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I think it is a great idea for schools to get solar panels and this is something I would like to bring to the attention of our BOM
I currently live close to the coast, and one way my locality has been changed by climate change is through coastal erosion. I have lived here for 5 years and in that short time the shape of the local beach has changed several times after large storms. Accessibility to the beach for pedestrians strongly impeded, as large rocks have been placed along the strand to impede the erosion.
In the classroom I would have a brainstorming session about what coastal erosion is to ascertain prior knowledge.
I would then show before and after pictures of local coastal erosion: the changing beach, houses close to the cliff tops etc.
To engage pupils I would pique their interest by doing a demonstration in small groups using sand, water rocks and a large tray to show show coastal erosion occurs.
We would then discuss our findings and come up with ways in which we could take action to prevent coastal erosion. We would explore the links between coastal erosion and climate change- Why is this happening?
3 actions we can take to prevent coastal erosion are:
Don’t walk on or damage dune grasses as the grass holds the sand in the dunes together.
Don’t remove rocks from the seawall/ damage the sea wall as the seawall protects the coast from erosion
Help prevent climate change by being energy aware as climate change leads to coastal erosion: Turn off lights, don’t waste water, use renewable energy etc.I really like the idea of having a welcome committee, I think this would be a lovely first step to making new students feel safe and supported.
There are several organisations in Wexford where I am from: Doras has provided refugee resettlement support since 2015. There are HSE Regional Social Inclusion Office. Other retired teachers I know teach English to Ukranians. One of the ways our school could welcome refugees would be to have signs in various languages of refugees around the world.
For parent teacher meetings they could speak with people who can use these languages to act as translators for parents. School reports and documentation about school routines could be translated into these langauges to promote inclusivity. In previous schools that I have worked in, that had a wide range of international students, we had an ‘international day’ that involved parents and students. A different classroom was assigned to each country. In each classroom there were representatives dressed in traditional clothes/ the colours of the country, you could sample different foods from that country, and listen to music from that country or play games from that country. People could make a donation and the money collected could be used to donate to a local charity that helps refugees.
I also chose this goal as I felt like it is one that relates to many children to on a local level as well as a global level. I like the idea of exploring the work of a prominent figure or group.
Poverty is a topic that affects children on a global and a local level. I think children in Ireland might have a stereotype of children living in poverty as being from the Global South and have an image in their head of these children attending schools barefoot with little resources and no technology. In reality Ireland has a growing homelessness problem, and a cost of living crisis with many people living close to or below the poverty line. Children might be unaware that there are other children in their class whose parents struggle to find work and put food on the table, or that their own parents have such struggles. Poverty dictates where a person will live, where they will go to school. It can have a huge impact on someone’s education if they can’t afford things available to their peers such as extra tuition, technology for school, college fees. It’s difficult to break the cycle and reach your true potential.
I would encourage older students to write to the local TD’s outlining their concerns about homelessness/ poverty in the area and to express the need for providing for the people who are affected by this. Older classes could speak to local charities such as SVP or the Peter Mc Verry Trust and liaise with them on what we could do for people affected by poverty: Fundraising through school events etc. Donations.
The school could have a visit from a local motivational speaker such as The Two Norries who have been affected by poverty in the past and they could ask the speaker questions about how we as a school could take action within the community.
I have noticed the same thing in my Aistear class. Most of the boys graduate towards the construction station and most girls gravitate to the role play area or art table.
Unfortunately, children tend to be gendered from birth. People buy pink clothes for girl babies, and blue for boys. Little girls hair is left to grow long, most boys hair is cut before it grows past their shoulders. Dolls and kitchens are marketed towards little girls, cars and tractors towards little boys. Boys are often told that they shouldn’t cry and need to toughen up. In the classroom, I have seen boys being jeered and called ‘a girl’ if they are getting emotional.
I have seen boys not wanting to play with dolls in case someone says something to them. I think a good way to combat this is to have regular and open discussions with the children where we talk about the similarities and differences between boys and girls, and they learn what the word ‘stereotype’ means. They could then see what similarities they have with other boys and girls in the class (interests/ talents/ accomplishments.
In the younger classrooms there should be access to lots of different types of toys that everyone gets a chance to play with : dolls, construction items etc. In the older classes they might learn about successful famous people who have defied gender constraints such as Malala, Greyson Perry etc.
Development Education is important because calls attention to global issues and highlights how we as global citizens can take action to improve or help to eradicate these issues. It shows us how that simple actions taken by individuals can evoke a big change. In my own classroom I would show different examples of what it means to be a global citizen, and of how the seemingly small actions of a few may make a significant change on a global scale: Example when the Dunnes Stores workers in Dublin refused to handle fruit from South Africa in protest of apartheid.
I would teach about the UN Sustainability Goals, and facilitate different student led projects based on the student’s particular interest in different global issues.
As part of the Green Schools, I would collaborate with my colleagues to explore and take local action in the themes of global development such as travel, food and biodiversity.
I would encourage my colleagues to participate in Global Goals Week.
