Geography: Jim Carberry
Jim Carberry has been teaching Geography in The Institute of Education for over 15 years. He graduated from U.C.D. in 1970. He is the author of Senior Geography and Discovering Geography which are widely used in classrooms throughout Ireland. He has also been the author of the Geography section of the Irish Independent Exam Brief since its inception. A former student of his at The Institute of Education was awarded the Gwenda Hurst medal for the joint highest marks in Geography in Leaving Certificate 2000.
Geography: James Campbell
James graduated from UCD with a degree in Geography and Economics and a Higher Diploma in Education. He has over 20 years’ teaching experience at Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate Honours Level. James is Head of the Geography Department in Blackrock College. James also teaches Geography and Economics at The Institute of Education, Leeson Street. He has written two earlier revision guides for the Leaving Certificate Geography course before it was revised in 2004.
He is a co–author of the very successful Geography SRPs book for Leaving Certificate Geography. The book is also available online. He is also co-author of Revise Wise Geography for the Junior Certificate. His Transition Year students produce a highly acclaimed magazine “Greenwatch” which highlights damage done to the environment at the local, national and international level. He is passionate about his subjects and instills a great love of Geography and Economics in his students with outstanding results, which are above the national average.
History: Susan Cashel
Susan Cashel has been senior History teacher at the Institute of Education for 10 years. She brings to the classroom a wealth of experience. Having been an examiner for 30 years she is totally familiar with the standard required and how to achieve it. This gives students confidence.
She gives lectures on the History course to students and teachers nationally including the annual review of the Leaving Certificate Honours paper to the History Teachers Association and “How to improve your Grade” to the sixth form conference in TCD. She has been the History expert for the Irish Times.
To help students at all levels improve and realise their potential is her aim. Key to her classroom technique is a combination of visual material and weekly tests. These tests are carried out in examination booklets which helps take the fear out of the final exam and makes the student understand exactly what they have to do to write the good Leaving Cert. essay. 20% of the History mark goes to the RSR (Research Study Report). Susan monitors this with forensic detail as all former students will attest to. It is a piece of independent research and these students testify to how useful it was to have learnt the skills of editing and redrafting for their college work. The high standard attained in Susanʼs class room is evidenced by the number of her students who have achieved full marks in the Leaving Cert. History exam.
History: Sean Delap
A UCD graduate in History and Irish, Seán Delap has been teaching History at The Institute of Education since 1990. He is a regular contributor to both the Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate sections of the Irish Independent Exam Brief supplement and RTÉ exam programmes. He has also participated in a number of radio and television history documentaries, most recently on the television series "Éalú" produced for TG4.
Seán gives talks regularly on behalf of the History Teachers Association of Ireland to students and teachers. He has lectured at conferences on the methodology of teaching both Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate history as well as on teaching History through Irish. He is the author of Leaving Certificate History textbooks: Nation States and International Tensions 1871-1920, Dictatorship and Democracy 1920-1945, Division and Realignment in Europe, 1945-1992 and European Retreat from Empire and the Aftermath 1945-1990. He is also the co-author of Junior Certificate Textbook; Uncovering History.
Home Economics: Sandra Cleary
Sandra Cleary graduated with a B. Ed. (Hon.) in Home Economics from St Catherine's College of Education for Home Economics. She has been teaching in The Institute of Education since 1991. Sandra also spent two years teaching in the Dublin College of Catering and was assistant to Mairín Uí Chomáin in the R.T.E. cookery series "Cuisine le Mairín". She has contributed articles to the Irish Independent Exam Brief since 1993. Sandra is the author of the recently published Leaving Certificate revision book, Rapid Revision Home Economics, part of the Rapid Revision series by Folens.
Home Economics: Jennifer Tobin
Jennifer Tobin graduated with a B.Ed (Hons) from Sion Hill in 2000 and then completed an MSc (Hons) in Food Safety Management from DIT in 2004. She has been teaching Home Economics for 11 years and has taught home economics part-time in the Institute for 5 years. Her passion and enthusiasm for Home Economics is very clear to students in her classroom and they are constantly presented with the subject material in an interesting manner with up-to-date relevant information included. This also helps students develop the ability to be analytical when answering section B, where a substantial amount of marks are awarded.
Music: Fiona McManus
Fiona is a secondary school music and singing teacher in the Institute of Education Dublin, having attained her Bachelor of Music Education Degree (First Class Honours with a commendation in Teaching Practice), majoring in performance, from Trinity College Dublin.
She is a trained soprano and pianist (Associate Diploma London College of Music) having studied in both The Royal Irish Academy of Music Dublin and The D.I.T. College of Music Rathmines but has a passion for contemporary and popular singing also.
Singing roles include 'Annie' in Annie, 'Ann Reilly' in 42nd Street, 'Johanna' in Sweeney Todd, 'Belle' in Beauty and the Beast, for which she received an AIMS (Association of Irish Musical Societies) nomination for best female singer 2010 and 'Maria' in West Side Story for which she also received an AIMS nomination for best female singer 2011.
A keen traditional Irish musician she plays Traditional Fiddle and holds a Leinster Fleadh Title for Sean Nos Singing. Fiona is on the committee of the PPMTA (Post Primary Music Teachers Association) and has both presented at its annual conference on 'Lightbulb Moments' -' Music Teaching in the Classroom' and on its annual student revision course. She comments annually on the leaving cert music paper for national press and has contributed on the 2FM 'Countdown to Leaving Certificate' Radio programme. Fiona has both recorded and toured with soprano singing groups in Ireland and has supported the Celtic Tenors. She has made many TV appearances including on Ireland AM, Nationwide, the Late Late Show and Pop4.