History, UWS or UNSW (1 Viewer)

[boris2003]

Hi,
got 2 offers, really wanted ancient however didn't make it to USYD:angry:, so i got these 2 offers. The UWS has a major in history/politics/philosophy, while UNSW has a major in History itself, from which 4 units of Ancient can be picked (mainly Rome).

Questions:

1. If i want to be a secondary (high) school teacher in History, which of the 2 unis would be better
2. These are courses in Bachelor of arts. I was wondering how do students get enrolled in the diploma of education, apparently i found out that ba/bdiped and ba are 2 different courses, however bachelor of arts/education was not listed in the uac book. Any advice on what i should do. I tried contacting the unis, but no replies from emails that i have sent
3. Do i have to very good at English to do well in History (sorry, asking as i came here not long ago) Got 70% in Advanced English for my HSC
4. I was wondering, what's the difference between undertaking ba/bdiped now, and graduating in 3 years and then taking a 1 year master of teaching course
5. If i graduate (god help me) and become a teacher, will i be able to teach Ancient History, despite the fact that i would have only majored in "History" (mostly modern)
6. I keep seeing that most students need to take 2 majors for teaching. I don't get this. So, i have to be graduate in History and something else, or...
7. What is the first year teacher graduates pay, approximately (this may sound rude, but want to know)

That's it, thanks for all of your responses in advance, i appreciate every single one of them, if there is to be any,
Boris.

 

[cem]

Hi,
got 2 offers, really wanted ancient however didn't make it to USYD:angry:, so i got these 2 offers. The UWS has a major in history/politics/philosophy, while UNSW has a major in History itself, from which 4 units of Ancient can be picked (mainly Rome).

Questions:

1. If i want to be a secondary (high) school teacher in History, which of the 2 unis would be better
2. These are courses in Bachelor of arts. I was wondering how do students get enrolled in the diploma of education, apparently i found out that ba/bdiped and ba are 2 different courses, however bachelor of arts/education was not listed in the uac book. Any advice on what i should do. I tried contacting the unis, but no replies from emails that i have sent
3. Do i have to very good at English to do well in History (sorry, asking as i came here not long ago) Got 70% in Advanced English for my HSC
4. I was wondering, what's the difference between undertaking ba/bdiped now, and graduating in 3 years and then taking a 1 year master of teaching course
5. If i graduate (god help me) and become a teacher, will i be able to teach Ancient History, despite the fact that i would have only majored in "History" (mostly modern)
6. I keep seeing that most students need to take 2 majors for teaching. I don't get this. So, i have to be graduate in History and something else, or...
7. What is the first year teacher graduates pay, approximately (this may sound rude, but want to know)

That's it, thanks for all of your responses in advance, i appreciate every single one of them, if there is to be any,
Boris.

Teachers qualify to teach TWO high school subjects as you need to teach 30x40 minute periods per week. 12 periods could be senior classes (Years 11 and 12) with one class of each year.

Then you have to deal with the junior years 7 - 10.

In these years you have 50 hours of History per year (or 100 in say Year 7 and none in Year 8 while they do the 100 hours of Geography). That equates to 2 x 40 minutes per week per class across the entire year. (That is the MINIMUM requirement and I know that many schools do slightly more than that). At one class per year you have 8 - 12 periods of junior history. That leaves your short of the required number of periods. Consequently teachers have a second subject. History is usually teamed with English at uni but when you get on the ground you may find that Geography would be more useful due to the SC. At my school we all teach junior History and Geography even though most of us are only qualified to teach one of those subjects. Our English/History trained teachers are all only teaching English this year due to lack of students electing to do history so we don't need to have any of them take a subject but next year we might.

 

[talven]

Hi boris2003

Congratulations on choosing the Teaching profession as a career! I am a History teacher undergoing my final year at Macquarie University and am teaching at schools from Monday in Years 11-12 Ancient, Modern, History Extension and Grades 7-10 general history.

I studied a History Major (being my primary subject) and English Minor at UWS. Basically, your employment opportunities would be extended if you can teach two subjects - schools are like businesses. The more you can teach, the more the department would like to place you into schools.

Now, the teaching profession has undergone a significant change in the last few years. The New South Wales Institute of Teachers has been established which qualify teachers to teach subjects. This is to stop unqualified teachers teaching subjects they have not been trained in. So, for instance:

Hypothetical Scenario 1:

If you study Modern History, and complete a subject in historiography (the principles of history and how people write history) then you will be qualified for Modern History (Grades 11-12), and General History (Years 7-10).

Hypothetical Scenario 2:

If you study a few units (subjects) of ancient history, a few modern and general history then you will be qualified to teach Modern History, Ancient History, and General History.

Get it? If you don't study Ancient History, for instance, the Institute of Teachers will not qualify you to teach that particular subject.

The great things about Universities is that you can study anywhere in Australia once your a student. Most people don't realise this, but once your a student at UNSW, for instance, you could study cross-institutionally at Macquarie, Sydney, UWS, and etc and complete one or two subjects in the area you wish to teach but your university does not cater for.

To illustrate this I will give you my study Plan:

Applied to University of Western Sydney 2005, Bachelor of Arts
Major in History, Politics and Philosophy with submajor in English, Text and Writing

Keep in mind that UWS DOES NOT offer any ancient history subjects!
First Year - studied History (three subjects history, one subject English each semester)
Second Year - I studied at UWS, but also did an Ancient history subject (rome) at Macquarie University via open universities Australia. Therefore I studied from home and completed the Ancient History subjects whilst I was studying at UWS. This is fully on HECS.
Third Year - Completed my UWS degree
Fourth Year - Applied and was granted entry into the Macquarie University Teacher Education Program (GDip.Ed.). Macquarie University is often regarded as the best teaching university in Australia, especially in history.

Speak to your student advisers and career advisers - but remember that you need to study a few subjects of Ancient History, Modern and Historical theory to be fully trained. I recommend visiting the TEACH.NSW website and contacting an advisor to assist you in your plan.

Teaching is a fantastic career and I love it - if you have a passion for it then the kids (or adolescents by this stage) share that passion with you - and that's an awesome experience and makes school fun!

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Appendix
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My UWS education plan if you are ever interested in applying:

2007 Spring (Year 3, Semester 2)
100849 Australian Textual Studies
100963 Interpreting Australia: Australian Historians and Historiography
100991 Citizenship Ancient and Modern

2007 Autumn Session Teaching Calendar (Year 3, Semester 1) [Only studied 3 subjects this semester at UWS as I studied Ancient Rome via Open Uni]
100507 History of Modern China to 1949 75 DISTINCTION
100878 Meanings of a Commonwealth - English Political Ideas 1500-1800 73 CREDIT
100894 World War 1 76 DISTINCTION

2006 Spring Session Teaching Calendar (Year 2, Semester 2. [Only studied 3 subjects this semester at UWS as I studied Ancient Rome and University of Wollongong during the SUMMER SEMESTER (November-December)]
100861 Empire: European Colonial Rule and its Subjects, 1750-1920
100893 The Novel
100987 Australian History Since 1920

2006 Autumn Session Teaching Calendar (Year 2, Semester 1)
100864 Europe in the Twentieth Century
100892 The Westminster System: England's Constitutional Culture
100900 Comedy and Tragedy
100986 Australian History 1860-1920

2005 Spring Session Teaching Calendar (Year 1, Semester 2)
100846 Analytical Reading and Writing
100873 Inventing Modernity
100960 Contemporary Society
100968 Texts and Traditions

2005 Autumn Session Teaching Calendar (Year 1, Semester 1)
100862 English, Text & Writing
100868 Foundations of Modern Australia
100958 Australia and the World
100965 Media and Visual Cultures