PME

sun_flower222

Hi All.

I am delighted I got accepted to do a PME in September although I am having doubts. I've always wanted a career in teaching and I'm aware about how tough it can be. I am a really hard worker but I have a confidence problem. I dreaded class discussions and presentations during my undergrad and never seemed to grow out of this with lecturers still commenting on it in my final year. I am hoping that during my placement I will become more confident standing in front of a class but I am having second thoughts that it might not be the career path for such a shy person.

Does anyone have any advice on this?

funkypumpkins

Tbh it is a tough one to call. Like any other jobs, you have to give it a go and see. There is no such thing as a "perfect teacher". Every teacher will have their strengths and weaknesses. Your practice will always change and a part of that strength may have a slight weakness. Luckily, I am Irish and training in the UK where I am paid to train to be a teacher in French and Spanish, so I have no money lost if it turns out not to be for me long term. For example, I know teachers that have great subject knowledge, great at planning the perfect lesson but needs to work on body language, voice, managing learning behaviour. Similarly, teachers who are great in front of kids but dodgy subject knowledge. Throughout your career, you will need to work on those emerging "even better ifs. Well in the UK anyway, which is different to Ireland but people say Ireland tends to imitate

One thing I would consider is the cost of the course and employability. As I said, teaching is only viable for me because I managed to get a bursary in the UK and there are jobs for those who want them. Also, what is employability like in your subjects? Again, I moved to the UK for better prospects. Consider this.

Could you get experience shadowing in your school or leading a youth group?

evolving_doors

Primary or Secondary?

Anyway, it's funny one. You'll find the vast majority of teachers would have zero problem taking control of a room of 30+ students. But addressing a room of 30+ adults they would be less than comfortable.
In a way you're putting on an act, and adhering to a script as much as possible, it's a bit easier to do with kids who are used to the formal structure of day to day routines than adults who have left this behind . Just go in with a clear plan, a direct approach with no room for fumbling around with stages between lessons or technology.

If it helps try and script out your classes with what your're going to say and what questions you're going to ask to see if they're understanding.

Leaving the shyness aside, you probably feel that you've studied your degree subject to a good level and have a good subject knowledge, so you have a valuable product to sell.

Noccy_Mondy

There is a massive difference between talking to a class group, and to a group of peers/adults. I have no problem talking to a class, doesnt phase me. Done a lot of public speaking at conferences etc, to adults, to this day without doubt I'll get nervous and get a dry mouth. It'll never be something I'll be comfortable with. You'd be amazed how easy it is to talk to a class.

sun_flower222

sun_flower222 wrote: »

Hi All.

I am delighted I got accepted to do a PME in September although I am having doubts. I've always wanted a career in teaching and I'm aware about how tough it can be. I am a really hard worker but I have a confidence problem. I dreaded class discussions and presentations during my undergrad and never seemed to grow out of this with lecturers still commenting on it in my final year. I am hoping that during my placement I will become more confident standing in front of a class but I am having second thoughts that it might not be the career path for such a shy person.

Does anyone have any advice on this?

I was the same and with experience it passed. Can not guarantee the same will happen for you but any job becomes routine after a while so chances are it will pass (unless it’s an actual phobia or social anxiety of some sort of course). Best of luck.

gaiscioch

It's not clear if you're primary or secondary. Most of the following surmises you're in secondary.

1. Shyness: The shyness thing you'll get over. As said, it's an act. You get up and you perform. I came straight out of finishing a PhD to do the Dip and it was a massive cultural challenge to come from that cocoon. It was definitely a different set of intellectual and creative skills that I had to develop and sharpen. Nevertheless, it will be nothing to you after a while - although there'll definitely be days when you can't perform and there will be times when you feel you're crawling desperately towards the next break from the stage and lights of being centre stage in a classroom all day. (of course, we're not - *cough, cough* - centre stage any more, the students are and we're just facilitating learning...)

2. Salary:

For teachers appointed after 2012 salary starts at €35,958pa. Along with PAYE and USC, you will also pay 10% of all your income over €28,750 in additional tax in the form of the Pension Related Deduction (PRD), which despite the name does not go into your pension. After 10 years, a teacher's salary is €48,632 before all the above deductions. (Source)

+

3. Mortgage calculator:

How much can I borrow?

The normal maximum borrowing level is 3.5 times your annual gross salary...

Do the calculations.

+

4. Where can I afford to live?

My Home.ie

Now that you've a much more hard-headed understanding of the financial cost of teaching, if you're still happy to go ahead with it you then need to secure a full-time post in your subjects. Sometimes this happens in year one or two, but at secondary most people wait for a number of years before they get their own full 22 hours. If you have decent subjects - Irish, foreign languages, Maths, Home Economics - this will be important in deciding how quickly you get full hours. It can be a very disheartening journey, and the state could set up a centralised recruitment system à la An Garda Síochána which could make things much easier for teachers starting out, but it doesn't want to do that.

5. Changing teaching culture:

There's far more paperwork in teaching now, so if you've an ideal of teaching as a spiritual vocation full of inspiring young minds, that ideal is unquestionably gone unless it's accompanied by loads of paperwork. Filling in paperwork, ticking boxes of various sorts, attending pointless meetings and using all the right "buzz words" are a much bigger part of teaching than ever before and it's only going to get worse until, in 10 years time, the DoES realises that they repeated the mistakes of England and mostly go back to the old way to tackle the decline in the quality of education that happened since the huge increase in the quantity of paperwork and bureaucracy began. But absolutely certainly, decline in quality of education will be the crisis of the future as something will have to give in order for teachers to get all the paperwork and meetings completed.

funkypumpkins

+1 on the changing culture. Gaiscíoch has sound advice on there.

As I mentioned, I was raised in Ireland, went to school in Dublin, and now I am training/working in England as a secondary foreign languages teacher. If Ireland is following England, it is going to be more tireless admin and pointless meetings where you could be planning your lessons. I would say go into the profession with your eyes open. My UK experience is not totally relevant but, for what it is worth, I have had a complete culture shock from what I thought teaching would be to what it actually is. It does make me question whether it is worth my while staying in the profession long term, or moving back to Ireland once I get my professional masters equivalent of the PME here and get into the best scenario for the teaching council to register me without pain.

Definitely shadow in your local school and get some time working with young people. If you were gutsy, English schools offer Classroom Assistant jobs to students considering teaching. So you could move and get some experience.

If you were thinking Primary, maybe train as an SNA first and then see. I actually worked as an SNA in Ireland before I decided to move to the UK and put the teaching dream to the test.

Good luck!

adelicaaa

I just qualified with a PME in UCC as a mature student. I have soooo much to say if you want the full picture. It's both VERY VERY bad and VERY VERY good. Weird career but totally for you if it's for you. If that makes sense. (I don't use those caps lightly, prepare to both hate and love your job). PM me with your number and I'll talk to you over the phone. It's very hard to put the satisfaction that comes with teaching in direct juxtaposition with the utter frustration that comes with not having the tools nor the willing participants to conclude your noble experiment.

catlin.

Hi all,

I am hoping to get some advice on the PME Post Primary degree. I completed my undergrad degree in NUIG in 2018, but only achieved a 2.2 degree.

I was planning to apply for the PME beginning in September 2020 but the more research I do the more unrealistic this is looking.

I’ve used the entry requirement point calculator and I’m falling short by 2/3 points for both of my subjects as their points seem to be amongst some of the higher ones for 2019/20.

I am open to studying anywhere in Ireland and have also considered the Hibernia route, however ideally I would be doing a NUI PME.

Additionally, I’m going to enrol and complete an online TEFL course over the next 3/4 weeks in order to have some sort of extra qualification, although I’m not sure this will aid my application in anyway, I’m sure it won’t hurt it either.

Does anyone have experience of being offered a place even after falling short of the “entry requirement points”?
Or would you think applying is a waste of time given these circumstances?

Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated as time is running out and I’m hoping to make a decision sooner rather than later.

Thank you in advance

RealJohn

Might not help much, but if your Irish is good (or okay, anyway), getting into the PME as Gaeilge is usually a bit easier, as it tends to be undersubscribed (or it used to be anyway). Being able to teach through Irish also opens up more options for you (though you don’t have to have done the PME through Irish to teach through Irish).
If your Irish isn’t great, Galway’s about the easiest place to work on it.

emilymemily

catlin. wrote: »

Hi all,

I am hoping to get some advice on the PME Post Primary degree. I completed my undergrad degree in NUIG in 2018, but only achieved a 2.2 degree.

I was planning to apply for the PME beginning in September 2020 but the more research I do the more unrealistic this is looking.

I’ve used the entry requirement point calculator and I’m falling short by 2/3 points for both of my subjects as their points seem to be amongst some of the higher ones for 2019/20.

I am open to studying anywhere in Ireland and have also considered the Hibernia route, however ideally I would be doing a NUI PME.

Additionally, I’m going to enrol and complete an online TEFL course over the next 3/4 weeks in order to have some sort of extra qualification, although I’m not sure this will aid my application in anyway, I’m sure it won’t hurt it either.

Does anyone have experience of being offered a place even after falling short of the “entry requirement points”?
Or would you think applying is a waste of time given these circumstances?

Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated as time is running out and I’m hoping to make a decision sooner rather than later.

Thank you in advance

A 2.2 is a standard result for entry to the PME. Im unsure what you mean by points? Once you have your primary degree and passed it with atleast a 2.2 and your subjects are inline with the teaching council requirements then you can apply to the PME in that subject.

Theres no harm in applying, worst case scenario you dont get in but at least you tried.
Just be mindful that PME courses are very competitive.

Postgrad10

It’s a points system with PAC just like the CAO.