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I agree about the farming!! From a rural area myself the affect the weather has on farming practices is also an increasing concern for families and in turn our students. Extremely wet winters causes land to flood which maybe has happened before but this summer the dry spell has caused the ground to be hard and dry! This means grass will grow at a slower rate and many fields may not see usual growth for another couple of weeks. This change can affect families hugely, if parents are stressed at home this can pass onto their children and cause increasing issues in school!
Across our country adverse weather conditions have led to school closures throughout the year. From closures from storms due to weather warnings, floods causing schools to close due to damage or potential danger or a relatively new concept I hadn’t seen until this year, schools being too warm during this recent heatwave for students to concentrate and learn safely in their classroom, we are well aware that climate change is affecting schools in all manner of ways.
Our school hasn’t been directly affected this year from any of these weather conditions, but our locality in general has which affects the students in their day to day lives. In our area we have both canals and rivers which rose to huge water levels. Rain in the local town affected how cars had to travel to school and some students who had to walk everyday were arriving wet through at the start of the day. Even the huge amount of rainfall that we had this year caused the students in our school to have many breaks/lunches where they were stuck inside, which in itself is an annoyance both for themselves and the teachers in the school when they don’t get out to release their energy!
In school we have to encourage resusing items where possible, even simple things like a school wide policy of using a reusable water bottle that can be filled by taps at home and school instead of plastics. Turning off lights and having a ‘Light/Power Monitor’ as one of the classroom jobs can be effective as well to ensure no unnessary power is being used. But also we need to focus on these weather changes and make them real to the pupils. Documenting daily weather in a visible display or recording data for the year for older classes, in turn processing and this and making a project incorporating maths, SESE , and visual arts would be very beneficial.
You can integrate Development Education into the School Self-Evaluation (SSE) process by using it as a framework to review school practices—like energy and waste management—while gathering insights from students, parents, and staff to set clear, actionable targets. Essentially, SSE provides the structure for this work, helping your school gather evidence, celebrate existing strengths, plan necessary improvements, and track the real-world impact of your efforts.
I think the buddy system would be hugely beneifical not just for the new child in the class but also for the existing child, helping them to broaden their horizons by helping and aiding a new friend. Great idea!
In my local school in Kildare the main organisation working with refugees in the community is the Local Authority Integration Team (LAIT). Kildare LAIT works with
people applying for international protection, persons with status (those with refugee, subsidiary protection, or permission to remain), persons with temporary protection and
programme refugees. Integration support workers guide new families through confusing systems, helping them access important services and overcome daily barriers in their new home. They also connect newcomers to helpful community resources and stand up against unfair treatment so that everyone feels safe and respected.LAIT lists schools and education bodies as their partners and this is very important for the integration of potentially vulnerable children as they enter into a new society. School can be very daunting for any child, especially for a child whose world has been completely turned upside down. A buddy system is definitely something that could be beneficial for the new children, pairing them with friendly children who will help ease their transition. Welcome packs prepared by staff for both the parents and the children themselves would be hugely beneficial. Allowing the child to access as many extra resource classes as possible, especially EAL would help them to stride towards their goals.
Schools are usually central parts of every community so we hold an important role for both the students and the parents integration into their new communities, especially in a time where Ireland itself is really struggling with such issues.
I have seen this happen first hand during my experience in the UAE. The difference and pressures between fee paying schools and state schools were huge!
Sustainable Development Goal Number 13 – Climate Change is something that is hugely important to raise awareness of in our classrooms. We need only look at this school year from the extreme rains of the winter to this current soaring heat we have had for the last few weeks that our climate is changing. This is going to continue and it is the children in our classrooms now that are going to have to cope/deal with this problem in 50/60/70 years time.
In schools the Green Schools initiative has been prevalent for many years and is something that many children are well aware of. A lot of children are probably more aware of the importance of recycling than their parents with continued information from schools and teachers being given to them. Creating projects, poster competitions, building compost pits, school gardens, having bee areas in schools are all ways in which we can promote this learning!
I really see a strong connection between Development Education and how we approach School Self-Evaluation (SSE). When students take the lead on sustainability projects, it gives us tangible evidence of real collaboration, active pupil voice, and student wellbeing in action, which naturally feeds into our school improvement goals. To me, Education for Sustainable Development is all about shaping students into conscious, active citizens who understand that the small actions they take locally can ripple out to create global change.
Hi Susan, I wrote my post on how my boys in an all boy school see certain subjects as ‘girly’. I thought this was something that maybe only happened when they grew older but it is very interesting to see that it can start all the way from infant level in Aistear!
Gender stereotypes are something that is still a huge thing in society today. In my current role in an all boy school at times I can see resistance to some subjects which may be deemed as ‘girly’, mainly the creative subjects such as art, music and drama. This is more of a common sight as you go up the classes and boys become more aware of their peers and seek to ‘be cool’. This limits their learning opportunites massively and oftentimes can stop them fulfulling their potential.
As a teacher is it our jobs to ensure that we are allowing each student their best chance to grow in every aspect of the curriculum. Focusing on their interests , creating lessons based around topics that relate to themselves and assessing in fun methods will allow for the students to forget about the prejudice ideas that they have towards certain subjects and ensure that they enjoy them in a manner where they are relaxed and calm about the situation.
Hi Kevin, Your school sounds a lot like mine! We had an International Day this year also which had more than 30 different nationalities represented. We tried tradiotnal food, saw tradtional dress and sang/danced in way traditional to the many cultures! It was amazing!
Eric Ehigie’s article reminds us that to solve big world problems, we have to start by recognizing our shared humanity. This is exactly why Development Education is so important. It moves students away from feeling helpless about global issues like racism and poverty, and instead shows them that they have the power to make a difference. In my own teaching, I want to focus on what Ehigie calls “reforming the system of self”. This means helping students understand how their everyday actions can create positive systemic change. I would bring global issues to life by connecting them to local history—for example, looking at global migration through the lens of Ireland’s own past. This helps students see past differences and understand their role as civic-minded global citizens. To get other teachers on board, I would suggest planning school-wide, cross-curricular projects. Since Ehigie highlights how a lack of awareness can fuel division, a team effort across different subjects is vital. By linking lessons in History, Geography, and English to themes of social justice, we can make global solidarity a core part of our school culture, proving that being a global citizen simply means caring about the people around us.
I can remember being in primary school myself years ago and reading a book about The Big Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood told from the Wolf’s perspective. I loved it and found it hilarious. The idea that AI can perhaps create more versions of this is something that excites me and will create great debate topics for the classroom! Great idea!
This is such a great idea! Local history is something that is so important in an age where the world is more accessible than ever. Most towns and villages across Ireland have as many interesting stories and characters as any other place in the world! Using AI to help research and create presentations about localities for children is a great way to help them gain knowledge about their local area!
I can completely see how Report Cards and items in school where we as teachers must allow for personal messages etc may be daunting when using AI. We as teachers know our students best, at a personal level AI can never replace that, however it can definitely be of use giving us guidelines, data and templates which can be useful when creating items such as Report Cards!
I have used Boddle as a Math tool in my teaching in the UAE for the past few years.
Getting started was so simple. I just set up my class, added the kids, and assigned a few topics we were working on. The students loved it from day one. It’s built like a fun game, and they’re all so motivated to play and earn rewards for their avatars.
The real magic, though, is in the Boddle AI. You can literally see it working in real time. Kids have varying levels in the clasroom and the platform’s AI recognizes that. It automatically adjusts the questions based on how they’re doing. For my students who struggle with multiplication, the AI provides more practice and extra support. For my stronger students, it throws in more challenging problems to keep them engaged. It caters for all levels and keeps everyone learning at their own pace, scaffolding and challenging them at different levels.
It’s completely transformed how I approach differentiation. Instead of trying to create three different worksheets, I can trust that Boddle is giving each student exactly what they need. If you’re looking for a way to make math practice more personalized and fun, I highly recommend giving Boddle a try,
Lesson Plan
Lesson Overview
– Grade Level: 4th Grade
– Subject: Mathematics
– Duration: 50 minutes
– Learning Objective: Students will use Boddle Math to practice mathematical skills and engage with adaptive AI-powered learning toolsMaterials
– Computers or tablets
– Boddle Math website login credentials
– Worksheet for tracking progress
– Headphones (optional)Lesson Sequence
Introduction (10 minutes)
– Explain Boddle Math’s AI-adaptive learning platform
– Demonstrate how the platform adjusts difficulty based on student performance
– Show students how to log in and navigate the website
– Discuss the game-like interface and learning objectivesGuided Practice (20 minutes)
AI-Powered Learning Stations
1. Multiplication Challenge
– Students use Boddle’s adaptive algorithm to practice multiplication
– AI tracks individual student progress and adjusts problem difficulty
– Focus on personalized learning paths2. Word Problem Solving
– Utilize Boddle’s AI-generated word problems
– Students solve real-world math scenarios
– Platform provides immediate feedback and explanationsIndependent Practice (15 minutes)
– Students explore individual learning modules
– Encourage use of Boddle’s hint system and AI-powered learning support
– Teacher monitors individual student progress
– Students complete progress tracking worksheetClosing Reflection (5 minutes)
– Class discussion about AI learning experiences
– Students share insights about personalized math learning
– Review key mathematical concepts encounteredAssessment
– Boddle Math performance metrics
– Completed progress tracking worksheet
– Teacher observation of student engagement