(New). An end of year assessment of the state of secondary school English as a subject in Ireland. juliangirdham.com/blog/english-a…

Captain Niall Murphy to the fore as Sligo see off Carlow to seal Tailteann Cup last-eight spot rte.ie/sport/football…

"That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong." ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald Interior, Woman Reading 🎨 Carl Holsøe

🚨 Incoming First Year Scholarship Bursary Award recipients 🚨 Congrats to the following students who receive the awards, in partnership with Servier. - Sarah Plevova, Carysfort National School - Cathal McDermott, St Joseph’s Templerainey - Leo Dixon, Gaelscoil an Inbhir Mhóir

It's been ten years since we started teaching the new Junior Cycle Eng Spec (1st yrs 2014/15). Is it the great educational revolution we were promised? Yes, but, like most revolutions, it hasn't gone according to plan and the whole thing is crumbling. thevideotrolley.blogspot.com/2025/06/junior…

A sad & unintended consequence of the O'Malley reforms of the 1960s is that we lost a fine tradition of education in the trades, more or less completely. Intellectual snobbery took over with LC becoming the sole objective of our ed system. We still have a one-track ed system.

"Jenga" na nGael 🥵

"To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives." ~ Henry David Thoreau The Forest Road (1869) 🎨 Fyodor Vasilyev

After writing this I've realised that there are two options for English teachers: 1. "Teach" to the test, through learning off notes, lists, definitions, summaries etc to give students the best chance of doing well in the exam. OR 2. Teach English.

With so much sadness and suffering in the world, I find more and more that I retreat to the seclusion of the quiet lanes. The only noise here comes from the birdsong in the hedgerows and the breeze in the long grasses, and if you hit really lucky there's absolutely no phone

For those in need of a smile, a reminder that one 19th-century name for a penguin was ‘arsefoot’.

This is my little home village of Hathersage resting in the slopes of green, the last of the day's sunshine pouring over the trees and houses. I heard cuckoos and church bells as I stood here to take this photograph, and to be truthful I could hardly bear to drag myself away.

“There is a serene and settled majesty to woodland scenery that enters into the soul and delights and elevates it, and fills it with noble inclinations.” ~ Washington Irving The Peaceful Forest Creek (1890) 🎨 Grigoriy Myasoyedov

#OnThisDay @ #USA94 Ray Houghton caught Pagliuca in no man's land to score this sensational goal & secure a famous 1-0 win for Ireland over Italy in New Jersey Always love Terry Phelan's reaction after this goal 🎙from Brian Moore

Minister McEntee and Minister of State Moynihan publish Education Plan 2025 👉 gov.ie/en/department-…

🔔 These FREE one-page guides are now available to download directly from my website. Useful for PD, sparking professional conversations, and deepening understanding of evidence-informed practice—grab all four! 🙋 Equitable/Accountable Questioning 🔩 Hinge Questions ◻️

📢 WHOLE CLASS FEEDBACK! This week’s edition of ⚗️DistillED focuses Whole Class Feedback—a high-impact, workload-friendly way to boost progress. Get a FREE one-page guide, plus a checklist, slides and crib sheet for DistillED+ members! SUBSCRIBE: newsletter.jamieleeclark.com/p/whole-class-…

📢 WHOLE CLASS FEEDBACK! This NEW one-page guide unpacks Whole Class Feedback—a high-impact, workload-friendly approach to boost pupil progress. Inspired by the book📗Feedback by Kate Jones and other leading edu-voices… 📥 Grab a high-quality copy in the latest edition

Of all the wonky gates in all the world, this one is definitely my favourite. OK, it's not the easiest to walk through, and it will try to chop off your legs if you're not paying attention, but it's reached via a quiet path lined with tall, waving foxgloves, like an honour guard

Midsummer morning, and the air is filled with skylarks, the sun painting stripes on the long grasses, and the early warmth of the day chasing away the traces of mist over the hills. I have to admit that this is a day I always dread a teeny bit, it feels like the pinnacle of the