Friday, February 1st, 2019 Belfast City Hall Proudly Sponsored By: Welcome to the 2019 Blackboard Awards I’d a German teacher at St Mary’s and he spoiled the language in this supplement, it’s comforting to know how much teachers for me for a score of years or more (I have subsequently come today are clued in to the emotional wants and needs of their to enjoy it). My first interaction with him on the first day of young charges. There is a comprehensive acknowledgment First Year went thus: that the emotional security of schoolchildren has to be – Sir, can I go to the toilet? copperfasted, – that they have to be made to feel safe and – Mr, ah, Livingstone, is it? I have no idea if you can go to the valued – before the task of teaching can begin. I found myself toilet or not. The workings of your innards are a complete nodding as I read the words of our honourees. mystery to me. You may, of course, go to the toilet if you so • Children never forget the way you made them feel. wish. • You don’t know what the child is going through at home. The joke – for that’s what it was intended as – sailed over • Try to find out what makes a pupil tick. the head of every boy in that class of 32, but they all sensed, • Care and respect is just as important as exams. as did I, that whatever he was trying to achieve was somehow I don’t think my German teacher was a bad person – he was at my expense. I walked out to the loo, uncomprehending, but working in the corporal punishment era, a time when children with my ears burning. From then on I was eternally suspicious were to be encouraged not with a chat and a smile, but with a of him, always prepared for a put-down or a snide remark. He harsh word or a slap; a time when teachers who appreciated fulfilled my expectations on rather a regular basis. that a kind word and a willing ear were more effective than the No big deal, some might say. But it’s remarkable how that growl or the strap were in the minority. That’s flipped incident decades later remains seared in my memory. I completely, I’m delighted to say. The good guys and gals have remember vividly the musical, mocking timbre of his voice; the taken over. And they’re with us here today. self-satisfied smirk on his face as he regarded my nonplussed reaction when he’d finished his little piece of wordplay. But Robin Livingstone, most of all I remember how pathetically easy it was for an Group Editor, adult’s throwaway response to leave an 11-year-old confused Belfast Media Group and embarrassed, and even a little bit scared. www.belfastmediagroup.com Reading the bios of the wonderful educationalists featured Welcome to the 2019 Blackboard Awards. This is now our fifth primary schools supports 13- to 16-year-olds in becoming more year of supporting the Blackboard Awards and we are financially confident through a range of cross-curricular delighted to see how the awards have gone from strength to modules and resources delivered in classrooms by our strength. The awards reflect the quality and talent of the employees. principals, teachers and classroom assistants in our local We also have a long history of supporting local sporting schools. talent and are proud to be the biggest supporter of youth sport For us, the Blackboard Awards are an important event in in Northern Ireland through our partnerships with Ulster the calendar, they provide us with an opportunity to recognise Schools’ Cup, Ulster Schools’ GAA and, more recently, the the outstanding contribution that schools and individuals Northern Ireland Schools’ Football Association. These make in inspiring and encouraging our young people. partnerships allow us to play our part alongside teachers and We believe that if children and young people are encouraged coaches in nurturing and developing sporting talent. and supported to learn about money and personal finance On behalf of everyone at Danske Bank, I would like to from an early age, it not only benefits them later in life but congratulate all those nominated this evening and wish you all also contributes to a more healthy and economy and society. the very best. That is why we developed our SMART Programme which supports children and young people in becoming financially Aisling Press, confident. Head of Branch Banking, Our SMART Junior programme is specifically designed to Danske Bank introduce the topic of money to Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 @PressAisling and Key Stage 2 pupils. And our SMART programme for post- @DanskeBank_UK Photography: Mark Jones, Thomas McMullan, Design: Scott Silver. This supplement is published by Belfast Media Group. Copies are available in pdf downloadable format at www.belfastmediagroup.com. For additional print copies call Jacqueline O’Donnell on (048) 9060 6850 or email [email protected] 2 THE 2019 BLACKBOARD AWARDS THE 2019 BLACKBOARD AWARDS 3 Siobhan McKenna Alison Bovill Neale Agnew Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School Lough View Integrated Primary Ashgrove Primary and Nursery School School Website: www.aquinasgrammar.com School Website: www.ashgroveprimary.com Subject: Business Studies. School Website: www.loughviewintegrated.co.uk Subject: Primary 7 – General Subjects/Music. Your place of birth: Maghera, County Derry. Subject: Year 1. Your place of birth: Bangor, County Down. Studied at: St Patrick's College Maghera and St Mary's Your place of birth: Belfast. Studied at: Bangor Grammar School, Stranmillis College. University College, Belfast. Studied at: Stranmillis University College. First Job: Model Primary School. Newtownards. First Job: A student job as a customer services assistant in First Job: Teacher at Crawfordsburn Primary School. What it taught me: Teachers are very different people – with Dunnes Stores. What it taught me: I learnt that evaluation and looking for different personalities, talents, strengths and weaknesses, but What it taught me: I really enjoyed working as part of a big areas for improvement are an essential part of being a teacher. as a team they can be very effective and influential beyond what team. Working well with others has stood me in good stead in There is always something new to learn! they are as individuals. my teaching career. I learned that everyone has different skills Family/status: Married to Richard with two children: Evie, 12, Family/status: Married, two daughters. and personalities and makes a valuable contribution to making and Mia, 10. Best advice anyone ever gave you: An expert at anything was a business work. Best advice anyone ever gave you: The best advice seems once a beginner. Family/status: Married with three children. quite obvious but is often difficult to manage: to treat each child Best advice you could give someone thinking of a Best advice anyone ever gave you: My A-Level English as an individual and to help them make progress at their own teaching career: Take the chance to sub or teach in Literature teacher always said, "Fail to prepare, prepare to fail." level. It is tricky at times to implement but is so rewarding when different schools – they can be remarkably different but you It is something that has always stuck with me and I now find you get to know the children you’re working with well and you will learn from them all. Teaching is a demanding job, but myself repeating this phrase to my pupils. see them flourish. you are a vital part of every child’s life and learning. You Best advice you could give someone thinking of a teaching Best advice you could give someone thinking of a teaching don’t always appreciate how much influence you can have in career: Get involved in the extra-curricular/enrichment side of career: I saw this tweet recently and it sums up what I have a child’s life and pupils themselves don’t often recognise teaching. My involvement in running Young Enterprise learnt over the last few years: ‘I’ve become more and more this at the time. It’s very special when former pupils meet programmes such as the QuickStart and Company Programmes convinced that effectively classroom management comes out of you and talk about what they gained from their time in has enabled me to form relationships with pupils as we spend a building relationships and knowing when to pick a battle.’ school. So give your best and the rest will take care of itself. lot of time together outside class time at trade fairs etc. This Getting to know the children you are working with every day and Remember not to neglect your personal hobbies, sport and helps to get to know pupils who might be quiet or shy inside the showing them care and respect is as important as the academic the arts. Having interests out of school makes you a more classroom and find out what makes them tick. Encourage pupils subjects you are to teach them. rounded teacher. to take on new challenges, enjoy having the opportunity to teach the subject you are passionate about and keep your sense of have been teaching for 17 years and still feel I am ‘honing my y teaching career began in the Model Primary School, humour at all times! craft’. In our profession you are continually striving to Newtownards, where I spent seven years and learned Iimprove and develop and if you ever get to the stage you Mmuch from an experienced staff. That was followed by fter graduating from St Mary's University College in 1995, I feel you are have nothing more to learn it is probably time you Kilcooley Primary, Bangor, and then back to my old school, took up a temporary, one-year teaching post in St gave up.