If you’re still searching for your CAO top choice, or looking to shake up your career, teaching could be the one for you. With the CAO closing date of February 1st fast approaching, let’s consider some teaching options!
The need for a diverse group of teachers in Ireland just keeps growing and growing. With more undergraduate teaching courses than ever before, it couldn’t be simpler to graduate straight from college as a post-primary teacher. Some of these courses will have you qualified to teach in as short as four years - pretty handy, right?
Don’t know what to do when you’re finished college? Or, just want to change things up a bit? The Professional Master of Education (PME) uses your degree subjects to qualify you to teach in post-primary schools. Schools across the country are now particularly interested in sciences, maths, Irish, foreign languages and home economics.
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“Teaching is for everyone,” says the principle of Setanta College (Coláiste Pobail Setanta), Liam Walsh.
“We at Setanta place a huge emphasis on collegiality. Teaching is a team sport - not a solo run. When teaching staff come together and act as a team, the experience for both them and their students is enhanced.
“The old, blunt methods of dealing with newly qualified teachers have changed. There is a lot of minding going on, with each newly qualified teacher given a mentor in their subject department, and is given access to the resources that department has. Teaching is definitely not a lonely profession.
“The diversity in our teaching staff is wonderful. All of our Spanish teachers are from Spain, with members of our staff hailing from Eastern Europe, to Pakistan We have an amazing African Irish SNA (special needs assistant). It is so rare to find a male SNA, and for the boys, it’s nice to have someone to look up to.
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“Through conversations and collaborations teachers' skills are taken care of, and always improved.” Walsh continues, “We run two leadership programmes per year in the school, which give teachers a huge opportunity for progression, to build and advance their careers.”
For all you CAO-ers, check your options out here before you head to the CAO website in advance of the February 1st deadline. The rest of you teaching hopefuls, head to the PME section of the gov.ie website for more information, available here.
Featured Image Credit: Taylor Wilcox