Elyse Webb

Since I was five years old, I have wanted to become an educator. I wanted to have
my own classroom, to work with children and finally gain access to the teachers lounge.
Through the years, my reasons may have changed but my passion has only grown.
Therefore, I chose a path to make my dream a reality. I had to get good grades, be an
active community member, graduate high school and proceed to a four-year university.
My path was clear cut and planned out. The closer I came to accomplishing my dream,
the more I wanted to challenge myself. For this reason, I attach myself to the idea of
traveling to an unknown place, working alongside new colleagues and learning a
different educational system; immersing in a situation that would challenge my raw
abilities as an educator.
The element of the unknown is apparent in the opportunity to student teach
abroad in Belfast, Ireland. I entered this environment with confidence in my knowledge
of educational theories, managerial skills, and overall content. As my time in Northern
Ireland has come to a close, I am leaving with a more worldly perspective on education. I
have been able to expand my communication skills and ability to adapt due to the
circumstances that I have faced in the classroom.
Within my time, I have been able to compare and contrast the 2 educational
systems. These views are mainly created from first hand experience and university
classes. From curriculum, to learning and teaching, to assessment, I have gained valuable
experience and memories that will last a lifetime. These monumental improvements will
be applicable when I enter my very first classroom post graduation.
Curriculum
One of the first days at Stranmillis, we had the privilege of meeting with 2 local
principals; one from a primary school and one from post primary school. This meeting
was one of my favorite experiences. During this forum we had the opportunity to learn
the basics of Northern Irelands education system, the expectations of teachers and
indulge in a discussion about education, regardless of the countrys standards. This was
the moment that my excitement for teaching abroad really took over.
Before coming to Northern Ireland, I would have never considered Americas
education system to be simple. However comparatively, America has 2 main sectors
(private or public), whereas Northern Ireland has 6 different sectors of schools. Division
among the Education Department is evident here. There are wonderful components to the
system, but there is not a united end goal. One of the main components would be the N.I.
curriculum standards. Like the States Common Core, there are standards associated with
each level of schooling. It is required that each school follows this set of standards.
Lesson plans are to reflect these through differentiation and cross curricula integration. It
is hard to compare lesson planning between the two countries because I believe lessonplanning formats are unique to each individual. In both instances, the key parts are the
same. The differences come into play when the teacher integrates the subjects.
Northern Irelands areas of learning include: language and literacy, mathematics
and numeracy, the arts, the world around us, physical development and movement,
personal development and mutual understanding (PDMU), and religious education. There
is a heavy emphasis on Literacy and Maths, just like Americas Reading and Math
emphasis. But here, there are many different documents such as the lines of development

for numeracy, the 4 strands of World Around Us and the curriculum standards, just to
name a few. All these documents explain expectations for each level. A benefit to
Northern Irelands method is the freedom for creativity when connecting all subjects.
There are no scripted curriculum basals that are forced onto teachers. Contrarily, I
appreciate how the Common Core incorporates all necessary requirements within one
large document. This eliminates most grey areas of expectations.
Learning and Teaching
After my fourth week in my program, I started working inside a P3 classroom,
attended multiple university classes, traveled to Prague and Berlin, and explored the city
of Belfast. Those experiences were nothing short of exhilarating. Within those few short
weeks I immersed myself in 3 completely different cultures. Cultures where I had to take
a step back and navigate through their native language, mannerisms and city streets. This
was the point where what I expected to be learning about teaching was really greater than
I could have hoped.
While in Germany at a restaurant, I remember having trouble communicating with
the waiter. He only knew German and I only knew English. It was becoming a frustrating
and confusing interaction. I remember thinking he must know what I am saying because
it was a simple request; so, why was he was not responding in English? After it was
finally sorted, I could not believe I was so close-minded. I was not giving him anything
but different words in English to help him understand. I was trying to manipulate the
one barrier between us without considering other options to help the situation.
No matter how many times I heard support your learners in multiple ways, it
never connected as much as it did after this moment. This experience will directly benefit
my teaching style. I was the outsider, in this case, and was not able to express myself
appropriately. As a teacher, I believe these experiences will reflect through an increase in
patience, respect and understanding for students.
Furthermore, I believe becoming culturally responsive not only takes first hand
experience but also knowledge of others experiences. I enjoyed interacting with my
students and learning about their stories; stories about their everyday life routines, special
celebrations and views of Ireland and America. It is often said that children are children
wherever you are in the world. However, each child brings something different to the
table. Being in a different environment myself has allowed me to appreciate sharing
stories about differences. It is a rich connection that develops a relationship.
Inside my P3 classroom- equivalence of a 1st grade room, I have 26 students, 1
classroom assistant and a lead teacher. Out of the 26 students, 6 students are on the
Autism Disorder Spectrum. Each student has special needs or challenges, which include:
anger management, anxiety, overwhelmed by loud noises, blurting and interrupting,
hyperactivity, and learning difficulties. There is speculation that there are at least 3 other
children with moderate ASD as well. However, school testing for such disabilities is not
completed until after the P3 year. Therefore, many of my students are simply trying to
cope on their own. Furthermore, I spent my time preparing lesson plans for my class. I
was continually working on how to incorporate their cultural mannerisms into my
students feedback and on the spot thinking. It is a huge balancing act of between cultures
that keeps me on my toes.

In comparison to my 2nd grade classroom in America, I had 27 students on my

roster, no classroom assistant, but 3 full time pullout students and about 7 students
obtaining other services throughout the day. There are different ideals on who is
responsible for accommodating for students with special needs between the cultures. I
believe American school districts have a holistic, multi-level collaborative system and
Northern Ireland schools believe, in what I call, inclusive segregation- separation of
mainstream and special schools, and reliance on the lead teacher. This changes the
dynamic of the classroom.
My Irish lead teacher constantly attended to the specific needs of studentspassing out fidget toys, monitoring extreme behaviors such as screaming and crying, and
deciding if and when the constant noise level is necessary for students coping abilities or
if it is misbehavior. There is a point where this becomes a disadvantage for other
students. The classroom focused heavily on classroom management versus exploration
and discussion.
Assessment
The word often associated with assessment is test. However I have found
assessment to be used differently. At the age of 6 or 7, Northern Ireland does not have
written exams necessary for students to take. When reflecting on my experience
specifically, assessment was referenced more so in dealing with special needs and ability
level for differentiation, versus preparing students for transfer tests. My view of
assessment made a small adjustment to take a look at the whole child, not just their
performance on a test.
This shift was made during a brilliant special school named Tor Bank, on
November 12, 2014. Here in Northern Ireland, special education is considered to be an
inclusive environment system, within buildings of students only with disabilities. In
contrast to America, there are few schools with an integrated special education unit.
Overall there are combinations of mainstream classrooms and special schools around the
counties.
Before visiting the school, I found this concept challenging to accept. I thought
why werent schools mixing and combining the students socially? This must be a big
disservice. However after spending time walking around the grounds of Tor Bank
Special School, I began to open my mind to the idea and realize the benefits of separate
schools. Within Tor Bank, there are 170 students with severe and profound disabilities
ranging in age from 3 to 19 years old. With such a wide range of age and ability, the
building is funded for and maintained impeccably well. Compared to America, I saw
noticeable differences in the level of thoughtfulness and money that the government
allows for holistic special education; it was extremely refreshing. The only other major
difference I found was to be in the terminology used. In Northern Ireland, an IEP holds
less value or legal stipulations than it does in America. N.I.s statements are equivalent
to our IEP.
As a whole, this journey was eye opening and incredibly impactful. Working
inside a classroom in Northern Ireland has taught me more about my teaching abilities
and new techniques that I will never forget.