www . tyireland . com FOR EVERYTHING TY
ARE YOU THE PARENT OF A STUDENT THAT ’ S STARTING TRANSITION YEAR ?
We asked Ireland ’ s teachers to send us their tips for TY parents and we received some sound advice . We distilled their advice into 5 overriding themes in the hope that you will find the information useful in helping your child plan for this exciting and unique experience .
BE INFORMED
A good place to start is with the DOES ( Department of Education and Skills ) and NCCA ( National Council for Curriculum Assessment ). A quick scan of these documents will quickly reveal that there is no national curriculum for TY , and herein lies both the beauty and frustration often associated with TY .
Each school is given the freedom to develop their own unique TY programme , so it is important that you know up front the specifics of your school ’ s TY programme . Your school will host an information session for parents and it is at this session that you will learn about the programme specifics as they pertain to your child . It is important that you attend this session so you are aware of how the TY programme is implemented in your school , what the critical dates are and what ( and when ) any payments may be due .
The matter of costs has come up so often in the teacher tips that it is worthy of special mention . Much of the criticism of TY involves financial “ surprises ”, which can seem endless and , almost invariably , ill- timed . Our teachers advise that you introduce a visible diary for the year ahead ( for example ; a year- planner in the kitchen ) containing critical dates including dates on which payments are due .
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If you have any questions about TY , ask them at the school ’ s TY information session !
SET THE TONE AND OFFER ENCOURAGEMENT
Parents yield significant sway over their child ’ s attitude toward school , and TY is no exception . The advise from our teachers is this ; Be enthusiastic about your child ’ s TY . If you are negative about the year , they will be too .
TY is a unique opportunity for young teenagers to explore their strengths , interests and potential . To make the most of what this year has to offer , our teachers advise you to encourage your child to ;
• Actively participate in as many opportunities as the year offers
• Step out of their comfort zone and try new things
• Volunteer , it builds confidence & develops communication skills
• Be pro- active
ONGOING INVOLVEMENT AND COMMUNICATION
Your on- going interest in the programme is essential . Stay informed about what is happening in TY and be aware of what your child is doing ( or not doing as the case may be ). Ask them what they ’ re doing on a weekly basis and , if the reply is “ nothing ”, check with the school . While TY does not have the workload of Leaving Cert , there is still work to complete , projects to finish and deadlines to meet . Stay in touch with the assignments that are due so that your child develops the habit of completing tasks and does not “ switch off ” during the year .
WORK PLACEMENT
A common , core element of TY is the work placement , though schools implement this in a number of different ways . On the face of it , finding a work placement is a
TY UPDATE MAY 2017 relatively simple task with huge reward , but this is a massive step for a teenager .
Help your child identify and seek a suitable work placement . Most teenagers have no idea what they want to do when they ’ re older , and this is normal . The work placement can be as beneficial in identifying unsuitable careers as it is in identifying suitable ones . Beware that your child ’ s uncertainty does not lead to inactivity .
Use your own contacts / extended network to find suitable placements . It is easy to overlook just how far your network extends
Lastly , start looking early . The process takes a long time , certainly a lot longer than your child assumes .
ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE SCHOOL PROGRAMME
Each school has developed a unique TY programme that presents a wide range of challenges to a diverse group of ( individual ) students . For the most part , schools do this very well .
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With the best will in the world however , no school can realistically offer a TY programme that is all things to everyone . Understandably , activities that are individual and focused are sometimes forfeited in favour of those with a wider appeal and that cover more bases .
There are numerous programmes , activities , competitions and challenges that do not form part of your school ’ s basket of TY offerings , but which may be ideally suited to your child ’ s specific interest . The advice from our teachers ; Look for additional opportunities outside of the school programme . Your child may find something of specific interest , and TY is about making the most of every opportunity .