Leadership+ Issue 114 May/June 2020

ISSUE 114 / MAY/JUNE 2020

+ Leadership THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF SCHOOL LEADERS

LEADING in extraordinary times

AUTUMN COUNTY MEETINGS

SPONSORED BY

Supporting each other at local level September – October 2020

Attend the location that best suits you • Join/Create a local support group Don’t miss a chance for your opinion to be heard!

Damian White, IPPN President & Páiric Clerkin, IPPN CEO will be visiting each county in Autumn 2020.

IPPN will be bringing members key updates, discussing the current hot topics and offering support at the start of the school year. Most importantly it is an opportunity to meet your peers. There is also an opportunity to become more involved with IPPN by representing your county at Committee and National Council level. See below the dates, times and venues that best suit you.

Date

Time

County

Venues

Wed 2 September

4.00pm

Monaghan

Monaghan Education Centre

Thurs 3 September

4.00pm

Limerick

Limerick Education Centre

Mon 7 September

4.00pm

Mayo

Mayo Education Centre

Tues 8 September

4.30pm

Tipperary

Anner Hotel

Thurs 10 September

4.00pm

Clare

Clare Education Centre

Mon 14 September

4.00pm

Roscommon

Abbey Hotel

Tues 15 September

7.30pm

Galway

Galway Education Centre

Wed 16 September

4.00pm

Waterford

Waterford Teacher Centre

Thurs 17 September

4.00pm

Cork

Clayton Hotel, Cork

Mon 21 September

4.00pm

Donegal

Clanree Hotel, Letterkenny

Wed 23 September

4.00pm

Wicklow

The Glenview Hotel

Thurs 24 September

4.00pm

Meath

Navan Education Centre

Mon 28 September

4.00pm

Cavan

Hotel Kilmore

Tues 29 September

4.00pm

Wexford

Wexford Education Centre

Wed 30 September

4.00pm

Sligo

Sligo Education Centre

Thurs 1 October

4.00pm

Offaly

Tullamore Court Hotel

Mon 5 October

4.00pm

Louth

Crowne Plaza, Dundalk

Tues 6 October

4.00pm

Carlow

Dolmen Hotel

Wed 7 October

4.00pm

Leitrim

Carrick on Shannon Ed Centre

Thurs 8 October

4.00pm

Kerry

Tralee Education Centre

Mon 12 October

4.30pm

Westmeath

Athlone Education Centre

Tues 13 October

4.00pm

Kilkenny

Kilkenny Education Centre

Wed 14 October

5.00pm

Laois

Laois Education Centre

Thurs 15 October

4.00pm

Longford

Longford Arms Hotel

Mon 19 October

4.00pm

Kildare

Kildare Education Centre

Tues 20 October

4.00pm

Dublin

Lucan Spa Hotel

Face-to-face meetings are subject to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

Please refer to your weekly E-scéal and to www.ippn.ie for confirmation of meetings.

Irish Primary Principals’ Network National Support Office, Ballinglanna, Glounthaune, Co. Cork t: 021 4824070 • e: info@ippn.ie • w: www.ippn.ie

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Finding a Balance

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We are living through a much altered world.

So much seems to be outside of our control and it is easy to become overwhelmed with the uncertainty of the future.

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Coping with Grief and Loss

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Carmelita McGoughlin talks about the skills needed by teachers in dealing with grief in the 21st century Irish classroom

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Stammering The Hidden Disability Dr. Jonathon Linklater of the Irish Stammer Association discusses the impacts of stammering on children.

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Adapting to Change

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Leadership in a time where the normal working environment and practices are changed fundamentally is surely one of the greatest challenges we have experienced.

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Leading in a Crisis

PAGE

PAGE

THE PROFESSIONAL VOICE OF SCHOOL LEADERS

Although unlike any crisis or emergency we have seen before, schools rose to the challenge with courage, strength, determination and goodwill that seems to consistently emanate from school communities.

Speaking Without Words

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PAGE

+ Leadership

Dr John White tells us about Non-verbal Communication and Human Interaction

Irish Primary Principals’ Network, Glounthaune, Co. Cork • 1890 21 22 23 • www.ippn.ie n n

n n n n

Editor: Geraldine D’Arcy Editorial Team: Geraldine D’Arcy, Páiric Clerkin and Damian White Comments to: editor@ippn.ie Advertising: adverts@ippn.ie ISSN: 1649-5888 Design: Brosna Press

The opinions expressed in Leadership+ do not necessarily reflect the official policy or views of IPPN

Signposts ISSUE 114 / MAY/JUNE 2020

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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

IPPN 2020/2021 Membership Fee Research has demonstrated the profound impact that leadership has on school effectiveness and that it is second only to quality teaching in terms of its impact on student outcomes. In short, there is no such thing as an effective school without an effective leader. As the professional body for school leaders, IPPN’s core mission is to empower principals and deputy principals to inspire the teaching and learning in your schools. We do this through the provision of a suite of supports, services and resources to our member schools, which better enable the leaders of those schools to provide the visionary, dynamic and transformational leadership that every school needs. In doing so, IPPN seeks to provide the ‘the social-professional space that [school leaders] need to sustain their energy, enthusiasm and positivity for the role’ outlined by the Centre for School Leadership.

have also developed capacity in relation to advocacy & research, with dedicated staff to undertake research into key aspects of leadership as well as the preparation of position papers and submissions to influence education policy at national level.

There has been no increase in IPPN’s membership fee since 2007. At that juncture, a differential was established between the membership fee payable by a school with a teaching principal, and that of a school with an administrative principal. In the intervening 13 years, huge change has occurred, both in terms of the range of services that IPPN has developed and, as is also the case in schools, the cost of running the organisation.

Note that the Department of Education and Skills stipulated in Circular 14/02 that it considers the fee for membership of IPPN to be a valid Board of Management expense.

IPPN is operating in a different financial reality now to that which existed in 2007. Prudent investment and management of costs, as well as the development of commercial income, enabled IPPN to develop supports and services without needing a fee increase, until now. In the intervening 13-year period, income has remained almost static whereas expenditure has increased by almost half.

As well as a considerable increase in the cost of overheads, the increase is largely explained by the significant development in the range of services and supports provided to our members and the increased staff numbers required to provide them. SSince 2007, IPPN has developed a dedicated Leadership Support service, staffed by serving and retired principals who provide one-to-one professional guidance and support for school leaders when you need it, as well as support in relation to queries of a more factual nature. We have also developed ‘Resource Bundles’, providing all the key information on topics of particular relevance, as well as significantly enhanced web-based services, including ippn. ie, EducationPosts, TextaParent, the IPPN Dashboard and Sub Seeker, all of which help school leaders manage your schools effectively and efficiently.

In that time, IPPN has provided enhanced professional development including county-based seminars, annual conferences for principals and for deputy principals, professional briefing days, blended summer schools and online courses, and a suite of supports designed for new principals including Ciall Ceannaithe and ‘Headstart’ training and mentoring, and dedicated support. We 2

The IPPN Board of Directors and National Council have approved the following membership fee per school to come into effect in September 2020:

NEW FEE STRUCTURE Teaching Principal & Deputy Administrative Principal & Deputy

€250 €290

Your continued support to IPPN by renewing your membership for the next school year will enable us to continue to provide and to enhance the dedicated supports and services to empower school leaders to inspire quality teaching and learning in our schools.

A letter with the above information and a link to The 2020 Guide to IPPN will be issued to members by midMay. We would ask you to please pass this information to the chairperson of your Board of Management. The Guide outlines in more detail the many valued supports and services provided and how IPPN plans to enhance some of these in the coming years.

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

COVID 19 information

LEADING in extraordinary times

EDITORIAL

were swamped with food packages at several depots and new ways had to be found to support them in providing the service.

The American poet, writer and civil rights icon Maya Angelou passed away in 2015, but one of her most memorable and quoted sayings could have been advice issued to primary school leaders and teachers on Thursday afternoon, 12th March.

‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better’ While rumours had circulated, it was expected that schools might officially close from Wednesday 18th March, after the long weekend encompassing St. Patrick’s Day. When the government statement was released on the late morning of Thursday 12th, there was initial confusion as to whether closure was immediate with effect from that evening or the following day.

In normal circumstances, asking schools to take on an entirely new and revolutionary practice such as distance learning would likely involve a pilot project, significant CPD and potential IR issues over a change in terms of employment. But these are truly extraordinary times and with the increasingly frightening prognoses with each passing evening, school personnel rallied to the cause and put supports in place to ensure that insofar as possible, learning would continue for children in their homes. Those with the capacity to deliver online support, and whose students have access to sufficient IT devices and broadband, put systems in place using Seesaw and other new resources. Where equipment or training was an issue, school leaders assessed their local situation and made the best possible use of the resources at their disposal to support their pupil’s learning. IPPN, PDST and other organisations shared advice, links to useful websites and webinars as teachers sought the very best for their pupils in their newfound situation.

When IPPN was established in 2000, one of our main aims was to share good practice and resources so that everyone benefits. Never has this been more in evidence than over the

PÁIRIC CLERKIN AND DAMIAN WHITE past two months. Our members have shared everything from well written templates for letters to parents, to advice on how to use new online platforms. IPPN has now opened a special section on our website, where resources sent in for sharing are stored, with easy access for all members. Our Supports and Services team, along with CSL, PDST and other agencies, have pulled together an extensive document detailing for members what supports are available during this crisis.

Since March 12th, it has become apparent that school via email or the internet is different. Most children cannot sit for the length of a school day with every minute timetabled.

Access to computers, broadband and even their own books has presented issues. Family make-up, job status of parents, the number of children in the home and other issues all affect the work being done. Parents were reassured that work given was a menu rather than a prescription. School staff and pupils were encouraged to take a break over the Easter holidays, though many children continued to do some school work each day and had an agreed way of communicating with teachers should the need arise.

The School Meals Programme has continued to operate, in ways previously unimaginable. Many school leaders voluntarily went to their school grounds or an agreed centre to help with the distribution of food. An Post kindly volunteered to deliver food to the most urgent cases but

All the while, school leaders have attempted to carry out ‘normal’ administrative duties for this time of year. Communication with the DES in relation to pupil numbers and teacher allocation for 2020/21, contact with panel operators, requests for data etc. must all continue as we prepare for school post-Covid. Getting access to school buildings has made such tasks increasingly difficult.

Talks of restoring normality are inevitably being heard. Schools are at the fulcrum of normality for many people. School communities in Ireland and elsewhere have played an extraordinary part in maintaining normality for children through all of this. It is possible that out of this terrible situation will emerge a greater realisation and positive evaluation of the complexities of school life and the wonderful work which goes on daily in schools. There is certainly a palpable warmth and regard for school leaders and staff who have been in personal touch, supporting children’s learning in new ways.

Again Maya Angelou describes it best: ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’

When Covid-19 is remembered in time on 2020’s ‘Reeling in the Years’, memories of the kindness of school leaders and teachers during a time of crisis will have outlasted any lessons learned amongst those who were young then and saw humanity at its best.

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COVID 19 information

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

DAVID RUDDY BL

Working Remotely from Home Schools have been doing what we never countenanced, working from home for the last few months. We know that, unlike some other sectors, face-to-face will always be preeminent in teaching and learning. Information technology is being utilised with maximum effect to support student learning, while they in turn reciprocate by returning work via email, apps and even video recordings.

Working remotely may be becoming the norm for a large proportion of our workforce. However, it comes with a health warning that we cannot ignore. Now is the time to take stock of what protections we have in place in our schools to ensure that we do not compromise the privacy and security of our pupils, parents and staff.

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Working remotely may be becoming the norm for a large proportion of our workforce. However, it comes with a health warning that we cannot ignore.

PROTECTING PERSONAL DATA WHEN WORKING REMOTELY Devices n Take extra care that devices, such as USBs, phones, laptops, or tablets, are not lost or misplaced n Make sure that any device has the necessary updates, such as operating system updates (like iOS or android) and software/ antivirus updates n Ensure your computer, laptop, or device is used in a safe location, for example where you can keep sight of it and minimise who

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else can view the screen, particularly if working with sensitive personal data Lock your device if you do have to leave it unattended for any reason Make sure your devices are turned off, locked, or stored carefully when not in use Use effective access controls (such as multi-factor authentication and strong passwords) and, where available, encryption to restrict access to the device and to reduce the risk if a device is stolen or misplaced When a device is lost or stolen, you should take steps immediately to ensure a remote memory wipe, where possible.

Emails Follow the Data Protection Policy around the use of email in your school n Use work email accounts rather than personal ones for workn

LEGAL DIARY

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

related emails involving personal data. If you have to use personal email, make sure contents and attachments are encrypted and avoid using personal or confidential data in subject lines Before sending an email, ensure you’re sending it to the correct recipient, particularly for emails involving large amounts of personal data or sensitive personal data Ensure you use the ‘blind copy’ or ‘BCC’ function when emailing multiple people so as to not share others’ email addresses.

locally stored data is adequately backed up in a secure manner.

Video conferencing Take some time to read over the service’s privacy or data protection policy to be sure who n your personal data is being shared with, where it will be stored or processed, and what purposes it will be used for, amongst other information n n Ensure your device is used in a safe location, for example keep an eye on what (or who) can be seen from your camera, and be sure to log out, mute, or turn off video, Cloud and Network Access as appropriate, when you leave or take a break n Only use your school’s trusted networks or cloud services, n Consider the data protection and and comply with any rules and privacy rights of others before procedures about cloud or you post or share a picture or network access, login and, data video of a video-call that contains sharing. their image, voice, and/or contact iCard_Leadership_Advert.pdf 1 12/12/2019 15:15:28 details n If you are working without cloud or network access, ensure any n

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Avoid sharing work-related data, document locations or hyperlinks in any shared ‘chat’ facility that may be public as these may be processed by the service or device in unsafe ways.

CONCLUSION The volume of contact by schools with students and parents through the use of IT is now unprecedented. It is incumbent on all staff to be extra vigilant in protecting the personal data of young people. The genie is now truly out of the bottle. Blended learning is here to stay in some shape or form.

Being alert and making staff aware of the responsibilities that come with our new-found friend will pay dividends, protect the privacy and security of all, and avoid unnecessary strife.

If you have any queries about this article you can contact David by email to druddy@mhc.ie.

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COVID 19 information

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Adapting to

Change

SEÁN Ó FOGHLÚ SECRETARY GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SKILLS Leadership is always challenging. But leading in a time where the normal working environment and practices are changed fundamentally and many colleagues are facing family and personal concerns is surely one of the greatest challenges we, as leaders, have experienced.

At the time of writing, the Government decision, on foot of public health advice, is that our schools will remain closed until further notice. This is an unprecedented time for primary school principals and everyone involved in the education sector. This situation challenges the capacity of the most able and dedicated leader. This must be acknowledged and credit reflected on how quickly you, our school principals, have reacted to immense challenges.

Principals have been required to develop entirely new plans and to provide a calm, supportive and reassuring presence, from a physical distance, while at the same time urging others to adapt new practices at an accelerated pace.

Under this leadership, teachers have embraced new methods to deliver teaching, provide supports to pupils, collaborate with and provide guidance and information to parents. The response has been tremendous, and I acknowledge all of your efforts, with my sincere thanks.

Our education system has some inherent presumptions. At its core is the arrangement that children are taught together in one physical space, by teachers who have considerable educational and professional training to ensure that they employ sound pedagogy. This is underpinned by our curriculum, our ongoing continuous professional development and our evaluation and inspection programme.

As we grow in our knowledge of teaching and learning, buildings, facilities and methods conducive to learning, we have designed

and employed best practice in all these areas. In more recent years, schools have become increasingly comfortable with supporting learning through technology adapting to the 21st century world of our pupils.

How we teach and learn has evolved over thousands of years, adapting to the changing demands of time and society. The pace of change we are now experiencing is quite different.

Those carefully-planned environments are not currently at our disposal.

Technology is now defining the way we connect with each other. However, many aspects of our education system remain intact, and we will use these aspects to support the ongoing efforts.

This is not a situation that any of us have planned for. It calls for creative approaches. The huge challenge of ensuring continuity of teaching and learning at primary level cannot be understated. I am conscious of the many great efforts being made to connect with pupils and their families and encourage you all, despite the challenges, to keep up that effort. I am conscious that technology is playing a big role, but this is not always possible or applicable for very young pupils.

Teachers know their students best and are best placed to support them. The Department’s guidance recognises this, emphasising the importance of alternative methods and how parents can be encouraged to use the most accessible services, including the RTÉ and TG4 educational programming developed with such speed and enthusiasm by our broadcasters.

Schools are finding other innovative ways to ensure continuity of learning, notwithstanding the significant challenges.

Many of you have concerns about how we can best support children with additional needs, and the needs of children who are at risk of food poverty as well as educational

disadvantage. The guidance and support of the National Council for Special Education and TESS are available, and their support is also acknowledged.

I am grateful to the many school principals and teams that mobilised effectively to ensure continuity of delivery of school meals to children who need them. I acknowledge that there have been challenges but, with significant effort, these have been overcome.

Colleagues in our child protection services have highlighted the importance of schools as a protective factor for vulnerable students, recognising the roles that schools play beyond learning in the lives of our children and young people.

These significant concerns are all acknowledged and must be to the fore in our planning.

Many of you participated in the recent research undertaken by Maynooth University in partnership with IPPN and several other education representative bodies to assess primary school leaders’ responses at this time.

This research, along with research conducted by the Department’s Inspectorate with the National Parents Council, has supported the Department in the development of its guidance on continuity of teaching and learning. We will continue to refine this guidance as required. Your input and feedback is vital to this work.

Colleagues in the professional development services have been to the forefront in supporting schools and teachers and have devised a range of supports that are being used to great effect across our schools.

PDST has developed a wide range of new resources for digital support, while Scoilnet acts as a single point of contact to a range of resources. I also want to acknowledge the support of Cisco and IBM, which are supporting

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

schools with a communication platform during this crisis.

Colleagues in the National Educational Psychological Service have prepared a range of materials for children and young people, and for teachers and parents during school closures.

Their advice focuses on how to best manage feelings of anxiety and build our resilience. It is important to take the time to notice these feelings in ourselves, and to encourage the normalisation of these feelings by others. As leaders, one of our duties is to look after our own wellbeing.

At this time of year, preparations would normally be underway for transitions; open days and parent events for new pupils moving from early years to our junior infants, and our sixth classes, preparing to take their next steps.

These transitions will happen now in circumstances far different from

COVID 19 information

what we would have imagined. I am confident that creativity and ingenuity will triumph and that we will find new ways to celebrate achievement and mark new beginnings.

Communication in these times is difficult, so it is vital that we all continue to make every effort to ensure that children and parents are aware of the availability of teachers, who are working hard to keep children engaged in learning.

We have much to be proud of in how the education sector as a whole has responded to the challenges; from our early years’ providers, through primary and post-primary and to the ground-breaking research underway by our colleagues in higher education institutions. At primary level, I am struck particularly by the enthusiasm for the adoption of new technology, and the sharing and collegiality

evident in the responses that have emerged.

In looking forward, we will over the coming months discuss the impact of disrupted learning, and how we can mitigate that and reassure and support staff to work and achieve as effectively as possible in a changed environment.

As leaders, perhaps one of our biggest challenges is to recognise that we have control over some issues, and not of others, and to plan accordingly. Our shared understanding and learning will be needed to ensure that we emerge from this unprecedented period with the best possible solutions. I look forward to continued engagement with the IPPN as we collaborate to address some of the most challenging issues we have had to face, together, to support our students across Ireland.

Online Summer Course 2020 CIALL CEANNAITHE—ONLINE COURSE FOR SCHOOL LEADERS

This course has been developed to provide a greater understanding of the innovative solutions to challenges facing new and aspiring school leaders. A highly practical step-by-step course built on the collective wisdom and experience of seasoned principals.

Course includes: 10 modules (20 hours) ■ Fully interactive online lessons with audio / video ■ Discussion forums with expert moderators & facilitators ■ Individual feedback on submitted assignments ■ Online reflective learning log ■ Innovative technology-enhanced learning ■ DES approval for three EPV days on successful completion of the course ■

Registration: ■ Course Registration is now open ■ Commencing on July 1st ■ €95 - Online from July 1st to July 31st ■ Online booking and full details available on www.ippn.ie Who should participate?

■ Newly-appointed principals ■ Deputy principals ■ Aspiring school leaders ■ Experienced principals who wish to reflect on current leadership practices

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Jennifer McCarthy, Course Administrator • jennifer.mccarthy@ippn.ie Online booking available at www.ippn.ie LINK

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LEADERSHIP SUPPORT

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Finding a

Balance ANGELA LYNCH IPPN LEADERSHIP SUPPORT MANAGER We are living through a much altered world. So much seems to be outside of our control and it is easy to become overwhelmed with the uncertainty of the future.

Communicating with staff, managing home school communication, leading the teaching and learning, long and short term planning, combined with the challenges of working from home while looking after the needs of family, creates much anxiety and stress. Even for the most optimistic of people, it seems that we continuously move between pessimism and optimism.

School leaders are generally very hard on ourselves, thinking that what we are doing is not enough, or not good enough. The same problems that existed when we were physically present in our schools still exist and are now even harder to manage, given our distance from each other.

Change is always scary and it is alright to feel overwhelmed at the start. It is important to acknowledge all the emotions that go with that. Accepting the fact that things can go wrong can move us to find the balance between

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pessimism and optimism. Optimism and pessimism are both contagious.

The mid-way point between both is realism. Even though we do not know what the future holds, we must make some guesses. If the worst possible happens, we have to believe that we’ll get through it. So we come up with a plan for getting through it, one that we can clearly explain. So many of our teachers and school leaders have been doing precisely this and continue to evaluate and refine that plan as circumstances change.

Many have been impressed by the calm confident manner in which Dr. Tony Holohan has been communicating plans to the country. Credibility and trust come to mind. Parents and children are also looking to teachers and school leaders for these things also. This situation offers us the opportunity to do things every single day to protect and support each and every one in our school community.

It is healthy to expect the best but to prepare for the worst.

A bout of realistic optimism might look like this: n Problems are temporary and can be resolved n Problems are specific to a particular relationship or issue and not necessarily universal to the crises of Covid-19 n Problems are external and not a reflection of what you do or who you are.

Realists will explain events as they are. They are cautiously hopeful that the outcomes will be favourable. They do as much as they can to obtain the results they seek.

‘The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair and, though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.’

J.R.R Tolkien - The Fellowship of the Ring Keep hope alive. Storms never last forever. We will come out stronger from this.

THE PRESIDENT’S PEN

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Lockdown DAMIAN WHITE IPPN PRESIDENT Keeping my parents, social animals as they are, confined to the house for several weeks has proven to be easier than we thought. Card games several nights per week in local circles has been replaced with copious hands of 25 and Rummy by their own roasting range, while Mass on TV, as well as daily repeats of The Chase populate several hours daily. Presses, wardrobes and drawers have been ransacked and cleared of all detritus. Forgotten gems of family interest have been unearthed, prompting unlikely and rich conversations about trivia of times past. A bunch of birthday cards for my Grandaunt Terry celebrating her 100th birthday in 1984, a teacher who began her teacher training in the 19th century and who would live almost 5 years more, brought nostalgia and some tears for those card givers who hadn’t inherited her longevity gene.

Yesterday, while social distancing in their sunny backyard, my mother nodded towards the window sill where sat a tiny freshly-cleaned red shoe. ‘That was yours!’ She chuckled, considering my considerable frame in the context of the tiny brogue. ‘You must have fancied I’d make Pope some day. Sorry I disappointed you in that regard.’ ‘Why is there only one shoe?’ I innocently enquired. ‘Because you were less than 2 feet at the time!’

Coronavirus hasn’t diminished her capacity for smart retorts.

Lockdowns can be looked at in two ways. On the one hand, we are confined

to a small area, with permission to move beyond dependent on the nature of your reason. It’s a type of house arrest, with consequences for those found in breach. It has been especially difficult for those with a family member affected by Covid-19 or working courageously on the frontline to defeat the dreaded virus. It has been very difficult where jobs have been lost, with hopes people were entitled to feel at the dawn of 2020 replaced by real and genuine fears for the future.

For those of us in education, we have had to completely redefine and reimagine how we work. For children, the certainty of school, and the learning and social framework it provides, have been replaced initially with some excitement at an extended holiday but the quickly dawning appreciation for the virtues of their classroom community.

On the other hand, lockdown has allowed us to stop and consider what is important in our lives, the health and wellbeing of our loved ones. We have the opportunity to spend an extended period at home, to enjoy the company of our families, carry out house and garden work, take regular exercise and cook at a pace which is better for us and our food.

As professionals, we have made new discoveries about teaching and learning, which will doubtless shape how we support learning when normality, such as it will be, re-emerges

post-Covid. Zoom sounds more like a 1980s stain remover than the method by which many of our meetings will, in all likelihood, be conducted in the future. Homework is much more likely in future to have a substantial digital element, with corrections carried out online. There are now enough PE lessons online from famous sports and life coaches that homework may involve watching and repeating their movements and skills.

Relationships at school will be different too, certainly in the short term. Those children liking to sharing their woes with teachers will add ‘Seán breathed on me’ or ‘Mary coughed in my direction’ to the list of reportable crimes.

Wellness must be given high priority.

Children and their teachers, SNAs and other staff will all have experienced lockdown, social isolation and movement restrictions in different ways. Some will have lost loved ones.

Others will have felt the effects of unemployment, family tensions or other side effects. The support we provide as school leaders will have to reflect the new realities.

When we emerge from our various bolt holes, we will seek the normal and take comfort from it. But some of the normal will be new. And we as school leaders will play a huge part in society’s adjustment to it.

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COVID 19 information

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

COVID-19

PRACTICE

in Primary Schools

DR JOLANTA BURKE AND DR MAJELLA DEMPSEY

MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY

The 12th March 2020 will stay in our minds forever, as the day education in Ireland abruptly changed its course. We moved from the focus on preparing our pupils for the usually busy end-of-year activities, straight into the unfamiliar territory of distance-learning education, amid a worldwide pandemic.

Steering a ship during this course-changing manoeuvre has proven a difficult task for many school leaders, who have braced themselves for a career-challenge of a lifetime.

Barely two weeks after the school closure, 2,808 primary school leaders completed a survey ‘Covid-19 Practice in Primary Schools in Ireland’ (http://mural.maynoothuniversity. ie/12796/). It was commissioned by a stakeholder group led

by IPPN, analysed by the authors, and its aim was to firstly, identify good practice that can be shared and replicated around the country and secondly, establish what ‘scaffolding’ was required for schools to ensure the continuity of learning.

Most importantly, however, the report has also served as a testament to the rapid response of school leaders in an unprecedented situation. It must be acknowledged that, at the time of the survey, school leaders were still in the process of making arrangements and figuring out what to do to ensure the continuity of learning.

KEY MESSAGES EMERGING FROM THE SURVEY The following word-cloud is a pictorial representation of all themes mentioned in school leaders’ comments throughout the survey. Parents have become central in helping schools educate pupils during the Covid-19 crisis.

Figure 1: Word-cloud representing the most frequently used words in leaders’ comments A significant number of school leaders reported that pupils are missing school and miss out on the social aspects of school, however, at the same time, they are developing life skills. Leaders reported not being able to make contact with some families that do not use email, and do not know how to access software used by the schools. In many cases, schools have to use post and telephone to make contact. Among 10 10

the most heartening findings from this extensive survey is the amount that has been achieved to date on adapting to this new reality using either technology such as Twinkl and Google Classroom, low technology solutions such as emailing or WhatsApp, or no technology in schools that continue to post out work packs.

Figure 2: Digital resources used in schools to support learning.

The key message from the report was the schools’ commitment to keep an open and consistent communication with families and pupils. Distance learning and teaching require skills that need to be developed. We are on a steep learning curve and, from this report, it seems most schools are doing well. We are being forced to think in different ways, to solve problems together, to collaborate and to communicate, to educate and be educated without the physical classroom.

As one teacher said on Twitter, ‘Zoom is no substitute for room’. This pandemic presents an opportunity for children to develop independent working and thinking skills, it is an opportunity for them to spend time with their families and to develop new interests.

While the pandemic is reshaping education, the impact is not equal for all participants. Not all parents have the skills, time or health for distance learning, not all schools and pupils have the hardware and software for distance learning. Not all teachers have the skills for online teaching. The survey results highlighted a clear digital divide (hardware, software, and technological skills) that exists across schools in Ireland, reinforcing the social inequalities of our society. This may add to the already gaping social divide between the betterresourced schools/ families and the schools/ families who just make ends meet. We are all facing the same storm but some of us have better boats than others. This is captured in the following quote from a principal who voiced concern ‘over food, safety and general wellbeing for a huge percentage of our pupils. Having a safe, secure and predictable environment

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is important for some children, 15% of our children are in homeless accommodation and so are now room bound…’

(Burke and Dempsey, 2020, p. 39). It is obvious there is a role that schools play in society that any amount of technology cannot replace, this is the social aspect of schooling, the relational aspect of learning, of feedback, and of being part of a community.

In the midst of the chaos of schools preparing to ensure the continuity of learning, many have remembered to put support structures in place to help pupils and teachers maintain their wellbeing. Some leaders practiced their leadership by sending their team regular motivational messages to keep their spirits going. Others have set up clear expectations, reminding both teachers and parents that there is only so much they can do.

Many have also practiced distributed leadership, bringing in their teams to help them make decisions. And in the midst of it all, many leaders promoted and practiced physical activity, mental health, and a mindful approach to the ‘new normal’ of Covid-19 school-life.

While the recent changes have been difficult for many pupils, parents and teachers, they have been equally challenging for the school leaders, who are on a steep learning curve of leading remote teams to deliver quality, remote education to all. This is why, following the principle of putting on a mask first, before we assist others, it is crucial for school leaders to mind themselves in the midst of this crisis. The following wordcloud is a pictorial representation from leaders’ comments about what they do in order to maintain their own wellbeing.

Figure 3: Word-cloud representing the most frequently used words in leaders’ comments in relation to their own wellbeing

COVID 19 information over 300 school leaders already perceived it as a benefit for pupils or teachers. This number is undoubtedly higher now.

At the time, they wrote that it created more team collegiality, became a platform for teachers to innovate and develop their teaching skills further, provided some teachers with extra time for CPD, allowed for more detailed planning of resources, as well as made teachers realise how resilient they are. For pupils, they saw it as an opportunity to engage with online learning, many of whom enjoyed it immensely, develop their learning independence, and most importantly, allowed them to spend more time to connect with their families which, given the current circumstances, is priceless.

The 12th March has changed education in Ireland forever. It has highlighted stark differences between our schools, some inequalities in our society, and a lot of hard work, some of which is invisible, carried out by our school communities.

However, during the last recession, the World Happiness Report revealed that worldwide, people’s happiness was

While the recent changes have been difficult for many pupils, parents and teachers, they have been equally challenging for the school leaders, who are on a steep learning curve of leading remote teams to deliver quality, remote education to all. significantly reduced during those testing times, except in two countries, one of them being Ireland. Social scientists spent a long time speculating about this Irish phenomenon.

Eventually, they concluded that it is down to our culture.

Irish people are used to overcoming adversity and, when in trouble, our family values shine the brightest, prompting us to support each other fully. So, let’s hope that we will do the same during this pandemic, allowing this difficult time to become our springboard for better schools of tomorrow.

Note: Follow-up research is underway in relation to how schools are currently managing, and this includes several questions about IPPN supports and what school leaders now and into the future. Click this link to complete the short survey.

LINK REFERENCES Burke, J. & Dempsey, M. (2020). Covid-19 Practice in Primary Schools in Ireland Report. Maynooth, Ireland: Maynooth University.

For many leaders, the Covid-19 crisis was associated with an increase in physical activity. Some tried to maintain their exercise routine, others have finally found the time to do exercise. This in turn gave them more energy to engage with their team, pupils and parents. Many also mentioned that they spent more time taking breaks, gardening and enjoying their family, and some took up new activities, such as yoga, cooking healthy food and reading. Most importantly, however, they were happy that the school closure meant that their school community was safe from the Covid-19 virus, and believed that, as one of them said, ‘we will get through this together’.

As traumatic as the school closures and pandemic are, and will remain for some time, the good news is that, at some stage in the future, the majority of us will bounce back from this adversity. According to research, some may even grow as a result of it. Barely two weeks after the school closure,

Dr Jolanta Burke is Assistant Professor and a programme leader of the new Master’s in Educational Leadership and Management, as well as the new ‘Wellbeing in Schools’ specialism in the Master’s in Education Programme at Maynooth University. Jolanta is a chartered psychologist and specialises in the psychology of wellbeing in schools. Her latest book ‘The ultimate guide to wellbeing in school’ will be published by Routledge later this year.

Dr Majella Dempsey is Assistant Professor and EdD Strand Leader for Curriculum Studies at Maynooth University. Her research is in curriculum theory, policy and practice, with an emphasis on school education. Majella also worked in the area of STEM education, with particular emphasis on the role of tasks in teaching, learning and assessment.

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Leading in a Crisis ANNA MAI ROONEY

DEPUTY DIRECTOR PRIMARY AT THE CENTRE FOR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

At 12 noon on March 12 th 2020, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD announced that all schools, pre-schools and further and higher education institutions would close for a fortnight until March 29th to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus. This closure took effect from 6pm that evening.

There ensued a day of mayhem for every school as staff members rushed to prepare for a fortnight’s closure.

Should books be sent home? How would a fortnight’s work be prepared in a couple of hours? How would the needs of younger children be dealt with and those with specific needs?

How best could the most vulnerable be provided for? How about the new extension under construction? Or the long awaited work being done on the school’s pitch? What about the teacher due back after a long illness the next week? Or the substitute teachers booked for upcoming events? It was a day of question after question with no time to think, all hands were on deck to send children home for a fortnight prepared in the best way teachers could manage until everyone re-united again on Monday March 30th. If only we knew then what we know now!

strength, determination and goodwill that seems to consistently emanate from school communities. Teachers, leaders, support staff, parents, pupils and boards have ‘circled the wagons’ to protect their schools from the effects of this dangerous virus, to do their very best for the children in their care, and to continue teaching and learning in a time of crisis. The element of care is synonymous with teaching and involves a connection between the carer and the cared-for. Nel Noddings wrote extensively on care in education, seeing it as an attribute of good practitioners. We hope our pupils feel our care every day as they adjust to education at home. Knowing that we all think of them often, miss them and worry about how they ere managing in their new reality will support their well-being, and give them this sense of being cared for.

How can we assure them of this? How can we balance managing our own worries and stresses to offer them this assurance? How can we remain strong and positive during ‘lock down’ and how will we present a new form of normality to them when they return to school?

Teachers, leaders, support staff, parents, pupils and boards have ‘circled the wagons’ to protect their schools from the effects of this dangerous virus, to do their very best for the children in their care, and to continue teaching and learning in a time of crisis.

We can still hear the advice of flight cabin crew telling us to position our own oxygen masks before those of our children and vulnerable ones. As Oprah Winfrey suggests, you must nurture yourself so you can nurture those who most need you. The last few weeks have been surreal but they have also been highly stressful, demanding and problematic. Although as school leaders you have been worried about your pupils, particularly your vulnerable pupils, you have access to something you didn’t have in school, a little more time. Only a little, in the sense that many of you have busy households in a wide variety of circumstances, but this little extra space should be used wisely to nurture yourself. Take exercise, - more than you usually do - stop and take in your surroundings, chat to friends

Although unprecedented, and unlike any crisis or emergency we have seen before, schools rose to the challenge, like they always have, with courage, 1212

and relations on the phone and online, take time to bake, cook, DIY, garden, knit, read, write, paint, pray, meditate whatever it is you enjoy. Many believe that the world cannot return to normal until a vaccine against the virus is ready or drugs to treat it are available but, whatever form the new normality takes, it will zap your time, reduce your access to the things that matter, and bring you towards the madness we all lived in before the virus. Make sure you concentrate on yourself now, when time and circumstances allow.

We can still hear the advice of flight cabin crew telling us to position our own oxygen masks before those of our children and vulnerable ones. As Oprah Winfrey suggests, you must nurture yourself so you can nurture those who most need you.

Communication within your school community has no doubt presented many challenges. People are still the people they were before this crisis, and you still have the same mix of personality traits on your staff. Some of the more negative traits will be exacerbated by fear, isolation, illness, anxiety, financial hardship, and many other practical considerations like IT expertise, broadband access, care of the young, the vulnerable and the elderly, and association with those on the frontline. Keep all of this in your mind as you meet them online.

Consider their personal situations, their personalities, their strengths and their anxieties. Allow those with knowledge and expertise in online learning to lead. Consider ways to

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support those who lack these skills.

Allow people to work at their own pace, within reason. Accept that some have found basic ways to communicate with their pupils which are working well. Don’t try to ‘repair’ what is already working. Consistency and collaboration are great ways of working but you will need to make exceptions for some, trust them to do their best in a different way, and ask them to share their learning with everyone. Give good notice of online meetings and take feedback on the best dates and times so that everyone is accommodated. Listen and ask for the opinions of others rather than reacting when people exhibit signs of stress and anxiety at these meetings. If appropriate, make time for a follow-up chat with these members of staff.

Consider the mission, vision and values of your school, reflect on them and again, if appropriate, mention them during online gatherings. Acknowledge the hardship and sacrifices being experienced, and the efforts being made; acknowledge the uncertainty that prevails and articulate positivity for the future. Your school community

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Leadership in crisis requires a different form of leadership practice.

As Alma Harris posits, it demands a distribution of leadership so that those abler than ourselves can lead aspects of our practice and share the burden of this crisis needs to hear this from you, it’s your responsibility. If you properly nurture yourself, you will be able to achieve this for them.

Leadership in crisis requires a different form of leadership practice. As Alma Harris posits, it demands a distribution of leadership so that those abler than ourselves can lead aspects of our practice and share the burden of this crisis. It demands appreciation of our people at school, acknowledgement of the loved ones we have and acceptance of the uncertainty we find ourselves

in. Relax when you can, reflect on the good, believe in the future and be the leader that you truly are.

‘Anyone can lead when the plan is working. The best lead when the plan falls apart’ - Robin Sharma Harris A (2013) Distributed leadership matters: Perspectives, practicalities, and potential. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

Harris, A. (2020) ‘Leading a school during lockdown’.

Available at: https://my.chartered. college/2020/04/leading-a-schoolduring-lockdown/. LINK Noddings, N. (2002). Starting at Home: Caring and social policy.

Berkeley: University of California Press Winfrey, O. (2019) ‘What I Know for Sure’ Available at: https://www. goodreads.com/quotes/8674097-ionce-taped-a-show-in-which-a-lifecoach LINK

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OnYourBehalf

Since the last issue of Leadership+ was published, our collective way of working has changed to such an extent as to be unrecognisable. This is the case in IPPN as well as in all our schools, colleges, organisations, businesses and homes. Many events and meetings had to be cancelled at short notice (see ‘Corrections’ below) and others were turned into ‘virtual’ events, with IPPN and other education stakeholders scrambling to research and embrace various online technologies and learning ‘on the fly’ how to manage this new way of working, including good online meeting practices. While the benefits of face-to-face meetings and physical proximity in the workplace are clear, nonetheless this crisis has shown that work can continue without them, and that is to the credit of all involved.

Listed below are some of the projects and advocacy-related engagement that were progressed in the past few months PRIMARY EDUCATION FORUM LOOKING AT SMALL SCHOOLS – DRAFT DCU PROPOSAL IN COLLABORATION WITH IPPN, INTO, CPSMA Towards sustainable provision of primary education in areas of low population – An Action Research Project The key concern for all the stakeholders is ensuring the sustainability of the role of principal teacher in a small school.

The proposed research project is to set up and support four clusters of schools (five to six participating schools within a twenty km radius in each cluster) in areas of low population. Each of the participating organisations would support one cluster. The clusters would last for two years. Working with a Cluster Co-ordinator, the schools and communities would identify workload reducing innovations they would like to explore in the two-year period. Each of the four clusters would have its own part-time co-ordinator; the project would also have an overall Project Coordinator who would co-ordinate the research.

Key Principles n Participation in the project must be voluntary – agreement by school staff, the principal and the BOM for each participating school would be required. n Possible participant schools can be identified and a critical mass of schools in an area (not less than four, ideally six) would be required for the cluster to proceed. n Groups of schools identified for potential participation will generally: l Be in areas of low or declining population l Share the same language of instruction n Unless through planned retirement, there will be no negative implications for the staffing schedule of any school participating in the project. n Participation in the project cannot create additional workload for principals or teachers.

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MARCH AND APRIL Virtual meetings attended/hosted:

n n n

NAPD SYMPOSIUM The Symposium took place at the Crowne Plaza on 10th March, and was effectively one of the last physical gatherings before the lockdown.

The theme of the symposium was ‘wellbeing, workload and work-life balance – how sustainable is the role of the school leader in 2020 and how might we do things differently’ and a key part of it focused on the research on school leaders’ wellbeing undertaken

by Maynooth University. As IPPN will be undertaking a similar research project this year, the symposium was particularly interesting.

DES COVID-19 BRIEFINGS The DES has been meeting remotely twice weekly during school closures with the management bodies, IPPN and NAPD. The focus is on the guidance and clarification needed by schools. There are a number of standing items for discussion at each meeting: 1. Supporting continuity of learning 2. State examination 3. School Administration 4. Use of school buildings/facilities 5. Issues relating to supporting disadvantaged students 6. Employment-related matters.

NCCA: PRIMARY CURRICULUM ADVISORY PANEL In March, the NCCA published the Draft Primary Curriculum Framework for consultation, which will continue until October. They are also currently working with stakeholders on conditions conducive to curriculum change. As part of this, they recently established an Advisory Panel comprised of experts in areas considered to be important to supporting curriculum change, some of which include: n educational leadership and change processes n curriculum review and development processes n policy alignment

supporting teacher/school agency curriculum coherence pedagogy and assessment.

The Advisory Panel members are Prof James Spillane, Northwestern University n Prof Louise Hayward, University of Glasgow n Prof Dominic Wyse, University College London and n Dr Thomas Walsh, Maynooth University. n

DCYA – SCHOOL COMPLETION IPPN met DCYA officials to discuss issues relating to the School Completion Programme (SCP), including communications from members who had issues with a review of the scheme. The issues raised included governance, universal supports, guidance on the spending of the grant, clarity in relation to the SCP supports for schools and the need to consult principals on what actually works, the changing role of HSCL coordinators, the intake framework and therapeutic interventions.

DES - FRONTLOADING OF SNAs IPPN met with senior DES officials and presented proposals based on the feedback from the recent IPPN Board and Council meetings. [See Pat Goff’s write-up on page 19] SCHOOL VISITS Before schools were closed on Thursday 12th March, IPPN President Damian White met with the following school leaders: n Simon Byrne, Principal of Scoil Eoin Phóil, Tullamore n Noirín Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh, Principal of Tankarstown NS, Tipperary n Regina Corrigan, principal of SN An Teallaigh, Co. Mayo n Seoirse Ó Moráin, principal of Scoil Eoin, Breaffy, Co Mayo n Michael James Malone, principal of St Endas NS, Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare n Martin Moloney, principal of Clarecastle NS, Co. Clare.

OnYourBehalf

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Damian also virtually ‘met’ many school leaders at the county-based webinars facilitated by Education Centres in April and May, for example he met principals in Tralee, deputy principals in Ennis, and other school leaders in Dungarvan, Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Letterkenny, Athlone and Galway, among others. He was very impressed with the number of attendees and the level of engagement and mutual support evident at each one of these meetings.

Correction In the April issue, we noted meetings due to be attended in mid/lateMarch that were planned before the restrictions on movement were imposed during the COVID-19 crisis.

The following meetings/events were cancelled or postponed: ■ CPSMA Conference ■ NTRIS Pilot Oversight Group ■ ILSA Spring Conference ■ Education Buildings Ireland Conference ■ DES Inspectorate ■ All-Island Physical Literacy Forum, Dublin.

Above: IPPN President Damian White, Simon Byrne, Principal Scoil Eoin Phóil, Tullamore and INTO President Feargal Brougham at Scoil Eoin Phóil recently Left: Noirín Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh, Principal of Tankarstown NS, Tipperary with IPPN President Damian White when he visited the school recently

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#Flags4Frontline Campaign MAEVE O’MAHONY IPPN SUPPORT OFFICE Since the COVID-19 crisis began, the term ‘frontline workers’ has become part of our normal vocabulary. This term is synonymous with medical staff, including nurses, doctors, anaesthetists, and GPs, all of whom are spending long hours, day and night, fighting to ensure that this virus is controlled and lives are protected.

‘Frontline workers’ also includes warehouse staff, delivery drivers, shop assistants, cleaners, farmers, food producers, finance, construction and so on. Every person working in an essential service ensures that the people of Ireland can continue purchasing food, medicines and have access to vital facilities.

To raise awareness for all frontline workers, IPPN, along with the INTO,

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NAPD, TUI and ASTI and several sporting organisations, launched the #Flags4Frontline social media campaign across Facebook, Twitter and the ippn.ie website in March.

The message was simple – hang club, county, provincial or national flags on gates, houses and schools to show gratitude towards those on the front line. The eye catching, colourful flags also lifted spirits of those in the local community. If there was no flag available, children were encouraged to design a sign, flag or banner as part of the campaign.

The movement quickly gained support from organisations and groups the length and breadth of the country, including Badminton Ireland, the GAA and Seal Rescue Ireland. Numerous

primary and post primary students and schools were involved also, as well as countless families and individuals.

Some schools took the message a step further by collaborating with pupils on videos, such as the Divine Word NS in Rathfarnham.

The #Flags4Frontline campaign was a roaring success, with flags, homemade signs, and videos created by pupils, teams and communities across the country. We hope those on the frontline know how grateful we are for their dedication to keeping us all safe.

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COVID-19 School Closures Home/School Communication This is just one example, of many that have circulated online during school closures, of a positive communication from a school to families, which had an impact on the whole school community.

Geraldine Casey is an acting principal in St Philips the Apostle SNS, Mountview, Clonsilla, Dublin. Michelle McCarrick, a teacher in the school, tweeted the letter below as follows:

Michelle McCarrick @MichelleBrady4 So proud of Geraldine Casey, the acting principal of my school, St. Philip the Apostle S.NS., for sharing this beautiful message with our school community in these unprecedented times

Dear Parents and Guardians

of the pupils of our school,

wish and hope for you all is e unprecedented times. My first thes in all dren you with ing icat I’m commun n. I know that many of your chil bit scared, scared of the unknow ost utm our do and us with that you are safe. We are all a live t now is to mind those who righ do to d nee we at Wh too. are scared s. endeavour to stay safe ourselve to make sure they are safe and the school, about not completing about what is being missed in ry wor return to do not we n you whe ask ld but wou I e work to do our pupils left school with som year but this ks boo the curriculum at this time. All of ugh thro get the same boat. We may not to school all children will be in right now is to reassure our out there. What we need to do um icul curr er there is a much wid ether, bake something nice, tog k , too, will pass. Read a boo this that w e kno them let to , children your balcony, play a board gam e birds from your window or day and e som visit to love cook a different dinner, spot som ld wou you m, do a project on a country it should be or a game of cards, write a poe said, ‘Creativity is like a virus, tein Eins . tive crea Be fit.

Stay rn to school retu we n whe don’t forget to exercise. ms reviews and some lovely poe k boo ing read to ard forw spread.’ I look have spent their time. and to hearing how our pupils es children. RTÉ will begin a seri might like to share with your you s an urce t reso pos g will adin Zoo uplo lin are Dub We ch 30th. school pupils beginning on Mar lovely a like nds sou of one hour lessons for primary This . zoo the around one of the animals in activity book each day themed or to follow the routine of a er pressure to do everything und feel ’t Don . learning experience regular school day. nt at home for the greatest e missed out on having a pare hav ple peo ng you ning of ion erat A whole gen rushing out to work in the mor ic circumstances… everybody ul derf won r you with part of the day due to econom time this austed in the evenings. Treasure and coming home tired and exh Snuggle up if you can. children. Do things together. the people in the hospitals. You are on the front line. You are the k wor h nts, muc pare and s our , van you of very Lots and the deli the shops. You drive the buses faces we meet when we go to . you te es. We thank you and we salu more. You are our super hero were only beginning. This is coming to an end we wish they Sometimes, when holidays are All of the staff at St. Philip’s are will. it and end ol. We want this to different. We want to be at scho well. Look after each other miss our pupils. Stay safe and We l. wel you wish and you thinking of . and those near and dear to you r children.

I wish a blessing on you and you Geraldine Casey Acting Principal

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Coping with grief and loss

in the 21st century Irish Classroom CARMELITA McGOUGHLIN

MENTOR ON SCHOOL PLACEMENT AND ECE PLACEMENT, MARY IMMACULATE COLLEGE

Children are no different from adults in that they are confronted with death in many different forms, from a favourite pet dying, to TV images of crashed planes and terrorist attacks. The current Covid-19 pandemic emphasises this. More than ever, schools will need to be ready to facilitate and support grieving children and colleagues.

Recent research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) revealed that in Ireland: 2.2% of nine year-olds have experienced the death of a parent, 1.1% a sibling, 7% an aunt or uncle and 6% a close friend. By the age of nine, 28% of Irish children have lost a grandparent.

Children are usually curious and seek information about all life events, including death. It is common for the child to express thoughts and fears about death. However, there will be a variety of responses from the children, as even though all may be the within the same age group, the developmental stage of the child is not linear.

SKILLS NEEDED BY TEACHERS The school can provide a haven for the child away from the intensity of sadness that may be in the home at a time of bereavement or loss. Skills required from a teacher include empathy, compassion, patience, listening and the importance of giving time.

The teacher should acknowledge what happened and ask the child if there is any way that he/she can help. It is important to be flexible and honest in all dealings with the child. Teachers need to be good listeners and be able to use the appropriate language regarding grief and death.

Teachers also need to address their own fears in order to feel prepared to face the challenges that they meet when coping with grief and loss in the classroom. The teacher is often 18

emotionally affected by the loss that the child is experiencing. Practical support may need to be given to the class teacher by colleagues if the teacher is overwhelmed by a particular situation, e. g. doing lunchtime supervision so that the class teacher can avail of respite. Records that are passed between classes should include any incidents of bereavement to ensure continuity of care.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY The changes in the profile of Irish society must influence the approach we take to addressing the challenges of grief and loss in the classroom.

The rituals surrounding mourning are inherently connected to the culture of the particular family. It is very important for teachers to understand the family’s culture in order to provide meaningful support. The challenges facing the teacher can be daunting, but knowledge and understanding contribute to coping skills. The teacher or school could ask individual families to provide information about their particular cultural practices.

INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION Internationally, teachers agree that their Initial Teacher Education (ITE) did not provide them with the skills to cope with the challenges of grief and loss in the classroom. Thus, lack of confidence is widespread. There is however a positive picture emerging in that all the ITE programs now provide modules on bereavement and loss.

There is increasing need for the provision of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for the primary school teacher in the area of grief and loss in the 21st Century classroom.

POLICY It is widely agreed that schools should have a policy document in place to provide guidance to teachers in the event of a death that impacts on the school community. Without specific guidelines from government, schools

may need support and advice on the preparation and implementation of bereavement policies that embrace our culturally diverse society.

The changes in the profile of Irish society must influence the approach we take to addressing the challenges of grief and loss in the classroom.

RECOMMENDATION Coping with grief and loss in the classroom is complex, challenging and many faceted and merits greater attention in both ITE and CPD. We can enrich the child’s experience of loss by being knowledgeable.

Carmelita McGloughlin is a former primary school teacher, having taught children ranging from ages 4 to 12 in both urban and rural settings. In 2017, Carmelita was awarded an MA in Education for her research thesis: “The challenges that face the primary school teacher in coping with grief and loss in a multicultural setting”. LINK Carmelita works in Mary Immaculate College as a Mentor on School Placement and ECE Placement, parttime lectures in SPHE and supervises undergraduate dissertations.

She worked with Compassionate Communities, Milford Care Centre, Limerick. This project aimed to support people to think about death, to encourage people to plan ahead, talk with others and offer practical support to those facing end of life.

If you would like to contact Carmelita in relation to this article, you can email her to carmelitamcgloughlin@mic.ul.ie.

May/June 2020

SNA Allocation 2020/21 and

‘Full Inclusion’

PAT GOFF IPPN DEPUTY CEO The proposed new ‘Frontloading Model’ for SNAs is being postponed for a year. For this September, the starting point will be that every school will retain the level of resources that they currently have. To many people, the model outlined for this September is very similar to any proposed frontloading model. The harsh reality is that there was no Plan B for SNA allocations – it would have been nigh on impossible to try and submit individual applications for SNA support, even without the COVID-19 crisis. Possibly the good outcome for schools and school leaders is that there will now be an opportunity to properly review this model. Hopefully there will be meaningful consultation with school leaders who will become even more ‘frontline’ in how SNAs are allocated in their schools and the inevitable tension that will arise with parents of pupils with special educational needs. Where a school perceives they have insufficient SNA resources, they should review their current deployment of SNA resources, identifying any capacity created by diminishing care needs or leavers. Where the school still perceives they have insufficient SNA resources, they should apply to NCSE for an ‘Exceptional Review’. It will be very interesting to examine how these exceptional reviews operate in practice, and how flexible will they be to meet the ever-changing needs in schools.

as soon as possible of the outcome of exceptional reviews. NCSE will prioritise applications from schools who currently have no SNAs. A school can appeal the outcome of an exceptional review. If a parent is not satisfied with the level of SNA support their child is receiving in school, they should discuss this with the school principal and, if still not satisfied, with the school Board of Management.

NCSE acknowledges that, due to COVID-19 restrictions, a school principal may not be able to submit documentation supporting the identification of new or emerging primary care needs within the school.

FULL INCLUSION MODEL The NCSE explored the issue of Full Inclusion at a recent research conference in Croke Park. The purpose of the conference was to examine what a fully inclusive education system looks like.

There are two fundamental questions

that need to be answered: n What are the reasons why SEN students should continue to be educated in special schools and classes away from their mainstream peers? n What are the reasons why we should adopt a fully mainstream approach?

In answering those basic questions, we need to look first at our existing model of provision here in Ireland.

What is working well, where are the deficiencies and can these be fixed?

More importantly we need to examine whether the current model is meeting the needs of the SEN pupils. The new SNA allocation model will definitely need time to embed. The lack of therapy supports for SEN pupils needs urgent addressing, as does the overall level of support.

There has been no further meeting of the NCSE Council to discuss the advice which the NCSE is due to give the Minister in relation to special classes or special schools. Any new minister will probably have more pressing issues, so for now there has been no movement in this area and it is very unlikely to see any in the near future.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 will impact on our educational system for many years to come.

NCSE acknowledges that, due to COVID-19 restrictions, a school principal may not be able to submit documentation supporting the identification of new or emerging primary care needs within the school.

The application should include a reference to any supporting documentation and NCSE will undertake school visits in 2020/21 to review such documentation and ensure it is as outlined in any application for an exceptional review.

Schools will be advised, in writing, 19

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Resource Bundle

Behaviours of Concern

DONAL KERINS IPPN LEADERSHIP SUPPORT TEAM

The IPPN Resource Bundle on Behaviours of Concern seeks to provide all current information and resources on the topic in one place.

RELATIONSHIPS The Resource Bundle considers the key relationships between the school leader and n the parents n the child n the teachers n other school staff n state agencies.

WHAT ARE BEHAVIOURS OF CONCERN? Behaviours of concern are defined as “Culturally abnormal behaviour(s) of such intensity, frequency or duration that the physical safety of the person or others is placed in serious jeopardy, or behaviour which is likely to seriously limit or deny access to the use of ordinary community facilities” (Emerson, 1995).

Behaviours of concern can have serious consequences for teaching and learning in schools for the child concerned, for the other children in the class, for school staff and for the school leaders.

WHAT CAUSES BEHAVIOURS OF CONCERN? Children’s behaviour is usually a means of soliciting praise and encouragement from their parents and teachers. There is always a reason for less normal behaviour – for behaviours of concern, such as: Anxiety and Stress. Children may become anxious for a myriad of reasons. Worries about friendships, homework, home situations etc. can be overwhelming for a child, leading to stress. While most children are able to identify the cause and put in place strategies to reduce their stress levels, some cannot

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Communication difficulties can range from not being able to speak at all, shyness, social inhibition to being very articulate but not understanding the social variations in a conversation.

Behaviours of Concern are often a substitute means of communication for such children Sensory issues. Some children can be over- or under-sensitive to any of their senses Social understanding. Not all children have the same understanding of social rules. Not all children receive the same level of respect for society or the same training in social interactions Inflexible thinking. We all adapt to routines and can find them comforting.

Some children struggle with changes in routine.

HOW CAN WE SUPPORT CHILDREN WHO ARE SHOWING BEHAVIOURS OF CONCERN? Identifying the cause, or causes, of the behaviour is key to establishing the underlying causes and developing a programme of behaviour modification to improve the child’s quality of life.

Recording helps us analyse the ‘ABC’ of concerning behaviours: n Antecedents. These are the actions or conditions which led to behaviours of concern - the “triggers”. Once identified, they can be controlled or eliminated, reducing behaviours of concern n Behaviour. It is important to codify that behaviour in terms of its type, severity and frequency n Consequences. Recording the child’s reaction to his/her behaviour of concern may help us understand the reasons for the behaviour. We may find that the child enjoys the reaction and the attention received as a consequence of the behaviour or the child may be distressed by the experience.

SOME BASIC STRATEGIES TO HELP IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS n Try to remain calm. Keeping calm means that you can see the bigger picture and help the child work through his/her difficulty n Keep a record of the behaviours – the “triggers”, the behaviour itself and the consequences n Resist telling a child to calm down - give calm guidance to help the child to calm down n Be consistent in what you say and do n Be clear about your expectations, boundaries, rules and consequences n Use appropriate reward / sanction systems for that child n Get support from others to help you understand and manage behaviour, e.g. IPPN local support group n Make a list of all behavioural concerns and only focus on one or two at a time.

May/June 2020

Are you planning to retire in 2020?

JACKIE O’REILLY IPPN MEMBER SUPPORTS & SERVICES If you have made the decision to retire or step back from leadership in 2020, we wish you every happiness and fulfilment in the future. We would like to thank you sincerely for your professional contribution to colleagues and to the IPPN network of school leaders.

To assist the work being done in the IPPN Support Office, could you please let us know of your impending retirement and also the details of the newly-appointed principal as soon as that decision has been made?

Alternatively, you could ask the new principal to contact us directly. This would be of enormous help to us and I know would be very much appreciated by the newly-appointed principal. Any information that you can provide on newly-appointed principals can be emailed to jackie.oreilly@ippn.ie.

LINK

One-to-one mentoring is available to newlyappointed principals who take part in the PDST Misneach Programme.

cslireland.ie and you will be placed on a list for the next round of training in the autumn.

IPPN will provide new principals with the opportunity to engage in group mentoring for their second year in the role. This depends on the completion of one-to-one mentoring and then the new school leader will move to group mentoring.

IPPN will provide new principals with the opportunity to engage in group mentoring for their second year in the role.

If you are in a position to mentor a group of Year 2 school leaders, please email Jackie at the IPPN National Support Office on jackie.oreilly@ippn.ie.

A suitable mentor is one who: n

n

n

n

n

n n

n

n

n

has five or more years’ experience as a Principal ‘networks’ with other Principals in the normal course of his/her work has a ‘common sense’ approach and a practical nature can give some of their time either on the telephone or in person to a newly-appointed school leader is professionally approachable while being discreet and confidential is a good listener has a sense of professional and personal generosity? is competent and conversant in the areas of HR and conflict resolution has been proactive in relation to their own CPD and, very importantly, has completed one-to-one mentor training with CSL.

Some of our retired principals like to remain in contact and within the education information loop whilst others like to get involved in ongoing projects with IPPN. If you are interested in either, please email jackie.oreilly@ ippn.ie. Retired school leaders may continue to be part of IPPN through IPPN associate membership.

For further information, visit www.ippn.ie and select ‘About Us’ and ‘Join IPPN’ ‘Associate Membership’.

Once again, every happiness and fulfilment in the future.

INTERESTED IN MENTORING NEW PRINCIPALS? One-to-one mentoring is available to newly-appointed principals who take part in the PDST Misneach Programme.

If you are in a position to mentor a newly appointed school leader, please email the CSL Office at office@ 21

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Speaking without Words

DR JOHN WHITE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY From the point of view of communication, school leaders always intrigue me. As professionals, your day is firmly rooted in human communication and pointedly in ‘faceto-face’ interactions. You meet pupils, parents, staff, visiting professionals and community stakeholders on a regular basis and very often within a ‘face-to-face’ context. Leaders often readily agree that they are well aware of the words they use in such meetings, but how confident are you in describing your non-verbal communication?

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION AND HUMAN INTERACTION Non-verbal communication is at the heart of all human interactions, impregnating your verbal messages with additional and sometimes even contradictory information.

These messages are very potent, having an evolutionary basis. We are born to communicate nonverbally.

Indeed, sensitivity to nonverbal communication begins within hours of your arrival into this world. New-born babies will look longer at stimuli that appear face-like. Indeed, Field et al., (1982) found that after just a few days of life, babies will imitate certain facial expressions and gestures.

I’m frequently asked for ‘statistics’ on the power of nonverbal communication. How much of our communication is nonverbal? The anthropologist Ray Birdwhistell estimates the figure at about 65%, the linguistic psychologist David McNeill estimates 75%, while the psychologist Albert Mehrabian estimates about 93%. All of these percentages are hard to verify and some have been strongly critiqued. Nonetheless, it is safe to say that well over half your messages are nonverbal. That’s a lot!

Accordingly, as you meet and greet such a wide variety of people across all age ranges each day, what should you be thinking about nonverbally? I 22

have picked out a few areas which I think are relevant to your unique work environment.

SMILING When Will Farrell, in the film ‘Elf’, uttered the words: “I just like to smile, smiling’s my favourite,” I am unsure whether the statement was grounded in psychology or biology, but these words hold a lot of meaning.

Believe it or not, a smile can be perceived from a distance of 300 feet; the length of a football field! The first thing to say about smiling is that it is good for you! As Paul Ekman (2003; 207) notes: ‘people who frequently show smiles involving the muscle around the eye report feeling more happiness, have lower blood pressure, and are reported by their spouses and friends to be happy’ .

When the human is genuinely happy, he / she produces what Ekman (1997) calls a ‘felt smile’. These smiles are felt by the receiver. How can this be?

When you smile, the person to whom it is directed is affected biologically (Dimberg and Ohman, 1996). Their nervous system is activated, causing the release of endorphins which produce a ‘feel good’ emotional effect.

Much of the research suggests that smiling is a “universal signal of honesty”. As such, it functions as a type of social glue (Centorrino et al.

2015). It has also been shown that smiling increases attractiveness, that

people who smile are perceived as happier, more attractive, competent, likable, approachable, and friendly.

In short, smiling is good both for you and those around you. However, it is important to note that smiling can be ‘faked’ due to the ease with which humans can produce smiles.

Gesturing Sigmund Freud once wrote: ‘if his lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips’ (1905 / 1953, 52). Gestures basically involve hand / finger movements. Babies begin to gesture from age 10 months, so, like all forms of nonverbal communication, they have deep roots in our psyche.

Gestures are valuable for a number of reasons. Firstly, they provide semantic value to the spoken word. In a wellknown experiment involving cartoons, Geoffrey Beattie (2004) found that some gestures could increase the informational value of the spoken word by up to 400%! Secondly, for you the speaker, gestures help you to ‘organise spatial and motor information into packages appropriate for speaking’ (Wagner et al., 2004, 406). Thirdly, people who gesture are perceived as more likeable.

Body Language / Body Orientation The study of open and closed body language involves looking at how we use the hands, the arms, the trunk and the head. For example, if someone sits down and promptly folds their arms, crosses their legs and moves their trunk away from others (e.g. sideways) we can describe this as ‘closed’ body language. When people

May/June 2020

VOCAL INTONATION The character Desdemona in Shakespeare’s Othello gives us an interesting insight into vocal intonation: ‘I understand a fury in your words, But not the words’ (Othello, Act IV, Scene II).

use their body in this way, they are in effect erecting a barrier. Such actions may have a physiological basis. Unless you’re cold, if you cross your arms, you are protecting your upper body from attack, and if you cross your legs, then similarly you are protecting your lower body from unwanted assault. Jane Lyle (1990) describes it as a form of self-preservation. On the other hand, ‘open’ body language is associated with open palms, and open body with the trunk and limbs oriented towards others. Basically, open body language presents a ‘lack of barriers of any sort’ (Borg, 2008, 26). Studies have found correlations with ‘the likeability factor’. In particular, a combination of forward leaning, close proximity, eye contact, openness of arms, possible exposed palms, openness of body, postural relaxation and positive facial expressions have been connected with this likeability factor.

One of the important things to know about your use of the voice, is its ability to ‘leak’ how you feel. Michael Argyle (1988, 145) makes the point that ‘the voice is a leakier channel than the face, i.e. it is not so well controlled and is more likely to reveal true feelings’. A number of emotions are transmitted via vocal expressions. Joy and elation can be associated with raised pitch and pitch variability. Depression can be connected with lowered voice pitch and intonation intensity. Anxiety can be related to raised pitch, breathy quality and longer, more silent pauses.

Fear can be linked with raised pitch

and high energy at higher pitches.

Anger can be related to higher speech rate and sudden increases of pitch and loudness on single syllables.

And as you can probably guess, vocal intonation is a symptom of enthusiasm. Finally, verbal fluency is a strong predictor of persuasiveness.

CONCLUSION Sometimes called your ‘X-Factor’ (White and Gardner, 2011), there is no doubt that non-verbal communication is a potent influencer of human perception. As a leader, I think you should reflect on your non-verbal communication regularly.

How often do you smile? What do your hand gestures tell others? Do you think your body language is typically open? What is your vocal intonation like? The human reads this nonverbal information in milliseconds and often without conscious awareness.

Speaking without words is louder than you think!

White, J. and Gardner, J. (2011) The Classroom X-Factor: The Power of Body Language and Nonverbal Communication in Teaching. Rutledge, London Other bibliographical references are with the Editor.

Body language

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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

www.ippn.ie Latest resources If your school has a policy or plan that is not available on ippn.ie, or which would supplement available resources, we would appreciate if you would submit it for review by email to rachel.hallahan@ ippn.ie LINK The following are the new resources available in the different sections of the website:

COVID-19 This new section was added to the website as a temporary holding place for all information and materials relating to school closures from 12th March 2020 until it is no longer required. Individual items will not be listed here due to their temporary nature.

The following sub-sections were set up to deal with relevant information and materials.

n

COVID-19 Latest Updates

LINK

n

n

Useful Resources

LINK

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n

FAQs

LINK

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Teaching and learning

LINK

TEACHING AND LEARNING

RESOURCES

DES CIRCULARS n 0027/2020 - COVID-19: Temporary assignment arrangements for certain staff in the education and training sector n

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0024/2020 - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Delay Phase: Arrangements for teachers and special needs assistants employed in recognised primary and postprimary schools 0019/2020 - Release Time for Principal Teachers in Primary Schools

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0019-2020 - Appendix A 0018/2020 - Staffing arrangements in Primary Schools for the 2020/21 school year 0018-2020 - Appendices - A, B, C, D, E, F(a-e), G, H.

PLANNING PROMPTS A new prompt is uploaded each week to this section, and each one is relevant to the time of year.

SUPPORTS

LEADERSHIP+ 2019/2020 n Issue 113 - April 2020

LINK

Please note that the May/June issue will be distributed as an epublication only.

E-SCÉALS A new E-scÊal is uploaded each week to this section.

EducationPosts.ie SUSAN FORDE EDUCATIONPOSTS.IE SUPPORT As the time of publication, EducationPosts.ie is awaiting an update from the Department of Education and Skills on panels for primary level recruitment for the coming academic year. Once we receive an update, we will make this information available on ippn. ie, EducationPosts.ie and across our social media platforms.

In preparation for the panel updates, we recommend accessing your EducationPosts.ie account to ensure the information for your school is up to date. Access EducationPosts.ie > Login > Login as IPPN Member to view the Advertiser Dashboard for your school.

Please note, adverts are activated every 3 to 4 hours during office hours (9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday). Adverts uploaded to the website after 5.00pm on Friday or

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anytime on Saturday and Sunday will be activated the following Monday. In relation to public holidays in Ireland, adverts will be activated the next working day.

If you have any queries relating to EducationPosts.ie, please email the team on info@educationposts.ie, and we will be delighted to assist.

LINK

May/June 2020

Stammering

The Hidden Disability

DR. JONATHON LINKLATER

DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, IRISH STAMMER ASSOCIATION

Stuttering or stammering is a communication disability characterised by repetitions, prolongations and blocks; a disruption to the free flow of speech. There is a neurological element (the brain shows different activity when stuttering), a genetic element (stammering tends to run in families) and a psychological element (negative thoughts and feelings can develop and impact on everyday life).

Stammering is a hidden disability – you don’t generally know that a pupil stammers until they open their mouth.

Around 5% of children will stammer at some point – usually between the ages of 2 and 6 years of age. This means that four out of those five children will recover or resolve and develop typical fluency. The child who grows up stammering can experience negative reactions. As a result, they may develop a fear of stammering and may try to cover up this difficulty by changing words or choosing to not talk and avoiding speaking situations.

Irish Stammering Association (ISA) supports children who stammer and their families. We operate drama workshops group for young people as well as parent support groups.

Teachers can get in touch with ISA if they have questions about how best to support the pupil who stammers.

ISA believes that being open and talking about stammering can be a healthy way to handle it – rather than covering it up. Stammering is like an iceberg; a portion can be seen (and heard) but the major part is hidden and made up of negative thoughts, feelings and behaviours. By talking about stammering, we can reduce the impact of the iceberg, exposing it to sunlight and melting it away.

Further information can be found on stammeringireland.ie.

Dr Jonathon Linklater is development manager for Irish Stammering Association and a speech and language therapist (and he also stammers)

LINK

This tendency to avoid can have a significant impact on a child’s social, emotional and educational development.

A pupil who stammers might not to put up their hand in class even when they know the answer in case they stammer. They may choose not to talk to some classmates in case they are laughed at for their speech. They may not volunteer to take part in activities such as school plays, sports or community events in case they need have to talk.

A pupil who stammers may find it difficult even to just say their name.

For all these negatives, children who stammer can contribute positively to the classroom when supported by school staff. Many will have a caring, empathetic side and be a good listener and ally to their friends. Given the chance, the pupil who stammers may be able to express themselves as well as others in their class; they just need a little more time to do so.

As there is often a genetic element to stammering, the parent who stammers themselves may find communication difficult and may be reluctant to talk to school staff at times. They may also worry more about how their child will cope in school, especially if they had a difficult time in education.

Our current online world is giving the pupil who stammers a few extra challenges too! How will I make myself heard in a group call? Will I have enough time to speak? What happens if the WiFi goes down and I have to say my answer again? We’re all having to adapt, but a little planning (and a quick check in) can go a long way for any pupil with speech, language and communication needs.

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LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

Left to their own devices Trends in ICT at primary school level DR EEMER EIVERS USING ICT IN CLASS AND AT HOME

This is the third extract from Left to their own devices, published by IPPN in November 2019. The report draws from three large studies (TIMSS, PIRLS and Ireland’s National Assessments) that focus on primary school children, their schools, and their teachers. Although pre-dating the arrival of COVID-19, the findings remain relevant for supporting effective learning in the classroom and the home. The previous extract outlined how Irish primary pupils’ homes were at least as digitally connected as their peers in other countries, whereas their schools were not. This extract looks at use of ICT in the classroom and the home, and some of the factors that influence it.

PUPILS’ USE OF ICT We can look at pupils’ use of ICT from a few perspectives, including their own confidence and competence, the types of things they do, and how often they do them. Like children in most countries, Irish pupils are very confident of their ICT skills. For example, 60% of them agreed a lot that they are good at computers and that it is easy for them to find information on the internet, (only 2% disagreed a lot).

Their confidence was not unfounded: as part of the ePIRLS assessment of online reading skills in 2016, Irish pupils were well above the international average.

However, pupils did not generally think that the skills they have developed were learned in school. When asked how they learned to use computers, the most common answer was self-taught, followed by family help. Only 6% of Irish pupils (compared to 14% internationally) said that their teachers were the main source of instruction. This is perhaps not too surprising, as they used computers in lessons much less frequently than they used them at home.

countries. Overall, the percentages of pupils who said that they never or hardly ever used a computer in school increased from 35% to 48%, but in Ireland the increase was from 30% to 58% (Figure 1). This does not mean that ICT formed no part of these pupils’ lessons, as it does not include teacher usage in class. However, it does suggest a dearth of hands-on ICT experience in over half of Irish primary schools.

Ireland

International Average

59

60

58

50

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50

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35 30

30 2011

2015

2016

Figure 1: Increases in Irish pupils reporting

Since first measured in 2004, there has been a steady increase in the percentage of Irish pupils playing games on a home computer or tablet. When last measured in 2016, 90% of Irish pupils played games daily, and large majorities also watched videos on computers and browsed or chatted online. In most cases, home use of computers for various leisure activities was at least as frequent in Ireland as in other countries. Although usage was typically moderate, for a sizeable minority it was not. For example, 22% of boys and 9% of girls in Ireland spent more than two hours a day playing computer games.

In contrast to home leisure use, only a minority of Irish pupils reported daily use of computers or tablets for homework or schoolwork at home. Not only was frequency of use much lower than for leisure activities, but it dropped substantially between 2015 and 2016. In 2015, just over one-third of pupils here, and on average, internationally, used computers for homework on most days. By 2016, reported usage in Ireland was much lower: 46% never used computers for homework, double the PIRLS average of 23%. To illustrate how unexpected these results are, Morocco was the only country where pupils used computers for homework less frequently. There, 40% of children had no digital devices at home, considerably more than the less than half a percent in Ireland.

Pupil use of computers in schools fell across the period 20112016, with the fall more pronounced in Ireland than in most 26

they did not use a computer in school Source: PIRLS 2011, 2016 and TIMSS 2015. Percentages of Irish pupils saying they never or hardly ever use a computer in school.

TEACHERS’ USE OF ICT As with pupils, we can look at teachers’ use of ICT from a few perspectives, including confidence, types and frequency of activities. Comparing the National Assessments in 2009 and 2014 shows an increase in confidence in using ICTs to teach maths and English. However, using ICT remained the teaching strategy in which teachers expressed the least self-confidence. PIRLS and TIMSS results from 2011 show that – compared to the international average – Irish primary teachers were more likely say that they were comfortable using computers to teach, but about twice as likely to be dissatisfied with access to technical support staff.

Regarding usage, it is important to remember that teachers cannot use what they do not have. Relatively few teachers in Ireland incorporated in-class use of ICT by pupils into their teaching practices, because adequate devices were not available. A counterpoint to the shortage of pupil devices was the large increases in resources for teacher use (typically, computer, digital projector and interactive whiteboard) in 2009 and 2010,which led to marked changes in teacher practice. In the 2009 National Assessments, roughly onequarter of pupils’ teachers were using computers in maths and

May/June 2020

English lessons at least weekly. By 2014, it was close to threequarters. Figure 2 shows information about whiteboards and digital projectors in Second class English lessons, but broadly similar patterns apply for maths lessons and for older class groups. In line with much improved access to resources, there was much increased usage. Use of interactive whiteboards increased more than threefold (from 14% to 47%), while use of digital projectors increased more than sixfold.

Interactive Whiteboards

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Teach strategies Teach critical Ask to look up N/A (no access for reading reading on information (e.g. to reading) digital text the internet facts, definitions)

Source: PIRLS 2016: Percentages of Irish pupils whose teacher said they did an activity at least weekly

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e

64 61

Figure 3: Newer teachers use ICT more frequently in reading lessons

60 g Usa

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0

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Figure 2: Increased access (bars) to whiteboards and projectors led to

independent activities. For example, among those with access to computers, 73% of pupils were asked to look up information at least weekly (48% in single grade settings), while 57% were asked to research a topic (39% in single grade settings). Differences were smaller for teacher-led activities.

increased usage (lines) Source: National Assessments 2009 and 2014. Percentages of Second class pupils whose teacher used a digital projector or interactive whiteboard in every or almost every English lesson.

The best predictor of any type of usage is availability.

However, TIMSS and PIRLS data (from 2015 and 2016) show that use of ICT is also linked to teacher characteristics such as experience, gender, multi-grade versus single grade setting, and uptake of CPD. As might be expected, teachers who attended CPD on how to integrate information technology into maths teaching were more likely to engage pupils in ICT-related activities during maths lessons. There were no consistent gender differences regarding activities in reading lessons, but male teachers were more likely to make use of ICT in maths lessons for a variety of purposes. In particular, they were more likely than female teachers to get pupils to explore mathematical principles and concepts and to look up ideas and information.

Newly-qualified teachers (defined as having less than two years’ experience) were far more likely to make use of ICT in reading lessons for a variety of purposes, even though their access was no better than more experienced teachers (Figure 3). For example, 33% of pupils taught by new teachers were regularly taught to be critical of what they read on the internet, compared to only 3% of pupils taught by teachers with 3 to 5 years’ experience. Pupils taught by new teachers were also far more likely to be asked to read digital texts, to be taught strategies for reading digital texts, and to look up information on the internet. There were fewer differences in using ICT in maths lessons, although newly-qualified teachers were more likely than experienced teachers to use ICT to help pupils practice skills and procedures.

Teachers in a multi-grade setting were more likely to get pupils to engage in a variety of ICT-related lesson activities.

However, they were also more likely to have computers that pupils could access during lessons. Thus, Figure 4 only shows percentages in classrooms where pupils had access to computers. This shows a slightly inflated percentage of pupils engaging in activities, but allows comparison by setting.

Unsurprisingly, Irish teachers in multi-grade settings are more likely to get pupils to use computers to engage in

Single 80

Multi-grade

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60 48

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30

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Ask to read digital texts

Teach Teach critical Ask to strategies reading look up for reading on internet information digital text

Ask to research topic

Ask to write stories

Figure 4: Teachers in multi-grade settings more likely to use ICT for independent activities Source: PIRLS 2016. Percentages of pupils with in-class access to computers who were asked to engage in activities at least weekly

Comparing the use of ICT in lessons here and in other countries, the first point of note is that many Irish teachers could not engage pupils in activities due to lack of computers for pupil use. Amongst those with access, researching topics and looking up information were the most common pupil activities in reading lessons (both in Ireland and across PIRLS as a whole). Teaching pupils to be critical when reading on the internet was less common in Ireland than the average, which is worth further reflection.

Activities in maths lessons were broadly in line with international practices. The most common use of ICT in maths lessons, here and across TIMSS as a whole, was to help pupils practice skills and procedures, while the least common use was to look up ideas and information. Interestingly, recent analyses of TIMSS data from multiple countries suggests that reversing these priorities would be a more effective use of resources.

You can access the full publication on www.ippn.ie/Advocacy/ Publications.

LINK Eemer is currently on a career break from the Educational Research Centre, where she is Research Fellow. This report was written in a personal capacity for IPPN. 27

LEADERSHIP+ The Professional Voice of Principals

IPPN Strategic Review

The Past Defines the Future NORA PETERS IPPN GENERAL MANAGER All organisations, but especially membership organisations, should be on a never-ending journey towards better service, incremental improvements, greater relevance, more influence - all in the quest to improve things for members. It is good to take time - time to celebrate, but also to reflect - in terms of where we are as an organisation.

In terms of our vision, mission and values - are they still central to everything that we do? Are we being strategic in terms of our focus, are we prioritising effectively?

Our members are central to what we do at IPPN and, in planning for the next four years, it is our ambition to accelerate our development as a professional member services organisation by growing our membership and commercial services for you.

Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) has commissioned Accenture to facilitate the development of a strategic plan for the organisation. A key element in this process involves engaging with you the members, in order to understand your views

and expectations of IPPN. The new strategic plan aims to build on the success of previous strategic plans and reflects the changing environment of the educational landscape.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES: n To strengthen our network by harnessing the capacity and capability of school leaders n To maximise IPPN’s impact and ensure that school leaders’ experience is central to education policy by continuing to build collaborative relationships with key stakeholders n To ensure IPPN’s supports and services are enhanced to reflect the needs of today’s school leaders n To continue the ongoing work in achieving our primary organisational goals.

ACTIONS: As part of the strategic planning process, over the coming weeks IPPN will engage with members and potential members, as well as critical friends – our fellow professional associations; the DES, the Inspectorate and education agencies; management bodies; and the colleges of education

- to get their views on what IPPN has delivered in the past and where we as an organisation should be going in the future.

This feedback will be gathered via an online questionnaire and will afford all members the opportunity to have an input into the strategic planning process. We very much encourage you to participate in the process – the more input and feedback we get, the better informed we will be in shaping IPPN’s future strategic direction.

You can take the survey by clicking on the link. The survey should take no more than 10-15 minutes to complete.

Please note that each questionnaire response will be treated in utmost confidence. Your questionnaire responses will not be shared with IPPN. LINK Should you have any queries regarding the survey, please contact Conor Ward at conor.ward@accenture.ie LINK “Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction” – John F Kennedy

NOTE: The DES plans to issue the main Redeployment Panels on 20th May, assuming all schools have returned their panel forms before that.

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And Finally…

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NS

QUOTATIO

art of e h t s i t c Ta thout i w t n i o p making a my.n e n e n a g makinn, physicist and mathematicia to

Isaac New

’

IT WAS NEVER THE TEACHERS “The schools are broken,” they said.

“It must be the teachers,” they said.

And so they came for us.

They gave us scripted curriculum so we would know what to teach. Creativity and individuality couldn’t be trusted. They imposed state testing so they would know how well we taught.

Otherwise, we might just sit at our desks all day.

They demanded SMART goals and evaluations so that we would constantly improve. Without them, we would never strive to get better.

We were monitored. We were graded. We were told we were lacking.

AND THEN. The world shut down.

“Get rid of standardised tests!,” they cried. And they did. The dropped the scripted curriculum.

The SMART goals. The evaluations.

And you know what?

The teachers are still teaching.

They’re using Legos to teach arrays and cookie recipes to teach fractions. They’re infusing creativity and passion. They’re staying up all night researching new ways of teaching. They’re connecting with students like never before.

Students are begging to go to school.

Families are coming together to learn.

No testing. No curriculum. No evaluations.

And maybe, just maybe, the problem wasn’t teachers after all.

‘

QUOTATIONS

It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.

Louis Holz,

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ch, and analyst

American football player, coa

COVID-19-related Tweets Peter O Toole @tooleyp

es a vineyard raise a child but it tak “It takes a village to stwrd @ @l on me” Clive Byrne to raise one from ho cooper_m this whole of the best quotes of ‘This has to be one pandemic’ or of NAPD] [Ed: Clive is the Direct

Jennifer Canesten @Jenni4Canesten ‘I had to go to the local chemist and on the way I met one of my 12 yr old’s school pals. She was doing circles on her bike.

She roars at me: “Are ye gone mad yet?”

“Very nearly” I shout back.

“We’re COMPLETELY MAD NOW!” she roars back at me and pedals off. I’m still laughing.’

ALLIANZ, SUPPORTING YOUR SCHOOL The real test of friendship comes in a time of need and uncertainty. Some people will find a reason to stay away when the need is most, but true friends will find a reason to be there for you because that’s what matters most. Trust that Allianz is a true friend. We are here to support you now, and we will still be here to support you when the better days return.

From the outset, Allianz have been determined to be proactive in our support for our school customers.

CONTINGENCY PLANNING Allianz immediately put in place its contingency plan. By March 16 our staff were working on a rota basis in head office while adhering to social distancing guidelines. Thankfully, we were in a position to close the offices by March 19th. Within such a tight timeframe we were able to facilitate a high number of staff to work from home, with the change having minimal impact on our customer service across the company. As of April 15th, 95% of our staff are working from home, while the vast majority of our service level targets are back up to our pre-virus levels. Minimising the impact to our customers has been a central focus in our contingency plan.

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HERE TO SUPPORT YOU While our school visits have obviously ceased, we have been very keen to let you know that your Local Allianz Representative, the Allianz Education Support Team and all our claims and credit control functions remain open and available to you. We issued regular communications to all schools directly insured with us and addressedCovid19 Frequently Asked Questions as they developed.

Allianz is committed to being a trusted support for our schools during this period. We encourage you to contact your Local Allianz Representative, our School Support Team or your insurance intermediary to discuss any concerns or challenges you may have.

PUPIL PERSONAL ACCIDENT Considering the current landscape we operate in, we have changed our method of communication with our Pupil Personal Accident customers. Communications will occur via email, from the first week of May. If you are insured directly with Allianz and have changed your email address recently, or you do not receive an email in early May, please advise us at pupilpersonalaccident@allianz.ie and we will update your email contact details. Further communications will be issued over the summer period, but as always feel free to contact us if you need anything.

Please note, if you are insured through an insurance intermediary, you must contact your intermediary for assistance.

ALLIANZ PUPIL PERSONAL ACCIDENT Protection for the pupils of your school

WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE ALLIANZ FOR MY SCHOOL? Allianz proven and trusted track record in schools insurance 20% online saving for your school No excess No Time Limit* – We continue to pay insured expenses until the need for care has ceased ✔ Reduces the possibility of legal action being taken against your school ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Cover you can rely on from the Insurer you know and trust. * Claims must be reported within 2 years of the date of occurrence.

Allianz p.l.c. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Standard acceptance criteria apply. Information correct at April 2020.