Teaching subjects studied in first year of undergrad

Pompette

Hi there,

I was wondering if anyone here could give me some advice. I am currently finishing up the HDip and will be applying to schools for jobs in the coming weeks. In my undergrad degree I studied English and Politics in first year (as well as my 2 teaching subjects). I was wondering if i can write down on my CV that I can teach English and CSPE to Junior Cert?
I'm pretty sure that I'm technically not allowed by the Teaching Council but I've been told that it's good to put it down on the ol' CV anyway?
Does anyone have experience of this?

I've tried looking at the teaching council website but it's unclear as to what exactly is allowed.

Thanks in advance.

sitstill

You can't teach cspe and English unless you have the correct amount of credits which you won't have if you only did a few modules in first year. There is no such thing as "qualified to Junior Cert". On your CV, name the subjects in which you actually hold a degree and then put "also studied some English and Politics" or similar. I doubt a Principal would get you to teach those subjects though, when he'd have his choice of people qualified in them.

Pompette

Hi sitstill,
thanks for your response. Yeah that makes sense. So I suppose just to state on my CV that I studied those subjects in first year. Yeah I had heard of this practice before and was just wondering if there's any truth to it... wasn't trying to imply that I was 'qualified' in those subjects but I suppose that's what it looked like!
Thanks

Inspector Coptoor

It used to be the practice that this happened.

It still kinda does tbh, but not for new graduates I'd imagine.

The only subjects that are "up to junior cert" would be business studies & science.

Some of the teaching council's decisions on what people can & can't teach are ludicrous anyway.

If people have experience teaching the subjects (before the TC's regulations came in) I can't see it being a problem, which is why I said this really only applies to new & recent graduates.

To clarify, at present you must have 30% of a subject in your degree (apparently this is subject to increase).

To take your example of a 3 year Arts degree.
You would more than likely do 60 credits per year x 3 so the degree was 180 credits.

Assuming each course in 1st year was 15 credits, then you'd have 15/180 credits in English &/or politics which comes in at about 8.3%, a long way shy of the 30% required.

drvantramp

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

It used to be the practice that this happened.

It still kinda does tbh, but not for new graduates I'd imagine.

The only subjects that are "up to junior cert" would be business studies & science.

Some of the teaching council's decisions on what people can & can't teach are ludicrous anyway.

(100% correct)

If people have experience teaching the subjects (before the TC's regulations came in) I can't see it being a problem, which is why I said this really only applies to new & recent graduates.

what about recent graduates who have been teaching those subjects? (flexibility is a good thing, imho)


To clarify, at present you must have 30% of a subject in your degree (apparently this is subject to increase).

To take your example of a 3 year Arts degree.
You would more than likely do 60 credits per year x 3 so the degree was 180 credits.

Assuming each course in 1st year was 15 credits, then you'd have 15/180 credits in English &/or politics which comes in at about 8.3%, a long way shy of the 30% required.

Ignore the teaching council OP (except for the fee) - they ignore us!

Mardy Bum

Some VECs do not like people putting down subjects they are not qualified to teach.

Some principles really dislike it as well.

There is no such thing as "up until JC" so I wouldn't bother (You can teach business studies and science to JC but these are stand alone subjects). Of course you can put down that you studied them in first year on your CV.

joebloggs32

Pompette wrote: »

Hi there,

I was wondering if anyone here could give me some advice. I am currently finishing up the HDip and will be applying to schools for jobs in the coming weeks. In my undergrad degree I studied English and Politics in first year (as well as my 2 teaching subjects). I was wondering if i can write down on my CV that I can teach English and CSPE to Junior Cert?
I'm pretty sure that I'm technically not allowed by the Teaching Council but I've been told that it's good to put it down on the ol' CV anyway?
Does anyone have experience of this?

I've tried looking at the teaching council website but it's unclear as to what exactly is allowed.

Thanks in advance.

I have politics from first year only and am teaching CSPE. In fact you would find in most schools that people teaching it don't have any qualification linked to it so make sure to indicate your willingness and ability to teach it on you CV.

chippers

sitstill wrote: »

You can't teach cspe and English unless you have the correct amount of credits which you won't have if you only did a few modules in first year. There is no such thing as "qualified to Junior Cert". On your CV, name the subjects in which you actually hold a degree and then put "also studied some English and Politics" or similar. I doubt a Principal would get you to teach those subjects though, when he'd have his choice of people qualified in them.

There is in some cases. I'm qualified to teach business studies to Junior Cert but I can't teach Business to Leaving Cert!I'm economics qualified. I'm not definite but I think there are other subjects that allow for this as well.

rainbowtrout

chippers wrote: »

There is in some cases. I'm qualified to teach business studies to Junior Cert but I can't teach Business to Leaving Cert!I'm economics qualified. I'm not definite but I think there are other subjects that allow for this as well.

That was already mentioned by Inspector Cooptor.

It applies to Business Studies and Science at Junior Cert because they don't have a natural follow on at leaving cert but split into different subjects, but it doesn't apply to subjects that do like English, Irish, Geography, French etc. Those that have LC Accounting/Economics or Business are generally qualified to teach JC Business and those that have LC Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Ag Science are generally qualified to teach JC Science.

For all the rest you either are or you aren't qualified and there are plenty of qualified teachers out there to choose from, and principals didn't get to where they are without knowing this.

vamos!

fully agree with you here but i have been on short term contracts in a number of schools for a few years now. in all but 1 i had first year,ty or ordinary level something or another which wasn't in my degree. not ideal obviously but i took the jobs because beggars can't be choosers. i am currently teaching some classes in subject i am not qualified in as well as cspe and sphe. i wouldn't put any extra subjects on my cv though as i would imagine it is frowned upon my many principals. i just haven't met too many of them yet! also cspe is generally given to anyone who needs they hours. i wouldn't count that as something to get you a job.

rainbowtrout wrote: »

That was already mentioned by Inspector Cooptor.

It applies to Business Studies and Science at Junior Cert because they don't have a natural follow on at leaving cert but split into different subjects, but it doesn't apply to subjects that do like English, Irish, Geography, French etc. Those that have LC Accounting/Economics or Business are generally qualified to teach JC Business and those that have LC Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Ag Science are generally qualified to teach JC Science.

For all the rest you either are or you aren't qualified and there are plenty of qualified teachers out there to choose from, and principals didn't get to where they are without knowing this.

rainbowtrout

vamos! wrote: »

fully agree with you here but i have been on short term contracts in a number of schools for a few years now. in all but 1 i had first year,ty or ordinary level something or another which wasn't in my degree. not ideal obviously but i took the jobs because beggars can't be choosers. i am currently teaching some classes in subject i am not qualified in as well as cspe and sphe. i wouldn't put any extra subjects on my cv though as i would imagine it is frowned upon my many principals. i just haven't met too many of them yet! also cspe is generally given to anyone who needs they hours. i wouldn't count that as something to get you a job.

Oh I know, I just wouldn't put subjects on my CV and state that I was qualified in them to JC, when a) I wasn't and b) it could create an impression that the teacher applying for the job isn't aware that they can't officially teach that subject. Better put them in 'First Year Subjects' particularly in regard to BA/BSc degrees.

I'm teaching LCVP this year and I'm a science teacher. I dropped Business Studies after my Junior Cert. About 10 years ago I taught German to first years because I was the only one in the school who did it for Leaving Cert (and had any knowledge of it) and we couldn't get someone to teach it for 2 hours a week.

chippers

rainbowtrout wrote: »

That was already mentioned by Inspector Cooptor.

It applies to Business Studies and Science at Junior Cert because they don't have a natural follow on at leaving cert but split into different subjects, but it doesn't apply to subjects that do like English, Irish, Geography, French etc. Those that have LC Accounting/Economics or Business are generally qualified to teach JC Business and those that have LC Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Ag Science are generally qualified to teach JC Science.

For all the rest you either are or you aren't qualified and there are plenty of qualified teachers out there to choose from, and principals didn't get to where they are without knowing this.

Ah yes sorry I see Inspector Cooper already addressed it. Economics forms only a small part of the Business Studies curriculum so I was surprised when I got my registration and it had Business Studies on it. I thought it must of been a mistake at first!

thefasteriwalk

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Oh I know, I just wouldn't put subjects on my CV and state that I was qualified in them to JC, when a) I wasn't and b) it could create an impression that the teacher applying for the job isn't aware that they can't officially teach that subject. Better put them in 'First Year Subjects' particularly in regard to BA/BSc degrees.

I'm teaching LCVP this year and I'm a science teacher. I dropped Business Studies after my Junior Cert. About 10 years ago I taught German to first years because I was the only one in the school who did it for Leaving Cert (and had any knowledge of it) and we couldn't get someone to teach it for 2 hours a week.

That's hilarious!

Pompette

Thanks for all yer responses. It's helpful to hear from people with real-life experience of this

whiteandlight

I tend to put the subjects I taught in each school beside the reference to the school. That way I'm not saying I'm qualified but showing that I have taught it. I've had no comments on it yet

e.g. QWERT School, Co. ....
Subject A: Up to LC HL
Subject B: Up to LC HL
Subject C: TY Module on ....
Subject 1st and 2nd Year

Karpops

Just a thought - you could use your 1st year subjects in other ways? I've been to interviews in schools where they were big into extra-curricular stuff. I did some English and Politics too, so I offered to do English resource classes, literacy classes, book clubs, creative writing groups and manage the student council. Not having the subject in your degree doesn't necessarily make it worthless. Okay I didn't get the job but they sure looked impressed!