the week if i dont get either of the above! oh well time will tell!

I get ya duffbeer about the block release and schools might not like it, but i see it as a great opportunity as we will be around the school the whole time for free if needed!! plus i think it gives a better view of the running of a school and lets you settle in more, well i hope so!!

I'm hoping to travel from clare to college every day....i wonder what the timetable will be like for the college side of things!?

Rose23 I recon just post your cv and cover letter to all the schools on the list that you would like and put in a note stating that you are currently teaching and would be available over the phone for interview/chat if necessary?! they have to understand that we are prob all working to earn money for the fees for this course!!

best of luck with securing placement anyway

rose23

Well done Ed3.. you surely have the ball rolling!!! fair play!!

I have cvs printed out and ready to go in the post in the morning so hopefully il get a school close enough to the college!!

Once thats done then its the main thing done I suppose before September so all will be good

Duffbeer

Called into 8 out of the 10 city schools today. It was an experience in itself.Some of them are not going to go ahead with taking in students on TP for the year. They said the change to all Block by NUIG is too much for them as they havent the hours to give and parents are not in favour of having their kids taught by a student teacher! Sequential TP worked in the past as a student was only in school for 5 classes a week... now NUIG have upped the hours to 13/14 which is tough to timetable....Will be interesting to see how all pans out but at present I have no school.

rose23

I can see the principals point that parents dont favour student teachers teaching for good few weeks together.. they dont want hassle of listening to parents but in fairness like its not all the kids teachers being changed would only be few classes...

The fact they are saying that they dont have the hours to give.. i've been teaching in schools the past two years and teachers do be delighted when a student teacher comes into take their classes.. more free time for the teacher and still getting paid. So the decision rests with the principals really.. hopefully this isnt the general consensus in all the schools that they dont want us!

rose23

Hey guys...

So I sent out about ten cvs there Thursdaymorning and I got a phonecall there this morning from the Presentation college in Tuam to accept me for TP, so am absolutely delighted!... hope it works out for ye all too!!

Duffbeer

[QUOTE

]Hey, first time posting decided to post as there is very little here from NUIG peeps and I have some info to share aswell as a question.

Was reading this tread after I got my offer for NUIG, hungover after celebrating ofc, and I got worried that people were already organising there placements so I decided to get the ball rolling. First stop was my old school as I am from galway and I went down and dropped my CV/Cover letter in. Before I had even made it home the principal rang me saying to come in next week for a meeting however he said that the HDip system has changed so that sequential is no longer an option, its only block now (which seems idiotic to me) and he was really against it. This had me worried so the next day I dropped my CV round to every school in Galway city. I actually got a quick word with the headmaster of one school and she implied that they wud only really be taking past pupils and my best bet was my old school O.o I think it will be very hard to get placement this year so my advice is to really get on top of it now.

Luckily I had the meeting with my old school today and it cudn't have gone better. I was told straight away that they wud do their best to help me as I was a past pupil (: But I think if you are not in my position you really need to start applying now, preferably in person. There are only about 10/11 schools in galway city for what, about 220 people doing the dip? (not sure about the numbers, cud be very wrong). getting stuck in a school miles out of galway wud not be fun. I'm really glad I read this thread as I wud have left it on the long finger for a month or two easy if I hadn't realized the necessity to organise it early.

Rather then just giving ppl a heads up I also have a quick question. by the 21st of may i need to send back a completed acceptance form with a completed garda clearance form O.o I'm off on holidays mid May so I want to get this sorted asap. I have been told the garda form gets posted out to you? I accepted my place online the day I was offered. Has any1 received anything in the post yet? O.o coz I haven't >.<

Oh and congrats to all who got their places!!!

(: QUOTE]

Legend 007.
Having the same problems myself in getting a school. I have 2 old schools that I went to and one of them has come back to me to say that they won't be having me back...(no surprised there)...
And the other school is still deciding on CV's..(A boys school in Tuam)
Called to 10 City schools last Monday... Have to say it was a bit of a waste of time with most of them not interested because I was not a past pupil or that they weren't doing the TP this year due to the Block placement. Ringing a few of the country schools back today and still no decisions made. It's a nightmare esp. as 2nd offers will be out soon and it will make it tighter!
Saying that something always comes up so fingers crossed.
On the issue of Garda Clearance forms etc... Ring the Admissions dept..they are to send us a formal letter soon. I'm going to call them now while I have it in my head.
Accepting PAC is one thing, make contact with NUIG. I was speaking to Anna Coffey in Ed. Dept...very helpful nice person. She will direct you aswell.
What are your subjects?

Legend007

Thanks for redirecting me here :P didn't see the NUIG thread !

I'm in the same boat as ed3 actually, I just have Biology >.< unfortunately I need another year in a chemistry based subject, as I only did 2 years of it,to be able to teach that as a 2nd subject so mite get that after the dip. seems like I have to take on two smaller modules from a list like "transition year" and sum others I don't remember O.o

I'd be the first to admit I'm pretty clueless atm (in general :P ) on the details of what is going to happen on my placement but at least I have it sorted, the fine details can be ironed out when the school is doing out the timetables later in the year. I think my hours each week will be made up from Biology for 4th and 5th class and Science for years 1-3. Not sure if I can take some chemistry classes aswell/instead, if I need to as I did have 2 years of it and my masters included a lot of chemistry too. I heard talk of CSPE being mentioned by people who only have 1 main subject like me O.o will have to do some more digging :P

But I'd echo what has been previously said, the majority of schools in galway city are a waste of time i.e not taking dips or very small chance of geting in. The Bish was mentioned already as taking on a number of dips, I hear Taylors also takes on a good few of them (6-7). I know St Mary's are gathering CVs atm aswell.

I am still stuck on my provisional so was banking on my old city school taking me in but if you are not restrained to the city / if you have a car, your best bet is to target the schools near galway like rose23 did. There are a couple in Tuam and many more in the small surrounding towns!

And thanks for the advice, will pop in to see Anna Coffey tomorrow!

rose23

Hey guys.. It's great to have this thread going!!

I got offered two schools I applied for placement in, St Raphaels in Loughrea and the Presentation in Tuam, they both rang two days after I sent out my CV. I accepted Loughrea as it is that bit closer to where Im from!! Hopefully ye all get sorted too.. applied to 11 schools and only heard from those two so far.. Im from Kilkenny and teaching at the minute so I wasnt able to call around in person.. Anyone else whos in the same boat Id just advise to do up a really good cv and cover letter, and try get a few recent references to put in with them, and just send them to whatever schools you think you would like!

My friend did the PDGE in Galway last year and she said there were people in September who were still looking for schools.. so better get moving on this sooner than later and yer sure to get sorted

I haven received any letters/info or the Garda Vetting form yet.. hoping they come soon so we can all just get them sorted!

Duffbeer

I got offered two schools I applied for placement in, St Raphaels in Loughrea and the Presentation in Tuam, they both rang two days after I sent out my CV. I accepted Loughrea as it is that bit closer to where Im from!!

Fair dues to you Rose, the 2 schools you mention gave me the red card there during the week. You must have a strong CV and the subjects that they demand. The teaching exp is handy to have when looking for a school esp this year. We are from Galway and finding it hard to get a school!!
Will keep you posted....
Congrats on St. Raphaels...Traditionally a good hurling school... Prob looking for some KK inspiration

Blinking_Badger

Hey everyone,

Congratulations at getting offered a place on the PGDE! I'm starting in September in NUIG as well, am just thrilled to get it! My subjects are Biology and Science and I contacted all the city schools when the offers came out and got turned down from Enda's almost immediately. The other schools are still deciding but I have contacted my old school in county Galway and am hopefully meeting the principal this week. I have a friend doing TP at the moment in one of the city centre schools and they were told last week that due to the block requirement in 2010 they will only be able to take on 3 students rather than he 9 they have this year so my advice to all those still looking for a school is to apply all over the county not just in the city centre........don't forget you will be unable to do the PGDE if you dont secure a school so dont get caught out!!

Best of luck and see you all in September!

BB

rose23

Well keep at it Duffbeer, these things always work out!!

I have two years teaching experience and French and Geography as my subjects so they might be working to my advantage... Keep at it and it will work out

ed3

hey all...finally got my placement sorted!! going back to my old school in shannon
hope everyones searches are going well!! Rose23 delighted yours got sorted so quickly

must accept my place now on pac!!

Duffbeer

Hi all,
Got my TP sorted last friday thank god so happy with that. Also called into Ed dept in NUIG and met Anna Coffey and Course Director (Veronica I think) and they are very helpful and sound. Go to them and ask them anything if you are not sure bout anything and send in your forms now that need completing for the Ed dept. The Admissions Dept ones will not be sent for another month (Garda Vetting etc..)
Good luck

gaeilgegrinds1

I arrange the Dips in our school, tis not always the VP, can be the post holders too. One tip, of you want to make some money subbing choosing schools with loads of teachers is a good way. Also, better schools academically are easier for the Dip but don't look necessarily look as good on the CV the following year. Any tips on schools in Galway, just mail me. On maternity but would still know many teachers in schools in both city & county. Best of luck!

rose23

Hey guys any update with the placement.. I still have received no info or anything about the post! have ye??...

Duffbeer

rose23 wrote: »

Hey guys any update with the placement.. I still have received no info or anything about the post! have ye??...

I got it signed and stamped on the day I met with the VP of chosen school. Sent it into Education Dept on same day with other forms. She told me to make contact in early sept to get the timetable from her. Thats it really. If I was you I would go directly to the school and get the form signed etc.. Some schools can forget about you!

rose23

Hi GaeilgeGrinds1...

I accepted to do my teaching placement in St Rapaels in Loughrea.. It was between this school and the Presentation in Tuam.. Im hoping I made the right decision.. any thoughts??...

johnmurphy2010

Hi.

I am in a sticky situation. I got offered NUI Maynooth on 6th april. Unfortunately, I only sent out my CV to about 50 schools about a week ago. I have heard from 3 schools so far. 1 saying they dont take on PGDE students (despite the fact i got their contact details from maynooths list of schools that frequently offer pgde places) and 2 saying the positions for TP have already been filled.

Im starting to think that every TP position is gone.

Would this be the case?

I only have experience teaching doing grinds for the past 3 years or so, but have no classroom teaching experience. Could this also be a major factor in not getting a pgde tp position?

If i dont secure TP position come august/september, does that mean i cant do the pgde in maynooth? or does maynooth have a few schools available for cases such as mine (assuming that is my case come august/september?

cheers


JM

spurious

rose23 wrote: »

Hi GaeilgeGrinds1...

I accepted to do my teaching placement in St Rapaels in Loughrea.. It was between this school and the Presentation in Tuam.. Im hoping I made the right decision.. any thoughts??...

Which one would give you experience teaching a wide range of abilities?
Which one would give you experience dealing with occasionally challenging behaviours?
Which one would give you the chance to work on the newer curricular developments?

When you're looking for hours or the elusive job, all of the above things are useful things to be able to say you have experience of.

gaeilgegrinds1

Rose 23, will PM you with some specific info, asked a teacher in one of the schools about it.

rose23

Thanks GaeilgeGrinds... I have been teaching in different schools since the completion of my degree two years ago so Im not too worried.. I looked up the internet about St Rapaels but only so much you can tell from an internet site..

Also as Im teaching full time.. I sent out cvs to schools and two schools accepted me without meeting me so I didnt get chance to go up to the school just yet and suss it out..

Any thoughts or tips would be great help..
Thanks!!

Legend007

Anyone got anything in the post yet? O.o

I'm still waiting on the garda vetting form. I emailed to ask about when they would be sent and to try organise a brief meeting to chat about the course and I got a really unhelpful email back. The person had just cut and pasted a bit from the nuig website with "May 21st" and "posted soon" highlighted on it............even though I had indicated in my email that I had read the website and I was aware of the date it needs to be handed in by. Pissed me right off but oh well. Still really looking forward to doing this Dip (: can't wait!!

Duffbeer

Who did you email?

Got an email form Admissions dept yest with info that the Garda Vetting forms are in the post so you should get them soon.

Siobhan_d13

Hi everyone! I've been looking for a thread on this with a while!

I've already accepted my place through PAC, I accepted the day that we got offered them! I feel nauseous now that people have got their placements already! I applied to one school through a contact of mine and kind of just forgot about it after that...I want to stay in Galway as I'm from near Waterford and it's a four hour drive. Does everyone have placement sorted now?

Also, it's supposed to be a horrendous year...! Is anyone moving to Galway for the first time?

ed3

Siobhan...maybe get back onto the school that you applied to. I found that they forget about you....i had to chase my old school to get an answer and it turned out they had accepted me from my first phone call just hadnt bothered to tell me and let me sweat for a week or so! so definately get back onto the school you applied to.

I'm kinda anxious about the year ahead as well, but I think its because its what I really want to do and I'm worried that I may not like it!! At the moment I'm working and living in Limerick, I'm moving home to Shannon for the 9 months (live off my parents hahaha) and my sister lives in galway so will travel up and down every day to college and maybe stay with the sister twice a week or something if its too much driving! galway is supposed to be a great student city so i'm sure you will love living there!

I know from hearing from people doing the course that they really loved it but there is a lot of work involved, that you are always busy with lesson plans and assignments, but i suppose they are just preparing us for the years of teaching ahead

best of luck with getting placement sorted....maybe take some time out this week from whatever you are doing and get it sorted to put your nerves at ease

See you in Sept...:)

Legend007

My garda vetting form finally arrived in the post last week (: absolutely delighted to get that sorted and out of the way. can relax a little till september now that that the vetting form and acceptance letter are in.

I'm from galway so I can tell you that any1 moving here or coming for the first time will love it. The city is small but its certainly a student city. There is always a good buzz around town and the night life's not half bad :P I guess its the same as anywhere though, you need to know the right places to go!

My friend did the Dip in NUIG recently and although she said pretty much what others have said in this thread, that the work load is on the heavy side and standing up infront of a class for the first time is pretty daunting, she really enjoyed the course a lot. I think the switch to block only this year rather then having the choice of sequential is actually better for us by the way, in terms of exams and assignments. My friend did sequential and she said it was so spread out that things kind of got on top of her and it was easy to leave things on the long finger and get caught later on whereas we will be doing block so hopefully it will make it easier to keep on top of everything. She did say however that sequential is better for actually learning to be a teacher as u get to have a class for a whole year rather then just 1 month here and 2 months later on O.o oh well

Looking forward to getting started anyway and meeting a few new faces!

rose23

Scared!
Hi everyone! I've been looking for a thread on this with a while!

I've already accepted my place through PAC, I accepted the day that we got offered them! I feel nauseous now that people have got their placements already! I applied to one school through a contact of mine and kind of just forgot about it after that...I want to stay in Galway as I'm from near Waterford and it's a four hour drive. Does everyone have placement sorted now?

Also, it's supposed to be a horrendous year...! Is anyone moving to Galway for the first time?

Hi Siobhain... Get back in contact with the school you applied already and if that doesnt work you need to get yourself upto Galway to visit the schools in person, or if not send out cvs to the list of schools we got online..
Im teaching full time this year so really didnt have the chance to go to Galway, so I sent out about 20 cvs, got offered 3 so far from these schools, im sure it will work out for you just get working on it as soon as possible. I did hear some schools hold interviews, and alot of schools may not have decided yet with regards to placement students..

Im from near Kilkenny, so il be moving up too! There are laods of houses on Daft.ie, il prob head in june/july and try organise something. Im thinking I will try get a house with other dip students/postgraduate students.. shouldnt be too hard to organise house though!
My school I got for placement is close enough to Galway city too, just makes more sense if Im going to be living in the centre.
I applied to a good few schools in the city centre but havent heard from any of them as of yet..

Best of luck with finding placement.. keep in contact!!!

RearNakedJim

Hi Guys, I just got changed from UCC to NUI Galway last week, and i'm having a real problem as the block system is putting off alot of schools. Anyone else still not sorted?

Looking forward to moving down there from Dublin, but just hope i can get TP sorted soon.

rose23

Hey guys..

Any of you moving upto Galway in September.. just wondering if ye have started house hunting yet???
Im living in Kilkenny so definatly moving up.. hopefully wont be too hard to get a nice place..

Let me know if any of ye are in the same boat!!!

RearNakedJim

Yeah heading up, but i still haven't found teaching practice, i'm now looking at trying to get teaching practice closer to dublin, and splitting my time between galway for lectures and dublin for TP. Hopefully.

limerickhurl

Hey everyone,

I also will be heading to Galway for the HDip in September...looking forward to it myself, and I have found various threads on this very helpful. As regards accomodation, I think it would be a good idea to live with other HDip students, if at all possible. I will be moving up from Limerick, and seeing as we're starting on the 1st September I reckon it would be a good idea to try and get something sorted sooner rather than later. I saw a few replies saying pretty much the same thing, and would be willing to go up and maybe check out a few places if anyone was interested? Plus we could get a head start on the old meet and greet in September!

If anyone feels the same, get back to me and we could maybe try and sort something out.

Hope everyone is having a good summer/

Legend007

Myself and a friend of mine ( he works 9-5 in the hospidal) who I've known for ages have moved out about 3 weeks ago from the house we were living in with some other friends and into a new 3 bedroom place. The rent is so cheap the two of us can afford it but we are planning to rent out the 3rd room soon. It's a small single room but the place and area is nice and its 7mins walk (2min cycle for those late risers) from the college. if anyone wants to come up to galway and check it out let me know. Wud be good to share with someone else on the course and it cud work out that we won't be renting it before the end of the summer when all the students come back

rose23

Hey guys..

Hope you're all enjoying the Summer...

Anyone up for going house hunting in Galway soon?? myself and another girl(Who is doing her Masters in September) who I got chatting to through this are trying to round up a few of us to go house hunting with!

Throw me a message if your interested!!
Cheers!

Fizzical

Hi all.

Maybe some of you who are doing the H.Dip this Sept can clue me in on what's involved in the 'block' program this Sept. I've always had a H.Dip student working with me but wasn't given any hard info on the changes for next year.

How is the teaching practice to be organised? How many classes a week will you need, for how many weeks, at what time/s of the year?

From the little info I have, I'm not a bit enthusiastic about taking someone on. I normally only give 1st years to a student teacher - that's only 4 classes a week. My 2nd years will have had a student last year so I don't want them to have one again this year and I certainly wouldn't give out 3rd year classes, or seniors.

Would the student take over the class completely - and for how long?

gaeilgegrinds1

It's really different this year, someone doing it will know the ins and outs more but I didn't take a Dip this year, I know my classes wouldn't settle. It's 12 hours for a few weeks in different blocks, maybe in a more settled school perhaps it would work well.

Fizzical

How do you mean - is it 12 hours a week ie 18 periods (40 mins)? There's no way I'd give a student most of my classes, so maybe 2 junior classes and 2 senior classes or else 4+ junior classes from different teachers - but maybe all in the same subject? I suppose it's possible in some subjects, if teachers were willing...

Siobhan_d13

Hi Fizzical,
From the information I've already looked at, I think we have to do about 3 classes a day. The TP for 2010/2011 is running in the following weeks: 1st November - 3rd December and 14 February - 15th March (including the mid-term break).

I've copied this from the NUIG website:

The Teaching Practice component of the course involves a minimum of 110 hours of teaching practice in a recognised post-primary school in the subject or subjects taken to degree level. From September 2010 placement on teaching practice in the PDGE programme in NUI Galway will occur according to one mode of placement, a Block mode, and this will involve two teaching blocks a year totalling approximately 13 weeks.
Note: From September 2010, the School of Education in NUI Galway will no longer be supporting the Sequential mode of Teaching Practice
In addition, student teachers must also complete a period of observation in primary and post-primary schools. This provides students with an initial experiential base for their subsequent training. The School of Education (NUI, Galway) determines dates/timeframe for the School Experience/Observation period in September.

I also just discovered that this is 110 CLOCK hours...so 6600 minutes..which over the course of 13 weeks is around 12 classes a week.

Fizzical

Thanks, Siobhan_13. So, thinking of my own situation, 3 of us could give over a full class group for a month just before the Christmas tests and another 3 of us just before the Easter tests. Hmmm. Don't know. It would depend on how crowded the teacher's timetable is - if it's bad, that might persuade us! Otherwise, I prob won't do it.

rose23

hey everyone!!

Hope ye are all enjoying the Summer.. no information about timetables or nothing yet.. am looking forward to seeing what it will be like!!

When are ye all planning on meeting with the principal of yer tp school to go through your timetable, classes etc???....

Siobhan_d13

Hey Rose23,
I was just told to contact the school in September to sort all that! So I'll probably go in the day before we start...I know we have some time to sort it because the TP doesn't start until 1st November (in or around that date!)

Did u sort your accom?

rose23

Yeah was thinking that would be the deal alright.. Should be fine..

No dont have it sorted yet..hopefully a few of us will be heading up next week sometime.. just wanna get it sorted now at this stage.. Did you take that place in the centre after..

lofto

hey guys, I'm also starting the pgde in galway. To be honest I'm kinda nervous/excited by the prospect. I'm wondering though, has anyone been given any advice on things to read beforehand, that may help when we're all in the throws of assignments and projects?

rose23

Hey..


Congrats on getting into the course.. Im feeling the very same excited and nervous.. will be good tog et into it all though!!

No havent got any suggested readings or anything.. might do in August alright..

I joined my local library and just have a couple of books out on teaching practice and so on.. just flicking through them every now and again to get the brain prepared for it all in September ha!!

Duffbeer

Hi All,
Just wondering have anyone heard back from PGDE admissions for official offers?? I sent back the Garda Vetting months ago and it is Aug 10th and I want to give current employer notice...etc.... Just like to have that box ticked etc..
According to Education Dept we are in for the 1st Sept for usual inductions and registration.
Am I alone with this or are they just pure slow in UCG??

Blinking_Badger

Hi Duffbeer,

I haven't received anything from NUIG in ages either but I presumed it was because I'm still waiting on police clearance from Spain. You're right about the 1st of Septmenber......induction for three days according to the website...only three weeks tomorrow!! Can't wait.

BB

rose23

Hey Duffbeer..


Still no word back at all either which I find strange too seen as were starting in 3 weeks like.. hopefully we will get all the information soon ...

lofto

ya I was wondering the same! I'm sure they'll have to send details on location and times of induction?!!

Blinking_Badger, I've similarly had to get clearance from australia. When I rang the college, I was told I just needed to bring proof of clearance to the induction.

see you all soon