TikTokHere at TikTok, we love Irish speaking content and Dublin-based teacher Eimear Fitzpatrick shares her advice on the Irish Leaving Certificate exam. More commonly known as @gaeilge_bheo she is a go to creator for students seeking advice on the Irish written and oral exam. Alongside exam advice, Eimear shares content on howo speak Irish at home, how to improve your Irish and day in the life videos as Gaeilge. We recently spoke with Eimear to discuss her top leaving certificate exam tips, advice for other teachers on TikTok and her TikTok experience.
Q: Why did you decide to start using TikTok to share study tips and Leaving Certificate tips?
My goal as a múinteoir (teacher) is to help young people reach their personal potential and to share my passion and love for Gaeilge. I started using TikTok to provide students with tips and tricks to help make Gaeilge more accessible and to show students how they can enhance their grade when it comes to the exams. TikTok is a huge aspect of the lives of young people and it is also an incredible resource. I wanted to make content that was engaging and effective on a platform that students love and are familiar with. It also means that students can save content and look back over it anytime they need some advice or exam support.
Q: What is your favourite TikTok you have made to date and why?
I really enjoyed making a five part series of a mock oral in the lead up to the oral exams. I asked students questions about their family, school, place of living, hobbies and views on technology. Students were encouraged to pause the videos, answer the questions out loud and then unpause and move onto the next question. The feedback I got from this series was very positive as it gave students an opportunity to test themselves by simulating aspects of a real life oral exam situation. I really enjoy creating interactive content and helping students enhance their overall skills. With confidence comes enjoyment and my goal is to make Gaeilge as enjoyable and accessible as possible.
Q: What are your main tips for Leaving Certificate students ahead of the exams?
What is the one piece of Gaeilge exam advice you want every student to know? This is advice for your Gaeilge exam, your leaving certificate, and just life in general.
Do. Your. Best..... That is all anyone can ever expect from you. Regardless of what happens if you can walk out of any of your exams with the knowledge that you gave it your best effort then you have succeeded. Remember that a grade on a page doesn’t define who you are or your value and that if you really want something then it will happen. Just go for it and remember that nothing is impossible and nothing is the end of the world either. Where there is a will there’s a way. Success looks different for everyone. For some people success could be achieving a H1 result and for other people it could be just getting out of bed and having the courage to go to the exam centre. Success is relative. Be proud of yourself and don’t let comparison to others steal joy from you.
Q: What else or who else are you loving on your TikTok For You feed? Are you following/liking any other teachers or Leaving Certificate content?
There are so many amazing accounts out there to help the students engage with Gaeilge and enhance their skills in an enjoyable way. I love the account TG4 has set up called ‘BLOC_tg4’[@bloc_tg4] that is specifically aimed towards young adults (age 18-25). I think it is super engaging and it is just an amazing way to allow people to enjoy Gaeilge in an informal and natural way. If you’re looking for more Gaeilge content on TikTok,I would recommend Gaeilge Vibes [@gaeilgevibes], Gaeilge le Grace [@gaeilgelegrace] (fellow secondary school múinteoirí) agus thegaeilgegal [@thegaeilgegal].
Q: What has been the reaction from your students and fellow teachers since you started
posting TikToks?
The response has been very positive from fellow staff and students. I have had an online presence promoting Gaeilge for a few years now, so I think everyone is used to it but it is always nice to get in person feedback and even to have people that I don’t know approach me and say that my content has helped them in some way. It makes me happy to think that by sharing some knowledge or experience that I can help make someone else's life a little easier.
Q: What advice do you have for teachers who are interested in using TikTok to connect with their students?
I couldn’t recommend it enough. It is the perfect way to engage with students and to highlight the best aspects of our subjects. I think as times move on, we need to be adaptable and move with them. A big concern for teachers is definitely privacy and security. TikTok also has many different security settings so that you can create a safe online space where everyone feels comfortable and respected. For example, you can restrict certain words from comments, delete and block
accounts and also turn off comments and stitches. I think a lot of teachers are hesitant because it is quite unknown territory, but I would say if it is something they have been thinking about for a while, then definitely set up an account and set their own boundaries from the get go. Only engage with trends or formats if you are comfortable with them and definitely have all your security and privacy features in place before creating content.
Q: Anything else to add about your experience on TikTok to date?
TikTok is a fantastic resource for both teachers and students. As a teacher, I have gotten great tips from fellow educators not just in Ireland, but from all over the world. It has helped me keep up with modern methodologies and keep my lessons fresh and fun for all students.
For students, TikTok can be such a valuable resource. The fact that videos are short means that students can get little gems of information without feeling overwhelmed and they can also search up any topic that they are struggling with and they can get support within a matter of seconds.
