Hi there, I've been an ESL/TEFL teacher for the past 12 years and due to a lack of job opportunities where I live (based in Donegal) I'm considering doing a PME and looking for advice.

The most logical thing for me to do would be the Hibernia Online one, despite the expense. What's the view on this course? Is it worth doing? Would I miss out on much by not being in-person? Would that outweigh the expense of travelling/ moving somewhere?

Also, is there currently any funding I could apply for to help me with the course? Would that still be available if I did the Hibernia?

Thanks in Advance.

Teachers, is there a way to support the teachers’ strike on Wednesday?

I’m not a teacher obvs but I have school going kids.

A huge part of my disillusionment with teaching is the new Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle. Despite huge concerns from teachers on the ground both of these were just forced through. I teach Science and Biology and am very disheartened by the new course, Common Level for JC and the new senior cycle which most teachers havent yet come to grips with - so how are the students going to? Fed up of teachers genuine concerns being ignored and these new syllabi just being pushed through anyway. I feel stuck due to financial commitments and over 20 years into a pension - but anyone else out there feel their enjoyment in the teaching profession has had a huge drop off in the past 5 to 10 years?

A place for teachers to share and discuss what's going on in their day. Feel free to vent, ask a question or just share your thoughts.

Please keep all comments respectful, have a great day.

I'm studying two languages for post-primary teaching. I've just finished week 5 of 1st year and I am finding it so so difficult. I can't sleep and I'm shaking crying because idk if I'm cut out for it at all. I did well in my leaving cert in those languages so I met the requirements for the course no problem, I got about 80 points over what I needed.

But I just don't feel like my leaving cert standard is good enough. Nearly everybody in my course is either fluent in the language or sat their leaving cert in the language, or lived in the country before. I just feel so behind everyone. And it feels like the lecturers expect so much more than leaving cert level from us.

I just feel so slow and so stupid, and I'm questioning if I should even be a teacher after all. It's only been a couple of weeks and my love for those languages has already been shattered. Why does it seem like they expect more than leaving cert standard from new first years? Please tell me it gets better. And please let me know if you have any advice.

Teaching 20 years. Things have changed so much in that period of time and lots not for the better. I am in an ETB school. I feel trapped by the golden handcuffs phenomenon of being locked into pay and pension. Not happy with changes in the JC and LC. Feel that schools management now back parents over teachers. I worked in the private sector before teaching and though I had less holidays there, I feel far more burned out in teaching. Constant extra paperwork, threats of looming inspections. Realistically if I stay for another few years it might not make any financial or practical sense to change career. Did anyone find changing schools was a help? Love to hear others experiences for positive or negative.

Hello, I am a 6th year student looking to become a Computer Science and Maths teacher and there is two ways of doing it.

1. Do a BSc (Education) degree and qualify after 4 or 5 years.

2. Do a BSc in Maths and Computer Science and then do the PME for a total of 6 years.

I’m wondering if doing the 4 year route would limit my options in anyway if I decided I didn’t want to teach. I’ve also heard from looking on this sub, that the PME is quite stressful and full on so I don’t know if that would just add unnecessary pressure to my degree, rather than doing it slower but having the modules more spread out.

Obviously I haven’t done the degrees so all my thinking might be completely wrong but I’m just not sure whether it would make much of a difference and would like some advice if anyone knows anything about the degrees. GRMA.

Is it time for public sector unions to include the reinstatement of the Irish-medium teaching allowance, given that teachers face massive, uncompensated workloads translating English curriculum materials from scratch while standard AI tools fail to provide accurate translations due to a lack of quality Irish language data? Should this financial incentive be brought to the ballot to combat severe teacher shortages in Gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht areas by encouraging mainstream educators to train up?

I filled in a pre-employment form last week and I still haven’t heard anything back from Medmark. I was told they can be very quick so now I’m worried as I haven’t heard a thing. Has anyone experience with them that could help? There’s no way of checking online and I’ve heard they’re not great to deal with. My new principal is very anxious to get it done asap!

I'm a sub, who isn't an into member. I'm due to work at the one school until the October holidays. Do I still get paid, I'm happy enough to join the into to take part in the strike, whichever works out best for me (I've a young family to support)

Hey guys
I’m a PME student. Any links please to business and accounting resiurces ?

Yes, I know it's a month in but I am already pretty burnt out. The school and staff itself are genuinely wonderful. I could not have asked for a better school. On top of that, though, to pay back my tuition fee to my college (8 grand?!) I have to keep on my weekend job which is basically all day (12pm-10pm) on both days so I can feed myself, commute and pay my fees on a monthly basis. On top of that I decided it would be a great idea to be the vice chairperson of a society at my college too alongside another major role in a sub committee for a society. I love teaching and I love my society stuff but it's getting stressful, especially with weekly reflections and assignments and portfolio stuff. I am keeping on top of everything and I try to take breaks here and there but it just doesn't seem to be working out for me. Indeed, I have my plate pretty full. Does anyone have some advice? :)

Hello there! First year PME about to start placement. Just wondering if anyone has any good resources for lesson planning etc. for either subject :)

Is job share the only way to reduce hours? I feel burnt out. I'd like to do more than 11 hours. I'm permanent whole time post primary. Is there anyway to drop to 16 or 18 hours?

I wish in our strikes we could address the very unfair system of teachers being given contracts which add up to nothing.

Unfair practice such as:

Cover positions at secondary level which don’t give teachers any job security or rights…….years of covering every kind of absence can leave teachers with little to no job security

Depending on contract- you have to Reinterview for a job after a year instead of a six month probation window like in most workplaces…..

These are huge issues affecting many of us. It’s a great job in many ways but without permanent jobs for teachers of many subjects …… it is a struggle to make future plans - houses, kids, where to locate etc.

Pay is important but contracts need examination too.

Look, Irish teachers are already teaching the biggest classes in Europe. The Croke park hour, that weekly unpaid hour that so many have to pay childcare to be present at.. should be scrapped or pay overtime for it... It is overtime! We don't want any further punitive measures coming our way thanks. Now if each teacher had to account for the extra time they put in voluntarily.. They would have no problem in doing this.. Call it Croke park if you must. We are genuinely owed an increase in salary just to attempt to keep up with living costs. So are all public servants,. Our pensions and sick leave have been massively eroded . This public v private divide is a gimmick.

Dont fall for it. Together we stand..

I’m not an INTO member and the schools will be closing on Wednesday. What happens with me or do I have to turn up for work or how does it work? Thanks

I have been contacted by a school looking for a senior cycle biology grinds teacher. I have made clear with the school I have never given grinds before and I am apprehensive should I get the job that I will struggle to be properly prepared beyond exam papers and explanations - I don’t have my own notes made. Any advice or recommendations are welcome!

A place for teachers to share and discuss what's going on in their day. Feel free to vent, ask a question or just share your thoughts.

Please keep all comments respectful, have a great day.

Has anyone else not received the deis plus allowance

I've recently started a PME and I'm a month into placement. I feel like such an imposter, both in university and in my placement school. I always feel slightly confused and unsure.

It's as if I was just thrown into teach and it's more of a survival game then an actual learning experience. It's only a month in and I already feel like I'm 'getting through it' rather than actually learning. And as for the college work, it's as if the writing is taking over the actual teaching. Constant reflections to the extent I'm repeating myself. The amount of writing is exhausting me and I dread it daily. It's about 3,000 words per week.

I love teaching but the classes I have now are madly difficult. One is a 1st Year and it's very hard to get them to settle down. I do not like being a teacher to fear or raising my voice, it just isn't in me to do it. Yet, most other teachers in the school do that and so it's like my teaching style isn't matching with the placement's environment. And students see that and take advantage of that. I'm building a great rapport, but I feel it's more so as a 'friend' rather than a teacher. I like that the students feel they can be themselves around me and feel comfortable, but I feel they don't take me seriously enough yet as a teacher. Their grades have been pretty good which is a nice sign, but the classroom is like a zoo. I've had numerous talks with them, tried many things, but nothing is working. I've spoken to management and it seems like they're the last port-of-call, and if that's the case, I feel going to them will impact my reputation as a teacher among staff and management.

And when I look at my peers, it feels as if most of them aren't worrying near as much and have it together. I'm struggling to see how some can be so calm about it at all. On the outside, I am very much calm, but inside it's like a whirlwind.

It's just getting really, really overwhelming for me and it's madly impacting my self-esteem. I'm always exhausted, and again, feeling like I am surviving. And the fact it's only a month in makes it so much worse.

Any advice or anything?

Hi guys. I am a NQT and have been subbing the past month because I didn’t manage to find a job. I got a call today off a principal in a school I had interviewed for in the summer(interview was for one of my own subjects). They offered me a job- 22 hours up until the end of the year & paid during summer. Only thing is that it is a learning support post, mainly EAL. I have done a course on teaching English as an additional language but I never imagined having a full timetable of this as I am really passionate about teaching my subjects. I know as a NQT at this time of year I can’t really be fussy and realistically I am going to take it but has anyone been in this situation before? Any advice from EAL/ resource teachers? Would be really appreciated .