Face to Face

Mayo Education Centre invites Newly Qualified Teachers (NQT's) to join a newly formed support group. At our monthly meetings, we will facilitate members to provide each other with help, share strategies and stories, discuss experiences and feel more empowered in the classroom. This is not only an opportunity to belong to a supportive teaching community but also an opportunuity to make teaching friends for life that will help to sustain you throughout your career.

This meeting will discuss the following;

·       Networking opportunities and scenarios.

·       Writing targets from the Writing Genre

·       Exploring useful websites

·       Panel Lists.

·       Other items for discussion by those in attendance.

Join Maura and Kathleen for this discussion and also a friendly cuppa. 

The support group will be facilitated by Dr Máire McNally and Dr Kathleen Smyth.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." – Helen Keller

This face to face workshop empowers teachers to begin teaching drama in their classrooms right away. In a relaxed atmosphere teachers learn, create and realise their potential to teach drama, through active participation in drama specific games, skills techniques and activities.

Learning Outcomes

• Teachers will gain an understanding of the prerequisites for making Drama and the Elements of Drama.

• Teachers will learn 15 practical warm up activities for beginning a drama lesson.

• Teachers will learn how to explore and make drama in the classroom using physical activities, vocal activities pair work and improvisation. 

• Teachers will learn the principles of reflecting on drama. 

This course is practical in nature and led by Terry McDonagh, freelance theatre maker and poet.  Terry was Drama Director at International School Hamburg for 17 years and lectured in creative writing at Hamburg University for 5 years. He’s published eleven poetry collections, letters, drama, prose and also poetry for young people. His work has been translated into German and Indonesian.

“I have known and worked with Terry McDonagh for over twenty years in my capacity as Education Officer with Poetry Ireland.  Terry has been, and is, an invaluable member of the Writers in Schools Scheme. He is a flexible, adaptable and highly skilled arts in education practitioner, particularly in the areas of drama education and ensemble theatre.  He can coordinate and direct large, disparate groups and works extremely well in collaboration with other artists.”

Jane O’Hanlon, Education Officer in Poetry Ireland I first met Terry McDonagh through theatre and was instantly forced to ask, who is that? I have seldom met a person with so much imagination and theatrical energy. Amazing. 

Elizabeth Pagitz, actor and newsreader in NDRadio Hamburg

Time: 7-9pm (Tea/Coffee break at 8pm)

Venue: Mayo Education Centre

Facilitator: Terry McDonagh