Teaching English in Ireland

The following comments are from teachers who have taught, or are currently teaching, in Ireland. If you are a teacher and have some advice to share, please add it here.

Piglet on 17 April 2006

quote Ireland has become one of the most expensive countries in Europe to live over the last five years but with that the economy is booming and there is plenty of work for qualified EFL Instructors. Many of the schools are in Dublin as expected but there are some little gems in the countryside which is where I have been working for the last year. The wages are on average 15 Euros per hour, and if you have a place in the country then the rent is normally OK at about 70-100 Euros per week. Once you get to know the area and some of the other teachers it is possible to share digs much cheaper. A lot of the work in the countryside is seasonal so if you are looking for summer work then there are many schools advertising. You can save money too if you stay away from drinking 7 nights a week. I work 25 hours per week and have found that I was able to get by on about 150 Euros per week after the first three months here. My school is not so strict on teaching materials and lets the teachers decide what is used in class as long as the material is appropriate for the level of students, and the DOS will visit my classroom every two weeks to make sure I am giving the students good classes. My advice for locations to teach in Ireland would be to apply to the west coast schools. Even though there are less people there you will have a lot of tourists passing through about six months (or more) of the year and you will get the chance to get to know the locals better and enjoy the peace, quiet and spectacular beauty that you won't see in Dublin.