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I really like how you’re connecting climate change to something very real and visible for your pupils, like the flooding near their homes and in the school yard. It’s so important for children to see that climate change isn’t just something happening far away, but something that affects their daily lives.
Your idea to use Stardust Memorial Park as a learning space is brilliant. It gives children a chance to connect with nature while also developing awareness and empathy for their local environment. I also love the idea of linking the lessons to wellbeing and SPHE – it makes the learning more meaningful and personal.
Living in Killarney, we are surrounded by natural beauty – lakes, mountains, forests – but even here, we can see signs that climate change is affecting our local environment. Over the past few years, we’ve noticed more extreme weather, heavier rainfall, and longer dry spells. These changes can harm local wildlife, damage crops, and even affect tourism, which is so important to the Killarney area. In places like the Killarney National Park, warmer temperatures can also put stress on native species and increase the risk of wildfires.
As a teacher, I believe it’s essential to help pupils see that climate change isn’t just a distant problem – it’s happening here in Munster too. I would begin by exploring local changes in weather and biodiversity with them. We could take nature walks, monitor seasonal changes, and learn from groups like the Killarney National Park Education Centre or community projects such as the KASI Garden, which promotes sustainable, organic growing.
To help slow down climate change and make a positive difference, here are three actions we could take:
Grow our own food – even in small school gardens or window boxes, to reduce the carbon footprint of transporting food.
Reduce waste – especially single-use plastics, and start a school-wide recycling or composting initiative.
Take local action – write to our local council about sustainable transport, or join in local clean-up days.
By connecting global issues to our own surroundings, we can empower pupils to believe that their actions – no matter how small – can make the world a better place.Thank you for sharing this – it’s lovely to hear about the amazing work being done in Cork, especially through the Cork Migrant Centre and the International Community Garden. It sounds like such a positive and welcoming space for everyone involved. I really like how your school celebrates culture day and includes refugee families in such a meaningful way. Having parents come in, share food and wear traditional dress must create such a vibrant and respectful atmosphere for everyone. It’s such a great way for pupils to learn from each other and feel proud of where they come from.
While researching local organisations that support refugees, I found out about KASI – the Killarney Immigrant Support Centre. It was set up over 20 years ago to help people seeking asylum and has grown into a welcoming place for refugees and migrants living in the Killarney area. One of the most inspiring things KASI runs is a community garden near St. Oliver’s school. It’s a peaceful space where people from different countries come together to grow food, share stories, and build friendships. The garden even helps supply vegetables for school lunches!
This made me think about how our school could get involved. We could create our own “welcome garden” where students and refugee families plant and work together. It would be a lovely way to connect, learn from each other, and create something meaningful. We could also invite refugee speakers to share their cultures, organise international food days, or start a buddy system to help new students with English or settling in.
By taking small actions like these, we could make our school a truly welcoming space – not just with words, but through everyday kindness, shared projects and learning side by side. It’s about building community, showing respect, and letting people know they belong.
You’ve highlighted an issue that is sadly very present in our schools — the reality of insecure housing and how it impacts every aspect of a child’s life. Your firsthand experience with pupils in emergency accommodation or Direct Provision is a powerful reminder that SDG 11 is not just a distant goal, but one that affects children sitting in our classrooms every day.
I really appreciate your approach to raising awareness sensitively, and your ideas for tangible, age-appropriate actions are excellent. Initiatives like collecting for shelters or contributing to food hampers give pupils a meaningful way to engage, while also fostering empathy and a strong sense of community. It’s through these real-world connections that children begin to see themselves as active citizens. By embedding this into your teaching, you’re not only supporting ESD Priority Action 5, but also helping to build a generation that values justice and sustainability.
One Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) that deeply resonates with both local and global impact is SDG 13: *Climate Action*. Children are already experiencing the effects of climate change, whether it’s through extreme weather, rising energy costs, or eco-anxiety. Globally, children in vulnerable regions face food insecurity, displacement, and limited access to clean water due to climate-related disruptions. Locally, Irish children may not face the same scale of challenges, but they are still directly impacted through storm-related school closures, loss of biodiversity, and concerns about their future.
To support ESD 2030 Priority Action Area 5, I would encourage student-led action in my class through local projects such as tree planting, school garden initiatives, litter-picking days, and energy-saving campaigns. Using age-appropriate resources and discussion, we would explore how our daily choices affect the wider world. I would also link with local community groups and eco organisations to provide authentic action opportunities, helping children realise their agency and build a sense of global solidarity. Creating change at a local level is both empowering and impactful – and young learners, when supported, can be powerful advocates for sustainability.
Gender stereotypes are evident from the second a child comes out of the womb, not to mind by the time they reach school going age, by which time, they are often fairly embedded and take some unravelling! It is something that I am often heard on my soapbox about – from the clothes we put children in, to the toys we give them, to the behaviour that we normalise (e.g. “the boys are wilder and more energetic”, “the girls are so caring”), I always work with my Senior Infants on dispelling many gender stereotypes for what they are – utter ‘NONSENSE!’, as my children shout at me in the classroom!
I link much of this with history and development education where we talk about girls lack of access to education. I work hard to create a safe environment where gender stereotypes are challenged and not tolerated. I was heartened two years ago when a child in my class who was identifying as a boy came in wearing a skirt and denim jacket, more traditionally worn by those identifying as a girl. I admired them and the general environment in the class meant that none of the other children commented negatively. Unfortunately, when he went to yard, a group of children from another room who had not focused on development education and as much on challenging these stereotypes, commented in a nasty way to him. I spoke with his mum later in the day and she told me how he had always worn dresses and skirts in play school but after an incident in the playground just before Junior Infants, he had stopped. The environment created by challenging the gender stereotypes had given him the confidence to wear what he was happiest in. It really highlighted the positive impact of challenging gender stereotypes from a young age.
Gender stereotypes can begin to influence children’s thinking and behaviour from a very early age. In my classroom, I’ve observed moments where these assumptions subtly shape how children see themselves and each other. For example, during a group task involving construction toys, a boy told a girl, “You can do the drawing part – boys are better at building.” While it may seem minor, it reflects a deeper message children may be internalising: that certain skills or roles are linked to gender.
Development education methodologies can play a powerful role in challenging these norms. By using inquiry-based learning, global stories, and discussion-based activities, we can help children critically examine assumptions they may take for granted. Exploring topics such as fairness, diversity, and equality through real-life examples across cultures encourages empathy and a broader worldview. Promoting student voice and reflection also helps all children feel valued and heard, regardless of gender. Ultimately, embedding these approaches in everyday teaching fosters a more inclusive and equitable classroom environment.
The Role of the Global Citizen In Today’s World was an interesting and thought provoking piece of writing. In one way, it celebrates how far we have come in identifying racism and calling it out. However, on the other hand, we have ways to go yet with acceptance. Quoting Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King was an excellent introduction to the piece, as they are well known and historical figures when it comes to human rights. They were well respected in their time, and are still seen as revolutionary figures in history. I also respect that Ethigie gave an insight into his own background and his own experiences.
I was delighted when I read on, to read a quote from Daniel O’ Connell, that I hadn’t heard before with regards slavery in America. I have always respected The Liberator, and I was delighted to read that he was aware of the plight of the slaves in America. His compassion for all human kind is evident in his quote, that, as Darwin said, we are “cut from the same cloth”.
This leads us to the importance of education across the globe and the right to education for all. There is a feeling of empathy from Ethigie, I feel, for the white supremacists. Not that he feels sorry for them, but that they don’t fully understand what they are doing. It’s lack of knowledge, or appropriate knowledge, that leads to their racism and undesired ideologies. I found it very interesting that he called the “victims”, which I would agree they are.
I would share this piece with my colleagues with a view to emphasising the empathy the author feels in the writing. If sharing this with the higher classes, I would pre teach who Daniel O’ Connell, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King are. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
Eric Ehigie’s The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World (2021) is a powerful appeal for a renewed sense of shared humanity, activism, and moral responsibility. Central to his argument is the idea that global citizenship involves a deep recognition of our interdependence and a call to action to address injustice both locally and globally. This provides a compelling foundation for Development Education (DE), which aims to foster critical thinking about global issues, inequality, sustainability, and justice.
DE is crucial in helping learners see beyond their immediate environments and understand the systemic roots of problems such as poverty, racism, and climate change. Ehigie’s emphasis on the “system of self” reinforces the idea that small, values-driven actions by individuals can influence wider systems. This is particularly empowering in education, where we have the opportunity to nurture globally conscious, reflective young people.
In my own teaching, I would integrate DE through cross-curricular projects tied to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using real-world case studies to promote empathy, debate, and action. Activities could include critical analysis of media, local community action days, and collaborative partnerships with schools in the Global South. I would also encourage colleagues to embed DE into their subjects through CPD sessions, shared planning time, and highlighting links with existing curriculum strands such as SPHE, CSPE, Geography, and English.
Hi Andrea,
Yes you are right so much music related to the night sky. I have included Suno Ai in mine submission. Using Suno your class can create prompts t write a song on a topic
I made a list of the songs and poems I could think of I also used Suno AI to create a song using AI. This could be fun to do with your class . https://suno.com/song/10639fbb-0949-48e3-8516-b62c08a9d24c
Songs:
1. “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”
2. “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra
3. “Space Oddity” by David Bowie
4. “A Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay
5. “When You Wish Upon a Star” from *Pinocchio
6. “Clair de Lune” by Claude Debussy
7. “Starman” by David Bowie
8. “Catch a Falling Star” by Perry Como
9. “Talking to the Moon” by Bruno Mars
10. “Under the Stars” from *The Lion King* (musical)Poems:
1. “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” by Jane Taylor
2. “The Owl and the Pussycat” by Edward Lear
3. “The Star” by Ann Taylor**
4.”Bright Star” by John Keats
5. “The Starlight Night” by Gerard Manley Hopkins
6.”Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas
7.”Night” by Langston Hughes
8.”Silver” by Walter de la Mare
9.”To the Moon” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
10.”The Night Has a Thousand Eyes” by Francis William BourdillonHi Eva,
I echo your fear of bats. I was on a trip to Texas where thousands of bats fly out from under a bridge in Austin each day…. People lined up to see them and I stayed inside. I know that it is a myth that they get caught in your hair I just can’t get over the fear!
Incorporating the needs of nocturnal species into school biodiversity plans requires a strategic approach that balances ecological goals with budget considerations. Schools can reduce light pollution by installing shielded, warm-coloured LED lighting with motion sensors, which, although initially more expensive, offer long-term savings through reduced energy costs and maintenance. Creating night-friendly habitats by planting native vegetation and establishing quiet zones can be achieved with careful planning, potentially utilising grants, community partnerships, or student-led projects to offset costs. Integrating educational programmes on the importance of dark skies into the existing curriculum can be done with minimal financial impact, using available resources and leveraging partnerships with local environmental organisations. By considering both the ecological benefits and the budget implications, schools can effectively support nocturnal species while maintaining financial responsibility.
