In this episode, Phil Fox, Acting Director of The Teaching Council, is joined by Dr. Patrick Kirwan and Dr. Mary Moore, to discuss sustainability education in schools. The conversation focuses on practical steps that school communities can take to instil a growth mindset approach towards sustainability, education outdoors, empowering pupils to become agents of meaningful action, and much more. After a career in science as an epidemiologist, Patrick trained as a post-primary Science teac...

In this episode, Phil Fox, Acting Director of The Teaching Council, is joined by Ann Marie Caulfield and Josephine Byrne, to explore their experiences of inclusive education in mainstream schools. Ann Marie has been a post-primary teacher since 1996. She is currently an assistant principal and the additional needs coordinator at St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Rush, Co. Dublin. Josephine has been a primary teacher since 1999. She is an assistant principal at St. Mary’s Primary Scho...

This panel remembered and reflected on the past two years of the pandemic and reimagined the future of teaching and learning. As we journey from what has been a huge global pandemic affecting not only schools but entire communities, a conversation on the FÉILTE 2022 theme Remembering, Reflecting and Reimagining is both timely and apt. When schools were forced to close, the need for and the importance of collaboration within the entire education system became even more clear. During these ex...

In this episode Tomás Ó Ruairc, former Director of the Teaching Council, is joined by Dr Finn Ó Murchú for a conversation about leadership, initial teacher education and much more. Finn is Head of School of Education (post-primary) at Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Thurles, Ireland. He lectures across a wide range of programmes and supervises research from undergraduate to doctorate levels, with a particular interest in teacher professional learning, school leadership, inclusive a...

Lighting a Fire! All things Teaching and Learning with The Teaching Council In this episode, Phil Fox, Acting Director of The Teaching Council, is joined by Caroline Healy and Orla Kenny from Scoil Mhuire National School in Leitrim. Caroline began her teaching career at Scoil Mhuire in 1983 and is the principal at the school since 2001. Orla is a teacher in Scoil Mhuire since 1994 and the current 6th class teacher. Scoil Mhuire is a mixed primary school situated in the town of Car...

In this episode Tomás Ó Ruairc is joined by Michelle Stowe for a conversation about restorative practice, professional learning communities and much more! Michelle Stowe taught English and Spanish for 16 years and now works as a restorative practitioner, trainer, researcher and consultant. She is currently lecturing trainee teachers on the Professional Masters in Education (PME) programme in Maynooth University. In her role as the director of Connect RP, she supports schools in growing a rest...

San eagrán seo, in éineacht le Phil Fox, Stiúrthóir Gníomhach na Comhairle Múinteoireachta, tá an Dr T.J. Ó Ceallaigh, Stiúrthóir Staidéar Iarchéime Múinte i gColáiste Mhuire gan Smál (MIC), Ollscoil Luimnigh, le haghaidh comhrá maidir le cur chun cinn na Gaeilge, an dóchas atá ann don teanga amach anseo, an t-oideachas digiteach agus i bhfad níos mó! Fógra Séanta um Podchraoladh: D’ullmhaigh an Chomhairle Mhúinteoireachta na taifeadtaí seo chun críocha eolais agus plé ghinearálta. Má chuirte...

Ciara O’Donnell is the National Director of the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), the Department of Education’s largest national cross sectoral continuing professional development service. Ciara is a primary school teacher and has worked in teacher education with the Department of Education’s support services since 2005 holding a number of curricular and policy leadership roles. Ciara’s current research interests include teacher education, educational leadership and ...

In this episode Tomás Ó Ruairc, Director of The Teaching Council is joined by Patrick Sullivan for a conversation about curriculum, role models, engaging with communities and much more. Patrick Sullivan has worked with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) since 2013. As Deputy Chief Executive Officer, he oversees developments in early childhood and primary education. Patrick began his teaching career in Callystown National School before taking a teaching principal’s...

Roddy Doyle has written twelve novels, including The Commitments, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, for which he won the Booker Prize in 1993, The Woman Who Walked Into Doors, Smile and, most recently, Love. He has written three collections of short stories and eight books for children. He co-wrote The Second Half, with Roy Keane. He has also written for stage and screen. His latest book, published this year, is Life Without Children, a collection of stories, most of which are set during the Covid...

Andy Hargreaves is a Professor at Boston College and the University of Ottawa. He is also a writer, speaker, consultant and policy adviser. Andy is the founder of the ARC Education Project of which Ireland is a member. This is a group of nations committed to broadly defined excellence, equity, wellbeing, inclusion, democracy and human rights in professionally run systems. Andy, along with Dennis Shirley, recently released the book Five Paths to Student Engagement which brings together 7 years...

Dr Deborah Netolicky has more than 20 years of experience in teaching and school leadership in Australia and England. She is currently Head of Teaching and Learning at St Mark’s Anglican Community School, Honorary Research Associate at Murdoch University, Chair of a local primary school board, and member of education advisory committees. She blogs at theeduflaneuse.com, is author of Transformational Professional Learning: Making a Difference in Schools, editor of the upcoming Future Alternati...

In this episode, Clive Byrne joins Tomás Ó Ruairc, Director of the Teaching Council, and guest host Áine Lynch, CEO of the National Parents Council Primary for a chat about his career journey, his participation in the Wellbeing for All group, the school community, school leadership and much more. Clive is the Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), a role he has held since 2008. In his role as Director of NAPD, Clive has written and presen...

Dr Niall Muldoon is Ireland’s Ombudsman for Children and has worked in the area of Child Protection for over 20 years. In this episode, Niall joins Tomás Ó Ruairc, Director of the Teaching Council, and guest host, Angela Lynch, Principal Advice Manager at the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN), to chat about what drives him in his role as Ombudsman, the Wellbeing for Teachers and Learners Group, and what education means to him. Podcast Disclaimer Notice: These recordings have be...

Ciara Reilly is an Assistant Lecturer in Digital Education at the Marino Institute of Technology, and is well known to many teachers around the country through her contributions on Twitter via #edchatie. Ciara joins Tomás Ó Ruairc, Director of the Teaching Council, and Brian Fahy, primary teacher on secondment and Communications Associate in the Teaching Council, for a chat about her career journey including her pioneering work with Kathleen Byrne in bringing Teachmeet to Ireland, navigating ...

We are revisiting FÉILTE 2019 in NUI Galway, where Dr Finn Ó Murchú stepped in at the last minute to host a panel discussion on Inclusive Education. The focus of the discussion is not only about additional needs or special education needs, but rather it looks at the wider area of inclusion – socio economic diversity, access to our education system for all teachers and all learners. Although this discussion took place in 2019, we know that inclusive education is always relevant. Perhaps ...

Mary Robinson, the Former president of Ireland and former UN Commission for Human Rights, was a guest at FÉILTE 2020, the annual Festival of Education in Learning and Teaching Excellence. She was the keynote interviewee at the festival, and director of The Teaching Council, Tomás Ó Ruairc interviewed her via video link. She spoke about the importance of teachers in our society and had a wide-ranging discussion on topics from climate change to social justice, to Covid 19 to poetry! ...

Moninne Griffith, CEO of BeLonG To, speaks to hosts Tomás Ó Ruairc, director of The Teaching Council, and Máirín Ní Chéilleachair, director of Dublin West Education Centre about supporting LGBTI+ students in schools and in the community. BeLonG To runs Stand Up Awareness Week every November, which is a time for second-level schools, youth services, and Youthreach Centres in Ireland to join us and take a stand against homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying. This week is an opport...