Anyone interested in teaching?

HeaneyBabe

Any hopeful secondary school teachers out there? If so what do you all want to teach? I hope to be teaching Italian and German in about 5 years time.

And please, nobody come on here and tell us that we'll be doing subbing etc for the start of our careers, i'm fully aware and can't wait LOL

spurious

Good luck finding Italian hours. Hardly anywhere does it.

I think it's on average ten years of short hour contracts now before people even get a full hours contract. The latest trick seems to be to split one teacher's 'job' into three low hour contracts for three people.

I can't say it enough, though it seems nobody hears - there are no jobs in teaching in Ireland.

HeaneyBabe

spurious wrote: »

Good luck finding Italian hours. Hardly anywhere does it.

I think it's on average ten years of short hour contracts now before people even get a full hours contract. The latest trick seems to be to split one teacher's 'job' into three low hour contracts for three people.

I can't say it enough, though it seems nobody hears - there are no jobs in teaching in Ireland.

Like I said, I'm fully aware of all this. It is what is happening right now, but things could change in 5 or 6 years time. It will be difficult, yes, but not impossible. And as for what you said about Italian, I know that too. There are very few students that do Italian, but there are also very few teachers that teach it.

Also, as I heard on the radio yesterday, the minister is looking into broadening the number of languages available and trying to get students to study other languages apart from French, so you never know.

God I hate when people try to tell you what you want to to is basically impossible..

Boeing777

Yes! I want to be a Science Teacher! Planning on doing Science Education in NUIM!


I'm fully aware of the jobs prospects for teachers at the moment and I completely understand that it's going to be a long road in gaining full employment. Few teachers are being employed at the moment but that doesn't mean there will never be anymore teachers employed. It's going to take time, but it's something I'm prepared to wait for!

HeaneyBabe

Boeing777 wrote: »

Yes! I want to be a Science Teacher! Planning on doing Science Education in NUIM!


I'm fully aware of the jobs prospects for teachers at the moment and I completely understand that it's going to be a long road in gaining full employment. Few teachers are being employed at the moment but that doesn't mean there will never be anymore teachers employed. It's going to take time, but it's something I'm prepared to wait for!

exactly. we won't be qualified for at least 5 years, and with this baby boom happening and birth rates going up, my prediction is that there will be jobs in the future.

bobjimmy

Maths teaching FTW!

spurious

OK, at least it won't come as a shock to you.

HeaneyBabe

spurious wrote: »

OK, at least it won't come as a shock to you.

Hopefully you're the one getting a shock when we are all teaching happily

spurious

I absolutely hope so, so some of my colleagues who have been on crappy hours for the last 8 years can finally get a contract.

In the last five years, our school alone has had 4 Italian PGDE students, who are out there now looking for whatever Italian jobs are coming up. Every year the various courses are spewing out more teachers.

You really need to research the Italian angle, if you are banking on that for hours.

HeaneyBabe

spurious wrote: »

I absolutely hope so, so some of my colleagues who have been on crappy hours for the last 8 years can finally get a contract.

In the last five years, our school alone has had 4 Italian PGDE students, who are out there now looking for whatever Italian jobs are coming up. Every year the various courses are spewing out more teachers.

You really need to research the Italian angle, if you are banking on that for hours.

not banking on it, it's just something I love

rainbowtrout

HeaneyBabe wrote: »

Like I said, I'm fully aware of all this. It is what is happening right now, but things could change in 5 or 6 years time. It will be difficult, yes, but not impossible. And as for what you said about Italian, I know that too. There are very few students that do Italian, but there are also very few teachers that teach it. My school almost found it impossible to get a sub for italian when one of our teachers was on maternity leave.

Also, as I heard on the radio yesterday, the minister is looking into broadening the number of languages available and trying to get students to study other languages apart from French, so you never know.

God I hate when people try to tell you what you want to to is basically impossible..

The people who are telling you this are experienced teachers. They are not telling you out of a sense of begrudgery. The whole country probably employs 10 Italian teachers. As spurious said their school has had 4 student teachers go through the school in the last few years doing their placement. Those four alone could cover half the Italian hours in the country. Doesn't count anyone else qualifying in it.

And there are a couple of reasons this will continue.

1. Very few colleges offer Italian therefore very few will study it.
2. Very few graduates will be available to become teachers.
3. Schools already offer French and to a lesser extent German and Spanish which there are a plentiful supply of teachers available and will continue to do so where as trying to introduce Italian could be difficult first of all to get a qualified teacher and then as you said yourself if the teacher leaves/goes on maternity/is out sick and a replacement is needed it's nigh on impossible to find a sub. Using 'can't find a sub' as an excuse to parents and students will not cut it when a Leaving Cert class is left sitting there without a teacher. So schools will continue with French/German/Spanish where teachers are readily available.


Seriously subs might be needed occasionally for Italian teachers but it's not like they are all going to retire and a whole host of jobs become available. German and Spanish has not increased steadily over the years despite there being teachers available for these subjects.

If you are going to pursue languages teaching stick to German and Spanish. You will have some hope of getting hours.

HeaneyBabe

rainbowtrout wrote: »

The people who are telling you this are experienced teachers. They are not telling you out of a sense of begrudgery. The whole country probably employs 10 Italian teachers. As spurious said their school has had 4 student teachers go through the school in the last few years doing their placement. Those four alone could cover half the Italian hours in the country. Doesn't count anyone else qualifying in it.

And there are a couple of reasons this will continue.

1. Very few colleges offer Italian therefore very few will study it.
2. Very few graduates will be available to become teachers.
3. Schools already offer French and to a lesser extent German and Spanish which there are a plentiful supply of teachers available and will continue to do so where as trying to introduce Italian could be difficult first of all to get a qualified teacher and then as you said yourself if the teacher leaves/goes on maternity/is out sick and a replacement is needed it's nigh on impossible to find a sub. Using 'can't find a sub' as an excuse to parents and students will not cut it when a Leaving Cert class is left sitting there without a teacher. So schools will continue with French/German/Spanish where teachers are readily available.


Seriously subs might be needed occasionally for Italian teachers but it's not like they are all going to retire and a whole host of jobs become available. German and Spanish has not increased steadily over the years despite there being teachers available for these subjects.

If you are going to pursue languages teaching stick to German and Spanish. You will have some hope of getting hours.

These are the current situations that are happening right now. I never said I was guaranteed a job, and the reason I'm doing German and Spanish as well as Italian is because I am aware of the lack of schools teaching Italian.

But like I said, these are current situations. Things are going to change. We don't know how much and we don't know how little, so all I can do is hope now, but I'm not going to not study something and not hope to maybe one day teach it because I am supposed to abide by current times.

I think we should all focus on what we love instead of worrying about making money in the future.

You could say the same to people who want to do English. There aren't many jobs out there that you can pursue with English, however these people want to study it because they will enjoy it.

I do appreciate that you are qualified teachers, and I do accept that it will be difficult, but that's not a reason to not try. And plus, there are plenty of other jobs that I could have with Italian.

AND the minister is looking to make other languages more popular over the next couple of years.

Dave0301

HeaneyBabe wrote: »

These are the current situations that are happening right now.

....I think we should all focus on what we love instead of worrying about making money in the future.

Out of my course that finished this year, over 2/3 are going on to further education or immigrating. I know of only two so far that have found work in Ireland and these are all maths and science teachers. Supposedly "in demand subjects." Also the focusing on what we love and not making money is all well and good until you're 35 and can't secure a mortgage as you aren't on a permanent contract, which certainly seems to be the way the profession is heading.

I know someone who applied for a post of 5 hours a week. You really would be better off on the dole! I don't mean to sound bitter or rain on your parade but this head in the sand attitude, it'll be grand isn't an ideal approach either!

On the other hand from a teaching perspective if it is something you enjoy and you have a love of your subject it really is a fantastic experience

rainbowtrout

HeaneyBabe wrote: »

These are the current situations that are happening right now. I never said I was guaranteed a job, and the reason I'm doing German and Spanish as well as Italian is because I am aware of the lack of schools teaching Italian.

But like I said, these are current situations. Things are going to change. We don't know how much and we don't know how little, so all I can do is hope now, but I'm not going to not study something and not hope to maybe one day teach it because I am supposed to abide by current times.

I think we should all focus on what we love instead of worrying about making money in the future.

You could say the same to people who want to do English. There aren't many jobs out there that you can pursue with English, however these people want to study it because they will enjoy it.

I do appreciate that you are qualified teachers, and I do accept that it will be difficult, but that's not a reason to not try. And plus, there are plenty of other jobs that I could have with Italian.

AND the minister is looking to make other languages more popular over the next couple of years.

That's all well and good and I appreciate where you are coming from re money and other careers. My own school offered Italian when I was going there and in 20 years there hasn't been a marked increase in the numbers taking it. The minister can say what he likes but they have been pushing a 'science, maths, technology' agenda for as long as I can remember and I don't see any major changes. If anything with all the cutbacks in schools any minority subjects a school offers are going by the wayside.

There are plenty of teachers qualifying in random minority subjects every year and would have the same outlook as you 'I'm not going to not study something and not hope to maybe one day teach it because I am supposed to abide by current times' but realistically nothing makes any of those teachers any more special than the next and a whole load of minority subject jobs just won't appear because loads of people have qualified in them.

If you went for a teaching job advertised for German in the morning and you had German and Italian on your CV and the other interviewee had German and Maths, the German and Maths person will be hired every single time.

If the minister wants to encourage a greater number of languages in schools, schools will have to either drop the languages that currently exist or drop other subjects as new language teachers would have to be hired at the expense of other subject teachers. That's not going to happen. And with the new Junior Cert course coming in where students are limited to 8 subjects, assuming 3 of them are English, Irish and Maths, it leaves little room for multiple languages to be studied in a school.

I really don't want to be pessimistic but this is reality.

HeaneyBabe

rainbowtrout wrote: »

That's all well and good and I appreciate where you are coming from re money and other careers. My own school offered Italian when I was going there and in 20 years there hasn't been a marked increase in the numbers taking it. The minister can say what he likes but they have been pushing a 'science, maths, technology' agenda for as long as I can remember and I don't see any major changes. If anything with all the cutbacks in schools any minority subjects a school offers are going by the wayside.

There are plenty of teachers qualifying in random minority subjects every year and would have the same outlook as you 'I'm not going to not study something and not hope to maybe one day teach it because I am supposed to abide by current times' but realistically nothing makes any of those teachers any more special than the next and a whole load of minority subject jobs just won't appear because loads of people have qualified in them.

If you went for a teaching job advertised for German in the morning and you had German and Italian on your CV and the other interviewee had German and Maths, the German and Maths person will be hired every single time.

If the minister wants to encourage a greater number of languages in schools, schools will have to either drop the languages that currently exist or drop other subjects as new language teachers would have to be hired at the expense of other subject teachers. That's not going to happen. And with the new Junior Cert course coming in where students are limited to 8 subjects, assuming 3 of them are English, Irish and Maths, it leaves little room for multiple languages to be studied in a school.

I really don't want to be pessimistic but this is reality.

Ok, Thanks

seriouslysweet

I think ye are nuts. My cousin did teaching and has since gone back to do medicine in UL. She was 6 years on 10 or 14 hour contracts, didn't always get paid during the Summer, madness. I think ye should listen to what ye are being told to be honest.

bobjimmy

Would maths teaching not be a fairly viable option. Ive seen a thread on here recently about how only 50% of maths teachers arent qualified so i imagine they would want to cut down on that. Also there would be several maths classes in one year group let alone a whole school. In my year last year there were 5 maths classes.

Nicole.

The thread responses here worry me. I plan on being an English and Geography teacher as my major and doing history in first year. I'm really interested in teaching and journalism and neither are in great shape. I don't mind going abroad for a few years though. I'm doing arts because I need to be flexible. There's nothing else I'm really interested in tbh.

HeaneyBabe

If it's what you love and what you think will best suit you, then go for it. These people are right, it will be hard, but don't do something you won't love just because you're worried about future finance circumstances.
If you want it bad enough, then I hope it'll happen. I want it so much, so I'm just going to keep trying until it happens.

rainbowtrout

bobjimmy wrote: »

Would maths teaching not be a fairly viable option. Ive seen a thread on here recently about how only 50% of maths teachers arent qualified so i imagine they would want to cut down on that. Also there would be several maths classes in one year group let alone a whole school. In my year last year there were 5 maths classes.

More viable than most. However don't believe everything you read about maths teachers and qualifications. All are qualified teachers and have some maths in their degree usually just not enough modules to be officially recognised by the Teaching Council as maths teachers. Most would also be permanent teachers so they are not going anywhere. Also courses are now being provided from September onwards in the third level colleges to allow teachers teaching maths who are not fully qualified in the subject to become qualified. These courses are free to teachers who are actively teaching.

There is more opportunity with a maths degree than say Italian as maths is a core subject but it is still hard to get full hours teaching at the moment.

Killian In The Name Of

I would like to teach English, but only as a second language/foreign language.

KaylaK369

I hope to teach English and History, and I will probably do Business for my third subject in first year. Teaching is all I've ever wanted to do so I don't plan on giving up my dream too easily. If anyone has any advice on anything that might make me more employable, please reply!

DylanII

If you really want to become a teacher then go for it. Thats my plan. Im already in college doing a finance and economics degree. I was considering going down the accounting route instead of teaching because I would be more financially secure - better pay & easier to get a job. I know that it will be hard, It will be a long time before I find a job, Ill be on terrible hours with no pay for almost half of the year.

However, I decided to stick with teaching because I know I will love it! I will be able to teach Accounting, Economics, Business Studies and Geography - They are fairly popular subjects but there are also lots of teachers there for them.

Do not decided to go and do teaching because you can't think of something else . . . if this is your reason then don't. You will just be a useless teacher who hates their job.

With regards to the math teachers not being fully qualified, it just means the teaching council won't recognise it. After I'm finished my course I would be more than capable of teaching Maths but my degree isn't recognised for maths.

DylanII

KaylaK369 wrote: »

I hope to teach English and History, and I will probably do Business for my third subject in first year. Teaching is all I've ever wanted to do so I don't plan on giving up my dream too easily. If anyone has any advice on anything that might make me more employable, please reply!

Get extras! People love to have accessories.

By that I mean do a coaching course, learn first aid, be willing to to music, drama, debating etc after school.

spurious

KaylaK369 wrote: »

I hope to teach English and History, and I will probably do Business for my third subject in first year. Teaching is all I've ever wanted to do so I don't plan on giving up my dream too easily. If anyone has any advice on anything that might make me more employable, please reply!

Pick something other than Business. There are so many Business teachers they even limit how many they take into the PGDE.

Home Ec. teachers are always in demand. Used to be Woodwork too, but there are graduates coming out of Limerick every year now so the gaps are being filled.

NegativeCreep

Up until recently enough, I wanted to be a Biology teacher. I like biology and I'm still going to study something Biology related but there is no way I'd become a teacher now. In the school I graduated from this year, 7 teachers were told to not bother coming back in September because there simply was not a place for them. 7 teachers! It's madness. Some of them had part-time contracts but were working full time hours but still only getting paid part-time. With all the work that needs doing in the school The remaining teachers in the school are going to have to do the work of 4 teachers in September. I really can't see them coping.

If you want to be a teacher, fair enough, but I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy at this stage!

biohaiid

Fair play to all of ye going for teaching
If its what ye want to do, then I dont see a problem with it
Nobody can predict what the economy is going to be like in 5-6 years - the celtic tiger was pretty unpredictable, and the extent of the recession came as a shock too.
And to everyone else, the OP said in her very first post that she knows how difficult teaching is in this climate, and for people not to comment on it .. yet some people cant resist lecturing people on this site.

HeaneyBabe

biohaiid wrote: »

Fair play to all of ye going for teaching
If its what ye want to do, then I dont see a problem with it
Nobody can predict what the economy is going to be like in 5-6 years - the celtic tiger was pretty unpredictable, and the extent of the recession came as a shock too.
And to everyone else, the OP said in her very first post that she knows how difficult teaching is in this climate, and for people not to comment on it .. yet some people cant resist lecturing people on this site.

THANK YOU. at least some one noticed that haha. do you see remember how different our economy was 6 years ago? now look at it? and in another 6 years it could be different. i'm not saying it'll be easy, but i'm hardly going to not try if it's something you relly want to do

biohaiid

HeaneyBabe wrote: »

THANK YOU. at least some one noticed that haha. do you see remember how different our economy was 6 years ago? now look at it? and in another 6 years it could be different. i'm not saying it'll be easy, but i'm hardly going to not try if it's something you relly want to do

Your welcome :P
I know, and I honestly think some people on this are just brain-washed robots at times, so pessimistic and cynical (of course they're gonna say 'realistic').
Anyways, hope teaching works out for you.

DylanII

biohaiid wrote: »

Your welcome :P
I know, and I honestly think some people on this are just brain-washed robots at times, so pessimistic and cynical (of course they're gonna say 'realistic').
Anyways, hope teaching works out for you.

They would have to be disillusioned to think they''re realists. It would not be realistic for someone who has a career in sight that they think they will love to drop it because of current it would be very difficult at first. It would be unrealistic to expect someone to go into a field they don't want to just because there is better employment opportunities and financial security. Yes it should be a factor but not the whole decision. You shouldnt go into something that you would be unhappy with for the rest of your life.


Edit: I'm on my phone that's why it may not make so much sense.

biohaiid

DylanII wrote: »

They would have to be disillusioned to think they''re realists. It would not be realistic for someone who has a career in sight that they think they will love to drop it because of current it would be very difficult at first. It would be unrealistic to expect someone to go into a field they don't want to just because there is better employment opportunities and financial security. Yes it should be a factor but not the whole decision. You shouldnt go into something that you would be unhappy with for the rest of your life.

Another normal person, yay.

HeaneyBabe

DylanII wrote: »

They would have to be disillusioned to think they''re realists. It would not be realistic for someone who has a career in sight that they think they will love to drop it because of current it would be very difficult at first. It would be unrealistic to expect someone to go into a field they don't want to just because there is better employment opportunities and financial security. Yes it should be a factor but not the whole decision. You shouldnt go into something that you would be unhappy with for the rest of your life.

Thank you again. Finally some people backing me up on this. I'm not going to do science because there are career opportunities there as I hate it.

rainbowtrout

biohaiid wrote: »

Your welcome :P
I know, and I honestly think some people on this are just brain-washed robots at times, so pessimistic and cynical (of course they're gonna say 'realistic').
Anyways, hope teaching works out for you.

Brain washed robots????

I know teachers who graduated 10-12 years ago who are still going from school to school subbing and doing maternity leaves. Nobody here is telling the OP not to teach, it's a very rewarding career if you get into it and like being in the classroom and helping students achieve, but it is getting increasingly difficult to get any form of stable work, and conditions have been getting worse year on year. That's not coming from a brain washed robot. That's coming from a teacher who has seen a lot of colleagues lose their jobs in the last 5 years.

It will be hard to get jobs even in 4 years time when some of you are coming out the other end of the degree, the OP already acknowledged that. What I and others were highlighting on this thread was the fact that one of her preferred subjects currently supports no more than about 10 jobs in the whole country currently. So it's not pessimism that drives posting here, it's a huge dose of reality, because if you have subjects that have little or no demand you cannot get work.

Nobody should be put off choosing a career in teaching if that is what they really want, but I would suggest that you go and spend some time in the Teaching and Lecturing forum on here if you want to see what other teachers and recent graduates have to say about teaching. We can't all be wrong.

Have a back up plan if teaching doesn't work out, not because you don't want to do it, but because you can't get work.

I met a girl recently I taught for LC a few years ago. She did the LC in 2006 when the country's economy was booming and graduated from third level in 2010. It was a small LC year of about 60 students. Most went on to third level. She told me two thirds of the year group have emigrated, regardless of what their qualifications are. That is reality.

HeaneyBabe

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Brain washed robots????

I know teachers who graduated 10-12 years ago who are still going from school to school subbing and doing maternity leaves. Nobody here is telling the OP not to teach, it's a very rewarding career if you get into it and like being in the classroom and helping students achieve, but it is getting increasingly difficult to get any form of stable work, and conditions have been getting worse year on year. That's not coming from a brain washed robot. That's coming from a teacher who has seen a lot of colleagues lose their jobs in the last 5 years.

It will be hard to get jobs even in 4 years time when some of you are coming out the other end of the degree, the OP already acknowledged that. What I and others were highlighting on this thread was the fact that one of her preferred subjects currently supports no more than about 10 jobs in the whole country currently. So it's not pessimism that drives posting here, it's a huge dose of reality, because if you have subjects that have little or no demand you cannot get work.

Nobody should be put off choosing a career in teaching if that is what they really want, but I would suggest that you go and spend some time in the Teaching and Lecturing forum on here if you want to see what other teachers and recent graduates have to say about teaching. We can't all be wrong.

Have a back up plan if teaching doesn't work out, not because you don't want to do it, but because you can't get work.

I met a girl recently I taught for LC a few years ago. She did the LC in 2006 when the country's economy was booming and graduated from third level in 2010. It was a small LC year of about 60 students. Most went on to third level. She told me two thirds of the year group have emigrated, regardless of what their qualifications are. That is reality.

I totally respect this. Hopefully things will change in 6 years time. We just need to wait and see. But I do know my preferred subject's risks, but it's a risk i'm willing to take.

biohaiid

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Brain washed robots????

I know teachers who graduated 10-12 years ago who are still going from school to school subbing and doing maternity leaves. Nobody here is telling the OP not to teach, it's a very rewarding career if you get into it and like being in the classroom and helping students achieve, but it is getting increasingly difficult to get any form of stable work, and conditions have been getting worse year on year. That's not coming from a brain washed robot. That's coming from a teacher who has seen a lot of colleagues lose their jobs in the last 5 years.

It will be hard to get jobs even in 4 years time when some of you are coming out the other end of the degree, the OP already acknowledged that. What I and others were highlighting on this thread was the fact that one of her preferred subjects currently supports no more than about 10 jobs in the whole country currently. So it's not pessimism that drives posting here, it's a huge dose of reality, because if you have subjects that have little or no demand you cannot get work.

Nobody should be put off choosing a career in teaching if that is what they really want, but I would suggest that you go and spend some time in the Teaching and Lecturing forum on here if you want to see what other teachers and recent graduates have to say about teaching. We can't all be wrong.

Have a back up plan if teaching doesn't work out, not because you don't want to do it, but because you can't get work.

I met a girl recently I taught for LC a few years ago. She did the LC in 2006 when the country's economy was booming and graduated from third level in 2010. It was a small LC year of about 60 students. Most went on to third level. She told me two thirds of the year group have emigrated, regardless of what their qualifications are. That is reality.

I wasn't calling people brain washed robots in terms of how a lot of people view going for teaching as pointless these days.
I was referring to how many people on her are just so cynical and harsh about thinks.
I know the OP acknowledged that jobs are scarce, and I do too, but I also acknowledge that people started lecturing her about something that she requested they didn't.
Basically it annoys me that people aren't encouraged to do what they love in this day and age, not just on here but in general.
I agree and was backing up the OP in what she was saying.

DylanII

Im going into teaching no matter what happens. Even if that means emigrating - I'll go anywhere except the UK . . .

Librium

HeaneyBabe wrote: »

Any hopeful secondary school teachers out there? If so what do you all want to teach? I hope to be teaching Italian and German in about 5 years time.

And please, nobody come on here and tell us that we'll be doing subbing etc for the start of our careers, i'm fully aware and can't wait LOL

People like you are propping up the education system. Fair play to you, I hope it works out. Just try and make the job work for you, do your hours, look after your students and enjoy your holidays. Teachers are one of the most important members of society but there are so few committed and enthusiastic ones.

HeaneyBabe

Librium wrote: »

People like you are propping up the education system. Fair play to you, I hope it works out. Just try and make the job work for you, do your hours, look after your students and enjoy your holidays. Teachers are one of the most important members of society but there are so few committed and enthusiastic ones.

Thank you so much, after all the negativity about teaching on here it's nice to read a few positive comments. We'll never get anywhere in this economy with negativity! Best of luck to you too

TheTurk1972

Oh to be young and innocent again.
To just throw away the views of those older and much more experienced than me.
To still believe that if I wish it and think positively it will come to me. Those were the days.

HeaneyBabe

TheTurk1972 wrote: »

Oh to be young and innocent again.
To just throw away the views of those older and much more experienced than me.
To still believe that if I wish it and think positively it will come to me. Those were the days.

i'm sorry you didnt get what you wanted, i might not either, but i will try regardless

TheTurk1972

HeaneyBabe wrote: »

i'm sorry you didnt get what you wanted, i might not either, but i will try regardless

Not what I meant.
But I'm pretty sure that most people a few years into their various careers and lives will know what I meant.

Boeing777

The attitude is something else on this thread guys. Come on, they're trying to help us. They know what the profession is like at the present moment so we should be grateful for their insight.

It's not going to be easy, we know that, but don't have an attitude when somebody in the know says something you necessarily don't want to hear!

HeaneyBabe

Boeing777 wrote: »

The attitude is something else on this thread guys. Come on, they're trying to help us. They know what the profession is like at the present moment so we should be grateful for their insight.

It's not going to be easy, we know that, but don't have an attitude when somebody in the know says something you necessarily don't want to hear!

I know. Everytime I'm told on this thread that there will be no jobs etc I respect that and I know they know what they're talking about. If you read my first post I said this already.

Boeing777

HeaneyBabe wrote: »

I know. Everytime I'm told on this thread that there will be no jobs etc I respect that and I know they know what they're talking about. If you read my first post I said this already.

Yeah and I understand that but there is people on this thread that are only too willing to jump down the throats of current teachers when they make a negative, yet realistic remark about the profession as it is today.

HeaneyBabe

Boeing777 wrote: »

Yeah and I understand that but there is people on this thread that are only too willing to jump down the throats of current teachers when they make a negative, yet realistic remark about the profession as it is today.

Yep I agree. If i have jumped down someone's throat I am sorry, but I think I have been respectful

Togepi

All I have to say in response to the last couple of pages here is: 1. Go for what you love instead of choosing a career based on money and job prospects. 2. Have a backup plan incase you don't get to do your dream job straight away. For example, if you're studying a couple of languages with the intention of teaching them, look into other jobs you could do with those languages incase you don't get a teaching job as soon as you would have liked.

vamos!

HeaneyBabe wrote: »

Like I said, I'm fully aware of all this. It is what is happening right now, but things could change in 5 or 6 years time. It will be difficult, yes, but not impossible. And as for what you said about Italian, I know that too. There are very few students that do Italian, but there are also very few teachers that teach it.

Also, as I heard on the radio yesterday, the minister is looking into broadening the number of languages available and trying to get students to study other languages apart from French, so you never know.

God I hate when people try to tell you what you want to to is basically impossible..

I wish I had been told not to do German.... I love it but cannot get hours in it. I have been doing subbing and hours which barely pay my rent in French for the last few years. I have good results, a Masters and have worked in France and Germany. I have done a load of courses in my own time and at my own expense. French is a 'good' subject. German is not. Most schools have one, if any German teachers. As for Italian, I know nothing about it and have never worked in schools where it is offered but there was no Italian methodology offered on my dip course.

I can't predict the future but I wouldn't be banking on anything the wonderful Minister has to say. He may promise the moon and a load of new languages but is unlikely to fund said courses and provide staff. If there are permanent French and German teachers in the school, they can't fire them to introduce Italian and Russian.

Consider the advice offered. Don't think it is simply a case of people telling you what to do.

vamos!

Togepi wrote: »

All I have to say in response to the last couple of pages here is: 1. Go for what you love instead of choosing a career based on money and job prospects. 2. Have a backup plan incase you don't get to do your dream job straight away. For example, if you're studying a couple of languages with the intention of teaching them, look into other jobs you could do with those languages incase you don't get a teaching job as soon as you would have liked.

May have been good advice during the boom but it is now time to wake up to reality. Go for it if you really love it but be prepared to be 30 and watching your friends build houses while you spend your summer hoping for an 11 hour contract. (13.5k after your 11 hours, plus prep and marking, plus meetings, plus extra curricular)

HeaneyBabe

vamos! wrote: »

May have been good advice during the boom but it is now time to wake up to reality. Go for it if you really love it but be prepared to be 30 and watching your friends build houses while you spend your summer hoping for an 11 hour contract. (13.5k after your 11 hours, plus prep and marking, plus meetings, plus extra curricular)

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope things improve one day for you. But you obviously picked this career and these subjects because you love them, and would you rethink your whole career just to build a house and earn more money? Maybe you would, but you should'nt give up. Plus, there are other jobs that are praying for linguistic people like you to come through their doors, so why not give the teaching a break for awhile until you can find something solid?

vamos!

HeaneyBabe wrote: »

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope things improve one day for you. But you obviously picked this career and these subjects because you love them, and would you rethink your whole career just to build a house and earn more money? Maybe you would, but you should'nt give up. Plus, there are other jobs that are praying for linguistic people like you to come through their doors, so why not give the teaching a break for awhile until you can find something solid?

I love my job. I am also not considered a new entrant and cannot take a break of more than 26 weeks without losing a lot for my future. My situation is fairly normal to be honest. It is incredibly draining and frustrating to essentially be a contract worked for 5 years when no amount of hard work, loyalty and dedication will increase your chances of being kept on as the hours just don't exist. I would still be a teacher if I could go back and do it again. There is not a chance in hell I would do German though or Italian. English and Irish perhaps? I went to college before the cuts when jobs were more plentiful and 4/7/11 hour contracts were not normal. Cuts had started to happen as I did my dip but not before it or I may have reconsidered. I think it would be pure stupidity not to think things through before choosing your subjects.

Also, as late August is one of the busiest times for teaching recruitment, you should check out educationposts.ie and see what kind of subject combinations are doing well.

rainbowtrout

HeaneyBabe wrote: »

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope things improve one day for you. But you obviously picked this career and these subjects because you love them, and would you rethink your whole career just to build a house and earn more money? Maybe you would, but you should'nt give up. Plus, there are other jobs that are praying for linguistic people like you to come through their doors, so why not give the teaching a break for awhile until you can find something solid?

Just to add some perspective to that HeaneyBabe.

Minimum wage is 18k a year. An 11 hour contract like vamos has described is 13.5k. Dole is just under 10k per year, so a person in their late 20s/30s earning less than minimum wage and not much more than dole is giving a realistic view of what teaching is like these days and if they have bills to pay rent/mortgage/childcare etc will definitely have a more realistic view on teaching and the subjects they've chosen and may have to rethink their career no matter how much they love it, if they want to be able to pay the bills, have children, get a mortgage etc.

An 11 hour contract is seen as good these days (although it shouldn't be) which gives you a wage (before deductions) of €260 a week. It's not a lot to live on.