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Thank you for your input Fiona. I like your ideas on collecting rainfall data, going on nature walks and studying biodiversity. By making it local to the children’s own environment it makes it more relevant and meaningful to the children rather than just discussing facts.
Thank you Fiona. Yes, I feel that all these ideas will facilitate open and honest discussions within the classroom. This can all promote respect and fairness within our pupils and allow for critical thinking.
Sometimes we do it without even realising it ourselves Aoife! We all need to be mindful of the language that we use at times and try to demonstrate gender neutrality.
I love the simplicity of this idea too. It could also be implemented and modelled within our staffroom!
Thank you for the info re: Doras. I sounds like a super local and relatabl organisation that we as teachers can tap into. I also love the idea of translating Pupil Suppost Plans, straightforward but aiming towards removing language barriers along with Google translate.
This is very true Aisling. How a whole family could be expected to live in one hotel room and not be impacted is a huge topic for discussion. This is something that could be used as a topic for debating in the senior classes.
I too really like the idea of a weather diary. The impact of storms in Ireland has become more prevalent over the past few years with huge damage caused nationwide. Having a weather diary with images and a record of conditions as well as temperatures would be useful to reflect on such changes and drastic examples of climate change in our own little country.
In my local community, organisations such as the Irish Red Cross and the Irish Refugee Council provide support to refugees and people seeking international protection by providing accommodation support, education, advocacy and assistance to integrate into local communities.
Teachers and Schools have an important role to play in helping refugee children to feel welcomed and included. One way that I would support this is by reading stories and playing videos prior to the new children starting in school. I would also introduce a buddy system, where new pupils are paired with classmates to support and welcome them into the classroom. This can help the new child to settle and develop understanding and assist in the building of positive friendships.
Teachers can celebrate different cultures through books, music, art, food and languages. This can help children to appreciate and welcome diversity and inclusion within he classroom. Classroom discussions around kindness, empathy and human rights can help children understand the reasons why families may be forced to leave their homes due to war and conflict.
This module could contribute to the School self-Evaluation process by encouraging the school to review how effectively it promotes inclusion, equality and intercultural awareness. Setting SSE targets around welcoming new families, celebrating diversity and fostering respectful relationships would help create a school environment where every child feels safe, welcomed and included.
Safe, secure and affordable housing is essential for children’s wellbeing and development. In Ireland, many families are affected by the current housing crisis, with some children living in temporary accommodation or struggling to rent ot buy homes. This can impact children’s education, mental health and sense of security.
In my classroom, I would encourage pupils to explore what makes a community safe, welcoming and inclusive. Through project work, discussions, and stories, children could learn about the importance of housing as a basic human right and how everybody deserves a safe place to live. Pupils can develop their own ‘ideal community’ considering homes, schools, parks and infrastructure necessary.
This module can feed into our school’s SSE (School Self-Evaluation) by evaluating opportunities for pupils to learn about local communities through issues through SPHE, Geography and Green School’s initiatives. The school could also strengthen links with a chosen local charity in the community, particularly one for the homeless in which the could participate in awareness or fundraise for.
It is true that the distinction of boys and girls starts from such a young age. From the choosing of pink or blue on a baby’s clothing to the selection of a toy in the shop, choices are made everyday for children and their gender.
Teachers are in an ideal position to have their classroom ‘neutral’ to gender, albeit the colours, books and toys that are chosen. More than those things, is the language that is used by adults including teachers. Educators can promote class-based discussions around gender and what it means as well as respecting each other’s views and opinions about their own choices and decisions.
During a lesson where Aistear was involved when discussing ‘people who look after us,, I observed several boys pushing away the baby doll and buggy. I heard a few girl talking about ‘mammies’ and ‘childminders’ etc and they were engrossed in the baby doll and who was caring for it. However, the boys in question commented that the baby was to be ‘looked after by her mammy’ and not by a boy. It was clear that some children had already developed ideas about which activities and roles were more suitable for boys or girls.
Development Education methodologies can help challenge these stereotypes by promoting equality, critical thinking and inclusion. Using books, videos and classroom scenarios/discussions that showcase female engineers and male nurses and other diverse role models can broaden children’s perspectives. Teachers can encourage children to question stereotypes and reflect on fairness helps them to recognise that interests and abilities are not determined by gender.
I enjoyed reading the paper ‘The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World’ (Ehigie,2021) and found it both interesting and relevant to today’s classroom. Our classrooms have now become diverse in different cultures and backgrounds with now being the optimum time for highlighting the issues of social injustice and equality both in our communities and globally around the world.
In my own classroom, I would teach Development Education across the curriculum by using real-life examples, discussions and debates (for the older classes) and the promotion of global issues and how we can make a positive difference.
Development Education links closely with the SSE School Self Evaluation particularly in areas such as well being, inclusion and learner outcomes. Global citizenship themes can be used as SSE targets to encourage critical, higher order thinking skills, empathy and understanding as key learning goals.