Toe-walking in Ireland

My name is Blanca; I am a primary teacher in C.E.I.P. José Luis Hidalgo in Torrelavega, Cantabria. I have just spent two full weeks in Ireland.

I started working in St. Mary´s National School, Mountbellew on Monday the 11th April. It is a rural school, located outside Galway city. I commuted to school everyday with a teacher named Deidre. It was a 45 minutes drive. This was a super opportunity for me to discuss school life daily and learn about Ireland. My English has improved because of this. My confidence and need to think in English were pushed to the limit.

I spent the first week mainly observing and researching and getting to know the children.

Once I had established good relationships with the staff and children I began to teach. I was very involved in all classes, all levels and all subjects. This was a huge learning chance for me. It is amazing to see similarities and differences first hand. This kind of learning experience is invaluable. I cannot express how much there is to gain from such an experience.

I would encourage anyone who is interested in professional development to consider applying for such opportunities.

The impact it will have on you and your school will be extremely beneficial. Furthermore, I learned a lot about the country, the people and the culture. This can only be gained on full immersion to the Irish way of life. I used all of my free time to explore and enjoy Irish life.

This experience has not made me a perfect teacher, not even close, but my intentions are true. I would like to be judged by the good practice I do and not just the pretty words I say or write. My goal is to provide teaching and learning that is as meaningful as   possible.

by: Blanca Rosa RodríguezTOE