Back to original plan

Roro4Brit

Long story short - graduated Arts (Maths & Sociology) in 2005. Original plan up as far as 2nd year was to become secondary school teacher in Maths.

During summer 2004 I got a student contract with AIB, loved it, went back after I graduated thinking business was the route I wanted. 5 years, several banking exams and a business MSc later I'm working in a great company but am constantly annoyed by my choice not to do teaching.

I loved Maths, and wanted to be the type of maths teacher that really helped students love and appreciate the subject.

I'm now considering trying to get back in to Maths with a view to making it in to teaching profession in the next 2/3 years.

My concerns are:

1. I've not touched anything Maths related in about 5 years, pretty much forget everything from BA and have lost touch with the LC syllabus - although I do take a peek at the exam papers every year. How do I overcome this? I was considering setting myself the challenge of sitting the LC exam again in June '11, and getting stuck in to the LC course again. I would hate to be a teacher that was not able to do the subject myself, had many of those in my day. Suggestions?...

2. Teaching practice - if I was to return to hdip in 2011, I'd want to make sure I've clocked up some good experience, also to help me be sure I'm making the right decision. Was considering sending a few emails to some adult eduction centres to volunteer to work on some of their adult maths classes....any other suggestions on this? I work full time at the moment so it would need to be outside 9-6 Monday to Friday...


I know this sounds cheesy, but I have a really well paid job in a company where the perks are numerous...but at least once a day I stop and think about why am I working for a company whose main objective is to make a profit when I was so looking forward to working with actual people and making a difference in their life...sad town....

Any advice is welcome....

spurious

Take a realistic look at the current job market for teachers. Allow that another couple of hundred (many of them Maths) will be joining the hunt before you graduate.

Is there any way you could get a career break from the bank so you can go back if you can't find work?

Roro4Brit

spurious wrote: »

Take a realistic look at the current job market for teachers. Allow that another couple of hundred (many of them Maths) will be joining the hunt before you graduate.

Is there any way you could get a career break from the bank so you can go back if you can't find work?

I know the job market is tough - but I have read that for 2011 new rules will mean that a lot of currently employed maths teachers will actually not hold the relevant qualifications. Post primary teachers with less than 30% dedicated maths studies in their undergrad will now be ineligible to register with the teaching council (most science / eng grads). As I have 50% in my degree I will qualify.

I work for a technology company now, and there could be a possibility of a career break in 2 years or so.... (which is when I'd be doing teaching practice if I did the HDip part time).

Have you any suggestions to my above questions - appreciate any other advice you can give...

readystudypass

Roro4Brit wrote: »

1. Have lost touch with the LC syllabus - although I do take a peek at the exam papers every year. How do I overcome this? I was considering setting myself the challenge of sitting the LC exam again in June '11, and getting stuck in to the LC course again....Suggestions?

You can register as an external student for the LC 2011 on www.examinations.ie . Closing date is January usually.

Project Maths is being introduced in all schools this year for LC 2012 and JC 2013. Details of Project Maths can be found on www.projectmaths.ie and www.education.ie

www.examinations.ie also has the marking schemes and chief examiners reports (LC 2005; JC 2006)


2. Teaching practice - if I was to return to hdip in 2011, I'd want to make sure I've clocked up some good experience, also to help me be sure I'm making the right decision. Was considering sending a few emails to some adult eduction centres to volunteer to work on some of their adult maths classes....any other suggestions on this?

Some colleges in Dublin have a volunteer Tutor Scheme to help secondary students with maths. Third level students go out maybe 2 evenings a week for 2 hours each evening to the school. I think for example DCU students head up to the secondary school in Ballymun. I'm sure the schools involved in this scheme would be delighted to have you.

Have you worked out how many points you have for PGDE entry? www.pac.ie has the calculation table.

Possibly the most important thing will be to check the eligibility of your qualification on www.teachingcouncil.ie as it states they will be changing the eligibility criteria in early 2011.

Best of luck

see answers above

spurious

The career break optiion would certainly solve the 'all the eggs in one basket' problem.

Please don't think new teachers start off on full hours, most people get between 6 and 10 hours a week part time and work their way up over years.
Once you get to the magic CID, things look better, but this can take years. If you have a mortgage or a child you'll need to consider this.

The Teaching Council can and do change their mind arbitrarily, just read some of the stories on here about them accepting then rejecting qualifications.

Volunteering with Adult Ed. is good, though it will more than likely be at a very basic level. You will use this in Foundation Level JC classes though, so it won't be a waste.

Be aware some children come to second level not knowing their times tables. It's that bad out there.

Roro4Brit

readystudypass wrote: »

see answers above

Great thanks! Yep I just mentioned the new rules about qualifications above - I'm sure I qualify in that respect as Maths was 50% of my course.

I used to take part in the Outreach Scheme when I was in UCD. Exactly like you described, I used to go to schools once a week and tutor LC/JC students. They were never short of volunteers however so I doubt they'd allow a non registered student to tag along. Although I could always pull out the Alumni card...

According to my calculations I have 45 points on the PGDE table. That's including 6 for an MSc and 2 for a Diploma (btw does it matter that these extra qualifications are not related to my subject - can I still count them?)....45 isn't great is it....

Mr Cawley

Most students don't want to learn, you need to consider that relationship against your ideals.

Roro4Brit

Mr Cawley wrote: »

Most students don't want to learn, you need to consider that relationship against your ideals.

Do you want to elaborate on this? I'm not sure what you expect me to take away from this comment?

If it's that school kids can be difficult and demanding then I can say I already know that...all too well given how much of a dick I was to most of mine...but I can honestly say that if it were not for some of the teachers I had, my education could have gone a whole different direction (for the worse).

I'm not looking to do this under the illusion that teaching people aged 12-18 is in any way a walk in the park.

readystudypass

Roro4Brit wrote: »

According to my calculations I have 45 points on the PGDE table. That's including 6 for an MSc and 2 for a Diploma (btw does it matter that these extra qualifications are not related to my subject - can I still count them?)....45 isn't great is it....

It doesn't matter that the MSc is not related to Maths. However according to www.pac.ie the 2 points for a Diploma is for a 'relevant' qualification.

However with your professional experience if you were applying to teach Business I'd say you would get 5 points for working in banking. This is a new thing for 2011 PGDE entry. Any chance you could say your employment is relevant to maths? I presume you deal with numbers.

If you are short of points you could do a distance learning PGCE from the UK. Nottingham Uni used to do one anyway. However the Teaching Council have brought in a new rule I think that you have to work a year in the UK post PGCE in order to be deemed qualified in Ireland.

The other option is to go for the non-points entry which is Trinity College and DCU (part-time) I believe.

45 could be tight but as unqualified teaching practice will not count from 2011 that could result in a reduction in points. Used to be up to 8 points for that. Of course it has been replaced to some extent by points for relevant professional experience

implausible

Roro4Brit wrote: »

I know the job market is tough - but I have read that for 2011 new rules will mean that a lot of currently employed maths teachers will actually not hold the relevant qualifications.

That doesn't mean they're all going to be fired!

However, OP, you do sound quite committed to and enthusiastic about the idea and you're willing to put extra work in. You also have a good subject and I think you could teach CSPE with the Sociology part of your degree. As Spurious said, I'd look into the career break idea, so you have something to fall back on.

Good luck.

Rosita

Mr Cawley wrote: »

Most students don't want to learn, you need to consider that relationship against your ideals.

This is maybe true, but is quite a bizarre piece of advice in the circumstances.

This is what the OP wrote about his/her 'ideals' - but at least once a day I stop and think about why am I working for a company whose main objective is to make a profit when I was so looking forward to working with actual people and making a difference in their life

"Making a difference in their life" - surely that's the best possible starting point for any teacher? Students wanting to learn is a bonus. I would hate to think that students could faced with a teacher who does not want to make a difference to their lives!

Rosita

Roro4Brit wrote: »

1. I've not touched anything Maths related in about 5 years, pretty much forget everything from BA and have lost touch with the LC syllabus - although I do take a peek at the exam papers every year. How do I overcome this? I was considering setting myself the challenge of sitting the LC exam again in June '11, and getting stuck in to the LC course again. I would hate to be a teacher that was not able to do the subject myself, had many of those in my day. Suggestions?...

Why not get a copy of the syllabus and get a Leaving Cert textbook - plenty in the shops at the moment? Sitting the Leaving Cert again would be a good way to force yourself to get up to speed but you could surely do so without that. Your basic grasp of it all is probably very good anyway so I wouldn't worry too much about this.

TheDriver

Also contact your local Maths Teachers Assoc branch as they provide some excellent support in certain parts of the country where they are active e.g. Cork, Dublin, Louth, Cavan etc.

dory

readystudypass wrote: »

However with your professional experience if you were applying to teach Business I'd say you would get 5 points for working in banking. This is a new thing for 2011 PGDE entry. Any chance you could say your employment is relevant to maths? I presume you deal with numbers.

I can't find this extra point thing anywhere on pac.ie. Could you point me in the right direction? Is it only for business degrees?

readystudypass

dory wrote: »

I can't find this extra point thing anywhere on pac.ie. Could you point me in the right direction? Is it only for business degrees?

It should be at the bottom of this page http://www.pac.ie/pgdeinfo/PointsCalc.php?inst=pe

readystudypass

dory wrote: »

Is it only for business degrees?

No. For example for language teachers, experience working as a translator adds points. For a science teacher, experience working in a lab adds points. They are the examples given on www.pac.ie

I'm guessing others may be

History - working in a museum?
Geography - working in a planning department?