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My name is Steph Gallagher, I live in Dublin, and I completed my Masters in Art and Design Education at NCAD in 2016. After graduation I secured an art teaching position at Lucan Community College where I taught Art, Craft and Design to Junior Cycle, Transition Year and Leaving Certificate Applied students. I try to encourage curiosity, a passion for the arts, a respect for others and a respect for the environment among my students and I believe that art has a valuable role to play in leading students to engage with a wide variety of issues; including human rights, environmental education, politics and philosophy.
During my time in Lucan, I was also involved in a variety of co- and extra-curricular activities such as getting students involved in the Junk Kouture fashion competition, teaching a creative mindfulness module in 6th year, facilitating lunch time photography club and portfolio preparation, organising the whole school Arts Week where students could participate in workshops in visual art, circus arts, music, drama and dance and coordinating various trips to galleries and exhibitions. I was also a member of the school climate change committee and have accompanied students to climate action marches and helped to facilitate events in the school.
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I also have experience teaching in an Educate Together School; Clonturk Community College where I taught Art across all year groups along with Life Skills, Resource, SPHE and the Ethical Education Programme where I focused on Sustainability. During my time in Clonturk, I was subject coordinator and responsible for setting up a new
artroom and ordering equipment. I ran a number of extra curricular activities in the school including portfolio preparation, gallery trips, community art projects and set up an art department instagram account in order to share student artwork and promote the art department beyond the school community. During my time in Clonturk, I was able to
combine both my passions; Art and Sustainability.
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I have integrated my environmental art practice into my current role at St. Kevin's Community College by creating exciting schemes of work using nature as a primary resource. I have taught the students of St. Kevin's Cyanotype techniques using plants and have linked in with the horticulture teacher allowing the art students to use vegetables growing in the garden as primary sources for drawing projects. During my time at St. Kevin's Community College I taught Art to Junior Cycle, LCA and Senior Cycle Student. This year I have had the priveledge of working with both Leaving Cert Art Classes, guiding them through their projects. It's such a rewarding experience working with these students, helping them through the creative process. I have had the opportunity to get involved with a range of co and extra curricular activities within the school community such as running a photography club, organising a fundraiser for Ukraine, working collaboratively with the music department on an art installation and facilitating therapeatutic art classes for parents. This year I have been running a fashion design module in Transition year and have had great success with a student making it to the finals of the Relove Fashion Compeitition and Junk Kouture.
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Outside of teaching art, I enjoy creating work in my studio, exhibiting, photography, travelling and gardening. I am drawn to abstract art - immersing myself in colour, texture, pattern and mixed media. There is nothing like getting lost in the flow of painting. In recent years, I have focused more on alcohol inks as a medium but I also work with paint, collage, printmaking and mixed media. I consider myself an intuitive artist, constantly drawing inspiration from my surroundings, what I collect and my travels.
I feel that it is important to continually improve my practice as an artist and educator and am interested in teaching in a range of settings.
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