r/IrishTeachers

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I just sent this off to the union. I know I’m not the only one feeling this way, but seeing another brilliant colleague walk away from teaching altogether this year has been the final straw.

Dear INTO,

I am writing to you not just as a member, but as a teacher who is witnessing the systematic collapse of our profession. We are well beyond the point of "struggling"—we are breaking.

This year, I’ve had to watch a valued colleague make the devastating decision to leave the profession entirely. This wasn't a choice made lightly; it was a forced exit caused by an unsustainable workload and a total lack of meaningful support. The toll on his mental health became too much to bear, and frankly, many more of us are right behind him.

How many more good teachers do we have to lose before the union takes a stand that actually matches the severity of this crisis?

I urge the INTO to stop the incrementalism and take a stronger, more decisive position. We cannot continue to watch our peers burn out and disappear while the erosion of our working conditions is met with anything less than total urgency.

Yours sincerely,

A deeply frustrated teacher

For those of you in the same boat—are you seeing this in your staffrooms too? It feels like we’re shouting into a void while the workload just keeps piling up. When is enough actually going to be enough?

Hi all,

Having a bit of a baffling experience trying to secure our final loan offer from BOI as a post primary teacher being made permanent in August...

So husband and I are in the process of purchasing a new build. Underwritten AIP from BOI and we were due to sign our contracts with the developer today... Ended up having to request an extension from their solicitors because our final loan offer hasn't come through.

After providing the final document requested in our AIP letter (a letter from the Board of Management of the school I work at stating I would be continuing in my position when my current contract ends in August and that I would then be receiving CID), we were told by the 'mortgage specialist' we'd been dealing with online to expect the offer at the end of the last week.

Not only did it not materialise, I was told it would not be issued until I provide the same letter from 'my employer', the Dept of Education...

I had already explained to the person who submitted our application that teachers are employed by BOMs/ETBS, not the Dept of Ed and Skills who act as paymasters. I had thought this would be common knowledge...

I rang the bank today and spoke to another 'mortgage specialist' and their supervisor who both insisted my employer is the DES and not my school. I pushed back on this and told them that as the DES only deal with payroll, not hiring or contracts, they will not and cannot provide the letter requested. They again insisted I was wrong and that there was nothing they could do other than get our original 'specialist' to discuss this with the underwriters... I'm trying not to get too stressed about this as it should be easily resolved given they are asking for something based on an incorrect assumption and have already been provided with the assurance they need re the future of my job from my actual employer but I'm not sure how to proceed should they double down on their mistake...

Has anybody encountered this or had a similar experience when trying to secure their loan offer? Any advice on what to do next if they come back to me tomorrow insisting on this impossible letter?

Hi just looking for advice! My dream job in my dream school was posted a few days ago. But I’m worried. Everyone I speak to in the staff room say that it’s highly likely the job is already taken just based off it being early May.

It’s a fixed term contract full hours one subject. How likely is this someone’s job they are re-interviewing for? Can I get my hopes up!

NQT 3+ years 😫

What is the norm in secondary schools generally re the provision of devices for teachers? I have my own personal laptop but i dont want to be using it for work purposes, student data and information etc. Do most schools provide new staff with a device? You wouldnt be expected to turn up in Lidl with your own checkout!!

I’ve heard mention of it and keeping it up to date, I’m coming to the end of my first year pme and wondering what it is, we haven’t looked at portfolios or anything we’ll be looking at that in second year

There is a school i want to apply to that have posted 4 separate vacancies for teachers in my subject plus another subject (different to my second subject in each case). Do I apply to all 4 posted vacancies or just 1 or 2? What is the right thing to do here? Thank you.

Is it really bad to accept a job while continuing to interview for others? I’ve been offered a job, full hours but I have other schools I want to try also and would probably choose if the offer was as good. The principal was really nice in the interview and basically asked me not to accept the job just to then turn I down closer to June. Is it the norm to do accept a job even thought you might eventually turn it down or would it be rude to do?

I teach English, and I’ve been thinking about using Isabelle from Animal Crossing as a narrative thread throughout the school year.

My idea is that Isabelle leaves her island and moves to Buckingham Palace to work as a royal assistant. Each unit would become a different “royal mission” that students need to complete in English.

For example, they might help her organize a royal tea party, welcome international guests, solve a palace mystery, or prepare for a ceremony.

Does this sound too crazy for you? How could I justify it?

How much notice do teachers get before an interview? Is it a legal requirement that it has to be minimum 2 weeks or am I making that up?

I am an Post Primary teacher of almost 20 years and i hold an AP2 position. I am relocating and applying for jobs. Is it the norm for schools to ask for 2 written references to send with application? and do many schools facilitate online interviews? Thanks in advance

NQT post-primary here looking for jobs for my second year. Not many job postings up so far in my subject, have only had one interview - I've been told by some teachers in my school June is generally peak time, can anyone here confirm?

Trying not to panic at not having something sorted already!

Hey guys!

I am starting my PME (Post-Primary) in Maynooth this August. I’ll be teaching Biology, Geography and Junior Cert Science.

My old Mac is on its way out and I am wondering if anyone has any advice for any specific laptop that is best for my subjects and/or the PME course?

Thanks very much!

Post primary for context - specifically art!
On placement at the moment and the school Im in you are dealing with some of the most deprived/traumatised kids in the country.
Any tips for classroom management, I love my students but just need a bit of help managing them!
-Speaking over me
-not putting effort into work/ refusal
-general rudeness/disrespect
-not respecting classroom/materials
Any tips be much appreciated!

Hey guys,

I’m starting my PME this September in business and accounting.

Just wondering if you guys have any tips etc / for the PME in general?

Thank you

Almost everything about it doesn’t seem to benefit anyone: the teacher, the school, HR…

We all know that the vast majority of teaching job posts (especially this time of year) end up being ghost posts as what happens almost every time is that the principal is happy with their hire from the year before (or a current sub) and it is already set in stone that they’re going to get the job again.

But, they have to post the job publicly anyway and interview a bunch of people just to tick a nonsensical box. Even to the point where interview scores will be fudged or ignored to give the job to the person already there.

I think I understand why it happens (fixed term employment law?), but the way it plays out feels very disconnected from common sense. If the teacher earned the initial job through fair & open competition, and the school has the same (or very similar) opening the following year, then surely no employment laws are broken by just keeping them without needing any of the needless red tape? The current system feels like it's breaking the fair competition law more when the job is almost certainly going to someone else! Haha

Publicly posting the same job again for the following year only makes sense to me in the rare instances where the principal was perhaps not happy with the initial hire and wants to play the field again. But in the 90% of cases, I have absolutely no idea why the principal isn’t allowed to just say “i’m happy with the teacher that we hired through fair competition last year, so we’re just going to reward them with the job again” without all the song and dance of posting the job again for it to inevitably go to that same person.

The 'ghost post' system fucks everyone: External applicants waste time & stress on applications & interviews that basically never existed, schools/HR/BoMs have to go through a bunch of admin that they don’t need to, and the teacher already in the job needs to go through the stress of an interview and "competition" again for little reason

When a job gets posted, it should be an actual opening that currently doesn't have anyone lined up. That makes so much more sense to everyone involved. How did it even end up like this?

I presume if they are advertising in August that they are actually looking for someone. But at what point in the coming months is the switch from ghost jobs to real jobs likely?

I am hoping to do a PME in PE and another subject. Undergrad in sports & exercise management. Any recommendations for the best place to do the PME? Ideally Dublin but there are not a lot of options apart from Hibernia

All advice welcomed. Trained as a doctor, considering moving into teaching. Always had an interest and probably should have chosen it first time around.

What are the hours like realistically- in school and home prep?

Do you enjoy your daily work?

Thanks 🍀