The Short Story, A Gem for Learning: Practical Approaches to Reading and Writing Short Stories in the Post-Primary English Classroom

Three Part Webinar 

We invite post-primary teachers of English to join us for a three-part webinar series that focuses on personal response, writing craft and the creative possibilities presented by the short story, a distinctive and rich genre in modern Irish literary tradition. Designed to support learning from 1^st year to 6^th year, we will appreciate the uniqueness of short story as a genre and consider opportunities for reading, writing, speaking and listening in the English classroom. We will demonstrate how short stories can support students’ understanding of character development, close reading, word choice, narrative voice and text-structure. Together, we will explore how to use short stories to inspire creative expression in a range of forms. Participants may attend one or more webinar(s) in the series and will leave with a range of adaptable strategies and practical approaches to guide their students in appreciating and understanding short stories and their structure, as well as crafting their own short stories.

Facilitators: Carmel Hinchion, Deirdre Henchy and Rachel Lenihan

Facilitator Bios

Carmel Hinchion was a post-primary teacher of English, a development officer in the support services for the teaching of English, and a teacher of English pedagogics at third level.  She has experience of curriculum development nationally, of working with the State Exams Commission and of research work in the teaching of English. Presently, Carmel is involved in a study related to imaginative learning and aesthetic approaches in the English Classroom.

Deirdre Henchy has long been committed to teaching and learning in English, working variously as a second level teacher, as a member of a variety of senior cycle support services, and as a student teacher educator at third level.  She has also worked extensively in curriculum development and in assessment.  

Rachel Lenihan is a post-primary teacher of English. She was an English Advisor and Associate with Junior Cycle for Teachers. Currently, Rachel is Associate Professor in the School of Education at University of Limerick where she teaches English Pedagogics. Her doctoral research explored adolescent literacy development, and her current work involves exploring the English classroom as a site for social justice education.

Dates: Tuesday the 13th January, Wednesday the 21st January and Thursday the 29th January

Time:   7.00pm to 8.00pm

Total Duration: 1 hour via Zoom (per week)

A link to access the webinar will be emailed to you prior to the event.