what qualifications to teach nightcourses?

N

nelly

Registered User
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Hi All,
I am flirting with the idea of teaching / lecturing in the evenings in my area of work and i would like to know is there a training course i could / should do to be "Qualified" to teach adult level? I have a degree in the related subject area and 5 years experience but i am wondering if there is a course that would increase my chances of being sucessfull.
 
My brother in law has recently started lecturing - he has several years experience and is just completing his masters. He didn't do any course on lecturing and has been a little disappointed by the lack of guidance from the college - he really was left to his own devices. He was lecturing several weeks before he was given the course content! The most work is in the first year when you have to prepare notes, handouts, exams, etc.

Best of luck.
 
I'm interested in this too...I have a Masters and some great IT/Mtg work experience and have always thought how nice it would be to pass on some of knowledge and skills to others either in a formal lecturing environment or else a voluntary schools or adult education program...Any ideas anyone?
 
It depens on where you want to Lecture/Instruct. Most third level colleges require a Masters/Phd in relevant area with no qualification in training/education. I dont think this is right as we all had experiences of lectures who know the subject matter but can't get it across.

Training is a big area which I am involved in myself and would recommend the following distance learning course with NUIG done thru distance learing
[broken link removed]

Hope this helps

Also there is The Irish Institude of Training and Development which give courses in areas like train the trainers etc
 

Oh yeah, lecturing myself in an IT at night, completely left to my own devices and requires major work for the first year, I spent about 20-25 hours preping for a 3 hour class, all in the prep work
 
Lorz said:
! The most work is in the first year when you have to prepare notes, handouts, exams, etc.
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Would disagree very strongly with you, very strong arguements that the more preparation you do (every single year) the better lecturer you will be. Thinking that you can just ream off old notes (or somebody else's) will be bad for you and the class and lead to dissatisfaction on both sides. Is a great quote out there about a cambrige prof looking forward each october to re reading the classics in his area. He had been at it for over 20 years.

On training to lecture could be a good idea, the original theory was that one lectured cause you knew a huge amount about your individual subject area. Of course exposure through a course to differing learning styles etc would be benifical.

Most colleges accept that the lecturer is the expert in the area so leave it up to them, thus can seem a bit strange when you start first.

Am with you slave1 on the level of prep in takes, but its worth it.

You can never be overprepared, you can never read to much.

Conflicit disclaimer - I do some lecturing and get annoyed when (in my perception) people don't do enough prep or don't re read the core text each year.
 
Easy there! I stand by my opinion - there is more work to be done in the first year. While you may amend your notes with new legislation/discoveries, you will have the core of the topic/subject covered. Obviously you will be changing exams yearly but if you were disappointed by the answers you received to a particular question, you could ask this question again. I wouldn't for one moment suggest that someone should "ream off old notes (or somebody else's)" year after year.
 

I guess it all depends on the subject you teach. If the syllabus doesn't change to much from one year to the other, one could use the same notes, maybe just changing examples or exercises, so people won't be passing material to the younger students...if you know what I mean!!
 
I'm a lecturer, and I regularly update/renew/replace my lecture notes — not just out of professional pride or a concern to provide a better service to students, but also because — quite simply — I'd be bored witless reaming off the same stuff year in, year out. But I'll grant you that there's plenty of that about — one ex-colleague was notorious for reading his notes from pages that were literally yellowed with age..! (and I'd say this mindset is equally if not more prevalent in the secondary system).

It also strikes me as a great pity that more emphasis isn't placed on training lecturers to teach. Most of them have gone through a Masters/Ph.D process which tends to leave them with a highly specialised knowledge of a particular area — but of course knowing your subject inside out doesn't necessarily mean that you're capable of teaching it well. I happened to have done a H. Dip. (and taught abroad in a variety of 'adult education' contexts) before I came to third-level lecturing, and was very glad to have had some formal skills/methodology behind me. Unfortunately, good teaching tends to be way down the scale in terms of perceived prestige or career advancement — at least in the Universities. Candidates for junior posts are short-listed almost exclusively on the strength of their research credentials and publications, and/or the current perceived 'sexiness' / economic saleability of their specialism, subsequent promotions are very often political (with a very small 'p') and, in some quarters, an interest in quality teaching is vaguely looked down on as some kind of misguided vocationalism, or as the resort of those who can't 'produce the goods' in research terms.
 

Do you mind me asking what is your are of expertise?
 
French language and literature. Mostly 18th-century, from a research point of view, although as you can imagine I have to teach a bit of everything. Your average undergrad audience isn't too pushed about Rousseau/Voltaire/Diderot, etc.... By the same token, that probably leaves me a lot more scope for 'moving the furniture about' than if I were teaching, say, a scientific or technical subject.

As a footnote to what I was saying earlier — I have to admit that there's been some progress on the 'training the teachers' front, since my day. Pretty much all the universities now have official 'centres for teaching and learning' which organise (voluntary, unpaid) skills workshops, award annual 'feelgood' prizes and presidential commendations to outstanding lecturers, etc. But I'd venture that there's still a fair bit of unspoken snobbery about this kind of stuff, among some academics anyway.
 
I was in your situation and so checked out nightcourses.com. Sent my cv to relevant colleges. Got several evening teaching posts. After I got a full time job, I passed my classes on some college friends. Its great experience and a few extra bob too. Hope this helps
 
Nelly!!


I have a PhD and lecture. What areas do you want to teach in? Also at what level? There are FETAC recognised courses running and are looking for qualified people to deliever them.

Be careful though...the rate of pay isn't the best!
 
I have a Masters in Business & Technology from UNSW in Sydney. Can anyone advise if I would be an acceptable candidate for lecturing in IT or Business related subjects?
 
Its that time of year again...Posted in this topic last year. Spoke to the CDVEC and they placed me on their panel during last year. However didn't receive any calls from their schools!

Was advised this year to approach colleges direct as well as being on the panel. Other than the CDVEC, does anyone know of institutions that might be looking for people to teach nightcourses in Business, IT, Project Management, Management, Coaching?
 
Hi Miselemas,

Your first link doesn't seem to work for me, however went to Aontas website and it led me to VEC contacts. Can you give me an example of community colleges that are not VEC related? Also the other link leads into mainly advertising from what I can see. Appreciate your response. Thank you.
 
Lauren said:
Hi Miselemas,
example of community colleges that are not VEC related?
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Apologies

The following is a link to all Community Schools in Dublin city and county from the Association of Community & Comprehensive Schools website -

[broken link removed]

There are links to other areas in the country on the page also.
 
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