Time off during the Hibernia Masters of Primary Education

Olivia Pope

Hi,

I’m strongly considering doing this course. Can anyone doing the course confirm the following for me.
1) in year 1 & 2 what break do you get at Christmas, do you have assignment to do during this time?
2) after you go to the Gaeltacht for two weeks in the July of year one, how many weeks do you have off until you go back to start year two in September?
3) is it the end of July that the course finishes in year 2
4) do you have fortnightly onsites when you are doing your work placement
5) how far in advance did you need to organize your work placements?

I have two small children so I am trying to factor in my ability to spend time with them at Christmas and go on a family holiday both summers.

I hope to start the course in September 19, thanks for reading

Olivia Pope

Anyone able to advise me?

evolving_doors

Olivia Pope wrote: »

Anyone able to advise me?

The course might change by then. Try posting it in the College section at the top of this forum. Or else maybe ring the college!

jimbobaloobob

Olivia Pope wrote: »

Hi,

I’m strongly considering doing this course. Can anyone doing the course confirm the following for me.
1) in year 1 & 2 what break do you get at Christmas, do you have assignment to do during this time?
2) after you go to the Gaeltacht for two weeks in the July of year one, how many weeks do you have off until you go back to start year two in September?
3) is it the end of July that the course finishes in year 2
4) do you have fortnightly onsites when you are doing your work placement
5) how far in advance did you need to organize your work placements?

I have two small children so I am trying to factor in my ability to spend time with them at Christmas and go on a family holiday both summers.

I hope to start the course in September 19, thanks for reading

There's no time off per say. Depends when your taking the course April or September as to when you finish.
There are assignments on the go all the time 6 main ones and a thesis along with three placements is 7/7/10 weeks. No onsites during the placements but nightly deadlines for the submission of the following days plans.
It's full on but doable. I managed two holidays and Christmas weeks off but all depends on studying the schedule when you get it.

Olivia Pope

thanks Jim, that sounds good re holidays. I don’t want my poor children to suffer too much while I’m doing this course.
I’ve heard about the dreaded teaching practice plans. It sounds very tough. I like that you constantly hand things up, helps you stay on top of things.

Daffodil12

I’ve two children as well and start the course in September. I got the place last week and I’m delighted. I think once we get the schedule we can plan ahead and work around the dates.

Olivia Pope

Well done daffodil, do you have great support? Will you be working outside the home while doing the course?
When did you have your interview?
I’m hoping to start the course in September 2019. I really want this for myself but I’m scared that it’s going to be too much.

Daffodil12

Thanks . I was so delighted when I got the place. I don’t work at the moment. I left my job last year took a year off and decided it’s time for a career change. I like the idea I will be around a lot during the day as most of the webinars etc seem to be in the evening. My Mam is very good and I know she will help me if I need it especially around teaching practice. I had my interview last week so let me know if you want any tips for your interview.

Olivia Pope

its great to have a bit of time out of the rat race to make big decisions isn’t it. You must be so relieved. I have heard that the interview is very fair. Did you have to do a lot of work to get your Irish up to scratch.

Olivia Pope

Daffodil can I ask what you are going to do when you are in the Gaeltacht? Will you get someone to mind your children?

Daffodil12

I had to do a good bit of work to prepare for the Irish because it’s so long since I did my leaving cert and had forgotten so much of it. I did 7 grinds in total and they were very targeted towards the interview. The interview is tough but fair (but I only found it tough because I was so out of practice with Irish). I was asked some questions I had prepared past times, holidays, previous jobs, how I travelled to the interview as well as times the train left, arrived and time of the train home, what I was planning to do after the interview. I wasn’t prepared for questions on the World Cup (even though I look back and it’s so obvious I should have !!). They asked what team I’m supporting and why. Questions in the English interview were fairly standard, how would my degree and work experience help, a teacher who impacted my life, how I would deal with conflict in classroom. If this is something you really want to do then go for it !!

Daffodil12

I haven’t sorted out who is going to mind my kids during the teaching practice and gaeltacht but it will probably a mixture of grandparents, my husband working from home and taking some days holidays. If this doesn’t work the crèche

Olivia Pope

thanks Daffodil, the interview sounds very fair. I’m sure everyone gets a question like that where they stumble. There’s a 20 week course in UCC that’s geared towards the Irish part of the interview. I’m actually hoping to do a lot of work on my Irish this year to see if I could aim to have it good enough to teach in a gaelscoil. I got a B1/B2 in Irish, so it was good once upon a time. Very rusty now.

jimbobaloobob

Olivia Pope wrote: »

thanks Daffodil, the interview sounds very fair. I’m sure everyone gets a question like that where they stumble. There’s a 20 week course in UCC that’s geared towards the Irish part of the interview. I’m actually hoping to do a lot of work on my Irish this year to see if I could aim to have it good enough to teach in a gaelscoil. I got a B1/B2 in Irish, so it was good once upon a time. Very rusty now.

Doing that 20 week course might be a bit of overkill in order to improve your Irish. You can opt to do some of your placement in a gaelscoil also which will give you a good indication if your comfortable with it.
Another thing to consider for the interview is your pathway to teaching. I came to it after 20 years doing other things once I started explaining they were more interested in that and it lets you be comfortable with the interview process. You can opt to speak English or Irish first in the interview my opinion would be do the Irish first if you feel you can offer a better finish with English.
It's just a chat.
Feel free to ask any questions you have.

Olivia Pope

jimbobaloobob wrote: »

Doing that 20 week course might be a bit of overkill in order to improve your Irish. You can opt to do some of your placement in a gaelscoil also which will give you a good indication if your comfortable with it.
Another thing to consider for the interview is your pathway to teaching. I came to it after 20 years doing other things once I started explaining they were more interested in that and it lets you be comfortable with the interview process. You can opt to speak English or Irish first in the interview my opinion would be do the Irish first if you feel you can offer a better finish with English.
It's just a chat.
Feel free to ask any questions you have.

I’m pretty much the same daffodil, will be 19 years out of college next year, most of it spent in a high pressure job in the finance world. Last few years at home with smallies. Do you mind me asking what date you are starting the course in September or do you know yet. I rang the college twice to find out more concise details about the course timetable and I found them very vague. I asked could I see a copy of the timetable for the course starting in September 2018 and they said it would not be possible. It’s a very expensive course, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to see the timetable as such.
I agree I think that course is probably overkill but it will get me out of the house and it will do my Irish no harm.

Daffodil12

Hiya previous post was by jimbobaloobob, course starts 3rd September. I have a copy of timetable if you have any questions though it only looks indicative at this stage. Main things are 1 week observation in a school in November, 6 weeks Teaching practice from next May , 7 weeks October next year and 10 weeks in February 2020

Olivia Pope

Sorry Jim, thanks for your post.

Daffodil, that’s good, did you get exact dates for your tp?

I was talking to my cousin earlier. She did the course six years ago. She became a vice principal last year. She was saying to do it. Workload hard but doable. I actually know five people who have done the course at 36+ and they all have jobs. We can do this:)

jimbobaloobob

Olivia Pope wrote: »

Sorry Jim, thanks for your post.

Daffodil, that’s good, did you get exact dates for your tp?

I was talking to my cousin earlier. She did the course six years ago. She became a vice principal last year. She was saying to do it. Workload hard but doable. I actually know five people who have done the course at 36+ and they all have jobs. We can do this:)

Just completed it now and there's lots of work for sure. Few hoops to jump but worth it for a career change. There was only one older than me on the course and only by 3 months but who counts age at near 40

Olivia Pope

Congratulations Jim on completing the course? Do you think 4-5 hours study each day and 5-6 hours one weekend day would be enough. Lectures would be on top of that. Was it very hard to get your teaching practice plans done in time every night? How long did they take to do each night? Sorry if I’m bombarding you but I want to have as much information as possible before I fully commit to this course.

jimbobaloobob

Olivia Pope wrote: »

Congratulations Jim on completing the course? Do you think 4-5 hours study each day and 5-6 hours one weekend day would be enough. Lectures would be on top of that. Was it very hard to get your teaching practice plans done in time every night? How long did they take to do each night? Sorry if I’m bombarding you but I want to have as much information as possible before I fully commit to this course.

No prob at all with questions if you want I'll organise a call with you I'll prob give you more advice in 5 mins that way than on the messages otherwise I'll try and write an account of it during the week

Olivia Pope

Jim, you are very kind. I would love the written account as I would have it from the horses mouth so to speak. And it’s something I could refer to and know it’s accurate. But would it be a lot of work for you to put it together?