In everything it does, the Council seeks to promote teaching as a profession and to create a culture where the role of teachers in preparing young people for life is valued and celebrated. It does this in a number of ways.
DVD - Croí na Múinteoireachta
The Teaching Council has produced a DVD, entitled Croí na Múinteoireachta, which celebrates the quality of teaching in Ireland and affirms the valuable role that teachers play in preparing young people for life. It includes much footage of teachers carrying out their work in a variety of schools. This has been widely circulated with copies issued, for example, to all public libraries and to guidance counsellors in all post-primary schools. It is used on an ongoing basis by the Council when making presentations on teaching as a career. Copies are available on request.
Media Relations
The Teaching Council has written a number of articles promoting teaching as a profession and these include:
The findings of a survey, commissioned by the Teaching Council, in relation to public attitudes to teaching resulted in some national and considerable regional media coverage. See, for example:
The Council has also written articles for a number of careers supplements.
On an ongoing basis, the Council issues statements and clarifications to the media, as appropriate, in response to current issues which fall within its remit.
Careers Exhibitions
Careers exhibitions, aimed at those making choices in relation to their future career, provide a valuable opportunity to promote teaching as a profession to potential teachers. Each year, the Council attends a number of career exhibitions and communicates on an ongoing basis with schools, colleges and universities about the real opportunities and challenges of teaching as a career.
World Teachers' Day, 5 October
World Teachers’ Day was inaugurated by UNESCO in 1966 and the 5 October is set aside by the world community each year to celebrate teachers and the central role they play in nurturing and guiding infants, children, youth and adults through the life-long learning process.
To mark World Teachers’ Day in 2008, the Teaching Council awarded 34 research bursaries totalling €100,000 as part of its second scheme of research bursaries. The award event and associated press releases resulted in more than 30 articles in regional newspapers which informed the public about the variety of research work being carried out by members of the teaching profession in the areas of teaching, learning and assessment.
The fourth scheme of research bursaries was launched on World Teachers’ Day in 2009 and recipients under that scheme were awarded their bursaries on World Teachers’ Day 2010. A large number of regional media articles ensued as a result of press releases issued by the Council.
GradIreland - Careers in Teaching and Education
In recent years, the Council supported the publication of a booklet on teaching as a career. This booklet has been circulated to GradIreland’s network of careers officers and to Guidance Counsellors in all post-primary schools.
Click here to download Teaching & Education 2011
Teach.ie
Of central importance in the Council’s strategy to promote teaching as a profession will be www.teach.ie. The Council has purchased this domain name and completed the design process for the website. Content for the site, including video footage, is now being produced.
Within the broad goal of promoting teaching as a profession, www.teach.ie will provide a much needed counterbalance to the often ill-informed commentary on the profession in the national media.
When the site is ready for launch, the Council will issue a press release and actively pursue national media coverage in relation to it.
Various websites
The Council has contributed content about teaching as a profession to a number of careers websites.