It is traditional in Iceland to give the gift of a book to be opened on Christmas Eve. Books are unwrapped and then read together. It is called Jolabokaflod (Christmas book flood). 📖 🎄
🖼 Reading Girl, Gustav Adolph Hennig, 1828.

Teacher shortages being the significant factor in this.

As we move into the holidays, please remember: READING FOR PLEASURE has the biggest impact of any factor on children's life chances. So never stop sharing books with kids, talking about books, making books central to everything you do. Never stop changing their lives! #literacy #EduSky #books

179: Books of the Year, 2024 Including Sheila Heti, Richard Flanagan, Judi Dench, Claire Kilroy, Tim Parks, Carol Atherton, Victoria Kennefick, Clair Wills, James Shapiro and many more.

Fortnightly 179:

Books of the Year special -
juliangirdham.substack.com/p/179-books-...

"the police got me Da" is how the lyrics have been changed by the boys in the primary school in which I work!

Good plan. Will do likewise.

Just got followed by a ton of accounts with no bios and very few followers? Anyone else notice the same?

#edchatie on Bluesky — Julian Girdham Irish teachers miss the #edchatie discussion days, and now that we’re moving to Bluesky, here’s a proposal.

First revived #edchatie discussion on Monday evening, 7.30-8.30pm, is on what we want in education from the next government.

Irish educators: pls repost this today.

Looking for future hosts: drop a PM if you're volunteering!

Meanwhile, this time:
www.juliangirdham.com/blog/edchati...

Thanks for the re-post Ciara. Really appreciate it!

Cappella Choir free Christmas concerts in Farmleigh on Sun 8th from 1.30 pm and Hugh Lane Gallery at 3 pm on Sat Dec 14th. All welcome! Also fundraising concert in St Mary's Church Maynooth Thurs 19th in aid of Laura Lynn Children's hospice. Tickets €15 from Eventbrite.

Carols from Cappella choir in Hugh Lane Gallery at 3 pm on Sat 14th if u happen to be in town. Free entry.

Thanks for the info Karen. Much appreciated!

How do you do that?

Séamas O'Reilly: Bluesky's lack of ads and algorithmic meddling feels heavenly "Bluesky, for many new adoptees, is that friend’s house: a space that has all the actual functions Twitter once had but without the nostril-burning excremental odour we’ve all trained ourselves to ign...

In praise of echo chambers.

www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle-co...

These comments from Norma Foley at the INTO’s education debate are beginning to cause a stir in teacher circles.

Is the abject shortage of teachers - where it’s almost impossible to get a substitute teacher - a ‘crisis’?

The minister would prefer to label it an “opportunity”…

Just finished reading Personal Velocity by Rebecca Millar. Would recommend.

I am missing the trending topics here. Is it # and discover?

Thanks.

Good to know Trina. Thanks for the info!

Would be glad to be included in your list. Thanks

A starter pack of teachers in Ireland: the old #edchatie lot and more?

Who else?

go.bsky.app/BqbTnC7

Never forget: READING FOR PLEASURE has the biggest positive impact of any factor on children's life chances. So never stop sharing books with kids. Never stop reading to them, and helping them to read. Never stop changing lives. #literacy #kidlit #books

Good morning Bluesky! Good morning World! 💕
👇

Trying to get started on bluesky. Layout is familiar but it will take time to find who to follow.