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Marguerite
I completely agree that wellbeing is an excellent SSE focus, and I really like the thoughtful approach you are taking. Your emphasis on creating a sense of belonging and confidence through classroom routines and formative assessment aligns well with a positive and inclusive learning environment. I particularly like that you are planning to gather student voice through regular feedback and reflection opportunities. This will provide valuable insights into pupils’ experiences and help ensure that their perspectives inform future practice.
I like your focus on adapting resources, reflecting the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) by providing multiple ways for pupils to engage with and access learning. This commitment to accessibility and inclusivity will help ensure that all learners feel valued, supported and able to participate successfully. Overall, your planned actions demonstrate a strong commitment to promoting both wellbeing and meaningful learning opportunities for every pupil.
Our current School Self-Evaluation (SSE) focus is Gaeilge Léitheoireacht for pupils from 1st to 6th class. As a school, we have identified reading fluency and recognition of high-frequency Gaeilge words as an area for improvement. To support this, we are implementing a whole-school approach to assessing pupils’ reading of the most common Gaeilge high-frequency words (HFW).
At the beginning of the intervention, all pupils will complete a baseline assessment of the targeted HFW. The evidence gathered will allow us to identify strengths and areas for development across class levels. To support teaching and learning, we will create and adapt resources using Copilot Teach Learning Activities, including Gaeilge reading activities, high-frequency word games, visual supports and online learning activities. Copilot-supported planning will help generate ideas for differentiated activities and station teaching tasks.
Over the eight-week block, pupils will participate in structured Gaeilge literacy stations, focusing on new reading, familiar reading, high-frequency words, online Gaeilge games and cluichí. This approach will provide increased opportunities for active engagement, repetition and collaborative learning while allowing teachers to target support effectively.
Assessment information will be gathered throughout the process through teacher observation, pupil participation and ongoing formative assessment. At the end of the eight weeks, pupils will complete the HFW assessment again, and pupil feedback will be collected to evaluate their confidence and enjoyment of Gaeilge reading activities.
The pre- and post-assessment data, alongside pupil voice, will provide valuable evidence of the impact of our actions and will inform the next steps in our SSE cycle. This evidence-based approach will help us evaluate whether our planned actions have improved pupils’ Gaeilge reading skills, engagement with the language and enjoyment of the lessons also.
I agree with your reflection, Sinéad. I had a very similar experience using the Canva agent. While it can provide an attractive and creative starting point, I found that the errors and layout issues meant spending a significant amount of time checking and editing the final resource. Going forward I feel I could lose valuable preparation time trying to correct text, spacing or content rather than creating the resource myself.
Initially, I assumed this was because I was new to using the tool and needed more practice. However, after reading your post, I realise that others are experiencing similar challenges. Hopefully, as the technology improves and as we become more familiar with giving effective prompts, the process will become more efficient. I do agree that teacher oversight remains essential to ensure resources are accurate, appropriate and ready for classroom use.
For this activity, I used the Canva agent to create an introductory poster on the elements of music for pupils in 3rd to 6th class. The resource was designed to support the Music curriculum by introducing and reinforcing key musical concepts such as rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre and texture. I wanted a visually engaging resource that could be displayed in the classroom and referred to during lessons.
Before using the poster, I carefully checked the output for accuracy and curriculum relevance. I reviewed all musical terminology and ensured that the content was appropriate for the age group. I also checked the layout and readability, as some of the text generated by the agent was too small for classroom display.
I chose to keep the colourful background and visual design because it was engaging and attractive for pupils. However, I adapted the text size, spacing and organisation to make the information clearer and more accessible. Some suggested wording was removed where it seemed unnecessary or overly complex for the intended age group.
One important professional boundary when using AI tools is ensuring that no personal or identifying pupil information is entered into the system. Protecting pupil privacy and maintaining professional responsibility remain essential.
Overall, I can see that maybe in the future the Canva agent will add value to my teaching practice by saving preparation time and providing creative design ideas but today it took me a lot of time chopping and changing as new to it. In terms of School Self-Evaluation (SSE), Copilot prebuilt agents could support schools in analysing survey data, identifying trends in pupil outcomes and wellbeing, drafting reports and supporting evidence-based school improvement planning. This would allow staff to spend more time focusing on teaching and learning while maintaining a strong focus on school improvement.
Sinead,
I agree with your reflection, particularly your focus on wellbeing and emotional literacy. I agree that Microsoft Reflect could fit seamlessly into existing classroom routines such as morning meetings and daily check-ins. The movement and body break activities are a valuable feature, especially in busy classrooms where pupils may struggle with concentration, regulation or transitions between tasks.
Regular movement breaks can have a positive impact on wellbeing by giving children opportunities to reset, reduce stress and return to learning with improved focus. This is particularly beneficial for pupils with additional learning needs, attention difficulties or sensory needs. I also like how Reflect combines wellbeing supports with practical strategies for managing emotions, helping children develop self-awareness and resilience.
I found the practical classroom tasks using Microsoft 365 Copilot tools very beneficial and relevant to my everyday teaching practice. One tool that stood out for me was Reading Coach. Reading Coach provides pupils with opportunities to practise reading independently while receiving personalised feedback. This can help reduce some of the barriers to learning experienced by pupils with literacy difficulties, dyslexia, or those who lack confidence in reading aloud. It also allows teachers to monitor progress without needing to provide one-to-one support at all times.
In terms of pupil engagement, I feel Reading Coach encourages active participation as pupils can work at their own pace and receive immediate feedback. The interactive nature of the tool can increase motivation and help pupils develop greater independence in their learning.
The tool also supports differentiation by allowing pupils to access reading materials appropriate to their individual ability levels. Features such as text-to-speech, customised reading practice, and progress tracking help meet a wide range of learner needs within one classroom.
Using Microsoft 365 tools will encourage me to make adjustments to my practice by considering how technology can provide more inclusive and accessible learning opportunities. Rather than relying solely on whole-class instruction, I can use digital tools to offer tailored support and gather information about pupil progress more efficiently.
Learning Accelerators and built-in accessibility features could also play an important role in our School Self-Evaluation (SSE) process. Tools such as Reading Coach, Reading Progress, Immersive Reader, Dictate, and Live Captions can provide valuable data on pupil engagement, literacy development, and access to learning. These features support the creation of a more inclusive learning environment and could help schools identify strengths, areas for improvement, and the impact of interventions on pupil outcomes. As part of SSE, they could contribute evidence to support school improvement planning and help ensure that all learners have equitable access to learning opportunities.
For this activity, I created a lesson on the spelling rule of doubling the final consonant before adding -ing or -ed for a 2nd Class English lesson.
Overall, I found the AI-generated lesson to be well structured, engaging, and suitable for young learners. The lesson included clear explanations, interactive activities, and a colourful, child-friendly poster that would help maintain pupils’ interest. The sequence of activities also provided opportunities for practice and reinforcement of the spelling rule.
However, I noticed that the poster created using Create contained some inaccuracies. For example, the poster showed cat → catting/catted, which is incorrect because catting is not a word that would normally be taught in this context. It also included the word jump, even though it does not follow the doubling rule when adding -ing or -ed (jumping, jumped).
The poster would require some teacher editing before classroom use, but the adjustments needed were relatively minor. The main content, structure, and activities were useful and saved considerable planning time.
I agree that this module gave great understanding of using Copilot for lesson planning and using Teach. I had used Copilot this school year to make drama lesson plans as it came up with great ideas but was unaware of the Teach button. I will definitely use it this coming year, however ~I notice for the standards and using ire for ireland currently only shows language arts, maths, social studies and science. I hope this changes as months go on to show the whole irish curriculum ‘standards’.
I agree Sinead that Copilot will be useful with policy making, planning and SSE. I look forward to it evolving more over the coming months to facilitate the Irish Curriculum and the new primary framework. When I did my first draft of a lesson it was looking at the 1999 curriculum so needed to be prompted to find the new curriculum. Again this is a great tool but needs monitoring befor use in the classroom but a great first edit to give ideas and a start with the plans.
I found using Microsoft Copilot to be a positive experience when creating a worksheet and lesson resource on the 1916 Easter Rising for a 5th Class history lesson. It provided a useful starting point by generating age-appropriate content, comprehension questions and vocabulary activities that aligned with the topic. However, I still needed to review and edit the material to ensure it matched the needs, abilities and interests of the children in my class.
One of the biggest benefits of AI is the time it can save when planning lessons and creating resources. It can quickly generate first drafts, offer new ideas for activities and make planning more efficient, allowing teachers to focus more on teaching and supporting pupils. Another advantage is that AI can help with inclusivity by suggesting differentiated tasks and providing alternative ways to present information so that a wider range of learners can access the curriculum.
A limitation of AI is the potential impact on teacher agency if its suggestions are accepted without careful consideration. Professional judgement remains essential, and all AI-generated content should be reviewed, adapted and edited to ensure it is accurate, curriculum-appropriate and suitable for the specific children in the class.
To ensure pupils remain the ones doing the thinking, I would use AI as a planning and resource-development tool rather than as a source of answers for pupils. In my lesson on the 1916 Easter Rising, pupils would engage with historical information, discuss key events, answer questions and form their own understanding of the significance of the Rising. AI would support my preparation, but the learning, critical thinking and historical enquiry would remain firmly pupil-led.
