All Primary / Secondary Masters Courses - Post Q's Here Please

Hugz88

No unfortunately not! Let me know if you hear anything!!!

SURR

Hey guys. Just wondering did anyone that had an interview have irish as a subject? Have my interview next week and looking for tips. Thanks

tippy25

Anybody get a welcome/information letter from DCU in the last few days

CloCon

SURR wrote: »

Hey guys. Just wondering did anyone that had an interview have irish as a subject? Have my interview next week and looking for tips. Thanks

Hi SURR,

I had my interview on Monday and received confirmation of my place on the course today.

My subjects are Irish & Geography.
To be honest, I found the subject specific interview tougher than the general interview as questions were specific but the two people on the panel were very encouraging and understood that I was nervous.

Regarding Irish - the questions I was asked were about - why I chose to do irish in college, my opinions on the Gaelscoil, why students don't like poetry, how to teach poetry to get students to like it, what other ways I could teach poetry/prose without giving students all the info. Most other questions were based on the answers I gave - there was a good flow to the interview...but I did feel that it was long.

Hope that helps you in someway, good luck in the interview and good luck to everyone else in the forum with interview outcomes.

Dr Crippen

nope?

Dr Crippen

tippy25 wrote: »

Anybody get a welcome/information letter from DCU in the last few days

Got that letter yesterday, anyone know the full fee for the course? I had a look on the fee's site and it's a bit cryptic, saw a figure of €4905?

Also I got an email a few months back outlining the contact teaching hours, on it it states 2/3 contact teaching hours in semester one, so on and so on. then the placement handbook says a minimum of 5 hours per week. Very confusing and it looks impossible to hold down any full time work on this basis

tippy25

think the fees for year one are 3755 and year two are 5 something

yeah but that's just guideline like some people had their tp hours arranged by then so nothing dcu can do if its more cause schools timeables will be set by now ..


really ya gotta bel looking at fri-sun part time work and ya might pick up the odd bit of subbing or s and s in the school as well.

that's what im hoping for anyway!

Dr Crippen

I have it arranged with work for time off etc.

It is more the intermittent correspondence I keep receiving that's strange.

The observation hours are 500-600 hours, not really feasible in the first year for me really, I will do as many as I can in first year and leave work to do the remainder I hope, if that's feasible by the college?

Chopper12

Dr Crippen wrote: »

Got that letter yesterday, anyone know the full fee for the course? I had a look on the fee's site and it's a bit cryptic, saw a figure of €4905?

Also I got an email a few months back outlining the contact teaching hours, on it it states 2/3 contact teaching hours in semester one, so on and so on. then the placement handbook says a minimum of 5 hours per week. Very confusing and it looks impossible to hold down any full time work on this basis

I agree I went to the school with the 5 hours a week that the college said we were supposed to do and that is what they have set me so too late to change and mess them around now.

I am also going to be working part time, two ten hour shifts a week. This will be on Thursdays, Fridays , Saturdays and Sundays. I don't know if this will be manageable but I will have to try it for a while to see if I can.

Dr Crippen

I have three hours a week as it was arranged before they sent out the handbook with the changes. I work full time and have arranged a day off a week to do my placement, and observation hours. It's just so messy with the various emails and correspondence being sent

Chopper12

I agree Dr Crippen, it is hard to keep track of everything with all these changes. It will be a tough year from a point of organising work, school and study.

On another note I see we (DCU PME) have online tutorials on Thursdays in Semester 2 of year 1 and Semester 1 of year 2 from 4 to 6pm.

Does anyone know how these work?

Do you have to log in when they are taking place and basically watch it or can you do it at a later time?

I might have to try and do this at work if I cannot change my shift!

laurenpedro123

Hi - I have teaching council recognition for Business Studies at present and I'm hoping to apply for and get to do the PME next year.
I do have French to degree level and am currently applying for recognition for this (I think I will have to do a few literature modules to succeed in this).

My question is : if I do the PME in Business and CPSE but obtain TC recognition over the next year or two, would schools consider me for teaching French or would they prefer me to have the French as one of the actual teaching subjects on the PME?

Any info or advice is very welcome.
Thanks in advance.

roxyworldgirl

laurenpedro123 wrote: »

Hi - I have teaching council recognition for Business Studies at present and I'm hoping to apply for and get to do the PME next year.
I do have French to degree level and am currently applying for recognition for this (I think I will have to do a few literature modules to succeed in this).

My question is : if I do the PME in Business and CPSE but obtain TC recognition over the next year or two, would schools consider me for teaching French or would they prefer me to have the French as one of the actual teaching subjects on the PME?

Any info or advice is very welcome.
Thanks in advance.

Usually you need two subjects in the PME but they can work with one... Do you even have one though? Is it business you're recognised in or business studies( which is JC) ... You'd be hard pushed to find a job with only one subject to JC ...

Also I think CSPE will become part of history with these JC reforms so id make certain you have french first the PME can be costly and it's your responsibility to gain recognition ... The college won't check you have it

liverpool lad

Hi. Anybody here for NuiG?? They have uploaded the PME handbook and timetable! I've had a few quick glances but it looks confusing! Can't work out how many hours per week we are likely to have, or how many of the modules/group lectures we have to go to, or if it depends on your subject etc. hopefully they will explain it in full on the first day and make it easier.. I can't make it out that easy!

liverpool lad

Ignore the previous post.. I have just read it more thoroughly and it now makes sense!!!

buckinit

Hi there,

This is aimed at anyone who has graduated in the last couple of years from the Dip, PDE or PGDE.

For anyone starting their first day of teaching practice in the end of August/earlier September this year, are there any tips or advice that we should take note of? Just a little nervous on how to present myself, who to approach on the first day etc etc.

Thanks in advance!

laurenpedro123

Many thanks for that info Roxyworldgirl. Much appreciated. I didn't realise there was a difference in the Business Studies recognition. On my cert it says Business (Business Studies). Would that mean it's only to Junior Cert? My preference would be to teach at plc level so in terms of the French recognition I wonder would that be a little more relaxed in terms of what the colleges will accept.

Sara3305

anybody get the registration etc email from ucd? is it just me or is it very hard to follow? i can't make sense of what i'm supposed to do first or when....i don't know, maybe i'm just overcomplicating things!

Sara3305

also, does anyone know the course code for ucd? the website only gives the major code.

ConorK8526

Hi Sara,

I'm in the exact same boat as you! Everything seems to be very vague at the minute. I don't have a clue what date we're even supposed to register on. It says that all future emails will be sent to your UCD connect account, but I don't even have one of those. All a bit confusing as of late, but don't worry you're not alone!

Sara3305

hi conor,

yeah they seem to have made it as difficult as they possibly could I think it said we have to set up our ucd email using our student number, but unless I've missed something we haven't even been given a student number? !

tippy25

sara your student no is your PAC id no

Sara3305

tippy25 wrote: »

sara your student no is your PAC id no

i'd never have thought to try that, thanks!!

roxyworldgirl

laurenpedro123 wrote: »

Many thanks for that info Roxyworldgirl. Much appreciated. I didn't realise there was a difference in the Business Studies recognition. On my cert it says Business (Business Studies). Would that mean it's only to Junior Cert? My preference would be to teach at plc level so in terms of the French recognition I wonder would that be a little more relaxed in terms of what the colleges will accept.

If it says both I'd take it you're covered to teach up to leaving cert :-) ..

Hermia

I did the dip in 2008 in tcd and the lack of organisation and clarity doesn't seem to have improved since then by reading through these posts!
The toughest thing imo is that you're only observing for a few weeks and then sent off to teach without much time in college first. The most important thing to establish from the get go are expectations for behaviour etc from students and to try and remain as consistent as possible. I learnt this the hard way. Even if it takes you a couple of weeks to get routines in place, don't feel pressurised to get into the teaching straight away. The most important thing is to get to know your classes first and don't be afraid to show them aspects of your personality. They respect that and you will get on better in the long run.
Best of luck to everyone starting off; it's tough getting started but once you get into the swing of things, it really is one of the best jobs in the world!

Umbert0!

Just got a message from my school saying that I need to deliver a presentation next week on my subject area. Has anyone ever done something like this before for their placement?

Thundering_Sky

Hi does anybody going to UCC know when we get the timetable for the lectures? I cant seem to find it written anywhere
Thanks

Sara3305

did anyone see the UCD timetable for the year yet? i assumed that the college timetable would be synced with the schools, so that when the schools were on Easter/Halloween break we'd also have our break from college, but looks like the holidays are different so that when we have our break from school we still have to be in college, and when we have the break from college, we're still in school. maybe i was naive to think it would be different but it just strikes me as really awkward - like we never actually get a break apart from at xmas, so going away even for a few days isn't really an option!

ricero

im starting my 2nd year with DCU and got sent my timetable yesterday.

we have an optional module in our first semester of either drama education, language in non language classroom, equality and education or digital media and learning.

anyone know what these modules are like ? was thinking of doing drama as my subjects are religion and english

Hermia

I did my dip in tcd but have the same subjects and would defo do the drama module; I use it a lot in literature and role play etc in religion. Really useful and the kids are doubly engaged when ya can get them up and out of their seats!

ricero wrote: »

im starting my 2nd year with DCU and got sent my timetable yesterday.

we have an optional module in our first semester of either drama education, language in non language classroom, equality and education or digital media and learning.

anyone know what these modules are like ? was thinking of doing drama as my subjects are religion and english