Turn to Teaching, an innovative programme which aims to diversify teacher education, will be launched on the 18th of April at 11am on Renehan Hall, Maynooth University. Turn to Teaching comprises three innovative educational interventions that have been designed to address the barriers students from marginalised groups face when considering becoming a teacher. Maynooth President, Prof Philip Nolan alongside Senator Lynn Ruane, and Star Shine 2018 winner poet Rachael Hegarty will launch the programme.
Turn to Teaching will support the participation of 25 students annually from the most marginalised groups to become teachers through a one year pre-university foundation course called ‘Think about Teaching’.
The programme will also equip 40 second-level students (the Rising Teachers) who are attending DEIS schools with the skills and aspirations needed to access Initial Teacher Education directly. This two-year ‘Rising Teachers, Rising Leaders’ programme will also support 20 teachers (the Rising Leaders), who also come from diverse backgrounds, to become leaders within their community and to share their experiences with the Rising Teachers.
Central to both of these programmes is ‘Tar linn ag Teagasc’, this provides all those involved in Turn to Teaching with access to a tailored Irish language competency based module; to assist them to reach the required entry standard for ITE and to encourage participants to become future teachers of Irish.
Speaking about the programme, Senator Lynn Ruane said:
“ I am excited to be a part of the launch of this innovative programme. Diversity benefits us all and the perfect place to create the space for diversity is within the education system. Turn to Teaching is an amazing opportunity to make teaching more representative of both the class room and society. You cannot be, what you cannot see, so to have teachers from various classes, races, ethnicities and teachers living with a disability will have a massive impact on improving the numbers of kids going on to third level education. It will also enhance the learning environment and raise awareness of the diversity that exists in Irish life. Teachers are the carriers of change and I am excited to see what change Turn to Teaching creates”.
For further information on Turn to Teaching, please consult: here or from the Irish Times here