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Sustainable Development Goal 13 focusing on ‘Climate Action’. Children are certainly affected by climate at a local and global level. At a local level, the river near our school has often flooded causing problems for the surrounding areas. Children are exposed to more extreme weather and have days off school due to storms and snow.
I would start in the classroom with a Climate Action project. First, we would learn about different climate issues affecting us locally and globally. In groups the children would choose an action to combat climate change in the locality and how they would go about it. The children would present their ideas to the class and we would choose some to carry out.
Some ideas would be connecting with the locality and parish in organising local litter picking activities, inviting guest speakers to the school, writing letters to our local politicians, creating posters and having recycling art competitions.
Hi Catherine,
I like the line where you said ‘to be a global citizen is to care’ and your reference to Irish history. Being kind and caring about the world around us and everyone in it, is more prevalent now than ever.
Development Education encourages students to learn about and connect with the world around them. The National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (2014), states that the aim of GCE is to equip learners with the knowledge, skills and the values that enable them to become informed active citizens who act for a more sustainable future world. The INTO emphasises the importance of entire school communities learning about development education and global citizenship while engaging in “appropriate,” “regular” and “consistent actions”; to help to “make the world a better place for all.” Development Education focusing on advancing the knowledge, skills and attitudes of learners to change the thinking about how to work towards a sustainable and equal future. The paper highlights the importance of Global Citizenship to create a sustainable word. Irish Aid’s Development Education Strategy 2017-2023 further advances Global Citizenship Education as both education for sustainable development and development education. Development Education is vital and each school should be focusing on it to empower their students to become active global citizens.
I agree with Emer that gender stereotypes can be noticed during Aistear. It is the teacher’s job to facilitate Aistear and to ensure that everyone participates in every role. It is a great opportunity to combat gender stereotypes when introducing a new Aistear topic.
I have witnessed many gender stereotypes in my classroom. Particularly during free play as many other teachers have mentioned. The boys in the class often gravitate towards Lego and cars. The girls play with dolls and the Barbie Dream House in my class. I have often heard boys making comments when a boy decides to play with the dolls and the girls. This is happening in Junior Infants. Children are coming to school with these stereotypes already formed. This can really affect the confidence of children who want to play with everyone and every toy. In my classroom, when I noticed this at the start of the year, we spoke about gender stereotypes. I don’t think it is ever too young to start. I used the Plan International resources and they really helped.
As a teacher, it is our role to set a positive example and to ensure that we are not perpetuating any stereotypes in the classroom, e.g. assigning certain jobs to certain children or the language of praise we use.
