ALL IN A DAY'S WORK: Valerie Monaghan, principal, St Ciaran's Special School, Glasnevin
My day starts on the steps of St Ciaran's, welcoming the pupils off the bus. Different teachers want to grab a minute of my time - the minutes all add up and soon it's 9.30 a.m.
I meet with the psychologist to discuss enrolments for next year. The psychologist is helping me to decide which 10 children from the waiting list are most suitable for St Ciaran's - which 10 we can take on, according to our resources and their requirements. I hate this part of my job. There are 60 children on the waiting list and I dread having to tell the parents of the other 50 that I won't be able to accommodate them.
St Ciaran's is a national school for children with mild learning disabilities, the only one on this side of Dublin. We have 137 students aged from six to 18. With 17 teachers, eight special needs teachers and 10 teaching assistants, we run a pretty large operation.
I used to teach in mainstream education, but I didn't take to one-size-fits-all approach. At St Ciaran's the students' needs are so varied that we fit the curriculum around them. It's much more engaging, for us and for them. I enjoy my job more with each passing year. I can't imagine ever suffering from burnout.
We don't study for exams at St Ciaran's. We give the children life skills that they can learn and use. I don't want them to experience failure. Many of them have come from mainstream education, where their whole experience of schooling was based on failure.
We want them to learn skills that they can use in open or supported employment - cookery, nutrition, childcare, horticulture, communications, functional literacy. Sometimes I wish my own two boys had a bit more practical learning in their schools. Form-filling, writing CVs and independent living skills are not the kinds of things we learn in mainstream education - perhaps it would be no harm if we did.
Most special schools are attached to a medical centre. We are a traditional national school. I wish we had access to a multidisciplinary team. We have a speech and language therapist here - she is invaluable. A bit of early speech and language intervention can make a world of difference to a child's ability to learn and progress.
The amazing anomaly is, a lot of our children come from disadvantaged backgrounds, so they have a double challenge to overcome. However, because we are designated as a special school, we cannot be designated disadvantaged as well. We're always looking for more resources, but we don't qualify for the same supports as other disadvantaged schools.
Before lunch, I do a round of the classrooms to see how everyone is getting on. When you become principal and leave the classroom it's important not to lose touch with the pupils. Every week at assembly we announce a Class of the Week. The winners have to show exceptional teamwork. I have to stay on top of all class activities in order to see which classes are helping each other, taking part in what's going on and including everybody. Some of the children here are very isolated at home. Their disability has cut them off from friends and family. That's why it's so important to see that they are part of things here, among their peers.
Tonight there's a youth club at the school, run by local volunteers. It's just so important to these children - for some it's the only date in their diary outside school hours.
One or two of the students may exhibit some challenging behaviour which needs to be addressed to maintain harmony in the school. I spend a lot of time writing letters, to agencies and clinics, tying to get tailored help for the children who need it. Sometimes a little intervention, counselling or anger management can help a lot.
I've come to know the machinations of the civil service very well. Finding the person I need in the Department of Education is a skill I am still trying to perfect.
Today I have a union meeting after lunch - I'm vice chair of the INTO district committee. I try to get home for four o'clock, to spend some time with my family. It doesn't always work out that way - something unexpected always happens. Today someone hit the fire alarm in the PE hall. While dealing with it I forgot to ring the special needs department in Athlone. Now I'll have to wait another week.
In conversation with Louise Holden
