All in a day's work: Sinead O'Reilly, art teacher, Dominican College, Drumcondra talks about a typical working day.
I spend minutes getting ready in the morning. Art teaching is a messy business so I don't dress up. Breakfast depends on what newspaper article I read at the weekend. It might be porridge, hot water with lemon juice or, most frequently, nothing until coffee at 11 a.m. I drive my ancient car to work listening to Jazz FM.
Mondays this year start at 8.50 a.m. with first years, the most timid and self conscious of my classes. I do my best to help them relax, using humour, chat and plenty of explanation. I try to ease their fears about drawing in front of other people - they have to lay a lot on the line in art class.
Monday's a quiet day - there's a mutual understanding that nobody really wants to be there. The thing about teaching is, you can start the day in bad form but you have to come out of your shell. I deal with 70 different personalities every day - over 200 per week - so I have to open up. As result, I usually end up going home in a good mood. I admit there are times when I just feel like a skivvy. Students don't always clean up after themselves. Sometimes I feel more like a mammy than a professional educator.
A relaxed atmosphere is really important in art class so we listen to music while we work. I always vote for Jazz FM - I'm always overruled. The students call me the Funkster because they found out that I sing in a funk band. I think I'm cool, they think I'm from the dark ages. They tell me that my car is older than they are. That's probably true.
Teaching art is very rewarding for me, but I sometimes wish that we could work in day-long blocks rather that single or double periods. Some days you make great progress with someone and by the time you meet again, some of the ground is lost. I draw and paint and build a lot during the day. I try to have a go at everything that I have asked the students to do. Then I circulate and see how they are getting on.
It's not helpful to interfere too much in their work, although some students will look for very specific instructions on how to do certain things. I prefer to help them gain a new way of looking at things, rather than give them an ABC of drawing. I dread the question, "Miss, how do you draw feet ?" To be honest I'm not so good at that myself.
Teaching history of art creates a good balance for me. It gives me chance to show that I can do grown-up things, like writing on the blackboard and speaking in full sentences! I think that surprises the students sometimes. I learn a lot from this aspect of teaching because the students ask questions constantly, which I research for them.
By the end of the day I'm covered in paint and pretty drained but I keep busy in the evenings. I've no TV and I'm pretty proud of that. Singing, martial arts, creative writing, cooking - they all provide artistic outlets and help me to relax. I can potter for Ireland and I love to read. I have a place in the Blackchurch Print Studios and I have a number of projects to get stuck into this year. I like to produce my own work as much as possible, otherwise I feel like a fraud in the classroom. If I am encouraging people to express themselves artistically I feel it's only right that I should be expressing myself too.
In conversation with Louise Holden
