May 17th, 2018

Over the past few weeks, I have learned so many things about Ireland and education. I have loved getting to learn about the history of Ireland. If I had not come on this trip, I would not have known about the incredible past Ireland has. Between learning about the famine, the fight for freedom, and their passion for their Gaelic sports, I have fallen in love with this country. My favorite thing has been getting to witness the insane amount of love and passion these people have for their Gaelic football and hurling. They have a genuine love for these sports and I can physically feel it when I am around the sport with them. I have also enjoyed getting to be in the schools. I have seen several things that I would like to bring in to my classroom one day. The teacher I am paired with has a great classroom management plan. She sets expectations, reinforces the expectations multiple times, then praises the students who are following the expectations correctly. She also is truly interested in these students lives and families. She knows their parents, siblings, and all of their favorite things. My favorite thing about being in the classroom is seeing how well my five year old students can read. Instead of learning the letter names, they know the letter sounds which helps them be able to sound out any word and read sentences. I am truly impressed with my experience so far and I am very excited to see what else I learn before I head home.