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Going back to college to study Arts (Secondary Teaching)

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  • 18-05-2019 11:58am
    #1
    Seanf999
    Registered Users Posts: 369 ✭✭


    Long story short - I dropped out after 2 years of a business degree, passed first year and wasted 2 years worth of fees.

    I've been seriously thinking about what I want, more than just 'that could be nice, oh yeah imagine that' type of thinking..
    I've landed on teaching as what I could actually see myself doing day in day out.

    It means going back to college.

    I'm looking at a Joint Honours in Arts - English and Geography.
    So thats €6k a year for 2 years and €3k for the final year.
    Not to mention the cost of a PME at €5k a year for 2 years (roughly).

    Would I be eligible for government contribution towards fees in my first year of my masters? Since it's govt contribution for first 4 years in progression (eg not including repeats, which are not covered).
    I would only be 'using' 3 years of the contribution so would it cover anything at Masters level? I doubt it but thought I may as well ask.

    Is it worth it?
    I know I want to be a teacher but at the same time you hear so many stories about how it's terrible starting in this day and age compared to how it was.
    Not to mention Geography and English are two of the more common subjects chosen.


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    #2
    dory
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,480 Mod ✭✭✭✭dory


    Is there any other subject you'd be willing to teach? Those are very over subscribed. But by all means give it a go. Hard to give advice without knowing your financial situation. Would you be borrowing that money? Have you it saved up? If you get half hours out of college you'll be on €18k or so, I think starting is €36k for full time. It would be extremely rare to start on full hours so you'd be a while paying that back if you're planning on taking out a loan.

    If it's something you've always wanted to do then go for it. Just keep in mind that you probably won't be able to afford to live in a big city, you might have to go abroad for a year or two. I just heard of one teacher moving home to Tipp and keeping her job in Cork as she can't afford the rent anymore.


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    #3
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,115 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Try and shadow someone to get experience of what teaching is really like, not just from the student point of view. Realise not everyone ends up teaching people who want to learn about their subject. This can break your heart day after day, especially if it is a subject you are passionate about.

    Make sure you know what the job situation is like and no, it's not going to get any better soon.

    Remember there are over 700 second level schools in the country, so any grandiose political promises of thousands of new jobs, realistically means one or two a school, probably split into six crappy low hours, low pay contracts, only really replacing posts that were cut in the numerous cuts over the years.

    I would not advise anyone I cared about to go into teaching at the moment.


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    #4
    Seanf999
    Registered Users Posts: 369 ✭✭Seanf999


    spurious wrote: »
    Try and shadow someone to get experience of what teaching is really like, not just from the student point of view. Realise not everyone ends up teaching people who want to learn about their subject. This can break your heart day after day, especially if it is a subject you are passionate about.

    Make sure you know what the job situation is like and no, it's not going to get any better soon.

    Remember there are over 700 second level schools in the country, so any grandiose political promises of thousands of new jobs, realistically means one or two a school, probably split into six crappy low hours, low pay contracts, only really replacing posts that were cut in the numerous cuts over the years.

    I would not advise anyone I cared about to go into teaching at the moment.

    Thank you for the honest response.

    I have a few relatives and family friends who have given me a bit of an insight into what that world is like and I do think it’s something I’d enjoy and excel in.

    I seem to hear the from every career I seriously consider - marine biology (heavy geography emphasis) - don’t go near it, you have to work on a contractual basis the only stable job pays the same as Starbucks!

    It seems nothing I can see myself in is worth going into


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    #5
    williaint
    Registered Users Posts: 114 ✭✭williaint


    If you are in a position to relocate, there is a £28k tax free bursary to train as a teacher in England. This is what I did as I couldn't afford the PME here (although I already had my undergraduate from Ireland). My experience in England was looked at very favourably when I came back to Ireland and I got offered a job straight away. I would get my degree from the open university, train in England and then head to the Middle East for a few years! Again you may not want to leave Ireland but it is so costly to train here and there is no guarantee of a decent contract afterwards.


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    #6
    Seanf999
    Registered Users Posts: 369 ✭✭Seanf999


    dory wrote: »
    Is there any other subject you'd be willing to teach? Those are very over subscribed. But by all means give it a go. Hard to give advice without knowing your financial situation. Would you be borrowing that money? Have you it saved up? If you get half hours out of college you'll be on €18k or so, I think starting is €36k for full time. It would be extremely rare to start on full hours so you'd be a while paying that back if you're planning on taking out a loan.

    If it's something you've always wanted to do then go for it. Just keep in mind that you probably won't be able to afford to live in a big city, you might have to go abroad for a year or two. I just heard of one teacher moving home to Tipp and keeping her job in Cork as she can't afford the rent anymore.

    Possibly English and Business I’m looking at a Bachelor of Arts that will allow me to study English & Drama with Marketing and Management.
    That’d cost €3550 a year for 4 years part time - so I could potentially be debt free.


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    #7
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,115 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Double check the Teaching Council will accept it as a qualification. They are a law unto themselves.


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    #8
    Dickie10
    Registered Users Posts: 3,864 ✭✭✭Dickie10


    its a lovely job if you like people and working with teenagers if your built that way its the best job in the world espically if u really enjoy the subjects you teach. however it is becoming a lifestyle choice not a career choice really. it only suits some people according to there finanacial status, it suits me as i have a farm and that supplements my teaching hours. it suits some people depending on your position. if you want to buy a house on just teaching geography and english then basically you probably never will. i teach history and geography and resource , i teach locally andit suits me not to have full hours . evryone is different


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    #9
    Dunne_bkill
    Registered Users Posts: 122 ✭✭Dunne_bkill


    If you really think it's what you want to do then go for it. Personally, if I could go back I wouldn't bother with it at all. I only recently qualified and due to my subjects and being unable to move away from home I can't see myself getting a job for years. Got nothing this year only subbing, more than likely won't get anything next year. No progression. If you get an interview at all, the job will most likely already be gone.

    Its grand having the fairytale dreams of three months off paid during the summer but the grim reality is different. Getting a job, a proper job, is a hard, mentally deflating task. Best of luck with it if you decide its what you want to do.


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    #10
    Seanf999
    Registered Users Posts: 369 ✭✭Seanf999


    Dunne_bkill wrote: »
    If you really think it's what you want to do then go for it. Personally, if I could go back I wouldn't bother with it at all. I only recently qualified and due to my subjects and being unable to move away from home I can't see myself getting a job for years. Got nothing this year only subbing, more than likely won't get anything next year. No progression. If you get an interview at all, the job will most likely already be gone.

    Its grand having the fairytale dreams of three months off paid during the summer but the grim reality is different. Getting a job, a proper job, is a hard, mentally deflating task. Best of luck with it if you decide its what you want to do.

    What subjects do you teach?

    I'm looking at English and Business to Leaving cert


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    #11
    Dickie10
    Registered Users Posts: 3,864 ✭✭✭Dickie10


    you probably will need another job on side for weekends and summer as you wont get paid holidays til u get full time job, but if you can live like that then its a grand job. teaching is becoming seriously casualised, as a profession.


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    #12
    emilymemily
    Registered Users Posts: 343 ✭✭emilymemily


    Its a nice job if you can get a contract but your subjects arent in demand and you can spend literally years subbing day to day or covering the odd maternity leave and even at that you may only get a handful of hours a week.
    Schools mess subs around constantly too and nepotism plays a big part in securing jobs.
    Think long and hard before pursuing teaching as a career.


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    #13
    Snapgal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 94 ✭✭Snapgal


    emilymemily wrote: »
    Its a nice job if you can get a contract but your subjects arent in demand and you can spend literally years subbing day to day or covering the odd maternity leave and even at that you may only get a handful of hours a week.
    Schools mess subs around constantly too and nepotism plays a big part in securing jobs.
    Think long and hard before pursuing teaching as a career.

    I would advise anyone don’t go near teaching unless you have relations on a BOM or play GAA for your county. I have over 16 years in experience teaching Irish and MFL up to Leaving Cert and no certain job for next year. School I was this year in reduced my hours. Was CID 12 years but has to come closer home and had gave up job. Thought would walk into job with so called subjects where no schools can get teachers and my experience.


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