Hey all,

Sad to say it is my last week at St. Brigid’s National Girls School but super excited for the adventures ahead!

My time here literally flew by. It feels like just yesterday I arrived and already I’m leaving. It’s bizarre. St. Brigid’s was an absolute pleasure to work in. I stayed so busy and got so much experience working with different age groups and classrooms. The staff was incredibly kind and welcoming (they even cooked us a full on Thanksgiving dinner the day before Thanksgiving!!!).

The girls was so sweet and adorable. They’re happiness and enthusiasm never failed to make my day. And they gave me tons of homemade cards and artwork. Tomorrow be my last day at the school but they said I only have to stay until 10:30 so I will go in the morning and say my goodbyes.

I loved so many things about the school system as a whole here. At first, I was a little apprehensive because I learned that basically the whole Irish school system is run by the Catholic church. I associated Catholic schools with an environment that was rigid and authoritative but St. Brigid’s was far from that. It was extremely lax. Teachers had a lot of freedom and kids were encouraged to do art work. Teaching about global warming was also had a substantial place in the curriculum.  Religion was taught, but only for about 30 minutes a week. Teachers were treated very well. There was a noticeable community bond between all staff members (principle, teachers, and caretakers) that was much different than the states. During breaks, the school provided coffee, tea, fruit, and snacks as well. Teachers all met in the break room, and no teacher would be doing work during this time. After school was out, teachers left promptly at 2:15 so the school day was less than 6 hours including one 15 minute break and one 30 minute break!

Anyways, I’m going to miss this place and all the students dearly!! I highly recommend student teaching abroad in Ireland! It has been an incredible experience.

Sarah