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RTE icon grandad is my inspiration – I’m following in his footsteps doing his first job & helping thousands online
Caoimhe has opened up about her 'most rewarding' career
RTE icon Michael O'Muircheartaigh's granddaughter has told how she's following in the GAA legend's footsteps - by doing his first job and inspiring thousands of students outside of the classroom.
Caoimhe Ní Mhuircheartaigh, @ms.m.biochem on TikTok, said her greatest inspiration is the late Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, who passed away in June aged 93.
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The GAA commentator, who was described as a "grandfather to the nation" at his funeral, taught economics in primary and secondary schools in Dublin up until the 1980s before becoming a full-time broadcaster with RTE.
Caoimhe said: "I remember meeting my grandfather's past students as I was growing up and they always described him as being so full of praise and encouragement.
"He was so supportive and kind to his students, and I just thought, wow I'd love a job like this where there is such a great sense of purpose.
"I wanted to emulate what he did with his students.
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"There was a famous phrase he always used to say about teachers.
"'Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh siad', which means praise the young and they will flourish.
"And this is the aim I have everyday that I go into the classroom."
Caoimhe originally went to DCU where she studied genetics and cell biology - but she always wanted to be a teacher.
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She said: "I always had education in the back of my mind but I said I'm really good at science, I should try healthcare or biopharma first."
She worked as a scientist in biopharma for over three years making drugs to help cure diseases.
Caoimhe even worked on a breast cancer research team and explained how although she was passionate for science there still felt like something was missing from the job.
She said: "There wasn't a sense of real fulfilment and I wanted to do something that was really meaningful for me.
"After the three years working in science I decided to go back and become a teacher.
I'm part of the 'TikTok Teacher' generation and here's how we are changing education for students
"I had to take an extra year of modules while I was working in a hospital to meet all of the entrance requirements to complete the two year Masters degree in Maynooth University.
"And I haven't looked back since, I wake up every morning so excited for my job and I think that is honestly priceless.
"It's worth all of the hard work to get there.
"I had a first year group who were really quiet and a little bit shy about putting up their hand in class.
"So I decided to share with them that I needed to someone to help me with spelling as I struggle with it due to my Dyslexia.
"And I remember the kids looking at me in shock, they were asking me 'how are you a teacher?' And I explained to them that I learn differently to others.
"I told them I learn better through videos and seeing experiments in front of me and its just a different way of learning.
"And in that moment there was loads of hands that shot up saying 'I have dyslexia too Ms' and it was a realisation that now we have pride about it.
"It was great to see that it is being normalised now, and I think that kids are so accepting, they are so supportive and especially to their teachers.
"That's what is so great about school nowadays, the kids are at the centre of everything and they are the ones in charge of their education.
"They take great pride in that then, and they love spell-checking me too! It's so important to show them that it is okay to make mistakes, and we learn from it."
SAFE SPACE
Caoimhe went on to create a TikTok page as a safe space for students to ask questions and to provide visual help to her students when studying.
She said: "The first night I posted a video and it was just a brief 10 second video introduction to the subjects I covered, and overnight I gained 1,000 followers.
"I went to school the next day worried about what people would think, and my students in particular but the second I walked in they were telling me they saw my TikTok and there was nothing but positivity from them.
"As the year went on, my pupils would ask me to make videos on whatever topics we were covering.
"And if we were conducting experiments they would ask me to record it.
"They use it as a resource and they come to me saying they saved my video to watch before a test and that for me is so rewarding.
"To be able to help even one kid understand the concept we are learning better is a win.
"Teachers are in such an influential position on the young people in Ireland.
GUIDANCE
"When I went into teaching I knew I was passionate about my subjects and I knew I wanted to inspire change but it wasn't just the academic side of things, it was also offering guidance to my students.
"It could be academic questions, it could be personal development, I've been asked a lot of life questions and deep conversations as well.
"We are always thinking of ways to make lessons interesting for the kids or relatable to them as individuals, we want to ignite a passion for them.
"I hope to pursue more avenues and see where TikTok takes me, I couldn't believe it has gone so far already, I hadn't anticipated the amount of students who would message me for career advice, or even just questions about my video topics.
"I wanted to provide educational content that can be accessible for everybody, there is a lot of students who can't afford grinds and I wanted to create a free space with equal access for everybody.
"But also for the kids who have learning difficulties, I know myself that I struggled with subjects that required a lot of reading and were taught by the textbook.
"I thrived in lessons that were practical based, and so I saw there was a lack of resources here.
"I started videoing my experiments and even just myself talking about topics and putting in plenty of visuals, which is what has made my page so unique.
"This is a new wave of teaching, there is only a handful of TikTok teachers for secondary school level and it is really popular with students.
"My principal is my biggest fan, my school is so supportive and they really embrace this online accessible technology."
EXPERIMENTS
And it's not just revision videos which Caoimhe creates, she provides students with the insight into what her job is like, showing them exam and experiment preparation and all of the behind the scenes of what being a secondary school teacher entails.
She said: "It's the career guidance that these kids are looking for and its important to share this."
Caoimhe's partner, @mrodonoghue, also has a TikTok page and he is one of the only male primary school teachers who posts on the platform.
She added: "There is TikTok teacher community, we all follow and support each other."
And even the older generation of teachers are in support of this movement.
She said: "Teaching is changing and they say its a great thing, when kids are scrolling at home they are still learning.
"I share with the pupils that I have a learning difficulty but that it has never halted me, I just have to learn in a different mode.
"I tell the kids I don't like studying from books or notes, I show them models I use for visual learning and studying.
"I tell them that even making TikToks is a way I like to revise and the kids love that. Its about being open to introducing a new learning style that better suits different needs.
"And it's something to celebrate, we can cater for more needs and show that there is more value than just essays and written work.
"It's the most rewarding job in the world."
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