For the final episode of this series the podcast comes to you from DCU, the home of Teachers Inspire. A special event was held there for the four teachers who are our Teachers Inspire awardees for this year at which Louise presented them with their award. The teachers are Gemma Maher from County Dublin, Joe McAndrew from County Mayo, Jennifer Hutton from County Carlow and Ruairi Farrell from County Wicklow. Gemma and Jennifer were nominated by a parent while Joe and Ruairi were nominated by a former student. For this episode they tell Louise what it means to them to have been nominated and the positive impact the awards have.

In this episode, Professor Mathias Urban, Desmond Chair of Early Childhood Educate and Director of the Early Childhood Research Centre at DCU is Louise’s guest. He talks about DCU’s decision to use a donation from Mr. Dermot Desmond to set up the only dedicated research centre at university level in Ireland that looks at questions around early childhood from an interdisciplinary angle.

In this episode Louise is joined by Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, an Assistant Professor in the School of Mathematics & Statistics at UCD. Dr Ní Shúilleabháin talks about her love of education and how she did not initially set out to be a teacher.

In this episode Louise hears about a unique programme that DCU offers student teachers at primary and secondary level. Professor Deirdre Butler from the school of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies tells Louise the programme, “is actually globally unique.”

This episode looks at DCU’s Changemaker Schools Network which is a collaborative, professional, learning network of 19 primary schools from all over the island of Ireland who are creating systemic change in education. Louise hears from Fiona Collins, the network coordinator.

Every year Teachers Inspire receives nominations that continue to remind us of the role teachers can play and how sometimes a single sentence or suggestion can make a powerful impact. In this episode, Louise introduces us to two of the nominators.

DCU Alumni can be found around the globe and in this episode Louise is joined by two who remain deeply committed to education.

Celebrating the influence and impact teachers have had on their students is at the heart of Teachers Inspire. Louise’s guest for this episode is Professor Anne Looney, Executive Dean of DCU’s Institute of Education.

It is thirty years since DCU set up it’s Centre for Talented Youth Ireland for children who are high achievers. We hear from a student who has done a number of the courses and Louise chats to Colm O’Reilly, Director of CTY Ireland.

Louise talks to Rob O'Hanrahan, Dublin about when and why he nominated his English teacher and, Elaine Murray, now living in New Zealand explains why she nominated her teacher from Drogheda.

The importance of wellbeing and mental health feature in this episode where Louise hears about an inspirational teacher who made a huge difference to a 6th year student.

A love of reading and the pleasure, and benefits, of reading to children feature in this episode of the Teachers Inspire podcast.

Why inclusion in education matters and Louise hears about a pilot programme from DCU that could be 'a game changer' for deaf children

Acclaimed author Louise O’Neill returns as curator of Teachers Inspire and the host of the Teachers Inspire podcast of 2022.

Curator Louise O'Neill announces the 4 Awardees for 2021

Louise O’Neill chats to RTE’s Rachel English about her most inspiring teacher and reads three more submissions from this year.

Louise O’Neill chats on the podcast today about Adele who picked her English teacher this week as the most inspirational person on her Audience with Adele show.

Our curator, the best selling author Louise O’Neill shares more inspirational stories.

Best selling debut author of Snowflake

We hear from former Irish rugby player and entrepreneur Jamie Heaslip about his most inspiring teacher.

Our curator the author Louise O’Neill also reads a selection of your submissions from this year.

Our curator the author Louise O’Neill reads a selection of submissions from this year.

The Teachers Inspire Ireland Podcast is curated by the acclaimed Irish author Louise O’Neill. In this episode Louise reads an inspiring 2019 shortlisted story about Limerick based teacher Sinead O'Mahony who teaches at the Mid-West School for the Deaf in Limerick.

A DCU Podcast

A DCU Initiative