Date: 31 March 2025

Time: 7pm

Location: Online via Zoom

Suitable for Primary Teachers

Listeners & Learners – Addressing Agency

Research has built a strong case for the development and facilitation of learner agency in the daily life of the classroom. Benefits include significant increases in confidence, self-esteem and academic performance. Learner Agency is referenced in curriculum and policy documents and has been framed as necessary for heightened engagement and consequently learning (N.C.C.A., 2023). Yet although the term is indeed a familiar one to us, our understanding of the concept of learner agency and the way it is facilitated in our practice merits further exploration.

Changing from traditional styles of teaching and learning to hear and facilitate the voice of the learner, demands a change in pedagogy (Bushati, 2018). This webinar series will offer a reflective space to develop an understanding of learner agency and provide practical strategies to facilitate it in within the learning environment.

Webinar 2 - Achieving Agency 

• Navigating Curriculum Challenges
• How can learners act independently and make choices in and about their learning

Webinar 3 – Amplifying Agency (9 April 2025) - book separately

• Mindsets & Milestones
• A guest panel will discuss how to encourage a mindset shift towards agency in the classroom and the wider school community

Facilitator: Michelle Furlong (B.A., H.Dip., M.Ed)

Shelly Furlong is an experienced primary school teacher with a strong background in leading professional development and educational learning initiatives. Her research focuses on learner agency, where she explores and develops practical strategies to enhance classroom practice with a particular emphasis on empowering students and fostering their independent learning. Her commitment to advance teaching practices and improve educational outcomes continues to shape her approach to teaching and professional development.

Guest Speakers: Eimear Colreavy and Anne Reynolds (Primary School Teachers) 

Eimear Colreavy graduated from The Froebel Department at Maynooth University in 2023 where she also received the Carlisle and Blake award in 2023 from the Department of Education. Eimear is deeply passionate about fostering student reflection, child-led learning, and promoting learner agency. She is currently engaged in research on how child-led reflection can be effectively integrated into the classroom.

Anne Reynolds has been teaching since 2010 following her graduation from St Patrick's College, Drumcondra. Anne is interested in inclusion and in the holistic development of the child; which prompted her to complete a post- graduate diploma in Special Education from Froebel, Maynooth in 2017. She is interested in life-long learning and completed a Masters in Leadership of Wellbeing in Education in 2022 from Mary Immaculate, Limerick. As part of this masters, Anne conducted research with her students on the area of Growth Mindset which formed the basis of her thesis. With a keen interest in fitness, Anne also currently works as a part time associate with Oide on the Wellbeing team (PE).

Please Note: A zoom registration link will be issued to your email address on the morning of the course. Please check your email and spam folder as you must register on zoom to attend.