This is the first in what I hope will be many guest posts offering different perspectives to teachers with Exceptionally Able children in their classrooms. Elaine Mackey writes powerfully about her experience as a parent. I’m very new to this. Our son’s (age 7) school suggested we have him educationally […]
Blog
So much has happened over the last two months that I thought I would just scribble a few points, more as an overview to myself but also as way of encouraging anyone else to get involved in what ever way they can, wherever they can. The initiatives below are just […]
Captain’s Log – Star Date 25-02-2011
For years, the government has ignored what can only be described as the ‘plight’ of Exceptionally Able children in Irish classrooms. The NCCA did its bit by producing the Draft Guidelines. However, there was never a wholesale attempt to develop those aspects of teacher training and practice across the school […]
Gifted Children Recognised!
OK..I’ll probably get it in the ear for using the term but it’s a word that usually grabs everyones attention. So here is my page on what ‘genius’ is or isn’t, along with the definitions and terminology used. I’ll keep it simple because that is how Einstein said it should be. […]
Genius!
More stream of consciousness stuff but it does go somewhere…. In Ireland, we have a saying – ‘you’re thick’ meaning ‘you’re stupid’. It’s not very pleasant at all, despite often being said with jocularity. Of course a teacher would stomp on any reference to this is a class (and most […]
National Gifted Education Awareness Day & EU Talent Day
I’ve added a Hall of Fame to Gifted and Talented Ireland to recognise those schools which have developed a policy to cater for exceptionally able children in their schools. I’m very pleased to announce the first entry to the Hall of Fame. Our Lady of Lourdes National School in Bunclody, […]
Hall of Fame
So, following on from Part 1, here are some suggestions for educational reform. Government Level It is too much to expect in a parochial and insular society like much of Ireland that our Minister for Education would be more than a political party hack. In an ideal world, they would […]
Education Reform in Ireland Part 2
Before I get started on the title of this post, let me throw out a few things from the recesses of my mind. When I was in secondary school, my RE teacher had a poster on the class wall (top right hand corner above the blackboard) of a pile of […]
Education Reform in Ireland Part 1
I should be very clear about this. Nobody enters teaching because the salary is great. Though why this is so sometimes baffles me. Governments (including those in waiting) often talk about wanting a ‘world class education system’ yet somehow fail to realise that this costs money. The old adage remains […]
When ‘Thank You’ means so much more.
I was very heartened by the response to the suggestion of a World Gifted Awareness Day. But to be honest, and I’m writing globally here, I was surprised that the notion wasn’t run away with altogether….at least in the ‘Oh…now now ‘ type way. It’s not such a big thing […]