Monday 17 August 2015

Feadóg Stáin / Tin Whistle

Bhuel faoi dheireadh ... chríochnaigh mé an cúrsa samhraidh inar fhoghlaim mé an fheadóg stáin. Chláraigh mé agus thosaigh mé an cúrsa seo i lár mí Iúil ach is duine mé a chuireann rudaí ar an méar fhada ... ceann an-fhada ar fad! Bhuel cad a d'fhoghlaim mé ...

  1. Ní maith leis an madra an fheadóg stáin!!! 
  2. Níl sé chomh éasca san ... bhí m'fhear chéile ag gáire faoi cé chomh holc is a bhí/tá mé! (Ní raibh aon ath-treisiú dearfach ansin!)
  3. Bhain mé taitneamh as.
  4. Cinnte táim chun é a dhéanamh le mo rangsa i Meán Fómhair. (díreach timpeall an cuinne anois!)
Well at long last ... I've finally finished my Tin Whistle Summer course. I registered and began the course back in mid-July but I'm the type of procrastinator who has very long fingers! Well here is what I learned ...
  1. The dog HATES the tin whistle!!!
  2. It's not as easy as I expected ... my husband got great enjoyment out of telling me how bad I was / am! (no positive reinforcement there!)
  3. I did enjoy it.
  4. I will definitely be doing the tin whistle with my class in September (just around the corner now!)
So ... na sonraí. Cúrsa le CPD College a bhí ann a chosnaigh €95. Chláraigh mé agus laistigh de dhá lá bhí m'fheadóg agus dhá leabhair tagtha sa phost. Tosnaíonn siad ag an tús mar sin is cuma munar ardaigh tú feadóg raimh i do shaol (cosúil liomsa). Buntáiste amháin a bhí agam ná go bhfuilim in ann ceol a léamh. Múintear duit (trí fhíseanna) faoi na nótaí éagsúla agus an rithim. Bíonn na nótaí ar fad agat go han-tapaidh. Ansin ar aghaidh chuig poirt a fhoghlaim. 

So ... the details. This was a CPD College course that cost €95. Once I had registered I received my tin whistle and books within 2 days. They start at the beginning so it really doesn't matter if, like me, you've never played the tin whistle before. One advantage that I had was that I am able to read music but this isn't a requirement as they teach you all the notes, note names and rhythm. The notes are learned quite quickly and then you move on to learning the tunes.

Tá nasc leis an gcuraclam ag deireadh gach mhódúil. Tá trácht déanta den dá chlár Jolly Music & Music Made Easy tríd na módúil ar fad. Clúdaíonn siad Féin Mheastóireacht Scoile agus Measúnú freisin. Is féidir na hábhair ar fad a íoslódáil agus teacht ar na físeanna trí YouTube. 

Each module has a curricular tie in, the last section covers the strands of the music curriculum. There is a strong connection to the Jolly Music and Music Made Easy programmes. The course also covers School Self Evaluation and Assessment. All of the material is downloadable and the videos are accessible through YouTube. 

Mar a fheicim iad seo na rudaí is fearr faoin gcúrsa seo:
  • Múintear na nótaí &rl trí fhíseanna; tá seo an-áisiúil mar is féidir dul ar ais chucu arís agus arís eile chun dul siar a dhénamh
  • Faigheann tú an fheadóg & dhá leabhar lán le hamhráin nuair a chláraíonn tú
  • Tá na tascanna éasca, ní gá duit ach an port a luaitear a thaifeadadh agus a uaslódáil
  • Bhí go leor PDFanna le poirt breise 
  • Rogha leathan poirt
The best things about this course:
  • The majority of the course is delivered via videos that can be accessed time and again for anything you may need to revise
  • Two books and a tin whistle are included in the cost of the course
  • The end of module tasks are easy; you just need to record and upload yourself playing a tune
  • There are lots of PDFs with extra songs & tunes
  • A huge variety of different tunes

Wednesday 5 August 2015

Homestore & More


Cheannaigh mé roinnt rudaí i Homestore & More do mo sheomra ranga inniu. Fuair mé an catalóg tríd an doras le déanaí agus bhí luach airgid an-mhaith le fáil ann.
I paid a trip to Homestore & More today and picked up a few bits for my classroom. The catalogue came through the door recently and I spotted some great value items in it. 






Uimhir a haon ar mo liosta ná tairreacáin stórála plaisteacha do m'fhearas ealaíona. Bhí siad leath-phraghas ... €17.50 agus tá siad láidir go leor. Bhí go leor acu ann i mo shiopa áitiúil i Luimneach.
 Top of my list were some plastic storage drawers for my art supplies. These are half price ... €17.50 and quite sturdy. They had lots of these in my local store in Limerick.








An chéad rud eile ar mo liosta ná cláir bhána beaga a chonaic mé sa catalóg. Tá roinnt cinn agam cheana féin ach tá sé ar intinn agam ceann an duine a bheith agam don scoilbhliain seo. Caithfidh go raibh promóisean ar siúl mar bhíodar marcáilte ar €1.99 ach fuair mé iad ar €1.40 an ceann.  Níl siad ar ardchaighdeán, tá siad éadrom go leor agus tagann maircéir beag leo. N'fheadar cé chomh fada a mhairfidh siad ar scoil ach toisc go mbeidh Rang 6 agam tá súil agam go dtabharfaidh siad aire dóibh! N'fheadar an molfainn iad don na naíonáin / bunranganna. Next were some mini whiteboards I had seen in the catalogue. I have some already and I'm hoping to have one per pupil for the coming school year. I think there was some promotion on these as they were marked at €1.99 but I got them for €1.40 each. The quality isn't spectacular, they're quite flimsy but they come with a little mini marker. I'm not sure how long they'll last in the classroom but as I've 6th class I'm hoping they'll look after them and they'll last a while. I'm not sure I'd recommend them for infants / junior classes. 

Bhuel sin a raibh ar an liosta ach phioc mé suas roinnt rudaí eile a chonaic mé sa siopa. Well that was all that was on my list but I picked up some other things I spotted in the shop. 

Tá na boscaí éadomhain seo an-áisiúil chun maircéirí / criáin &rl a stóráil do ghrúpaí. Tagann siad i bpaicéad 4 ar €7.99. (Cheannaigh mé 2 phaicéad) Tá dathanna geala ar na clúdaigh ... rabhadh beag ... déarfainn go bhfuil siad níos oiriúnaí do na hardranganna (don stóráil) mar ní dóigh liom go mbeadh méara beaga in ann iad a oscailt go héasca. These shallow boxes will be great for storing markers / crayons etc for groups. They come in packs of 4 for €7.99. (I bought 2) The lids are nice and colourful ...  a word of warning though ... these are probably more suited to the senior classes (for group storage) as little fingers may not be able to open the lids easily. 

  






Cheannaigh mé na ciseáin seo a úsáidfidh mé chun cóipleabhair &rl a stóráil. €2.99 le haghaidh 3 cinn. I bought these baskets that I will use to store copies etc. €2.99 for three baskets.









Cheannaigh mé na pionnaí éadaigh seo mar beidh siad an-áisiúil chun rudaí a chrocadh sa tseomra. Paicéad de 30 ar €1.99. I bought these close pegs to hang things in the classroom. €1.99 for a pack of 30


Primary Teaching Bloggers Ireland Blog Hop



Fáilte chuig Blog Hop. Tháinig roinnt múinteoirí le blaganna le chéile chun ár smaointe agus acmhainní a roinnt agus chun é a dhéanamh níos éasca do mhúinteoirí teacht ar acmhainní a oireann do churaclam na hÉireann.  This is the first every Irish Primary Teachers Blog Hop. A few of us have gotten together and decided to share our ideas and resources and hopefully make it easier for teachers to find great resources that are tailored for the Irish curriculum.

Gliogáil ar an bpictiúr chun teacht ar bhlaganna Éireannacha Oideachasúla iontacha eile. Click on the image to discover some other great Irish Educational Blogs. 

Ar aghaidh liom ... beagáinín fúm féin! So here goes ... a little about me!



Tell us a little bit about yourself and your teaching experience:

Is mise Ríona, as Luimneach agus táim ag tosú ar mo 15ú bhliain ag múineadh in nGaelscoil i gCathair Luimnigh. Tá Ranganna 1, 3, 5 agus 6 múinte agam. Is mise Leasphríomhoide na scoile agus chaith mé 3.5 bhliana mar phríomhoide feidhmeannach na scoile. Is breá liom TEC agus úsáidim na scileanna atá faighte agam thar na blianta chun acmhainní a dhéanamh do mo rang. 
I'm Ríona from Limerick and I'm heading into my 15th year teaching in a Gaelscoil in Limerick City. I've taught 1st, 3rd, 5th & 6th. I'm Deputy Principal of my school and also spent 3.5 years as acting principal. I love ICT and use the skills I've learned over the years to create resources for my classes. 

What class level are your resources/ideas aimed at?
Baineann mo chuid acmhainní le rang leibhéil éagsúla. 
My resources are aimed at a variety of class levels. 

What made you want to start blogging?
Thosaigh mé mo bhlag féin ag tús laethanta saoire an tsamhraidh. Spreag cuid de na blaganna iontacha mé chun mo cheann féin a tosú, ar nós Seomra Ranga agus Réalta Ranga. Theastaigh uaim i gcónaí mo chuid acmhainní a roinnt agus éiríonn liom teacht ar níóm mó múinteoirí trí Teachers Pay Teachers, an blag agus mo leathanach Facebook. 
I took the leap and finally started my blog at the beginning of the summer holidays. I was inspired by some of the fantastic blogs out there such as Seomra Ranga and Réalta Ranga (to name but 2). I've always wanted to share the resources that I've created and through Teachers Pay Teachers, my blog and Facebook I've reached a wider audience.

Would you advise other Irish teachers to start a blog?
Cinnte! Bí cúramach ... éireoidh tú an-thógtha leis :) 
Definitely! Beware ... it's totally addictive :)

What's your favourite free resource that you have shared?
Is breá liom filíocht agus tá roinnt bailiúcháin filíochta curtha le chéile agam agus roinnte saor in aisce. 
I love poetry and have put together some poetry collections that I've shared for free.
                     

What's your favourite paid resource that you have created?
Is breá liom téamaí agus ceann de na hacmhainní is fearr liom ná ceann a bhaineann le téama Naomh Pádraig. Díríonn sé ar scríbhneoireacht. I'm all about themes and one of my favourite resources that I've created can be used with the St Patrick's Day theme. It focuses on descriptive writing.







Saturday 1 August 2015

Brain Breaks

An mbaineann tú úsáid as Brain Breaks le do rang? Bhain mé úsáid astu le Rang 1 arú anuraidh. Bhí seomra ranga fíor-fíor-bheag agam agus bhí na páistí lán d'fhuinneamh. Bhían easpa spás pearsanta deacair ar na páistí agus bhí siad cainteach. Bhí sé deacair orm freisin! Is maith liom bogadh timpeall nuair atáim ag múineadh agus ní raibh aon spás agam sa seomra sin chun é sin a dhéanamh. Chun múineadh agus foghlaim éifeachtach a chinntiú bhí orm mo stíl féin a athrú. Roinn mé an Dréimire (íoslódáil é anseo) libh cheana féin, d'úsáid mé é sin le haghaidh cúrsaí iompar. Cinnte bainfidh mé úsáid as sin má bhíonn na bunranganna agam riamh arís, oibríonn sé!

Have you ever used Brain Breaks with your class? I used them the year before last with First Class. We had a really, really small classroom and the children were full of beans. They struggled with the lack of personal space and the temptation to chat was just too much for most of them. I struggled too! I like to move around when I'm teaching and there just wasn't the space to do that. I found that in order to ensure effective teaching and learning I had to make adjustments in my teaching style. I've already shared The Ladder (download it here) with you, this was what I used for behaviour management. I will definitely use it again if I have the junior classes, it works! 

Ach ní leor é sin, ansin tháinig mé ar suíomh dárbh ainm Go Noodle. Tá go leor físeanna ar Go Noodle chun na páistí a chur ag bogadh agus físeanna le gníomhaíochtaí anála agus síneadh freisin. Nuair a bhraith mé go raibh na páistí ag sleamhnú uaim chuir mé iad ag seasamh, na cathaoireacha isteach agus d'úsáideamar an spás fíor-theoranta a bhí againn agus chuir mé Go Noodle ar siúl. Thaitin sé go mór leis na páistí ... agus liom féin.

It wasn't enough though, then I came across a website called Go Noodle. Go Noodle has lots of videos to get the kids moving and also has nice breathing and stretching exercises. When I felt that the kids were losing focus we would get to our feet, push our chairs in and use the very very limited space we had and put on Go Noodle. The kids loved it ... I loved it

Tá a gcinn féin acu agus tá go leor cinn eile ó YouTube. Go Noodle have created their own videos and also use videos from YouTube.

Seo na cinn is mór a thaitin liomsa (ó YouTube). Here are my favourites (from YouTube).





Tuesday 28 July 2015

An Dréimire

Bhí Rang a hAon agam arú anuraidh. Bhí seomra fíor-bheag agus rang an-bhríomhar agam. Ní raibh mé in ann na boird a eagrú i ngrúpaí toisc easpa spáis agus bhí páistí le deacrachtaí móra iompar sa rang mar sin bhí a fhios agam nach n-oibreodh na grúpaí a bhí in úsáid agam le ranganna eile a bhí agam. Thosaigh mé ag lorg smaointe ar Pinterest agus tháinig mé ar an dréimire.
I had a particularly lively First Class a few years ago in a tiny classroom. I couldn't organise the desks in groups due to lack of space and I also knew that due to behavioural difficulties in the class the group system would be a non-runner. I began to trawl Pinterest for alternative ideas. It was there that I came across the Behaviour Ladder.
'Séard atá ann ná córas céimnitheach a thosaíonn as an nua gach lá. Chun é a chur i bhfeidhm caithfear na cártaí a phriontáil agus a ghearradh amach, ansin iad a lannadh agus a ghreamú le chéile. Ansin beidh pionnaí éadaigh uait. Oibríonn na cinn adhmaid níos fearr mar caithfidh tú ainm gach páiste a scríobh ar na pionnaí. Tá pionna ag gach páiste agus tosaíonn siad ar fad ar "Ar Bís Chun Foghlama" gach maidin. Bogann an pionna suas nó síos ag braith ar iompar an pháiste.
The Ladder is a staged system that starts from scratch each day. To implement it in you class you need to print and cut out the cards and then laminate each one and stick them together in order. Then you need some clothes pegs. The wooden ones work best as you will need to write each child's name on the pegs. Every child has their own peg and they start each morning on "Ready to Learn". Their peg then moves up or down the ladder depending on their behaviour.
Bhí sé éasca na rialacha a mhíniú leis na páistí agus thug mé rabhadh dóibh sular bhog mé aon phionna síos. De ghnáth ba leor an rabhadh agus is annamh go raibh éinne ar an gcéim deireanach. I ndáiríre d'oibrigh sé chomh maith gur shroich an-chuid daltaí an céim ar barr roimh am lóin! Lá amháin bhog mé an pionna ón gcairt chuig mo chairdeagan. Bhuel! Bhí fonn ar na páistí ar fad go mbeadh a bpionna orm (bhíodh siad ag crochadh ó mo spéaclaí go minic freisin!!!) mar bhí a fhios acu go bhfeicfeadh a dtuismitheoirí iad ag am dul abhaile agus go mbeidhí an-shásta.
The rules were very easy for the children to understand and I would generally warn the children before I moved a peg downwards. Usually, the warning sufficed and there pegs were rarely on the bottom rung. In fact, it worked so well that quite a few children reached the top of the chart by lunchtime. I needed to up my game so one day I moved a peg from the top of the chart to my cardigan. Well I couldn't believe the response! They all tried their hardest to have their peg hanging off me (many a day saw me wandering around with several pegs hanging off my glasses!!!) because they knew their parents would see the pegs at hometime. 
Níl aon duaiseanna i gceist leis an gcóras seo, ba leor domsa duine ón gcárta ar barr a chur go barr an líne mar dhuais. An dá píonós atá ann ná ag seasamh amach ag am lóin ar feadh 5 nóiméad (píonós scoile) agus an ceann is measa ná nóta sa dialann do na tuismitheoirí.
There are no rewards to buy with this system, picking someone from the top rung to go to the top of the line was motivation enough. The two punishment steps on the ladder are a 5 minute Time-Out at lunchtime (a standard punishment in our school) and the most serious is a note in their homework journal.
An rud is fearr faoin gcóras seo, i mo thuairim, ná go bhfuil deis ag na páistí feabhas a chur ar an iompar i rith an lae agus is feabhas é ar mhaithe le moladh a fháil ní duais.
The best thing, in my opinion, about this system is that the children have the opportunity to improve their behaviour throughout the day and this improvement is in order to receive praise not a prize. 
Íoslódáil é seo saor in aisce ó mo shiopa TPT anois!
Download it for free now from my TPT store!
            


Monday 27 July 2015

Duaiseanna Ranga Class Rewards

Bhíos ar bís ar maidin nuair a tháinig fear an phoist le beart dom! Bhí sé lá le duaiseanna iontacha ó mo chairde ag Mol an Óige. Ar dtús báire caithfidh mé bheith ionraic, tá aithne agam ar na húinéirí agus fuaireas na rudaí saor in aisce uathu le léirmheas a dhéanamh orthu.
I was all excited this morning when the postman brought me a parcel of goodies for Mol an Óige. Full disclosure ... this company is owned by a former colleague of mine and they sent me on the goodies for free so I could review them.
Bhí formhór na rudaí a fuair mé i nGaeilge mar is múinteoir Gaelscoile mé ach tá rogha iontach rudaí acu i mBéarla freisin. Most of the products I received are as Gaeilge as I teach in a Gaelscoil but Mol an Óige also stock a large selection of products in English too.

Céard a bhí ann? So what did I get?




  • Sticéirí Stickers - leathanach le hulcabháin agus ceann eile le piongain (gleoite amach is amach!) Ceannaigh anseo iad. A page of owl stickers and another with penguins (soooo cute!)  Get them here.
  • Bandaí Riosta Wrist Bands - Fuair mé meascán de na bandaí riosta - cinn plaisteacha agus cinn páipéir. Cinn iontacha mar dhuais do Dhalta na Seachtaine, cinn a deir "Maith thú" agus ansin cinn páipéir freisin. Is féidir iad a cheannach anseo. I got a selection of wrist bands, both plastic and paper. There are lovely ones that can be used as a reward for your Dalta na Seachtaine, ones that say "Maith thú" and lovely colourful disposable ones. Get them here.
  • Pinn Biros - Bheadh siad seo ar fheabhas do dhaltaí sna hard ranganna. Dearadh éagsúil orthu. These biros would be fantastic rewards for pupils in the Senior classes and are available in different shapes and sizes.
  • Scriosáin & Bioróirí Erasers & Sharpeners - Scriosáin deasa le "Molaim thú" agus bioróirí i gcruth réalta le "An-mhaith" orthu. Faigh anseo iad. Lovely durable erasers that say "Molaim thú" and cute heart-shaped sharpeners with "An-mhaith". Get them here.
  • Pinn Luaidhe Pencils - Pinn luaidhe deasa a deir "Tá an dalta seo ag obair go dian". Faigh anseo iad. Pencils with smiley faces that say "Tá an dalta seo ag obair go dian". Get them here
  • Nótaí Notepads - Slí an-dheas chun dea-iompar a roinnt le tuismitheoirí, nótaí le haghaidh obair mhaith agus pasanna obair bhaile. Faigh anseo iad. A great way to share hard work and good behaviour with those at home, lovely notes praising great work and homework passes. Get them here
  • Fáinne Eocrach Key Rings - Duaiseanna deasa do na hardranganna. Faigh anseo iad. Great rewards for senior pupils. Get them here
  • Suaitheantais Badges - Suaitheantais ildaite le moltaí i nGaeilge. Faigh anseo iad. Lovely colourful badges. Get them here.
Is fiú go mór cuairt a thabhairt ar an suíomh .... molanoige.com ... agus sracfhéachaint a thabhairt ar na duaiseanna atá acu. D'fhéadfadh éinne na cinn i nGaeilge a úsáid mar shlí neamhfhoirmiúil chun Gaeilge a spreagadh i scoileanna nach Gaelscoileanna iad.
It's well worth paying a trip to molanoige.com and having a browse through their products. The Irish products would be a great informal way to promote the Irish language in non-Gaelscoileanna.

Beidh mé cinnte ag ceannach rudaí uathu i rith na bliana. I'll definitely by purchasing from them during the year.


Friday 24 July 2015

Hallowe'en Poetry

I've put together a collection of Hallowe'en poetry that can get you started on your thematic planning for the first term. Hallowe'en is one of my favourite themes and there is an abundance of material available. My 6th class Hallowe'en thematic plan is starting to take shape and this is how it looks:

  • Science - The Skeleton
  • English Poetry - The Listeners by Walter de la Mare / Advice on how to sleep well on Hallowe'en Night 
  • English Reading - The Ghost of Grania O'Malley by Michael Morpurgo / The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively
  • Music - A Night on Bare Mountain Mussorgsky / The Monster Mash
  • Art - Spooky Trees (charcoal & paint Pinterest) Picasso Witch Portrait (Pinterest)
You can download the free collection of Hallowe'en poetry in my TPT store, click the image below




Monday 13 July 2015

Google Forms

Is aoibhinn liom teicneolaíocht ... is nerd ceart mé nuair a thagann sé chuig slite chun TEC a úsáid sa rang. Cúpla bliain ó shin bhí deis againn cuntas Google a shocrú don scoil, tá ár seoltaí ríomhphoist féin ar fad againn agus mar sin tá teacht againn ar fad ar Google Drive. Bainimid an-úsáid as mar fhoireann chun bheith ag obair ar cháipéisí scoile go comhoibritheach. Gné eile de Google Drive ná Google Forms. Go dtí gur thosaigh mé ag súgradh timpeall le Drive ní raibh aon taithí agam ar Google Forms agus bhain mé triail as ceann an-shimplí leis an rang. D'oibrigh sé go maith agus bhain na daltaí an-thaitneamh as, fiú d'iarr siad orm an mbeidís in ann a thuilleadh srúdaithe a dhéanamh mar sin!!!
I love technology ... I'm a self-confessed ICT nerd and am constantly striving to find new and innovative ways to use it in my class. A few years ago we had the opportunity to set up Google Apps for our school, we now have our own individual school email accounts and access to Google Drive. We use this as a staff to share information and to work cooperatively on school documents. An element of Google Drive is Google Forms. I have to admit until I started to play around with it myself, I hadn't any experience with Forms. I began by trying out a simple test for my class. It worked well and they really enjoyed it, even asking if they could do more tests like that!!

Chun ceann a dhéanamh caithfidh cuntas Gmail a bheith agat agus ansin nuair a bhíonn tú logáilte isteach i do chuntas téann tú go Google Drive > New > More > Google Forms. Ansin bíonn tú in ann ainm a thabhairt don fhoirm agus ceisteanna a chur. An chéad cheist i gcónaí ná ainm an pháiste a roghnú ó liosta. Ansin bíonn tú in ann do rogha a dhéanamh ag gach ceist idir ilroghnach, liosta, téacs, alt gearr, tic sa bhosca &rl. Nuair a bhíonn na ceisteanna ar fad scríofa agat is féidir do rogha dearadh a phiocadh. Is féidir an fhoirm a leabú i mblag nó an nasc a roinnt. Tagann na freagraí ar fad suas i scairbhileog i Google Drive. Is féidir é seo a phriontáil agus a chur isteach ins an bhfillteán measúnaithe
To create a Google Form you will need to have a gmail account and once you are logged in you simple click Google Drive > New > More > Google Forms. The next step is to name your form and set your questions. My first question is always a 'choose from a list' type question where the children choose their own name. There are lots different options for answers including multiple choice, list, text, paragraph and tick the box. Once your have entered all your questions you can then choose your design. The form can then be embedded in a blog or the link shared. The answers will appear in a spreadsheet in Google Drive. This can be then printed and stored in your assessment folder.

Seo an scrúdú a rinne an rang ar Florence Nightingale. Here's my Florence Nightingale Assessment.

Sunday 12 July 2015

Téamaí téamaí agus níos mó téamaí!

Is cuimhin liom go maith na laethanta luaithe sin i Mary I agus na léachtóirí ag caint faoi "chomhtháthú" níor dhein sé mórán céille dom ansin mar ní rabhas ach i m'ábhar múinteoir. Bhí an curaclam athbhreithnithe díreach ag teacht ar an bhfód ag an am (shhhh ná habair le héinne go bhfuilim chomh sean le sin!) agus ceann den na bunphrionsabail ná gur éifeachtaí an fhoghlaim nuair atá is comhtháite.
I remember my early days in Mary I when 'integration' was the buzz word and it was mentioned at least twice every lecture! I can't say that it made a whole lot of sense to me at the time as I was only learning my craft. The Revised Curriculum was in the process of being launched (shhh don't tell anyone that I was around way back then!) and one of the guiding principles of this Revised Curriculum was that 'learning is most effective when it is integrated'. (Introduction, Revised Curriculum 1999, p 9)

Na laethanta seo agus níos mó blianta ná gur mhaith liom a admháil déanta agam ní fhéadfainn mo stíl mhúinteoireachta a shamhlú gan nascadh, comhtháthú nó téama. Bíonn tábla agam fiú ag tús m'fhillteán pleanála ag déanamh cur síos ar an bpleanáil téamach don bhliain!
And now here I am, with a fair few years teaching under my belt, unable to imagine describing my teaching style without using terms like linked, integrated or theme. I even have a table printed at the beginning of my planning folder detailing my thematic planning for the year!

Bíonn sé éasca téama a roghnú ag amanta áirithe i rith na bliana, na cinn a léimeann amach ná Oíche Shamhna, An Nollaig, Lá 'le Pádraig. Tarlaíonn sé go héasca, uaireanta ní bhíonn a fhios agat go bhfuil sé á dhéanamh agat! Uaireanta eile níl sé chomh héasca san. Déanaim iarracht litearthacht a bheith mar chuid de mo cheachtanna staire agus is as sin a thosaíonn an téama. Muna raibh fhios agat faoin am seo is aoibhinn liom filíocht freisin agus bíonn sé éasca go leor sna hardranganna teacht ar dhánta a théann le tréimhsí áirithe staire. Mar shampla, nuair a bhím ag múineadh faoi shaolta Florence Nightingale agus Mary Seacole (nascadh!!!) déanaim an dán "The Charge of the Light Brigade". Ní luaitear éinne den bheirt sa dán seo ach is cur síos é faoi chath le linn Cogadh Crimea, agus is lena linn a tháinig clú agus cáil ar Nightingale. Is féidir níos mó nascadh a dhéanamh leis an dtéama seo má dhéanann tú Cúram na nEaslán tríd na haoiseanna sa stair freisin. Is téama gearr é seo ach tríd an nascadh thar churaclam na staire is féidir leis na daltaí comparáid agus codarsnacht a dhéanamh ar éispéireas dhá altra agus tuiscint a fháil ar an gcaoi a d'athraigh cúrsaí leighis tríd na haoiseanna.
Certain times of the year lend themselves to thematic planning such as Hallowe'en, Christmas and St Patrick's Day; you may not even realise that you're doing it! Other times it isn't so easy. I try to integrate literacy into my history lessons and this generally is where my theme starts. In case you hadn't guessed by now, I also love poetry and it's easy enough in the senior classes to find poetry about certain periods in History. For example when I teach about Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole (linkage!!!) I generally do the poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade". This poem makes no mention of either women but it is about the Crimean War and this is where Florence Nightingale rose to fame. Further linkage within History is also possible with a lesson on Care of the Sick throughout the ages. This is a short theme but the linkage across the history curriculum allows the children to compare and contrast the experiences of two nurses and to build on their understanding of how medicine has changed. 

Thíos tá dhá íomhá le 12 téama a d'úsáid mé le Rang 6 anuraidh.
The images below contain 12 themes that I used with 6th Class last year. 





Dánta Gaeilge

Seo daoibh acmhainn saor in aisce eile uaim, bailiúchán filíochta eile ach i nGaeilge an uair seo. Bheadh na dánta seo oiriúnach do na hardranganna sa bhunscoil. Tá an-chuid acu úsáidte agam féin le Rang 6 le roinnt blianta anuas. Bainigí taitneamh astu!
Gliogáil ar an íomhá thíos chun iad a íoslódáil ó mo shiopa TPT.
Another free resource, this time a collection of Irish poems most suited for the senior classes. I've used lots of these with my 6th class over the last number of years.
Click on the image below to download them from my TPT shop.


Wednesday 8 July 2015

Poetry Anthology

I've put together a selection of poems that I have used over the past few years with 6th class. I love teaching poetry and am a great advocate of learning poems by heart even though I know that rote learning may not be very fashionable these days. Children can memorise the lyrics of the latest pop song with ease so why not the odd poem or two! It's amazing what stays with you and I'm sure if we all dig deep enough into the recesses of our minds we will be able to quote a verse or two of a poem we learned in school. The poems that I've chosen include some classics by Wordsworth and Robert Frost and some modern poems that can help with linkage and integration, for example there are two poems dealing with the theme of Bullying.
This is a free resource and is available from my TPT store, just click on the image!

Pathways to 1916

Bhuel, inniu an chéad lá oifigiúil de na laethanta saoire domsa! Chaitheas an tseachtain seo caite ag freastal ar chúrsa samhraidh dar theideal "Pathways to 1916". Tá an-shuim go deo agam sa stair agus is aoibhinn liom í a mhúineadh. Le ceiliúradh 100 bliana ag teacht an bhliain seo chugainn ba thráthúil an ama é seo a dhéanamh. Seo an chéad bhliain le fada go ndearna mé ceann in ionad seachas ar líne.
Woohoo, today is my first official day on holidays! Last week was spent attending a summer course entitled 'Pathways to 1916'. I love all things history and am passionate about teaching it. With the 100 year anniversary of the 1916 Rising fast approaching I decided that this would be a worthwhile course to attend. This is the first summer in quite a while that I have chosen to attend a face-to-face course as opposed to an online course.
Thaitin an idirghníomhaíocht leis na múinteoirí eile go mór liom, bhí an-chuid craic againn agus d'fhoghlaimíomar go leor óna chéile... níor thaitin an éirí ar maidin liom ... ach sin scéal eile! D'fhoghlaim mé an-chuid agus tugadh go leor smaointe iontacha dúinn mar aon le hábhar choincréiteach. Tá an spreagadh faighte agam ceachtanna éagsúla bunaithe ar an Éirí Amach a chur le chéile don scoilbhliain atá romhainn.
I loved the interaction with my fellow teachers on the course, we had great craic and shared lots of ideas with each other ... but I didn't love getting up in the mornings! I learned an awful lot about the Rising and we were provided with a whole plethora of different ideas and concrete materials. I'm totally inspired and have lots of ideas for how to teach the Rising during the coming school year.

Wednesday 10 June 2015

Dáil Éireann

Thugamar cuairt ar Dáil Éireann inniu lenár gComhordaitheoir Pobal. Caithfidh mé a rá gur bhain mé an-thaitneamh as an lá. Bhuaileamar leis an Aire Oideachais, Jan O'Sullivan, ann. Labhair sí leis na daltaí ar feadh tamaill agus sheas sí isteach do ghrianghraf ar chéimeanna Teach Laighean linn. Tá Músaem Seandálaíochta na hÉireann díreach in aice leis agus é saor in aisce mar sin chaitheamar uair a'chloig an-thaitneamhach ann. Ar ais linn chuig an mbus agus stopamar ar an mótarbhealach ag Junction 14 le haghaidh greim le n-ithe faoin ngrian. Cheannaigh na buachaillí uachtar reoite do na daoine fásta ar fad ... chomh bródúil astu! Lá álainn ach traochta anois agus cuntas míosúil le críochú!
We visited Dáil Éireann today on a trip organised by our Community Coordinator. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the day ... the sunshine was an added bonus! We met Jan O'Sullivan, our Minister for Education who took time out of her busy schedule to speak to the children and pose for a  photograph on the steps of Leinster House. Once we finished our tour of  the Dáil we popped into the National Archaeology Museum (it's right next door and more importantly for us ... FREE!) We spent a very enjoyable hour wandering around the exhibits. Back on the bus we headed for home, stopping off at Junction 14 on the motorway for a bite to eat under the glorious blue skies. Some of my very generous boys bought 99s for the adults ... I was so proud of this very thoughtful gesture! A great day, wrecked now and I still have to finish my cuntas míosúil ...yuck!

Tuesday 9 June 2015

Plandaí! Plants!

Táimid ag fiosrú plandaí faoi láthair san eolaíocht. Thangthas ar cheacht iontach in Window on the World Science de chuid edco. Go leor eolais ann. D'aistrigh mé go Gaeilge é agus chuireas ar ActivInspire é.
D'fhoghlaim na páistí faoi chodanna an phlanda agus an feidhm atá leo, faoi cealla phloem & xiléim, faoi thrasghalú agus faoi fhotaisintéis.
An rud is mó a thaithin liomsa faoin gceacht seo ná go raibh ceithre thurgnamh le déanamh. Is fuath liom nuair a bhíonn orm dul sa tóir ar rudaí chun turgnaimh eolaíochta a dhéanamh ach le trí cinn den na turgnaimh seo ní raibh mórán i gceist.
We're currently looking at plants in science. I found a great lesson / series of lessons in EDCO's Window on the World Science book. Lots of great information, I translated it into Irish on an ActivInspire flipchart.
The children learned all about the parts of a plant and their functions, phloem & xylem cells, transpiration and photosynthesis.
What I like most was that there were 4 experiments going along with the lesson. Now I hate when you have to search high up, low down and all over the internet for equipment for science lessons but thankfully three of these experiments were very do-able. (The 4th involved pond weed ... hmmm .... nope!)

Turgnamh 1: An tábhacht solas na gréine don fhotaisintéis
Na rudaí a bhí uaim ná planda (geranium ó Lidl inné!), scragall stáin agus fáiscíní páipéir.
Clúdaíonn tú cuid de dhuilleog amháin le scragall stáin (coimeádann na fáiscíní páipéir é). Fágann tú é in áit atá geal (thuas ar leac na fuinneoige) agus tar éis cúpla lá déanann tú seiceáil air. Éasca péasca!

Experiment 1: The importance of sunlight for photosynthesis
All I needed was a plant (geranium from Lidl), tinfoil and paper clips. You cover part of one leaf with the tinfoil, secured with paper clips and place in a bright part of the room (we put ours on the windowsill) and then you check it a few days later to see the results. Easy peasy!

Seo grianghraf den phlanda agus an méid a scríobhamar fúthu (ná tabhair aon aird ar mo scileanna (nó easpa scileanna) ealaíona)
Here's a photo of the plant and what we wrote on the board (please ignore my drawing skills  ... or should that be lack of drawing skill!)



Turgnamh 2: An féidir trasghalú a fheiceáil?
Planda eile ó Lidl don cheann seo agus mála plaisteach mór trédhearcach ... ná roghnaigh ceann le poill ann mar a rinne mise! Cuir an planda ar fad isteach sa mhála agus dún go daingean é. Tar éis tamaillín ba chóir go bhfeicfidh tú braoiníní uisce ar an dtaobh istigh den mhála. Rinneamar é timpeall meán lae agus chonaiceamar uisce timpeall am dul abhaile.

Experiment 2: Can you see transpiration?
Grab another Lidl gernaium and a large, clear plastic bag ... try not to pick one with holes in it like I did! Put the whole plant in the bag and close it securely. After a while you should begin to see little droplets of water on the inside of the bag. We did this at midday and saw the water by home time. 


Turgnamh 3: Conas a thaistealaíonn uisce tríd an ngas
Ar mo thuras go Lidl inn phioc mé suas roinnt soilire. Mar aon leis an soilire beidh dathú bia, próca agus uisce uait. Roghnaigh roinnt píosaí soilire le duilleoga orthu agus cur iad isteach i bpróca le huisce agus dathú bia. Tar éis cúpla uair a' chloig feicfidh tú go bhfuil an dath tar éis taisteal chuig na duilleoga.

Experiment 3: How water travels through the stem
On my trip to Lidl yesterday I picked up some celery...not for my dinner! As well as celery you will need food colouring a jar and water. Choose some celery stalks with leaves and put them in your jar with water and food colouring. After a couple of hours the leaves will have started to take on the colour of the food colouring.







Wednesday 3 June 2015

Cuimhní Rang 6


Táimid ag druidim i dtreo deireadh na bliana agus deireadh leis an mbunscoil do mo rangsa. Chonaic mé an gníomhaíocht seo aréir agus rinneamar é sa rang inniu. Roth cuimhneacháin is ea é seo. Bhí an-am againn ag plé na smaointe agus scéalta greannmhara ó na blianta atá caite ag na páistí sa scoil. Cruth ciorcalach atá ann agus é roinnte suas ina 8 gcuid, ceann do gach bhliain sa bhunscoil. Tá spás ann chun an rang a scríobh agus ansin pictiúr de chuimhne ar leith sna spásanna móra. Tá an teimpléad le fáil anseo. (íoslódáil via Google Drive)

As we move ever closer to the holidays, my 6th class are reaching the end of their primary education. I spotted this Memory Wheel activity yesterday and we tried it out in class today. We had a great time remembering all the funny stories and things that happened over the years. The children drew a picture of their favourite memory from each class in each of the eight spaces in the wheel. The Memory Wheel template is available here. (download via Google Drive)



Fuair mé an smaoineamh iontach seo ó Réalta Ranga.

Tuesday 2 June 2015

Fáilte

Fáilte chuig an mblag beag seo inar mhaith liom scéalta, smaointe agus acmhainní a roinnt le múinteoirí eile.
Welcome to my blog where I would like to share stories, ideas and resources with my fellow teachers.
Beagáinín fúm féin. Is múinteoir bunscoile mé le 14 bliana anuas (!! cár imigh na blianta !!). Tá mo shaol gairmiúil caite agam sa Ghaelscoil céanna i rólanna éagsúla agus tá na rang leibhéil ar fad, nach mór, múinte agam. I láthair na huaire tá sé de phribhléid agam Rang a Sé a mhúineadh. Taitníonn an dúshlán a bhaineann leis na daltaí is sinsirí a mhúineadh liom.
A little about myself first. I'm a primary school teacher with 14 years experience (!! where have the years gone !!). I've spent my whole career teaching in the same Gaelscoil in various roles and have taught most class levels. Currently I'm teaching 6th class and I have to admit that I love the challenge of teaching the most senior pupils in the school.
Tá grá agam don Ghaeilge, don litearthacht, don Stair agus don teicneolaíocht. Bhí sé i gcónaí i gcúl m'aigne agam blag a thosú agus trí bheith ag féachaint ar na blaganna iontacha atá ann fuair mé an spreagadh a bhí uaim. Tá go leor acmhainní cruthaithe agam thar na blianta agus ba bhreá liom iad a roinnt le daoine eile.
I love Irish, literacy, History and technology. It was always in the back of my mind to start a blog and I finally got the courage to start this one after seeing all the inspiring teacher blogs out there. I have created lots of resources over the years and I love sharing them with others.
Tá siopa TPT cruthaithe agam agus is féidir acmhainní a cheannach ansin. Tabhair cuairt air anseo. Beidh acmhainní eile á roinnt agam saor in aisce anseo ar an mblag.
I have set up my own TPT shop where my resources can be purchased. Visit it here. I will also be sharing other free resources here on the blog.
Bí cinnte go leanann tú mé ar Facebook agus na meánsóisialta eile. (Beidh siad á chruthú agam diaidh ar ndiaidh)
Be sure to follow me on Facebook and other social media. (Bare with me while I set them up!)