struggling to get a PDE placement school

clo1

Hi guys!!I accepted a PDE course in NUIG a few months ago however I have tried all the schools in Galway city to try and complete my teaching placement in them but have had no luck Anybody in a similar situation or have any advice as to how I can get a school that will take me on for teaching practice as Im beginning to panic I need a school in or near galway that would accept me as I cannot drive but am willing to travel up to an hour from galway city every morning for TP. please any help appreciated

electoralshock

TP in NUIG is block placement so your in the school for about 5 weeks at a time. So you should look outside of galway. In second semester you are mainly in the school so you could rent a place say in Claremorris, Castlebar or Westport.

rainbowtrout

Gort is only 20-25 minutes outside Galway and being on the Galway-Limerick road you should be able to get there easy enough. Also Athenry, Ballinasloe are on the M6 out of Galway, Athlone is only an hour from Galway and there are about 5 schools in the town. Going north on the N17 you have Tuam (again 4 or 5 schools), Dunmore, Claremorris. Taking the N63 out of Galway you have 2 schools in Mountbellew, another 1 two miles down the road in Castleblakeney and another 5 or 6 miles down the road another one in Ballygar.

implausible

If you are from Galway City, Rainbow trout's advice is spot on. You could get public transport easily enough to most of those places. After a week or two, you might find someone who is driving that way and is willing to give you a lift. Those schools would be delighted to see you coming as the city schools are probably full of PDE students. In a smaller country school, you could get to know the staff and students better, get more involved and make a bigger impression.

If you can't do this - start looking at where your relatives and friends live. I don't know if I'd recommend what I did - moving in with my Granny for block placement. It was boring as hell, but I came back to college with all my lesson plans and assignments done as I had nothing else to do!

rainbowtrout

Just to add to what implausible said, if you can afford to move out of where you are for a couple of weeks and live elsewhere in the west you should be able to get a school no bother. The only dip students we see (Roscommon based) are UL students for Woodwork/Metalwork/PE who normally are from around the area. We've only ever had 1 Galway dip student and that was because she was local. Roscommon/Mayo are not close to any other college offering the PDE so if you can move a little bit further out from Galway you should be able to find a school to take you on.

mtoutlemonde

clo1 wrote: »

Hi guys!!I accepted a PDE course in NUIG a few months ago however I have tried all the schools in Galway city to try and complete my teaching placement in them but have had no luck Anybody in a similar situation or have any advice as to how I can get a school that will take me on for teaching practice as Im beginning to panic I need a school in or near galway that would accept me as I cannot drive but am willing to travel up to an hour from galway city every morning for TP. please any help appreciated

Did you look locally? You don't necessarily have to move to Galway - I know people who did their dip all over the country (and it was NUIG) - that was the case two years ago - ring the education department and see if it's still the case. When I did my dip some of my friends stayed in b & b's when in university and at home for the blocks.

clo1

thanks for the advice guys I have had some good news in that my school in Donegal(where i am from)have agreed to take me although its four hours away from nuig by bus and id much prefer to get a school closer to galway as I need a library to do my study as I have no proper study space at home and anytime i need to travel to college will cost 30 euro. I have free accomodation with a friend in Galway so the only thing im worrying about(apart from a placement school) is the cost of public transport from galway city to the surrounding areas eg athlond etc...but i guess i shouldnt worry about that until i get a school,really hoping for a school nearer galway to take me on

implausible

There are libraries in Donegal too! You could find a spot to study in your placement school too. You're lucky to have a friend like that; I know people who stayed with friends during the college term during the dip, but during placement as well would have stretched the generosity a bit!

Would it not be far cheaper to live and do placement at home?

Einhard

clo1 wrote: »

thanks for the advice guys I have had some good news in that my school in Donegal(where i am from)have agreed to take me although its four hours away from nuig by bus and id much prefer to get a school closer to galway as I need a library to do my study as I have no proper study space at home and anytime i need to travel to college will cost 30 euro. I have free accomodation with a friend in Galway so the only thing im worrying about(apart from a placement school) is the cost of public transport from galway city to the surrounding areas eg athlond etc...but i guess i shouldnt worry about that until i get a school,really hoping for a school nearer galway to take me on

A friend of mine lived inKerry while doing a project in UCD, and when he wanted a particular book that the Kerry libraries dodn't have, he was able to order them in his local branch and collect them in a few days. And these weren't exactly 50 Shades of Grey. Also, when I did my Dip, a huge amount of my research was done through online journals, which can be accessed from home. So the fact that you'll be away from the college library for a few weeks isn't a big deal to be honest.

electoralshock

Einhard wrote: »

A friend of mine lived inKerry while doing a project in UCD, and when he wanted a particular book that the Kerry libraries dodn't have, he was able to order them in his local branch and collect them in a few days. And these weren't exactly 50 Shades of Grey. Also, when I did my Dip, a huge amount of my research was done through online journals, which can be accessed from home. So the fact that you'll be away from the college library for a few weeks isn't a big deal to be honest.

The Geoff Petty is a great buy as well, It is like a teaching bible. Readings from lectures/workshops will be put on the Blackboard site also. The library is handy for peace and quiet but I say u be able to find your local library be the same. In NUIG assignments are due usually when your back in college so you will the time in the college library then to do assignments.

tricialou

clo1 wrote: »

Hi guys!!I accepted a PDE course in NUIG a few months ago however I have tried all the schools in Galway city to try and complete my teaching placement in them but have had no luck Anybody in a similar situation or have any advice as to how I can get a school that will take me on for teaching practice as Im beginning to panic I need a school in or near galway that would accept me as I cannot drive but am willing to travel up to an hour from galway city every morning for TP. please any help appreciated

Try ennis
The vec- colaiste muire- St flannans - Rice college its less than an hour on the train.!!

clo1

im looking at tuam and loughrea as possibilities but i tink citylink may be d nly option to loughrea which cud work out pretty expensive and ennis is longer than anhour on train which is too much really my mate got her school in spiddal so mite try get a school out there,its just frustrating as I do grind teaching in galway city and would be more willing to to mt TP there rather than at home in donegal.

Toto Wolfcastle

Clo1, please do not use text speak. We don't allow it here.

tbutler

Hey guys,

Is there anyone who is only in Galway for the 5 week blocks. I am teaching in my home town in Tipperary which is 2 and 1/2 hours away. Will be staying at home for then but don't really want to rent for the year seeing as I won't be there for half the time. I know I might have no option but just said I'd ask around what other people are doing before I do anything. Cheers!

rainbowtrout

tbutler wrote: »

Hey guys,

Is there anyone who is only in Galway for the 5 week blocks. I am teaching in my home town in Tipperary which is 2 and 1/2 hours away. Will be staying at home for then but don't really want to rent for the year seeing as I won't be there for half the time. I know I might have no option but just said I'd ask around what other people are doing before I do anything. Cheers!

Just stay in a B&B for the 5 week blocks. You'll have your own room, you'll have breakfast served up to you every morning and if you negotiate a deal with them they may provide you with dinner for the five weeks. No need to rent for the whole year. While a B&B might be slightly more expensive you're not going to have any bills such as heating and electricity, month's deposit, so you should work out OK.