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Climate change increasingly affects Irish communities through shifting weather patterns, heavier rainfall, severe flooding, and rapid biodiversity loss. Locally, I encourage pupils to investigate these environmental impacts firsthand by directly observing local habitats, discussing noticeable changes, and discovering how their daily actions protect the planet.In the classroom, I utilise active Development Education approaches to successfully foster critical thinking and global citizenship. Pupils conduct interactive waste or energy audits, identify practical ways to reduce their environmental footprint, and design creative community awareness projects. To personally help slow global climate change, I commit to three specific daily actions: reducing waste, conserving energy, and choosing sustainable transport and consumption methods.Furthermore, Development Education modules enhance standard School Self-Evaluation by prompting educational institutions to deeply reflect on sustainability, inclusion, and global citizenship. These core themes empower schools to successfully identify critical areas for growth, ultimately driving meaningful, positive institutional change through comprehensive whole-school initiatives and active student involvement.
In our community, vital organizations like Crosscare and the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland offer practical aid, advice, and advocacy to help families navigate the international protection process and settle in smoothly. As teachers, we must prioritise immediate classroom inclusion. Implementing predictable routines, utilising rich visual supports, and organising structured welcome activities significantly eases a new pupil’s transition. Simultaneously, we must cultivate a supportive culture where peers proactively show kindness, ensuring no child suffers from social isolation. For example, during SPHE lessons and circle time, I explore themes of fairness, respect, and belonging. Integrating age-appropriate stories and real-world examples helps children unpack the complexities of displacement, naturally fostering deep empathy. From a School Self-Evaluation (SSE) perspective, this aligns perfectly with our inclusion and wellbeing policies. Reviewing our practices and celebrating diversity allows us to critically assess how effectively we build a respectful, supportive educational community for every child.
I chose to look at SDG 4: Quality Education, with a focus on the gender gaps that keep girls out of classrooms worldwide. From forced early marriages to heavy domestic workloads, girls’ futures are frequently sidelined in favor of boys’ education which is a reality that echoes Ireland’s own social history. Poverty and conflict only worsen these divides. To bring this to life for pupils, I will use the ‘Step Forward’ module activity. By stepping into different roles, children will personally witness how location, wealth, and gender shape a person’s path. A tower-building exercise with unequal resources will further cement this concept of unfair starting points. Finally, we will channel this learning into local action. Pupils will exercise their voice by writing to the Taoiseach, designing posters, and leading assemblies. This directly feeds into SSE by helping us audit how our own school models equality and high expectations.
Hi Mairead,
I definitely relate to people asking for ‘strong boys’ to move furniture. This is totally gender stereotypes when all children regardless of gender would be well able.
How can gender stereotypes affect children?
I teach in an all girls schools and am very aware of the impact that gender stereotypes can have on them. Girls can often be put in a certain box or that they only like certain things so I try to encourage the girls to push those ideas when it comes to themselves or others. As a teacher of an all girls school we can sometimes push typically girly interests on to them. I try to make all of the girls feel included as some may not be into these typically girly things. For example, I taught a girl who absolutely loved football. Unfortunately, there was no books about football in my class library but lots of books about ponies, fairies, kittens etc. and she would ask me where were all the football books. I then made a conscious effort to encourage other interests in the class that weren’t typically girly. I also bought new books to reflect these interests including some football books.
I agree Jonathon. Giving children critical thinking skills is very important than just giving them facts.
I found the article “The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World,” very good as our classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse, with children coming from a range of backgrounds and bringing different experiences and perspectives with them. As teachers, we have an opportunity to explore issues of social injustice, both within our local communities and on a global scale. Children are also exposed to a huge amount of information through the news and social media, so it is important that we address these topics in an age-appropriate and meaningful way within our schools. Ehigie states that “to be a global citizen, is to care,” and this really resonated with me. As teachers, we have the opportunity to promote global citizenship in our classrooms and schools and to demonstrate that we care about issues at a local, national and international level. We can begin by simply showing that we care. I think that, as part of our SSE process, our school could create a shared folder on the school drive containing useful resources on global development and citizenship that all staff could access. We could also use some time during staff meetings to share key learning and ideas from CPD courses, allowing staff to build their knowledge and explore practical ways of incorporating global citizenship into their teaching.
The Globe at Night project offers a fun, hands-on way for 5th or 6th class pupils to explore light pollution while taking part in genuine scientific work. The class begins by discovering what light pollution is, how it affects humans, wildlife, and our ability to view the night sky. Using the Globe at Night website, pupils learn how to gather and share observations. Each is given a star chart for a chosen constellation, such as Orion, along with a recording sheet. On a clear night, they head outdoors with their families, compare what they see to the chart, and note their results. These are then uploaded to the Globe at Night database. Back at school, pupils map their findings, compare them with data from around the world, and discuss patterns. The activity builds skills in science, geography, and technology, while showing pupils they can contribute to global environmental research in a meaningful way.
Great ideas highlighted Rachel. It is great to see how the topic of light can be adapted for younger classes.
Consider how many Songs / Poems /Art can you think of to connect us with the Night Sky?
I can think of lots of songs/ poems/ art that connects us to the night sky. This connection has given me ideas for integration when looking at the umbrella topic of ‘light’ in art and music for example.
In art, the learns can look at, respond to and be inspired by so many famous paintings such as ‘Starry Night’ by Vincent Van Gogh. This also creates a conversation about how lighting and is used in art and painting to capture a certain atmosphere/ to highlight area and to create shadow. This can be seen in Vermeer’s ‘The Girl with the Pearl Earing’.
In music, night and light is often plays a centre stage in many songs. For example, ‘A Sky Full of Stars’ by Coldplay and ‘Counting Stars’ by One Republic. It would be a very fun way to integrate this topic into music lessons.
When it comes to poetry, light can even be seen in ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.