“It is crucial we pause to reflect on the level of innovation and creativity undertaken by the teaching profession during the pandemic.”

I read Deirdre McGillicuddy’s article in the Irish Times this morning about teacher creativity, and often think that the pressure to be creative can be one of the most tiring parts of being a teacher. Constantly trying to innovate and keep our lessons fresh is critical to our success, but also takes a psychological toll at times. (https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/is-teacher-creativity-the-key-to-transforming-irish-education-1.4741006) Sometimes, we have to find imaginative ways of engaging our students. Other times, we have to just K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid – as they say in the US Marine Corp). Maybe today we can do a little bit of both!

It’s often in those moments of emergency (such as today’s storm) means we might have to “pivot” a class very quickly. I was hoping to show some sections of the Netflix movie The Two Popes today in class as a way of introducing Laudato Si, Fr Sean McDonagh, and Eco-Theology. Now we have to do it online. Links to the worksheet are below.

The Two Popes – Pol Soc “Watch Along” Handout

But it’s perhaps worth lingering on Dr McGillicuddy’s line “The power of teaching as creative endeavour lies in the transformative possibilities for children, teachers, schools, communities and our broader society”, to stop ourselves feeling to bad during a stressful day. It would be an interesting lens through which to view some aspects of the Pol-Soc course in general and The Two Popes movie more specifically.

Enjoy the rest of your storm day!

JD – 7/12/21