History is the study of the past, but does that mean that teaching and revision strategies need to be rooted in the past? My answer to this would be an almost definite no! Within the past year I have come to set up and administer a History revision wiki in order to facilitate revision in an innovative and creative manner. Aimed at our GCSE classes, the wiki boasts a range of different forms of media and strategies to facilitate the revision of even the most complex topics the pupils study. The site is broken up into the different topic areas; there is a section devoted to revision strategies; a forum for pupils to ask questions about GCSE History; and a parent’s section, which includes information on how to help their children revise for the exam and an overview of what is covered over the course. The most rewarding thing that has come from setting up this revision wiki is the amount of use from both pupils and parents. Pupils have stated that they have been engaged by the different forms of media available to watch on the wiki (videos, games, podcasts, links etc.) and have even downloaded the
podcasts to listen to on the bus to school. Others have commented on their use of the games, interactive quizzes and diagrams that have given them a alternatives from the more traditional forms of revision. The Teacher Talks DVDs, which are also available for each topic on the wiki, have become a source of many pupils saying: “Sir, you look well funny talking to the camera,” but then, luckily, also going onto say how it was really helpful to their revision before an assessment or the exams. Indeed, parents have also commented on how the Teacher Talks films have seemed very useful to their children at home, especially those who may not necessarily find reading their copious notes the best way to learn or revise. A few parents have also said they appreciated the information that is available to them in the parents section of the wiki. In conjunction with the revision wiki, a blog has also recently been set for the History department to use. This is based on a multimodal approach to blogging, having not only a section devoted to
actual work, but also one to a history related game and the actual GCSE revision wiki itself. The blog has helped in generating discussions in the classroom (the “what is terrorism” post was especially useful with Year 11), and has become another way for pupils to write and hand in their homework (definitely useful for the forgetful pupil!). Pupils don’t always post on the blog itself, but use it as a source of information; if a question is posted by a member of the department, some pupils will handwrite the answer whilst some will comment on the blog. It therefore facilitates choice for the pupils in how they work best. Obviously, both the revision wiki and blog are constantly being updated as new tools and media become available. It has definitely been very rewarding and beneficial having this very current and fashionable technology available to the department, for a subject that is based in the past.
Simon Benson
My first half term as an NQT Bernadette
5pm, all the kids nice and
the beginning of the first
polite. Little did I know that
half term. Nothing prepared
they were sussing me out.
me for the very expectant,
I’d walk down the corridor
trusting and excited Year 7s
with big smile on my face,
whose entire attitude to the
literally
along,
subject, for the rest of their
wondering what all the fuss
life, would be influenced by
was about.
me. Nothing prepared me
skipping
for the realisation that I can
Farlow
be in complete control even The second week brought
with the most challenging
the
of kids and situations.
first
after-school
training session, and that During ITT it seems like
was the beginning of the
every other person in the
excitement! The planning
What have I done well this
teaching profession warns
routine
went
the
half term? Smiled! What
you about how difficult the
window,
my
beautifully
have I learned this half
NQT year will be and you
ordered desk draw soon
term? I have control of my
begin the year anticipating
began to fill up with paper
practice. What will I do
the worst. No matter how
and stationery and before I
better next time? Manage
positive you try to be, in the
knew it, I was taking work
my limited time better.
back of your mind you’re
home at 6.30pm!
out
constantly reliving someone else’s experiences. As the term progressed, I discovered
that
actually,
My first week began and
the ratio of unpleasant
everything remained nice
experiences to good ones
and calm with all the books
was 1:34 and the blame for
marked everyday and all
the single bad lesson lay
the emails answered on
firmly on my shoulders. A
time, lessons fully planned
pleasant surprise as I was
for the following day by
anticipating 35 bad days at
So what exactly have I been doing every Friday for the past thirteen months? Shortly before the Summer Holidays of 2009 I put in an application to become an ‘Innovation Fellow’ at the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. If truth be told I had no idea at that time what the SSAT was or what it did, and I had even less of a clue about what I’d be expected to contribute as an Innovation Fellow. It turns out (as I’m sure a lot of you who are more informed about such things than me will already know) that the SSAT is an organisation that has driven a great deal of educational reform in recent years and continues to strive for improvements in the teaching that young people receive. They are pushing the case for projects like Cultural Studies in schools that have not yet taken steps in that direction, and so they were interested in the experiences of teachers who had gone through the lengthy process of moving a model like CS from ‘innovation’ to ‘institution’ (their words, not mine). I therefore found myself working with colleagues from schools in Blackpool, Bradford, Sheffield and London, all of whom were at various stages along this continuum. Initially I believed that it would be me who would be sharing pearls of wisdom about what to do and what not to do as Kingstone has made greater advances than the schools of the other Fellows. By looking at their approaches and how they differ from ours, however, I have learnt that there is plenty more that we can do to enrich learning. My seconded time has been divided between considering how to make pupils’ experiences of assessment more meaningful and establishing a thematic humanities course in Year 8 as an alternative to the discreet delivery of History and Geography. I’ve had the chance to learn from some educationalists that have spent years researching effective assessment and I am beginning to apply some of their ideas in all of my teaching. In order to disseminate the practice that I have been looking at I would like to invite colleagues to help me form a Teacher Learning Community (TLC) that road-tests the multitude of formative assessment tools that have been created by the likes of Dylan William – it will meet once a term as an off-shoot of Jane Hewitt’s Research Group that meets on a Thursday.
The aim of the group will be to identify those means of formative assessment that will work best at Kingstone and to share our findings with colleagues in our departments. What has really struck me about the formative assessment methods that are out there is that in readiness for an Ofsted inspection that will undoubtedly want to see assessment in every lesson we can achieve this without further burdening ourselves with marking. Through really simple and snappy activities we can gauge pupils’ learning and progress in ways that enlist students and their peers to take a lot of the time pressures off ourselves. We have all known these ideas as Assessment for Learning for some time, but I know that I have failed to make full use of them until now, and their consistent application would certainly improve teaching and learning in my classroom. If you feel that you would like to know more about formative assessment then please get involved in the TLC. An innovation that Kingstone has developed that I am whole-heartedly promoting with colleagues from other schools is that of Assessment for Living and I have been gathering evidence to share with the SSAT that I am confident demonstrates its worth. In November I have the unenviable task of presenting my findings at the SSAT’s National Conference to an audience that will include Head Teachers from across the country, and to say that I am terrified would be something of an understatement! Having said that, I’m also really excited about taking on a challenge of this magnitude. Certainly an opportunity that would never have come my way were it not for this secondment.I genuinely feel that it has been a privilege to be an Innovation Fellow; not because of the day a week out of school but because I’ve had the opportunity to work with teachers and academics who’ve taught me a phenomenal amount. I hope that the research I have done will have a real impact on teaching and learning, not just in my classroom, but in classrooms throughout Kingstone and possibly even beyond it, and I hope to hear from you if you fancy a little TLC. A.Chambers
Banter, cruise ships and eye candy! “I’m sorry, what was the question? I didn’t hear over the sound of how awesome being in a boys RE group is” (James Carbutt Year 11) The idea of splitting gender was a moment of pure genius! I would recommend it to any department and any teacher. There is a myth surrounding teaching boys; the idea that they misbehave or have no respect or act like hooligans just is not true. In an ideal world teaching boys is the greatest test of all, they are critical and sometimes lack emotional intelligence; they ‘tell it how it is’ and pull no punches. However, collectively, they provide a teacher with the greatest creative platform and allow you to take risks time and time again. The Ofsted inspector observed the Year 11 boys group, he asked about the theory behind the thinking and said “well it works, the rapport you have with the boys certainly aids achievement’.
“Being in the boys group is like going on a cruise ship; at first it seems weird but actually fun when you are in there!” (Reece Tinkler- Year 11) The pedagogy behind the teaching of boys lies within the ability to make lessons worth listening to. Boys will judge a lesson on how much they trust a teacher and their ability to lead them on a learning journey. Boys like to see the bigger picture and need to understand where a series of lessons will take them and how they will get there. Also discussing an issue helps boys internalise their feelings and emotions; very often they will express this in a boy centred group. Many boys feel ill at ease around girls. There has been much discussion about seating boys next to girls; many theorists believe this is counterproductive because boys will either copy the actions of the girl but have no ownership over their work; or they will feel anxious that they have to match the girls’ performance. Boys work well in packs! They enjoy a challenge and can do this when they feel safe in your learning environment. Having a boys group allows free expression and they can then show that all
important empathy! However our deputy Head Boy did complain there ‘was not enough eye candy’! “It’s good because nobody argues in the boys group, unlike when there are girls in the group” “It gives us confidence to speak and have a good laugh” (Jake Bedford Year 11) Boys enjoy humour, genuine humour which is personal to the group and you. They respond well to praise but not always in front of their peers. Meet and greet the class – boys appreciate a smile and a humorous comment! “It’s alright we have a good laugh and the banter is decent!” (Jacey Dixon – Year 11) “One of my best lessons. Because it’s a right laugh I get good grades” (Ben Schofield – Year 11) Similarly, boys dislike injustice and so when using discipline they need to see where you are coming from. Un-called for outbursts will
only challenge their fight of flight mode and will result in a pointless battle. Discuss their behaviour and try and see their point of view, even if sometime you can’t!
“Connect – ActivateDemonstrate – Consolidate! The key to success with boys!”
How do I know what I think until I have heard what
I said?
Ideas for teaching boys: Setting the scene - Gender setting enables boys to feel able to achieve and develop a feeling of self -belief. There are fewer distractions and boys are then more open to discuss – removal of social pressures. Boys also learn from each other and are willing to listen. They will also congratulate each other’s achievements with some manly back slapping or high fiving!!!
Use drama to understand the text – this could story writing to help
remember key points. Boys enjoy first hand experiences and collaborative planning – this gives them a chance to order their thinking before putting pen to paper. Use discussion to help boys make predictions- they enjoy being proved wrong or right Use of competitions and variety of tasks throughout the lesson Set short term targets and ALWAYS establish the bigger picture- you may need to do this more than once during the lesson. So what have we done where are we going? Challenge is vital! Whether this means through team games of deeper thinking. Use VAK based lessons Use mapping instead of copying notes- really important and it works! Use object handling, drama, movement, etc
If possible on occasions change your learning environment Boys appreciate the aim of the lesson – however you might wish to do this. Let boys teach lessons this gives them a sense of perspective. Vital for boys is a clear and sharp start to the lesson – they enjoy boundaries but set with good humour not confrontation. Be assertive! Forge a class identity and discuss their lives as well as the subject, this will strengthen bonds. P4C exceptional tool for raising boy’s achievement!
“I came from a mixed group into the boys group and it has made a big difference to my learning” (Bryn Ingam - Year 11)
Starters, middles and endings Mapping what they learnt last lesson – pair and share Chunking information – helps
them give work a meaning Story writing – use 50 words to create a story which outlines the main points of last lesson. Meditation and breathing Pass a piece of paper round ‘reflection relay’ – each person writes something they have learnt that lesson. 3-2-1 = 3 most important things they have learnt / 2 things they are unclear about/ 1 way they can connect what they have learnt with something they have learnt previously. Mid lesson stop and ask them to stand and chat to the person about what they have just learnt Mime ideas from the lesson – outrageous! Create a rap to define ideas Big Brother diary – video main points of the lesson ABC – A= explainer / B= Questioner / C = Reporter
Make displays which show what an A* looks like Sentence starters – share with partner and create answers Guided visualisation Use post it notes for them to jot down anything from the lesson they find interesting Use headlines – connecting and reviewing Use mini plenaries throughout the lesson Get them to jot down things they don’t understand and pull them out of a hat –use this as a revision tool –it works!! Lastly – SMILE at boys they appreciate the human side of teachers and need to be noticed!!
Plenaries Mapping what they have learnt as a diagram At various points write down what they have learnt and drop them in a box – draw them out and pupils answer them
Write down as many words as possible related to the lesson One pupil assumes the role of the teacher and sums up the learning of the lesson Expert learner /hot seating ‘Beat the teacher’ – they think of as many difficult questions to challenge you.
“We can be immature without the girls getting the face – on!” Last word: I suppose you have to try teaching boys to appreciate how this all makes sense and not see a group of boys as a threat but rather a reason why you came into teaching in the first place. A colleague from a school in Cheshire, Sandbach School for boys, also stated that “boys are uncomplicated and enjoy the simple things such as personal touch. They are not demanding and do not hold a grudge!” This was after having to teach drama to the neighbouring girls at A level!!!
However, they can be frustrating because they take ages to do a simple task; they are disorganised and untidy when they work. They don’t like flannel and hate boring tasks; they have to be asked more than once to do something – but ladies we did marry one!!!! So don’t be harsh on the boys, embrace their boyish humour and feisty discussions and trust they will do well in your subject. Treat your boys with respect, they are your hardest audience but will enjoy your teaching the most. And so to sum up I will use the wise words of George Friend in Year 11, when asked about RE boys groupings, he said “it’s proper mint!!!” I think I have to agree with him.
Sarah Rhodes
One of the ways to ask pupils to feedback to you is via an ‘online’ post it note. There are two sites that you can use to do this:
www.wallwisher.com www.linoit.com Both allow pupils to comment either anonymously or signed. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Linoit allows you to post images/links/add icons, change colour of post it note or add an image as the wall background. It will also send you an e mail when someone posts. Wallwisher is easier to use and allows you to ‘authorise’ a comment before it is posted.
Both of these sites allow you to register quickly and easily.
You can check postings from home easily …it’s interesting to set as a homework as both tell you a time of posting…most of yr 7 do their homework on Sunday evening J. Hewitt
My first year as an AST 12 months ago I was successful when I was assessed against the AST standards and was appointed as an AST as Holgate School. I had been teaching for 10 years and I knew that the AST role would allow me to develop professionally whilst retaining my role in the classroom which I was committed to. It’s been a fabulous, if not eventful, 12 months (including an unplanned week long stay at Sheffield’s Hallamshire hospital). However my passion for learning and teaching has been strengthened and
the AST role allows me to support colleagues towards the same vision. The AST role always provides me with new challenges and my Holgate colleagues have been brilliant. They are always interested in what I do and if I’m stumped for ideas, I can ask someone to share their practice. In return, I get to go into other schools and bring back their ideas to share in return. The post allows me to concentrate on excellent learning and teaching and working with the leadership team I feel as though I can help to raise attainment and spread excellent practice as well as working with individual colleagues. Jo Lancett
We hope you have enjoyed this first edition
of ‘In Touch’. Hopefully it is the first of many! If anyone would like to try their hand at editing the next edition – then please contact Jane (Kingstone) or Jo (Holgate)
Overview
Strengthening Families by Dominic McCall Why I am involved
I have worked with Barnsley’s CAMHS team with individual students since 2001, so when they asked me to become involved in Strengthening Families Programme I was keen! Barnsley leads the country and Europe in the use of this programme. I have contributed to research by the Oxford Brookes University, the Home Office and more recently the Department for Health which the article below was produced for.
Finally I have personally and professionally grown from working in partnership with a range of professionals and families- I even spoke at an International Conference in Oxford about the programme.
The Strengthening Family Programme 10-14 (SFP1014) resulted from an adaptation of the original Strengthening Families Programme developed at the University of Iowa in the United States. It is an alcohol and drug misuse prevention programme for families with young people aged 10 to 14
Objective To help children who were experiencing crisis and whose parents were struggling to cope with difficult situations To help children who are struggling in school and are at risk of drop-out to find motivation by involving their parents in the process To improve behaviour in school for those children who have few or no boundaries set at home
What happens?
Each session begins with two separate groups for parents/caregivers and
young people, followed by a family session where parents/caregivers and young people work together. Each session is highly interactive and includes role play, DVD clips of typical family scenarios and group discussions. Parents and young people also learn how to negotiate boundaries and practical agreements are reached with the help of the facilitators.
The long-term aim of the SFP 10-14 is to reduce alcohol and drug use and behaviour problems during adolescence. This is achieved through improved skills in nurturing and child management by parents, and improved interpersonal and personal competencies amongst young people.
Tweeting the Way Forward… As teachers, we want to give our students the best learning experiences that we are capable of: the proof is in the time that we spend discussing new initiatives, the books we read and the television programmes we watch (I’m sure you’ll have noticed a suspicious number of wooden sticks and paper cups appearing throughout our classrooms after The Classroom Experiment). With so much out there – it can be difficult to know which strategies are worth investing in or even where to find something new – the answer, I have found, could be with Twitter. Twitter is social networking site – for those of you that use Facebook - it has many similarities – you choose your friends (followers) and offer short (140 character) updates. But how can this help your teaching? It depends on who you follow. Ian Addison describes it like the printed word: “If you buy Heat or More magazines, you’ll learn about celebrity nonsense, if you read the sport section of the paper you’ll learn about Beckham’s foot injury or the further demise of Portsmouth. It’s the same with Twitter, follow celebrities and you’ll hear what they have to say, but follow teachers and a whole new world opens up.” Using Twitter is simple: to tweet, simply type a message in less than 140 characters and press send. Everyone’s username begins with @ so mine is @MissSMitch. So if you wanted to say hello, simply type: Hello @MissSMitch, I’m on Twitter. This will then be highlighted for me to see. Furthermore, unlike Facebook, when using Twitter you can follow types of conversation. Enter #edchat or #ukedchat into the search bar and you will find the posts that people have made about education: it is used to ask questions, share good ideas and debate current issues. To be honest, the first month or so is a bit weird. You see what looks like a few good ideas and lots of short websites and it can be overwhelming. However, persevere as one tweet can lead to lots of ideas:
To develop this further, Jane Hewitt has introduced #edbarnsley – enter this into the search bar you will find comments and ideas shared by Barnsley teachers. Several teachers from Kingstone and Holgate have already joined up to question and share their ideas. Here are few people to get you started:
Jane Hewitt @Janeh271 Hywel Roberts @Hywelroberts Sarah Cross @MissSCross Philip Storey @millerphil Sam Mitchell @MissSMitch Phil Robson @superrobbo
As we approach the ALC, I’d like to extend the invitation to all of the staff from Holgate and Kingstone. Join Twitter, introduce yourself followed by #edbarnsley (Hello, I am an English teacher at Holgate #edbarnsley) and let’s begin to make the links that time and distance can disrupt! Sam Mitchell
Exploding shampoo, broken braces, tears and tantrums: If my first week in teaching is anything to go by then it is going to be an interesting career indeed! Arriving to survey my first ever room towards the end of the summer holidays, I imagined the rows of bright faces that would soon be happily learning, offering well-mannered observations and listening to everything their teacher, me (scarily!), had to say. Posters were put up with witty, famous quotes, designed to brighten the lives of those that will no doubt be scouring the room for further inspiration. Monday came and went, Tuesday morning began in an eerie manner: the new year sevens were here but all was still quiet, the calm before the teenage storm. And then break time arrived and I took my place in north dining hall, taking part in my first ever duty. A concoction of nervous excitement, I took on what I hoped was a ‘teacherly’ air and greeted the returning children in a voice that, for some reason, seemed to exit my mouth a note lower than usual. The rest of the week was a blur from that moment on. Groups of thirty new faces seemed to arrive at my room every ten minutes and I tried in vain to separate Johns from Jacks, the Lydias from the Lauras, remember who was best on their own and at the front, who needed extra help, and try and give at least semi-accurate directions to any year sevens wandering, lost, outside my door. I arrived home on Friday evening, tired to a level that I never realised possible, but also ecstatic that I was now a ‘real’ teacher and I had been given classes all filled with exciting, vibrant young people.
I have found that teaching the varying ages in a secondary school reminds me of one of my favourite television programmes from my youth ‘Mr. Ben’. A new hat must be worn for each age group, offering either an understanding, supportive air to those fragile youngsters gracing Kingstone for the first time or a sterner, cynical demeanour for those that have been here quite long enough to know not to push it! Each lesson, in fact, requires multiple changes of head wear but it all just adds to the excitement and enjoyment. It is already clear that my two year seven classes, unconsciously, are going to be the most entertaining because random events seem to occur on a regular basis once they enter a room. These have so far included me having to sign for a sole shoe that had somehow been misplaced by a young lady, a new English book not two days old that had met its demise in a swathe of leaking toiletries, a rather painful looking brace malfunction and, not forgetting, the drama of the great book backing that the beginning of a new year brings. I offered my assistance in backing a few books but soon found out something they never mentioned on the PGCE course, backing books is the hardest thing in the world to do. I tried and tried but always ended up with books bent out of shape and looking like they had been ran over on Broadway. I will keep my eyes out for any courses which will help me in this area of my professional development! During my PGCE course, people often said that “Teaching is the best job in the world.” So often, in fact, that it became rather clichéd and lost any real meaning. But now that I have a full weeks ‘frontline’ experience I can now understand exactly what all those people meant. It is fantastic, and very, very tiring!
Matthew Settle
because it’s probably the single biggest barrier to learning for many of our pupils. As an issue, pupils’ literacy stands alone from any subject, and therefore must be tackled by every subject area. So how can we, as teachers, implement literacy skills into our teaching and assessment? Here are a few tips to try.
Literacy Matters! “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” Dr. Seuss Literacy is a really important issue for all of us. Not only because OFSTED (sorry to mention them so early on) will look at how you tackle pupils’ literacy in your subject area, but – and actually more importantly –
•
•
• •
• Know the reading age of pupils in your groups – this is tested in Year 7 and is available on SIMS. • Consider the reading age of texts – are they appropriate? Was a text written for pupils, or is it from the internet and so may be aimed at too high a level for some of our weaker readers? Allow weaker readers to ‘rehearse’ reading before being asked to read aloud in class; Consider using stronger readers as a ‘reading buddy’ to weaker readers; Provide manageable chunks of text to read; Use large, clear font; try other colours for
backgrounds e.g. yellow/ pale blue rather than white. • Define the conventions of writing so that pupils know how to write and structure a piece of work. • Provide connectives for use in different situations – display these on classroom walls so that pupils have a place to look! • When asking pupils to produce a piece of writing, model the style you want this to take so that they can get to grips with the tone, type of language they should be using, conventions etc. Begin by discussing subject specific language which they might like to use to help them. “You won’t get better writing from pupils if you aren’t explicit about what you expect.” Geoff Barton. So be explicit (oh, and don’t forget to use the resources on Shared – Teacher Non Pupil – Whole School Literacy Resources) of you want some ideas! There’s plenty out there for the taking, and it’s really easy to use!
Rachel Watkins
some students I don't teach. Perhaps I can show another side of me...... that I'm not great at everything!
Girls’ football with non specialists! 'Miss, why is there not a girls football team?' Those few little words is all it took for two history teachers and an RE teacher to set up a girls football team. The closest I have ever come to football is watching the World Cup. 'Miss you know the rules then', suddenly my mind races to think of an intelligent answer “err yes, kick it and go”. It wasn’t quite the polished answer I was hoping to give but it put a smile on their faces. With my ‘Total Fitness’ membership about to expire I think perhaps a little exercise won't do me much harm. Exercise! It’s like a scene like 'Bend it like Beckham'. I look round and see about 20 KS3 girls. Good turn out, clearly a market for girls’ football. 'You playing then miss?' I look round at the girls and realise that I know very few of them. Perhaps this is a way of getting to know
Coach Clempson decides to organise a few exercises, to practice ball control along with a few laps around the astro-turf, partly so we can get the pitch ready. Teams allocated, I blow the whistle and the match begins. Lancett and I are clearly a hindrance rather than offering any real talent. I notice there are some pretty strong players; even with my feeble knowledge of football, I recognise some brilliant ball control and tackles. Then something extraordinary, some of the stronger players that play for Barnsley coach the others, “good tackle” “Keep it up” “be gentle she's new” “look up” “take your time”. The language used on the pitch, encouraging, supportive and recognising each player’s progress. It’s like being in the classroom I think to myself. Criteria, model, activate, demonstrate, peer assess and reflect on own progress. Aren't these some of the key skills we try and encourage in our teaching? The following day, aching a little less than the other
two as I'm clearly fitter, I hear a voice on the corridor “hi miss” I look and see a little Year Seven student that I don't teach. I recognise her, she was the goal keeper on my team. “Hi Lucy”. Later in the day I see another girl “same time next week miss?” I suddenly realise it’s a great opportunity to know students I wouldn't normally teach, fantastic for relationship building. Thursday approaches fast, the following week I forget my trainers! “Ouch!” Yes I still play, in my shoes! I don't want to let the girls down, especially since I’d showed such brilliant football skills the previous week. I soon realise football and incorrect football don't mix, “I’m struggling to play today, I don't have the right foot wear”, I shout. I hear a voice “nah you weren’t much better last week” cheeky! Well it just goes to prove that a little time for extra curricular activities can be both rewarding for the staff who organise them and the students who take part in them. We have some fantastic students, who with a little encouragement can take the lead and coach others.
Calling all NQTs - Got your dream job but feel like you’ve lost your social life? It’s Friday evening, 7pm, your friends and family are busy socialising while you are perched at your desk, coffee in one hand, pen in the other, frantically marking the mountain of books you’ve brought home. Sound familiar? Below are some handy hints to help you to regain control – in the classroom and out!
1. Allocate designated work time and social time – and stick to it! The best teachers have plenty of out of school interests too! 2. Create a to-do list and number it in order of importance. 3. In school, spend time getting to know your
4.
5.
6.
7.
students. Have your lunch in the school canteen, or wander onto the yard at break. Relationships are vital – create them! Routines, alongside relationships and expectations, help to create a positive learning environment. Make sure your routines are consistently reenforced. Consistency is key. Think hard about your expectations; make sure they are fair and consistently followed. Give yourself that extra few minutes in the classroom by allocating pupils certain responsibilities such as: handing out exercise books, pens, pencils, etc… Remember to think carefully about who you choose to do this. Choosing a pupil who is finding lessons hard may give you a chance to praise them and in turn build those all so important relationships. Remember, even the most experienced teachers have a bad lesson. Don’t beat yourself up, seek advice and act upon it!
8. Tricky pupil? Observe them in other lessons you know they enjoy. What methods do others use to combat the low level disruptions you’re experiencing? Can you use these too? 9. Praise as well as sanction! Use school systems consistently so pupils see you as fair. Also, try unique rewards such as a league table or have a prize box with items of stationery in it. 10. Phone home – to praise and sanction. This will help you to build a rapport with pupils; they will know you will always follow things up, whether it is to reward them or to sanction them.
Finally, your school employed you because you are the best person for the job. There will be times when you don’t feel like this. That’s human! But, don’t spend time dwelling on the past, on what’s not worked, remember that we all make mistakes and it’s how we learn from these that is important! Happy teaching (and partying!)
Sarah Cross
The light at the end of the tunnel. Just for a moment think back to your first day at school on teaching practice. The buzz from the pupils, the mad rush of teachers racing to the photocopier before registration, the anxious thoughts of what the future holds and if you will survive your placement. Lesson plans, form time, meetings, lunch duty, detention duty, report writing, parents evenings, open evenings after school club and that is just the beginning! Why on Earth would anyone want to be a teacher? Well we are a very select bunch of folk who are enthusiastic about education, how teaching and learning has progressed over the years and it’s only right we pass on that Olympic torch of teaching to others. Training to be a teacher can be one of the most
daunting, tiring but fulfilling careers a person can choose. Many of our students are itching to get stuck right in with lessons and bring with them bucket loads of passion, enthusiasm and creativity. Although some view the mentoring process as tiresome and hard work, just remember you were once in the same position, and everyone needs to start somewhere with role models to observe. Mentoring ITT students can be like stumbling upon Aladdin’s cave; the benefits far outweigh the draw backs, and here are a few to think about:
A different view point on teaching and learning. A bank of new resources, and ideas. Opportunity to share past and present experiences and how they can be used to enhance teaching and learning.
Opportunity to identify misconceptions which may help improve the teaching and learning of pupils and students. Improved communication and relationships of working with other people. Become a more reflective practitioner not only of others but of yourself. The enriching feeling of helping someone to progress both personally and professionally in a challenging career.
So the next time you are offered a student to take some lessons embrace the experience; as educators we are always learning.
By Vicky Conway
A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF A DRAMA TEACHER BY MELANIE JANINE STOREY The day I became a Drama teacher is one of the happiest memories of my life. I so vividly recall getting the telephone call from Matthew Milburn to say that I had been successful in my job interview and that Kingstone School would like to offer me my first fulltime teaching contract. This new opportunity seemed to perfectly cement two of my greatest passions; the lifelong love I have for drama, theatre and the performing arts, alongside the challenge, reward and inspiration which stems from passing this love on to others – the art of teaching. Four years later, I was privileged to be able to step up to become Head of Department, and have relished every minute of it. Being in charge of Drama at Kingstone is not just a job, but a huge and integral part of who I am. Although I do many other things outside of the daily school timetable, all are connected as you will begin to see by looking at a recent example of a typical week in my life ….
MONDAY – ROMEO & JULIET
Every year I like to enter students from Kingstone into the National Shakespeare School’s Festival. This time round I decided it would be an excellent opportunity for our BTEC Acting students to do the festival as part of their course, fulfilling the Acting unit exam criteria. We chose “Romeo and Juliet” as our 2010 play and myself and fellow Drama teacher Rachel Ackroyd have joined our two groups together – 32 pupils in total – to create our new masterpiece. The festival is a wonderful opportunity for young people to get to grips with Shakespeare, appreciate the thrilling universal stories which he so richly tells and get to perform them in professional working theatres around the country. Our rehearsals are now well under way. We perform at the Wakefield Theatre Royal in a few weeks time which is a beautiful traditional proscenium theatre. Today we are having a run through from beginning to end to see how our production is currently shaping up
overall. Our two leading cast members who are playing Romeo and Juliet are coping exceptionally well with the pressure that is heaped upon them. These are such iconic pivotal roles and they need to approach the tragic love story with great maturity if it is to work its magic onstage. Our Tybalt is fantastically evil and our Benvolio is hilariously funny. We have some outstanding work going on here from these Year 11 students. Watching them in rehearsal today truly overwhelms me. It’s nothing short of miraculous at times what young people can achieve when a huge challenge is placed before them. As a die hard Shakespeare fan myself, it’s also tremendously fulfilling to witness a group of 15 year olds loving the story and the characters and the buzz of bringing it all to life.
TUESDAY – GLEE CLUB
Today I am holding auditions for the brand new extra curricular Drama Club which will be starting up soon – Kingstone Glee Club. This is of course based upon the popular American TV series of the same name and has caused quite a stir
around school with many pupils unable to bear the excitement of waiting for their audition day to arrive. 150 students from all year groups have applied to be a Glee Club member by filling out an application form which asks them to give detailed answers to questions about their hobbies, abilities and experiences within the Performing Arts. Every student will receive an audition over the forthcoming weeks but unfortunately only 40 can make the final team. My aim is to choose a varied age range of Gifted and Talented singers, dancers and actors who will become the face of Kingstone Glee Club. Each week when the club meets after school, they shall be set a new challenge, a particular theatre skill they have to work on ready to present to the group. Glee Club will also be responsible for hosting this year’s school show which shall be a showcase of all their best work. The auditions tonight have blown me away. So far I have only seen years 7 and 8 and I can’t believe the lengths some of them have gone too to impress me. Songs with full on dance routines, even back flips, and monologues delivered in full costume with props.
It’s going to be extremely hard wavering this down to 40 and having to turn people away. Sat behind my desk I feel like Cheryl Cole on the X Factor and try to give them all much needed encouragement and praise. I’m so excited to see where this cub will lead, and it’s also a little self indulgent since I adore the TV show myself.
WEDNESDAY - KES
Tonight I have rehearsals for the production of “Kes” which will be going on at Birdwell Academy Theatre in Barnsley later this month. I am Assistant Director for this play alongside my best friend Lee Semley, who as well as being a professional actor now also runs his own exceptional theatre company providing excellent opportunities for talented local youngsters. We held auditions for “Kes” back in May and I encouraged as many of my own Kingstone pupils to come along and audition as possible, so it’s pleasing that we now have a healthy number of Kingstone representatives involved. It always makes me proud to see how they shine and really uphold the deserved
Performing Arts status we have. I also think it’s important that students who excel in Drama at school have the opportunity to pursue this further in professional venues away from the classroom. The play is double cast for alternate nights and both of our Billy Caspers are Kingstone boys. They are doing a tremendous job and tonight, along with the other boys are rehearsing the famous PE lesson scene outside on a real football pitch. It’s chucking it down with rain and we’re all drenched and covered in mud, but this is brilliant method acting and it’s really helping to get them into the spirit of 1960’s education. The teacher is yelling at them rudely in his old school style and it’s hilarious. This performance marks the 40th anniversary of “Kes” and bringing it home to Barnsley performed by genuine local people seems a fitting way to mark this special occasion. It should be a great event with many famous actors and casting directors attending. I can’t wait!
THURSDAY - MEDITATION
FRIDAY – CLUB TURN
Every Thursday evening is a little bit of “me” time, but it still compliments my job perfectly. I attend classes for Mind, Body & Spirit which promote healthy lifestyle choices, positive thinking, Buddhist yoga and meditation. I use this time to unwind from all the stress that us teachers know comes with the job, however much we love our roles. It is vital to keep our personal lives in check and ensure that we are looking after our bodies and our minds. On a Thursday at my class I meditate to relaxing music, drink only herbal teas and water and keep a diary of all the positive things I’ve achieved that week, as well as the goals I still wish to accomplish. This keeps me grateful of what I have but also motivated to tackle new mountains. I hold a number of qualifications in holistic treatments and alternative therapies and I hope one day to be a teacher at the Academy I attend and lead my own sessions.
If I’m singing, this will usually be on a Friday night. I used to be in a band and work the club circuit, but more recently, due to balancing all my other commitments, I tend to work alone as a solo artist. I now prefer smaller, more intimate venues, like countryside pubs where I can sing country or jazz or songs from the shows music while the public enjoy an evening meal. There are a few venues which I return to on a regular basis. Ensuring I still work as a singer means that I feel confident in my ability to talk to pupils about different types of performing and what styles of work are available to them. I have always felt it’s important for a Drama teacher to be a real life role model to students. In lesson time, you are the greatest tool and resource which the class have access to in terms of their learning. I like to be able to use my own experiences to inform and direct them. My next venture looks like being taking on the role of “Audrey” in the musical “The Little Shop of Horrors” and I’d really like to organise a trip for some of
my students to come and see it.
SATURDAY – THE WEST END
I also think it’s extremely important for a Drama teacher to visit the theatre on a regular basis and ensure they are sampling all the professional world of Acting has to offer. Constantly witnessing top class work provides inspiration for new schemes of work and lesson resources, ideas for new show content and material for discussion. On a Saturday, I like to visit the theatres in Sheffield, Leeds or Bradford, but if I’m particularly lucky I’ll get to go to London and sample one of the new West End musicals or plays. My current favourite is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to “The Phantom Of The Opera” – “Love Never Dies”. I think it is absolutely stunning, so much so that I’ve now just booked to go and see it for a second time in another few Saturdays time.
SUNDAY - NOVELIST
On a Sunday day time I always make sure I set time aside, amid planning my lessons for the forthcoming week, for writing my novel. I lock myself away in my library and pin a “Do Not Disturb” sign to the door. One of my ambitions is to have some of my stories published and I’m currently working on a series of children’s books. I believe that working with children on a daily basis gives me an excellent insight into the topics they’re interested in and what excites them. I have taken all this into consideration when writing my books, always considering whether the students I teach would want to keep turning the pages. So far I’ve had some encouraging interest from some publishers who have seen my sample chapters and now await the completed manuscripts. I sometimes wonder what would happen if my writing career took off, since I love being a teacher so much. And then I remember that my writing is just another connection to my much greater love of simply working with and for young people. Writing for them would be another form of teaching and go hand in
hand with the job I have. I look forward to every new day and the exciting opportunities before me next week, next year and next decade ….
www.workingtogetheryr7.blogspot.com
Nargis Ola & Jane Hewitt have started a joint yr 7 blog to enable our classes to begin working together and share ideas…have a look and leave us a message!
www.photopeach.com
http://holgatehistory.wordpress.com/
www.7rcs.blogspot.com
http://linoit.com/users/janeh271/canvases/7R%20Cultural%20studies
http://storybird.com/books/let-the-music-play/
www.oneword.com