What's it Like Teaching English in Ireland?

Read as Carolyn, a 2025 alum, shares her experience in CIEE’s Teach in Ireland program!

This summer, I had the opportunity of teaching English at Maynooth University. My workweek ran from Tuesday through Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. I lived at Point Campus, a student-centered housing complex that was conveniently located right next to the Luas Red Line. During the first few weeks of the summer, I commuted by taking the Luas to Heuston Station, which was about a 20-minute ride. From there, I caught the 115 bus to Maynooth University, a journey that took approximately 45 minutes. I aimed to leave my apartment between 6:45 and 7:00 a.m. Because the buses often ran late, I usually arrived on campus around 8:50 a.m., just in time for the school day to begin.

Later in the summer, a coworker suggested taking the commuter train from Connolly Station instead! Connolly Station was about a 25-minute walk from my apartment or a 10-minute Luas ride, and this option proved to be much faster and more convenient. I would leave my apartment at 7:45 a.m., catch the 8:03 a.m. train to Maynooth, and arrive at the station by 8:34 a.m. From there, it was about a 10-minute walk to the university campus.

The town of Maynooth and the university campus were incredibly beautiful and peaceful. Although it rained on many mornings during my walk to campus, it was still a calming and enjoyable way to start the day. Once on campus, I would check in at the main classroom with our principal to see if there were any schedule changes or class adjustments. I would then make copies for my first session and chat with fellow teachers as we waited for the morning classes to begin.

Our teaching schedules were divided into an AM and a PM session, each consisting of two classes. In the morning, I taught A1–A2 level students, while my afternoon session was with C1-level students. The daily schedule was as follows:

Lesson 1 would always be grammar, vocabulary, or conversational skills, while Lesson 2 was on Irish history and culture. The project would be a weekly task or group work that students would work on to present to the class by the end of the week. Examples include podcasts, skits, posters, and advertisements. Before the class would begin, I would always have my students complete a daily ‘check-in’ so I could see how they were doing, develop relationships, conversation skills, and vocabulary. It was a great warm up for the class as I would go around the room to each student and ask [student name], how are you feeling today? or What is a word you would use to describe how you are feeling today? This allowed for a community feel and a sense of belonging and care in the classroom. 

While in the classroom, it was just me as the teacher. Class sizes changed weekly as we had students coming and going within the program with their schools, but it was typically 10-15 students. I had students from Italy, China, Romania, Russia, France, Spain, and Ukraine. My students were wonderful! They were funny, hardworking, kind, and patient. With my younger students, there was a greater language barrier, but they were determined to improve their English. My older, more fluent students were enthusiastic in class, and we had great conversation and class discussions. I would often have my students teach me about their culture as well, to show them I am learning just like they are. We would talk about food, family, traditions, and just questions they had about American culture. My classroom was a welcoming, engaging, and fun place to learn, and I was very proud of the class culture I created for my students. I truly miss my students! 

For lessons, my school provided the teachers with a curriculum planned out weekly and by language level. However, I would create PowerPoints to help engage students and offer visuals to learn from. I would plan on my lunch at times, but mostly when I would get home from work, which would be around 7:30pm. I would spend roughly about an hour planning for both classes the next day or so. We would have a staff meeting once a week during the lunch period, in which we would share ideas about how to present materials, increase engagement, classroom management skills, and check in with one another. However, after school there were no further responsibilities. 

Typically, after work, I would get back to my apartment around 7:30pm. Once home, I would make dinner or run to Dunnes Stores next to my apartment for a quick meal. I would then plan for the next day and catch up with my roommate. We liked to take walks on the Liffey and catch the sunsets! My roommate and I would also listen to our favorite musicians, The Gladstone Band, at Ha'penny Bridge and grab a pint to debrief our workdays. On the weekends, I would take day trips around Ireland or even a weekend trip. 

My main advice I would give to future participants on how best to approach teaching or their work life is to be flexible! It is a big adjustment and there are learning curves. It can be frustrating, overwhelming, and you can feel really lost adjusting to a new job, in a new country, with different norms. However, be patient, flexible, and positive and I promise it will all work out in the best way. The paperwork process can be slow and frustrating as well, but again, it will work out. The twists and turns are part of the experience and make for the best memories and stories. Be open- minded, flexible, and have fun. It is an experience of a lifetime!!