Secondments

linguist

Hi all. Compliments of the season etc. I was looking for advice on secondments. There doesn't seem to be any one place where they are advertised. Obviously I'm aware of JCT, PDST etc, but I know many other organisations offer them too and it seems to be a matter of luck finding them and applying in time. I'd appreciate advice as to the range of organisations that offer secondments for teachers and also when and how these tend to be advertised. It would also be nice to hear of people's experiences and any other relevant information. Many thanks in advance for your help.

RealJohn

I think this topic would be of interest to a lot of people here.

gaiscioch

I noticed that one of the PDST people who gave me training in a new subject I started teaching in the past few years also had her name on the front of a new book we chose for JC students.

If you could use secondment to improve your knowledge of teaching ideas, educational psychology, and a whole range of pedagogical insight I think it would greatly benefit you as a teacher. I know life is usually too busy in full-time teaching/correcting to explore new educational research on what works/what doesn't work and frequently I'm left wondering how I can teach especially challenging students. To actually use the secondment years in PDST or wherever to engage with the latest teaching ideas and to publish sounds like a really smart career move, even if in the short-term you might have lost your position, room and status in your old school by the time you return (e.g. there is a new 'main' teacher of your subject).

On the downside, to get any sort of financial advancement within schools, government policy does very firmly incentivise teachers to leave teaching (for school management, etc) no matter how capable, knowledgeable and insightful you have become. That said, being a passionate teacher with a great reputation and an income stream from your books (and talks) sounds like making the very best financially of our existing system and leading a meaningful life.

Treppen

"If you could use secondment to improve your knowledge of teaching ideas, educational psychology, and a whole range of pedagogical insight I think it would greatly benefit you as a teacher."

I think we got on just fine and dandy in the last two years without think-pair-share , diamond 8 and traffic light kwl .

Our teaching and learning committee has started up again in the last month but it's been rebranded some new catchy terminology now.

I don't think there is any new revolutions left. I think teaching primarily depends on the relationship between teacher and student. Throw large class sizes, social and psychological issues into that and withdraw support from the teacher, then it's just a non runner.

The teachers I've seen seconded to JCT rarely come back to practice what they preach. I've no doubt they'll be kept in place until the Leaving Cycle has been rolled out. So potentially that's a secondment of at least 15 years out of the classroom telling teachers what really works well for students!

Leaving aside the negatives, I thought COVID was the most liberating experience I've had since I started teaching, you were just let do your thing while the department etc. had other things to busy themselves with.

Random sample

The only others I would be aware of are the inspectorate and SEC. Directors of education centres are seconded too, but there aren’t too many of them

I think they are all advertised on their own websites. I assume they are on publicjobs.ie too.

anyone I know who has gone on secondment has returned in management positions.

ethical

Unfortunately an awful lot of crap that costs millions goes on in this sphere of bettering one self by joining the JCT etc,etc and the children do NOT benefit greatly from it if at all.

The good teacher likes teaching,stays in school,does their professional development in their own time for the most part ,other than the Inservice Days they are obliged to attend by School,JCT Days etc.

Coming back from various meetings/training days with 'effin' jargon that does nothing for the student,in my opinion,is a whole load of baloney and could be considered white collar crime,as far as our wonderful Dept of Ed.& so little skill is goes,.How many teachers who have NIL experience in the classroom are 'giving'those so called JCT Days etc.It would be better for the Dept to give said 'instructors' teaching jobs where they might actually teach and get some experience!

Millions are spent by Norma and her predecessors on destroying teaching,lowering the role of teacher and frustrating the members of the profession that are still trying to be student centered.

Its time for a root and branch restructure of the whole system.I'd start by disbanding the various 'Golden Circles' that presently exist in education,first on the list would be getting rid of the ETBs and the various Interviewing Boards that exist since time immemorial in Secondary Schools Management Bodies.The same feckers appear like fcukin parasites and are inducted into every Steering Committee going,is it any wonder, I ask you, that our education system is so fcuked up when you have people who have no interest in the students or their welfare.All that the 'experts' want is €€€€€,the lot of them should be fcuked out NOW!