Communities of Practice

Cork Drama Meitheal

Dr. Helen Hallissey (convener)

Helen, a former primary teacher, facilitates drama workshops, contributes to Intouch and presents at international drama /education conferences. Her PhD explored students as playwrights, winning her a John Coolahan Award for Research.

‘Are You Going To The Meitheal?’

Cork Drama Meitheal is a community of practice in classroom drama at primary level. 15 or so teachers meet each month, January to May, to share their skills and resources as we unpick the revised drama curriculum.  We explore different aspects of drama: drama strategies, Mantle of the Expert, puppetry, the school drama plan and how IT supports classroom drama.  Our 2-hour meetings are fun and playful and practical. All our activities take place in the beautiful Cork Education Support Centre under the continued support of CESC Director Edmond Hussey.

Meitheal 1. January 13^th. Introduction to Drama Strategies led by Helen. This was based on a South American folktale ‘The Hairy Toe’. The session featured a series of drama strategies activities as well as feedback from these activities Helen taught the previous week to a Fourth Class.  For samples of this workshop, The Hairy Toe  Readers Theatre    Reflection - Tales from the Classroom

Meitheal 2. February 28^th. Workshop on Mantle of the Expert drama approach with three experts from Redditch. Dr. Iona Towler-Evans facilitated a Mantle on ‘The Dogs Home. Richard Kieran led a Mantle on the extinct Dodo. Lisa Hinton facilitated a session on the ‘Pop-Up Van’. It was truly a memorable workshop, a memorable day.  For samples of this workshop Workshop Flyer   Drawings of Mantle   Podcast: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Aia13mPDymEd1G9pDcI03G_S2QuZ7HTS/view  Feedback: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KwgnjmVr4sXC2RIeRBTv4AptVnNkVKKV/view?usp=sharing 

Meitheal 3. March 24. Still Images and Extension drama strategies.

Our most recent Meitheal was based on Still Images. Presentations.

• Ruth led a Visual Arts lesson on Still Life
• Maureen led a session on Music Scores
• Dave gave a session on the Green Screen
• Helen and Máire facilitated sessions on a variety of uses of still images in relation to other drama strategies. Skills taught included levels, directions, depth.

Feedback was very positive.  Click here for materials, photos and feedback for this Meitheal: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F6n3TfrlMEjRghs0fdso03yIksGevwZr?usp=sharing 

Meitheal 4. April 14^th. Mime and Puppetry. Presentations.

• Helen will lead some entry points into classroom mime: mime and narration; sculpting; mime and classroom songs.
• Fiona will lead an hour-long session on puppetry on the classroom.
• Dave will lead his second session on aspects of IT in the drama classroom.
• Sharon will lead a discussion on the Drama School Plan.
• and more….

Irish Stew: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_1gpov1N42kRfMPxJj5ZaaEa_c6znUh5/view?usp=sharing

Ireland's Call: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QAPlvUJB3t3gmeugltPQcdjOKJjML-y4/view?usp=sharing 

Meitheal 5. May 12. Mantle of the Expert. On-line Workshop with Dr. Iona Towler-Evans

This promises to be another session led by Iona who co-facilitated wonderful workshops on Mantle of the Expert (drama approach) on Feb 28^th. This on-line session is sustained support event to help participants on Feb 28^th to process dimensions of Mantle of the Expert.

Features of our Community of Practice

• a co-op where teachers swap resources
• highly practical
• an opportunity to discuss issues about classroom drama
• ‘makes me want to go back to school the next day with new ideas’
• a sociable and fun occasion

These are the five drama events in the Cork Drama Meitheal calendar Jan to May 2026.

Dr. Helen Hallisey taught for more than 35 years at primary level. She has facilitated drama workshops, is a regular contributor to Intouch (teachers’ union nationwide magazine) and frequently presents at drama and education conferences. In 2014, Helen was awarded a national award as a Creative Teacher by Creative Schools organisation. Her PhD explored creative writing (students as playwrights), winning Helen a John Coolahan Award for Research.

Cork Drama Meitheal grew out of another CoP, Cork Arts Meitheal convened by Dr. Helen Hallissey and Máire Goggin

Cork Arts Meitheal 

A Community of Practice in the Arts in the Primary Classroom

Sept 2024 to Sept 2025

 ‘Are You Going to the Meitheal?’

Here is our story

Our community of practice in the arts. We started in September 2024 as a group of teachers interested in supporting one another in teaching the arts in our classrooms. Also, we are linked through location. We all live and teach in Cork. Our local education is Cork Education Support Centre. A community of practice, our CoP, is an alternative model of CPD: voluntary, collective , sustained, organic, sociable. Our catch phrase is ‘Are you going to the Meitheal?’

Meitheal. We call our meetings by the culture-rich word Meitheal, a ‘way of working’. We are true to the original spirit of the Irish Meitheal, a rural tradition where neighbours would come together to help one another in times of harvest, building or need. Our vision embodies mutual support and shared purpose. We value our Irish language and adhere to the Irish language expression ‘Ní neart go cur le chéile’.

Cork Education Support Centre. We are delighted to be housed at the historic and beautiful Cork Education Support Centre building at the Mardyke, at the gates of University College Cork. We have been supported from Day 1 by the director of Cork Education Support Centre, Edmund Hussey. Without Ed’s continued support and insights into the potential power of a community of practice, the reach of our work would be limited.

Our Ethos. Our CoP (in the integrated arts) ethos fosters belonging, respect, and open professional dialogue. The group gatherings are characterised by activity, enjoyment, discussion, evidence (‘Tales from the Classroom’ - examples of work from the students). We seek to inspire young learners in and through the creative arts.

What do the teachers bring? From its foundation, conveners Helen and Máire have strived to ensure that each Meitheal member feels welcome, feels invited to bring their teaching ideas and enjoys the gift of swopping best practice. The teachers bring their unique experiences and talents to the table, whether it be drama, music, storytelling or art. We believe in an integrated arts curriculum. During the Meitheal, we forge new explanations of curriculum: what is sometimes invisible, difficult to unpick and articulate. 

The Members.  The membership of the Cork Arts Meitheal is confined to practising primary school teachers: vibrant, energetic, dedicated. Like the workings of a mosaic, we complement each other’s strengths. Our community is not just a group of teachers. It is made up of real people: Ruth who shares her Visual Arts skills; Maureen who shares her Music skills; Sarah with her knowledge of how to source funding.

Cork Arts Circle. Twenty years ago, Helen hosted a similar CoP, Cork Arts Circle, for a number of years. Today, in Cork Arts Meitheal, we are every much as ambitious for new ideas, new events, new ways of sharing our resources and dissemination at conference level. As our story continues, we aim to nurture the next generations of artists and learners: facilitated by the quiet but powerful strength of joyful Meitheal.

‘Are You Going to the Meitheal?’

Dr. Helen Hallissey was a primary teacher for 35 years. In 2017, she won a national award for Creative Teaching. She facilitates drama workshops, contributes to Intouch and presents at international drama /education conferences. She is a playwright and a member of AERG (Arts in Education Research Group) at Trinity College Dublin. Her PhD explored students as playwrights, winning her a John Coolahan Award for Research.

Máire Goggin has been a classroom teacher for over 15 years (St. Luke’s, Montenotte). She is an e-tutor with OIDE and has a Master’s in Teaching and Learning with Hibernia College. Máire is a creative teacher. She has a special interest in story through the arts. Recently, Maire has been exploring film-making with her class on their imaginative project based on Shandon Bells. 

Features of Cork Arts Meitheal

• This is a co-op where teachers are willing to swap resources, work samples, classroom management ideas.
• It is highly practical, hands-on and sociable, an opportunity to discuss issues regarding teaching the arts.
• It provides an opportunity to listen to like-minded teachers, to their ideas and stories, to inspire and be inspired by them.
• Each Cork Arts Meitheal is based on a topic or story.
• We will build one another’s teaching capacity and establish Cork Education Support Centre as a centre of excellence in the arts.

Feedback

• Inspired by the new ideas, it makes me look forward to going to school the next day
• Three aspects of the arts on the same story
• The practical nature of the workshop. Physical samples of work. PPT presentation from real classrooms.
• I love the concept of teachers sharing ideas.

Past photos https://photos.app.goo.gl/JL7eoo49a5rcVpUj9

Community of Practice in Digital Innovation 

Community of Practice for Infant Teachers

We invite teachers of junior and senior infant classes to our community of practice to share their knowledge and experience. In this community, infant teachers are provided with the opportunity to discuss resources, programmes or lessons that they have found useful and efficient in their classrooms (or ones to avoid!!). It also is a safe place to share or seek advice and support from other like minded educators. All are welcome to join.

This Community of Practice will be facilitated by Catherine Murray.

Dates and registration below.

Community of Practice for Autism Class Teachers

This Community of Practice (CoP) will facilitate teachers in an Autism class to come together to discuss and share their practice. There is so much information and professional development on Autism available for teachers it can often feel overwhelming to navigate all the recommendations and best practice and apply it to our own context and classrooms. This CoP will provide ongoing support for teachers to focus on their own practice and problem solve in a collaborative way with other teachers in a professional learning environment so that they may return to their classroom full of renewed energy and enthusiasm in their role.

This Community of Practice will be facilitated by Anne Collins.

Dates and registration below.

EAL Community of Practice

We cordially invite EAL teachers to join our Community of Practice (CoP) – a peer-to-peer support group designed to share knowledge, ideas, and experiences in a collaborative and supportive environment.

Facilitated by Órla Ryng, this CoP provides a safe space - 

• Reflect on what’s working well in your practice.
• Share challenges and explore solutions with like-minded colleagues.

This professional learning space is about connecting with fellow teachers, exchanging ideas, and supporting one another to enhance your EAL teaching. 

Órla Ryng is a primary teacher with over 20 years of experience. She has taught in mainstream, SET and EAL - but has a particular grá for EAL Support. 

Dates and registration below.