The interview for the Professional Master of Education (PME) in Primary Education is your opportunity to convey why you want to teach and why you are a good fit for our programme. Once your online application has been reviewed and processed, you will be called for an interview. The closing date for applications is 10th July. Submit your application and get your interview scheduled, and you will know if you have a place on the programme. Read on to learn more about the PME in Primary Education interview.
PME in Primary Education Interview
All applicants who have been deemed to have met the entry requirements, submitted a fully completed application form with supporting documentation will be invited to an interview.
The PME in Primary Education interview is a 30-minute professional interview. The interview panel consists of two people. The panellists are highly experienced educators, who are all qualified primary school teachers. The interview will be held online via Zoom.
The interview consists of a 20-minute general interview in English and approximately 10 minutes devoted to assessing your competence in Gaeilge. Applicants can choose whether they begin with the general or the Irish component. Feedback suggests that it can be a good idea to start with the area you feel most comfortable in.
General Interview Component
In the interview, applicants should demonstrate their motivation for wanting to enter the teaching profession. The panel will be interested to know why you are applying to complete the PME with Hibernia College. What do you know about the programme and what aspects of the programme are you excited about? Become familiar with the Hibernia College website, attend a webinar, and speak to current students and former graduates. Find out more about the course content, school placement, and how the curriculum is delivered and assessed. Do your research, on Hibernia College and the blended learning style, teaching strategies, have there been any recent or upcoming curriculum changes?
The panel will reference your personal statement and they will expect you to demonstrate your competency or experience in areas such as communication and interpersonal skills, organisation and planning, motivation to become a teacher, preparation and professionalism, and suitability to teach.
If you are successful in gaining a place on the programme, you will be taught the skills and knowledge to become a primary teacher; the panel does not expect you to have all this knowledge for the interview and prior experience is not mandatory before applying to the programme. However, you should be able to show that you have an interest in education and working with children and reference some experiences that support this. Also, consider the informal experiences that you might have, such as coaching, caring for children and supporting with extracurricular activities. If you do have experience working in a classroom or school, the panel will want to hear about that experience and how you will apply that to the programme.
Finally, prepare for the interview by practising the answers to questions aloud or in front of the mirror. Ask a family member or friend to do a mock interview with you online.
Gaeilge Component
If you have achieved 65% or above in the TEG B1 oral exam in the last two years, you will be exempt from the Gaeilge interview component. Please upload a copy of your TEG certificate to your application.
If you have not completed the TEG B1 oral exam, you will be scheduled to sit the Gaeilge interview component. The panel will assess your conversational fluency and grammatical accuracy as Gaeilge. The interview will consist of a general conversation in relation to you, your interests, the Irish language and education. We strongly do not recommend memorising anything in advance because it limits your ability to communicate effectively with the panel.
Practise changes of tense and using a wide range of verbs and vocabulary. Remember to practise speaking Irish aloud, in front of a family member or with a friend. It is beneficial to listen to Irish on the radio or TV in the days leading up to the interview and to be speaking with someone as Gaeilge at least 30 minutes a day.
Interview Tips Gaeilge
When you submit your application, you should be speaking 20 minutes a day with someone. Then by the time you interview you should be speaking 30 minutes a day.
Essential NOT to learn off answers in Irish – this is a conversation and fluency component.
You need to be reading Irish, listening to it (radio & podcast’s), watching it (TV and video’s) and speaking it with other people.
Make your home a Gaeltacht as much as possible only speak Irish for periods of time as you prepare for your interview.
Make it part of your social life, meet your Irish speaking friends for walks, have dinner etc. all as Gaeilge.
Every hour you spend on Irish is valuable not just for interview but as you prepare for a Level 9 Irish and to use Irish in your school placements.
At this stage if you can, study Irish up to 38 hours a week, including your reading, listening, watching and speaking, it is also a useful way to see how the PME 38 hours will work for you also.
Interview Tips General
The interview is a professional interview, so please make sure that you are prepared, dressed appropriately and have your ID. Make sure you can access the Zoom link well in advance of the interview time. Have some trial Zoom calls with family or friends. Make sure that the interviewers can clearly see and hear you during the interview. Try out the audio options to see what suits your headphones, microphone and so on.
Have your friends and family tell you how you are presenting on their screens and adjust to ensure you are perfectly visible on screen (Avoid sitting in front of a strong source of light and have a plain and still background.). Find a quiet location for the interview inside. Remember all the usual professional interview tips and take the opportunity to demonstrate the necessary skills required of a teacher, such as listening, eliciting participation and building rapport. The panel will also consider communication skills, such as body language, eye contact and vocal presence, during your interview.
Remember to do at least 3 practice zooms with 2 people.
Learn More
If you have any queries about the interview or the documents required to apply, our Enrolment Advisors are here to help. You can schedule a call at a time most convenient for you. If primary teaching is your dream, submit your application today.
