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Our school can play a real role in welcoming refugees to Leitrim. We can start by linking with groups like Leitrim For All or the Local Authority Integration Team, who already support refugees in the area. Zak Moradi is an inspiring example of Kurdish refugee who came to Leitrim.
In class, we could include stories about refugees, run projects on global citizenship, and hold discussions to help students understand why people flee their homes. A buddy system could match our students with newcomers to help them settle in.
We can also run lunchtime English clubs or after-school activities that encourage friendships and learning. Hosting a culture day with food, music, and traditions would help build a stronger school community.
These actions link directly to our School Self-Evaluation by improving student wellbeing, promoting inclusion, and showing clear outcomes in areas like respect, empathy, and diversity. Our school becomes not just a place of learning, but a safe, welcoming space for everyone.
What an incredibly moving and powerful story. Your words paint a vivid picture of this boy’s journey, from unimaginable trauma to hope and success. It’s clear your school gave him more than education you gave him belonging and belief. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful and inspiring transformation.
I really like your idea of connecting local and global climate issues. Using tools like Seesaw and Book Creator makes learning fun and meaningful. Projects like Green Week or a school garden help children take real action and feel proud of making a difference in their world.
I’ve seen the same during Aistear. Children often pick roles based on gender ideas they’ve learned. Development Education can help by showing real-life examples of diverse people in all kinds of jobs. This helps children see they can be anything, no matter their gender.
Gender stereotypes can affect children very early. I noticed this during a classroom drama activity. Students were choosing roles for a play, and one boy said, “Only girls can be nurses,” and another said, “Only boys can be firefighters.” Some students then didn’t want to take on certain roles because they felt it wasn’t “for them.” It was clear how these ideas can shape their thinking and limit their choices.
Development Education can help break down these stereotypes by showing real-life examples of people of all genders doing a wide range of jobs and roles. Through stories, group work, and discussions, students can learn about fairness, equality, and respect.
This links well to School Self-Evaluation (SSE). We can gather student opinions, look at our teaching materials, and plan lessons that promote gender equality. It helps us improve teaching and learning while creating a more respectful and inclusive school environment
I really like your focus on real-world issues and using News2Day to spark discussion. Including global case studies and celebrating different cultures is a great way to build empathy and awareness. Your link to SSE is strong Development Education clearly helps students think deeply and learn important life skills
After reading Ehigies paper, I see how important it is to help students become global citizens. Development Education teaches students about fairness, justice, and the world around them. It helps them understand issues like poverty, climate change, and inequality. This is important because students will grow up in a world where they need to work with others and care about global problems.
In my teaching, I would use real-world topics and projects. For example, I might ask students to research where their clothes come from or how climate change affects people in other countries. I would also encourage group work and critical thinking. To involve other teacher, to suggest joint projects or global-themed weeks.
Development Education fits well with School Self-Evaluation. It helps us focus on inclusion, student voice, and active learning. We can use student feedback and classroom examples to track progress and make real improvements.
My school is based in Co.Leitrim. Leitrim is full of natural beauty and heritage, making it a perfect place for a creative project. I would start by bringing the class on a local nature walk, perhaps by a lake, forest, or historical site. We would take notes, draw sketches, and take photos of what we see trees, wildlife, old buildings, or rivers.
Back in the classroom, we would turn this into a creative writing project. Pupils could write short stories, poems, or diary entries from the point of view of an animal, a tree, or even a stone wall! They could imagine what that place has seen over time.
We would also include art by painting or drawing the scenes they wrote about. If time allows, we could turn their stories into a short drama or song, sharing it with another class or at assembly. This would help students connect with Leitrim’s natural heritage in a fun and meaningful way
This is a fantastic idea that connects local history with STEM learning in a meaningful way. Using James Hoban and the White House as inspiration adds real-world context. I love how students are encouraged to think like architects planning, testing, and reflecting. It’s a great mix of history, science, and creativity.
This is a brilliant and engaging idea! I love how it blends research, design, and problem-solving. Using real-life inspiration like the Carlow Viaduct makes learning meaningful. Giving students a variety of materials encourages creativity, and testing their designs together supports teamwork and digital learning in a fun, hands-on way.
The suspension bridge at Birr Castle is a great starting point for a fun and hands-on class project. I would begin by showing pictures of the bridge and talking about why bridges are important. Then, I would ask the children to design their own bridge using paper, lollipop sticks, string, or LEGO.
In maths, we could measure the length of the bridges and see which one is the longest or the strongest. We could use rulers and tape measures to help with this. We could also time how long it takes a toy car to cross each bridge and record the results. Children could work in pairs or small groups to plan, build, and test their bridges.
This project would help them use skills like measuring, counting, comparing, and problem-solving. It would also make learning fun and connect maths to real-life challenges.
That sounds like a great plan! Starting small is a smart approach, and using the FIT Count in your wildflower garden is a perfect hands-on way to explore biodiversity. I love how you’ve included cross-curricular links—using art, English, science, and maths really brings the learning to life for students
You can help bees and other insects by signing up your garden with the All Ireland Pollinator Plan. It is free and simple. When you join, you can write down what you do to help pollinators. This could be planting flowers, cutting the grass less often, or not using sprays. These small things really help.
You can also sign up your school. Go to the Pollinator Plan website and register as a Pollinator School. Then you can do things like plant flowers at school, make a bug hotel, or leave some grass to grow wild. You can stop using sprays and teach students about bees and butterflies. These actions give pollinators food and places to live.
Every garden or school that joins helps make Ireland better for nature. Helping pollinators is easy and fun, and everyone can do it. Even small actions can make a big difference for bees.
For younger classes, I would start a map-making lesson by talking about what maps are and why we use them. I would show simple maps of places the children know, like a park or school. Then, we would walk around the school grounds and draw what we see paths, trees, playgrounds, and buildings making a simple map together. Back in the classroom, I would use Google Maps to show our school from above. This helps children connect their drawings to real-life maps. We could zoom in and out to see where the school is in the town or country. I could also use Geohive to show fun map features, like different land uses or terrain. The children would then colour and label their own maps. This lesson helps with spatial awareness and gives them an early understanding of geography. It’s fun, hands-on, and uses both outdoor learning and technology.