Julian Girdham

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Webinar on revising 'Macbeth' in the Leaving Certificate

April 27, 2025 by Julian Girdham in Shakespeare, English Teaching

On Tuesday 18th November 2025 I am giving a webinar on how teachers can help students revise Macbeth in the months leading up to the Leaving Certificate.

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April 27, 2025 /Julian Girdham
Macbeth, Leaving Certificate
Shakespeare, English Teaching
Comment

Webinar on teaching 'Othello'

April 27, 2025 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching, Shakespeare

A webinar introduction to teaching Othello, especially in the Leaving Certificate, on Wednesday 10th September 2025.

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April 27, 2025 /Julian Girdham
Othello, Leaving Certificate
English Teaching, Shakespeare
Comment

INOTE Response to New LC English Draft Specification

April 22, 2025 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching

All English teachers in Ireland should read the response of the Irish National Organisation for Teachers of English to the recent draft curriculum specification for Leaving Certificate English.

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April 22, 2025 /Julian Girdham
Senior Cycle, Leaving Certificate
English Teaching
Comment

Leaving Certificate English Draft Specification

March 19, 2025 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching

Initial thoughts on the Draft Curriculum Specification for Leaving Certificate English (February 2025).

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March 19, 2025 /Julian Girdham
Leaving Certificate, Senior Cycle
English Teaching
Comment

Leaving Cert English Reform

November 16, 2024 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching, Teaching

The integrity of Leaving Certificate English is being threatened by misconceived reform proposals.

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November 16, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Senior Cycle, Leaving Certificate
English Teaching, Teaching
Comment

Additional Assessment Components: English and AI

October 03, 2024 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching, Teaching, Technology

Where are we with the Additional Assessment Component in Leaving Certificate English in the context of AI? (illustration: typically terrible AI generated picture)

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October 03, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Leaving Certificate
English Teaching, Teaching, Technology
Comment

Grade inflation in the Leaving Certificate

August 26, 2024 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching

Drawing attention to the peculiar anomaly in which English has had dramatically less grade inflation in the Leaving Certificate since pre-pandemic times.

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August 26, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Leaving Certificate
English Teaching
Comment

Leaving Certificate English 2024: Paper 2

June 06, 2024 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching

Comments on the Higher Level literature Paper 2 in the 2024 Leaving Certificate.

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June 06, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Leaving Certificate
English Teaching
2 Comments

Leaving Certificate English 2024: Paper 1

June 05, 2024 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching

An assessment of English Paper 1 in the Leaving Certificate, June 2024.

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June 05, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Leaving Certificate
English Teaching
Comment

'Irish Times' article

June 05, 2024 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching

Additional notes to my ‘Irish Times’ article on the future of education in Ireland.

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June 05, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Leaving Certificate, Irish education
English Teaching
3 Comments

'Small Things Like These': teaching notes 2

February 27, 2024 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching, Fiction, Books

Second series of teaching notes on Small Things Like These, covering Section 3.

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February 27, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Small Things Like These, Leaving Certificate, Claire Keegan
English Teaching, Fiction, Books
Comment

Webinar on teaching 'Small Things Like These'

February 26, 2024 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching, Fiction

A free webinar via Tralee Education Support Service for teachers of Claire Keegan’s novel Small Things Like These.

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February 26, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan, Leaving Certificate
English Teaching, Fiction
Comment

'Small Things Like These': teaching notes 1

February 23, 2024 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching, Books, Fiction

Post 1 of Teaching Notes on Claire Keegan’s novel 'Small Things Like These.

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February 23, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan, Leaving Certificate
English Teaching, Books, Fiction
Comment

English Meet 2024

January 30, 2024 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching, Teaching

The third English Meet is being planned for Wednesday 1st May.

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January 30, 2024 /Julian Girdham
Leaving Certificate, Junior Cycle
English Teaching, Teaching
Comment

Ten Points on Leaving Certificate English

June 15, 2023 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching

Some thoughts on where we are with Leaving Certificate English, as Senior Cycle Reform gets closer, and as the AI revolution gathers pace.

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June 15, 2023 /Julian Girdham
Leaving Certificate, Paper 1
English Teaching
Comment

On the English Leaving Certificate fuss of 2009

June 11, 2023 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching

A post published originally in June 2009, following the incident when Paper 2 Leaving Certificate English had to be rescheduled, and there was a media firestorm.

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June 11, 2023 /Julian Girdham
Leaving Certificate, Featured
English Teaching
Comment

Leaving Certificate English 2023: Paper 2

June 08, 2023 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching

An analysis of the literature paper at Higher Level in the 2023 Leaving Certificate.

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June 08, 2023 /Julian Girdham
Leaving Certificate
English Teaching
Comment

Leaving Certificate English 2023: Paper 1

June 07, 2023 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching

A response to Paper 1 (English Language), Higher Level, in the 2023 Leaving Certificate.

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June 07, 2023 /Julian Girdham
Leaving Certificate, Paper 1
English Teaching
Comment

Preparing for Leaving Certificate English, 2023

May 10, 2023 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching

A few ideas about effective ideas in preparing for the English Leaving Certificate: mostly things which don’t take much time.

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May 10, 2023 /Julian Girdham
Leaving Certificate
English Teaching
1 Comment

Leaving Certificate English 2022, Paper 2

June 09, 2022 by Julian Girdham in English Teaching

Observations on English Paper 2 of the 2022 Leaving Certificate

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June 09, 2022 /Julian Girdham
Leaving Certificate
English Teaching
1 Comment
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