Sinéad McCAULEY LAMBE

Back to school season is officially upon us, and with it comes a blank canvas, a new start. So many possibilities, and so many ways to learn and to teach. The options appear infinite, and if we take into account the neurodiversity of each individual learner, it would seem quite impossible to be definitive about…

If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.  Luke…

This week I was working with students on a reflective activity whereby they were asked to create a poster that visually illustrated their learning journey throughout the module. This was an attempt to move away from a written format of reflection, and to acknowledge alternative methods to represent knowledge and information. I hoped that the…

The transition from ‘infant teacher’ to teaching young adults is quite something. The days of 15 junior infants all clambering to get your attention, to tell you their favourite part of the story, or what their dog did yesterday become a distant memory. The days of needing a speaking object and turn-taking visuals to make…

Over the last week, as our new first year students appear on campus to begin their journeys through college life, I was reminded of my own experience arriving at the gates of St. Pat’s college some time ago. And while I can recall that as an exciting and liberating time for sure, full of newness…

“Handwriting is “one of the most visceral means by which human beings leave tracks of their existence” (Nelson et al., 2018). One of my fondest childhood memories of this time of year is the smell of a brand new pencil case. I can still smell it so clearly. The little thin foam wrapping inside, the…

Below is a sample script that explores the feelings and emotions that many young children (and older children!), experience as they navigate their first day of school. It is hoped that this script might act as a helpful scaffold for teachers to get started using puppets this term. It is not intended to be used…

Last Thursday night, I went to see (or perhaps ‘experience’ would be a more apt term), Michael Keegan-Dolan’s Mám, at the Bord Gáis Theatre. I had been hoping for a chance to see Mám since watching The Dance – a short-film by Pat Collins – documenting the creative process behind this remarkable dance production. And…

Placement visits provide golden opportunities for reflection and learning. For noticing. For remembering the things that might have gotten lost in the midst of the all of the other stuff. Recently, I was once again reminded of the centrality of care in all that we do as teachers. I listened to a teacher who spoke…