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We call these children our Eco warriors. They monitor the bins in the class, turn off the whiteboard when not in use, close the doors and turn off the lights. They never forget!
I researched organisations in the area that I teach and I found out about the Irish Refugee Council based in Dublin 1. They offer free and confidential information and advice to International Protection applicants and refugees. They can advise on housing, legal matters, direct provision, education and much more. They provide services and support for people seeking protection and people recognised as refugees in Ireland. I am also aware of Sanctuary Runners through parkrun. Sanctuary Runners is a solidarity-through-sport initiative which uses running, jogging and walking to bring together asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and all Irish residents. I run at parkrun every Saturday and it is a great way of meeting refugees and asylum seekers in a friendly positive way. It allows for community integration and improves physical and mental health. In my own school we have many migrant families. We are very lucky to have a parents’ room where our HSCL arranges parents events such as yoga, art with their child, language classes, cooking and so on. Parents from Ukraine recently hosted a morning where they cooked traditional food and staff and other parents attended. We also regularly invite parents into the school for events such Stay and Play or parents can come and read a book in their home language. We also value the different languages and cultures in our school. In my class children can answer the roll by saying “I am here” in any of the nine languages the children in my class speak.
I think schools can play a great role in helping parents make connections with other families. Language classes, yoga, art, cooking classes can all help parents feel welcome in the school and local community. We are very lucky to have a parents’ room in our school and our HSCL plays an important role in welcoming new families.
I have chosen the topic of poverty and particularly homelessness. It relates to the Sustainable Development Goal No. 1 – ‘No Poverty’. Poverty and homelessness can be seen locally and globally. I work in an area where there is high levels of poverty and homelessness. The majority of my class are living in homeless accommodation. Although I teach in an infant school the children can be very aware of their housing situation. I liked the approach taken in the video where the teacher started discussion using pictures of different homes. I think this would encourage good discussion. I think the musical chairs type game was also very effective in showing the equality that exists both locally and globally. We could then look at how we can help locally. Focus Ireland do a lot of work around homelessness in my area and the children could listen to a guest speaker or do a project around their work. The class could then look at poverty and homelessness around the world. The children could discuss how they could use their voices/ actions to change the situation. Hopefully this would lead to discuss around helping charities, writing to governments and creating awareness.
I agree. I also work in a disadvantaged area and it is hard to believe it when you dont see it! The role of HSLC is so important in making those connections between home and school and creating oppportunities for parents and children to see the importance of education.
Women’s sport has made good progress in the last ten years or so. The campaign 20×20 “If she can see it she can believe it” was great in making girls sports more visible. Women’s rugby, soccer and Gaelic football now get huge attendences at games. The Women’s All Ireland final has increased in attendence numbers year on year. I think more media focus and campaigns in schools and on Tv are needed to keep closing that gap in sports coverage and ensure continued involvement by girls in playing sport.
I have come across gender stereotypes on many occasions in classes I have taught. At infant level for example I have seen children choose toys that are traditionally for boys or girls. I think play can reinforce children’s gender stereotypes. Boys generally get cars, trains and Lego as gifts, Girls receive dolls, kitchens and cuddly toys. I have come across a lot of stories books for young children that promote gender stereotypes. In many Fairy Tales the woman is cast as the weak hopeless pretty female waiting on the man to save and rescue her! In my Infant school last year we did a cull of many books where women were only seen in passive, mothering roles and there were many books thrown out! Development education is very important in order to raise awareness and it is important as teachers that we give children opportunities to play and learn in inclusive settings and we are seen to challenge stereotypes through curriculum and the way we speak and act in our schools.
Development Education is about global challenges and problems we face today and how we can understand and meet these challenges. We are all global citizens and our individual actions and words can impact what is happening all over the world.. Development Education is important as it provides pupils with the knowledge and skills to tackle problems such as poverty, inequality, and climate change as individuals, as a school community and a global citizens. It is very important that pupils develop the skill of critical thinking and have empathy. I think SPHE, circle time, SESE are all areas where global citizenship can be developed. I think CPD for staff and whole school initiatives can also create awareness of global issues and develop critical thinking. I think celebration, recognition and tolerance around differences within the school community are also importance and a great starting point for younger children. I teach in an infant school and Green School projects have been fantastic to encourage whole school participation. We focused on waste and sustainability this year and even very young children could talk about recycling, energy conversation and sustainability as it was taught and managed in a fun way.
