My school has changed the day around this year. For reasons I can't remember - I think it had something to do with accomodating the IB- we now have 25 minutes tutor period in the afternoon and form tutors deliver PSHE and other tutor activities. This has had a mixed reaction from staff but I have really enjoyed it so far. I have a Yr11 tutor group that I have had since Yr7 and they are quite simply the best tutor group I have ever had. I really enjoy spending time with them each day and it has allowed me to try out some different ideas with them.
On Thursday's the theme for the year group is Review and it is intended that we help students review progress and targets. Last week I decided to try out a technique which I first came across on my NLP course a few years ago and have tried a couple of times but never quite like this.
Without explaining why I took my group outside. There are 23 of them and I have to admit I didn't have a clue if it would work or be a total (and very public) disaster. We went out to the basketball courts at the back of my classroom. I lined all the students up against one of the new fences which surround the courts. I explained to them that they were now standing at the first day of their life. The fence at the other side of the court represented the end of their life. I asked them to walk slowly and in silence towards the other side of the court and stop when they felt that they had reached the present point in their life. The key with most NLP techniques is to keep instructions vague and content-free allowing people to make their own sense of what is going on.
Each student began their walk and it was really interesting to see the different lengths of their journeys. Some kids took only 5-6 steps whilst some went almost a third of the way across. I had asked the students to bring their bags with them. I now asked them to put their bags down on the point they had reached and turn around to look back at where they had come from. I asked them to walk back and stop 3-5 times along the route. Each stop would be a significant event in their lives and they were to pause at each point for 10 seconds and relive the moment. Again - very little content given from me allowing them to make their own sense of it. Having reached the day of their birth again they turned around and came back stopping again at the same points to consolidate the experience.
The kids did this brilliantly. It was fantastic to see them all getting totally into the exercise and really reliving experiences. I was particularly pleased that the few kids who didn't get into it respected the others and stayed quiet.
I then asked all the students to walk to a line 2/3rds of the way across the court. They stopped on the line and looked back towards the beginning. I told them that this line represented a point in their future - it was up to them to decide when it was. The key point was that by this point they were successful (again I gave no context or definition for success). They would walk back to their bags (representing today) stopping and noticing 5 particular events which helped them to be successful.
Once again all the kids did it - most of them with eyes closed and in total concentration. It was a fantastic moment. At the end I suggested to them that in order to make any successful journey you need to have a pretty good idea of the route you will take. This exercise helped to give them that route.
As we left the basketball courts many of the students were buzzing - they wanted to talk to each about what they had just experienced.
The whole session made me very grateful to have such a brilliant tutor group and I am really looking forward to working with them throughout the rest of the year.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Reflections on the 1st week back
So, back at school for a week now and it is amazing how quickly the summer holiday becomes a memory. I do feel that it does take me a few days to really feel as if I am back at my best. In more fanciful moments I like to compare myself to a Premier League footballer who only really hits their best form by early October (this is probably the only thing I will ever have in common with a Premier League footballer however).
We started with 2 INSET days which, I have to admit, I found deeply frustrating. There was far too much sitting and listening and information-giving. It did however demonstrate how rubbish the lecture is as a teaching technique. After 15 minutes I had lost concentration and felt swamped by the sheer amount of information I was being expected to process and I found myself daydreaming, looking out of the window and, I have to admit, playing on my phone. I was also frustrated at the loss of 2 whole days of training opportunities. There was no training done - instead it was planning and preparation. This time is necessary but did we need so much? Could we have had some input into something new and exciting to try during the term ahead?
Wednesday to Friday were by far the best days of the week because they were days when I was teaching. Overall the groups seem pretty good so far. They have reacted very well to the new technology ideas in particular. Several students have signed up to follow the Humanities faculty on Twitter and my new Year 10 group are gradually finding their way onto edmodo. Hopefully by the end of next week there will be a lot more kids using it. Most pleasing of all was seeing more teachers and faculties using plannerlive - Science and English have posted homework on there this week. I am really pleased about that - it may be that this will be a revolution from below. If enough of us keep having a go with new technology by the time the School Leadership Team get round to discussing which new technologies they want to use it will be too late - they will already be embedded in the school because the best teachers are using it and large numbers of students are using it regularly.
So my New school year's resolutions are not doing too badly after just 1 week. New technology is being used - I also recorded a 5-minute summary of the Treaty of Versailles on Audioboo and posted it on twitter and edmodo for Year 10. You can hear it on http://audioboo.fm/boos/463103-the-treaty-of-versailles. I have tried really hard not to get wound up by the stuff I can't change - even on Monday and Tuesday. This week I am going to try really hard to learn 5 kids names each lesson. Even my room has stayed tidy - which my tutor group are finding very unnerving. --- and I have blogged again.
Hope this week is a good one.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
We started with 2 INSET days which, I have to admit, I found deeply frustrating. There was far too much sitting and listening and information-giving. It did however demonstrate how rubbish the lecture is as a teaching technique. After 15 minutes I had lost concentration and felt swamped by the sheer amount of information I was being expected to process and I found myself daydreaming, looking out of the window and, I have to admit, playing on my phone. I was also frustrated at the loss of 2 whole days of training opportunities. There was no training done - instead it was planning and preparation. This time is necessary but did we need so much? Could we have had some input into something new and exciting to try during the term ahead?
Wednesday to Friday were by far the best days of the week because they were days when I was teaching. Overall the groups seem pretty good so far. They have reacted very well to the new technology ideas in particular. Several students have signed up to follow the Humanities faculty on Twitter and my new Year 10 group are gradually finding their way onto edmodo. Hopefully by the end of next week there will be a lot more kids using it. Most pleasing of all was seeing more teachers and faculties using plannerlive - Science and English have posted homework on there this week. I am really pleased about that - it may be that this will be a revolution from below. If enough of us keep having a go with new technology by the time the School Leadership Team get round to discussing which new technologies they want to use it will be too late - they will already be embedded in the school because the best teachers are using it and large numbers of students are using it regularly.
So my New school year's resolutions are not doing too badly after just 1 week. New technology is being used - I also recorded a 5-minute summary of the Treaty of Versailles on Audioboo and posted it on twitter and edmodo for Year 10. You can hear it on http://audioboo.fm/boos/463103-the-treaty-of-versailles. I have tried really hard not to get wound up by the stuff I can't change - even on Monday and Tuesday. This week I am going to try really hard to learn 5 kids names each lesson. Even my room has stayed tidy - which my tutor group are finding very unnerving. --- and I have blogged again.
Hope this week is a good one.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, 3 September 2011
Magic School
At the end of last term I ran a Magic School for a week as part of our school's Challenge Week - it was without doubt the best teaching experience of my career. The set-up was simple: 25 kids from Yrs 7-9, boys and girls, 5 days to teach them as much magic as possible and perform a show for an audience of Yr5-6 kids on the last day.
I know a small number of magic tricks but was able to call in the help of an old friend, Dr Alan Jones who is, amongst a long list of talents, a professional magician and teacher - the week could not have worked without him. Al and I had met up a few times during the year to plan what to do and Al had put together a fantastic magic kit for each student involved containing cards, vanishing balls, rope etc and a brilliant book called Crafty Conjurors which he had written.
On the first 2 days Al and I threw as many tricks as we could at the kids and gave them opportunities to play and experiment. Wednesday and Thursday were taken up with planning for the final show and practicing tricks and Friday was the final performance and a review.
Despite our planning the reality was that neither me or Al really knew what was going to happen during the week - and that's what made it so exciting. We could not anticipate how the kids would react to the week or how quickly they would pick things up. What happened exceeded all of our ideas and ambitions. We got a superb model of how learning can happen and a glimpse of how schools could operate more effectively.
After the first 2 days Al and I stopped teaching. We had demonstrated lots of tricks and illusions and now the kids just went away and worked with them. From that point on we were helpers and advisors - far more powerful roles. Kids showed us what they could do and we gave them advice on how to improve it. The kids had time and space to go away and work at their own pace and on what they wanted. We had 4 rooms that the kids go to and we circulated around them - but some groups would be left on their own supervised by a TA for up to 45 minutes - and they worked. We couldn't stop them working! Kids were coming in at 8 in the morning to practice, working through breaks and lunchtimes, doing stuff at home - even though we never mentioned homework. The only time we came close to telling kids off was when we had to throw them out of school at the end of the day.
The final performance was spell-binding - the quality far exceeding what we expected them to achieve. Every student performed - and we had always made it clear that performing was optional. The kids showed amazing responsibility, resilience, creativity and team-work. There were so many highlights: I tweeted about what we were doing and the kids were knocked out to get replies from such professional magicians as Piff the Magic Dragon, Josh Jay, David Copperfield and, best of all, Penn and Teller; some students really struggled with particular tricks but stuck with them and got them right; several teachers were amazed at the transformation in 1 particular Yr 8 boy who has caused problems during the year with his behaviour - he was amazing at Magic School - I think it was the first time some teachers had seen him smile; every kid personalised their trick - changing it from how we did it to something unique and personal; for me the best moment was when 1 extremely shy Yr7 boy stole the show with a hilarious performance as the mad magical scientist - he discovered that he was funny.
By the end of the week I was exhausted - but exhilirated. We are already making plans for next year's event and I aim to run a fortnightly magic club at school. The kids already arranged extra shows themselves in the school library on their own.
The whole experience did make me think about what school should be like - this is what happens when kids are truly motivated and stimulated - but also given time and freedom to experiment and play. The real challenge this year needs to be looking for ways to recreate this experience in all my lessons - let the magic continue
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
New (School) Year Resolutions
I always look forward to the start of the new school year - I guess the day I don't will be the time to call it a day. I am glad to say that I think I am looking forward to the start of this year more than I have in ages. For the first time in several years I have got a good timetable and, unlike last year, most of the time I will be teaching History. At the beginning of last year I was feeling really negative about teaching - largely because I was teaching a lot of English and PSHE but last year was a real turning point for me. I discovered lots of new ideas and technologies during the year which really reignited my excitement and enthusiasm for teaching.
I have decided to make some new resolutions for this year - who knows if I will keep them but I am hoping that by writing them down it gives me more of an incentive to do them.
1. Use lots of new technology.
Last year I got into Twitter, blogging, edmodo, audioboo and plannerlive. This year I will use them more extensively - I would love to reach the point where every student I teach is using at least 1 of these technologies regularly to improve their learning.
2. Audioboo lessons
I only got into audioboo at the end of the year but will take it much further this year. The aim is to do audioboo summaries of each GCSE and AS lesson so that students can access 5 minute summaries of the key points of each lesson at home.
3. Learn names quickly
I have always been really bad at learning names. As a visual learner I am great at remembering faces but rubbish at names. The target is to know every students' name by half-term. I am going to try and use at least 5 new names every lesson.
4. Be more organised
I have a reputation for being the untidiest teacher at school. My desk is always a mess - but deep down I would love to be more organised. At the beginning of the summer holidays I gave my room a good clear out and it looks fantastic now - I will try to keep it this way. I intend to spend 5-10 minutes each day tidying (I know even as I write this that this is asking way too much!)
5. Provide better feedback
I have always disliked marking and would rather spend my time planning the next lesson. However, I am now realising that I am doing my students a big disservice. Their work deserves to be marked and they have the right to get feedback on how well they did it and how they can improve it - quickly. I owe them that. This year work will be marked quickly and regularly. I have tried to work out a rota for marking which might help
6. Keep positive
I have a tendency to get wound up by some of the things that happen at school - particularly decisions made by management which I disagree with. This year I am going to try to focus on the things I can affect and not get bothered by the stuff I can't do anything about.
7. Take risks
This I know is the one that I will definitely keep. I have always been experimental in the classroom - it is one of the things I enjoy the most about teaching. I haven't got a clue what I am going to do that is new yet - but look forward to finding out what it will be
8. And finally...blog
I started blogging last year and got into it for a while and then slipped off. The thing is that I know I feel so much better about teaching (and me) when I blog. It helps to keep me positive and also gives me time to reflect on what I do. The aim is to blog at least once a fortnight - let's see what happens
So that's the plan. If there are any other teachers out there - I would love to know if you set yourself any resolutions. Good luck to all of us this year in the classroom - enjoy yourselves.
I have decided to make some new resolutions for this year - who knows if I will keep them but I am hoping that by writing them down it gives me more of an incentive to do them.
1. Use lots of new technology.
Last year I got into Twitter, blogging, edmodo, audioboo and plannerlive. This year I will use them more extensively - I would love to reach the point where every student I teach is using at least 1 of these technologies regularly to improve their learning.
2. Audioboo lessons
I only got into audioboo at the end of the year but will take it much further this year. The aim is to do audioboo summaries of each GCSE and AS lesson so that students can access 5 minute summaries of the key points of each lesson at home.
3. Learn names quickly
I have always been really bad at learning names. As a visual learner I am great at remembering faces but rubbish at names. The target is to know every students' name by half-term. I am going to try and use at least 5 new names every lesson.
4. Be more organised
I have a reputation for being the untidiest teacher at school. My desk is always a mess - but deep down I would love to be more organised. At the beginning of the summer holidays I gave my room a good clear out and it looks fantastic now - I will try to keep it this way. I intend to spend 5-10 minutes each day tidying (I know even as I write this that this is asking way too much!)
5. Provide better feedback
I have always disliked marking and would rather spend my time planning the next lesson. However, I am now realising that I am doing my students a big disservice. Their work deserves to be marked and they have the right to get feedback on how well they did it and how they can improve it - quickly. I owe them that. This year work will be marked quickly and regularly. I have tried to work out a rota for marking which might help
6. Keep positive
I have a tendency to get wound up by some of the things that happen at school - particularly decisions made by management which I disagree with. This year I am going to try to focus on the things I can affect and not get bothered by the stuff I can't do anything about.
7. Take risks
This I know is the one that I will definitely keep. I have always been experimental in the classroom - it is one of the things I enjoy the most about teaching. I haven't got a clue what I am going to do that is new yet - but look forward to finding out what it will be
8. And finally...blog
I started blogging last year and got into it for a while and then slipped off. The thing is that I know I feel so much better about teaching (and me) when I blog. It helps to keep me positive and also gives me time to reflect on what I do. The aim is to blog at least once a fortnight - let's see what happens
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Farewell to Hybrid History
Like a number of History teachers around the country I was extremely disappointed to discover that OCR has dropped the Hybrid History Pilot course with immediate effect. This is a huge shame as I believe that this was one of the most innovative and creative courses put forward for any GCSE students in the last 10 years. I had a great time teaching it and I know the kids really enjoyed it. It was hard work - particularly as most of the content and resources had to made from scratch, but it was worth it.
We did the International Terrorism unit to start off which really challenged students' perceptions of terrorism, protest and the effect of 9/11. I teach in Cornwall and there are times when the rest of the world can feel like it's a long way away - this unit involved students in big current world issues.
I have to admit that I was always surprised at how much kids genuinely enjoyed the Medieval Kings unit - I think the fact that it was so different from the other history they had covered made it exciting and the 4 hour exam predated the new Controlled Assessment.
The Heritage Marketing Unit was superb - the highlight of the course each year as it encouraged students to consider the role of history in today's society and to think outside the box. Over 5 years students produced new marketing materials and strategies for the Cornish Records Office and for Bodmin Jail and the ideas the kids came up with were fantastic.
The Victorian Society in Depth unit allowed us to take a more traditional period of history and look at in a different light. This year we looked at why the Victorians were fascinated by horror and invited in a professional magician to demonstrate how Victorian mediums fooled audiences to believe in spirits and ghosts, recreated a Victorian school and held a competition to decide who was the greatest Victorian (narrowly won by Charles Darwin, just ahead of Jack the Ripper and Oscar Wilde). I also teach Modern World GCSE and love it - but the Hybrid was a hell of a lot more fun.
So the course is gone - and OCR should be particularly ashamed of it's timing by cutting a course after students have been recruited. However, the resources still exist and the ideas can be changed and adapted for Key Stage 3. A lot of our Medieval Kings stuff has already drifted into Year 7. We put together a great resource box looking at the images on medieval kings' seals with the Record Office which has been used by several schools and goes down really well with Year 7. You know what teachers are like - we never throw stuff away and can recycle anything.
The hope has to be that the spirit of the Hybrid course can be kept - this is the type of history we should be teaching - history that enthuses and inspires kids, that challenges perceptions and forces students to ask questions. A great course that will be missed - but which will still have some effect for a long time.
We did the International Terrorism unit to start off which really challenged students' perceptions of terrorism, protest and the effect of 9/11. I teach in Cornwall and there are times when the rest of the world can feel like it's a long way away - this unit involved students in big current world issues.
I have to admit that I was always surprised at how much kids genuinely enjoyed the Medieval Kings unit - I think the fact that it was so different from the other history they had covered made it exciting and the 4 hour exam predated the new Controlled Assessment.
The Heritage Marketing Unit was superb - the highlight of the course each year as it encouraged students to consider the role of history in today's society and to think outside the box. Over 5 years students produced new marketing materials and strategies for the Cornish Records Office and for Bodmin Jail and the ideas the kids came up with were fantastic.
The Victorian Society in Depth unit allowed us to take a more traditional period of history and look at in a different light. This year we looked at why the Victorians were fascinated by horror and invited in a professional magician to demonstrate how Victorian mediums fooled audiences to believe in spirits and ghosts, recreated a Victorian school and held a competition to decide who was the greatest Victorian (narrowly won by Charles Darwin, just ahead of Jack the Ripper and Oscar Wilde). I also teach Modern World GCSE and love it - but the Hybrid was a hell of a lot more fun.
So the course is gone - and OCR should be particularly ashamed of it's timing by cutting a course after students have been recruited. However, the resources still exist and the ideas can be changed and adapted for Key Stage 3. A lot of our Medieval Kings stuff has already drifted into Year 7. We put together a great resource box looking at the images on medieval kings' seals with the Record Office which has been used by several schools and goes down really well with Year 7. You know what teachers are like - we never throw stuff away and can recycle anything.
Sunday, 27 March 2011
Edmodo and Teachmeets
A few weeks ago I went to my 1st Teachmeet. If you haven't come across these yet, then you probably haven't been on Twitter enough. The idea is that teachers get together informally and swap ideas, tools and resources. As it seems to run through the internet it does tend to be dominated by IT teachers - which is great for me as that is an untapped resource as far as I am concerned.
I came away with tons of ideas - the first of which is edmodo. This is a brilliant free website which acts as a social network for teachers and students. As the teacher you set up groups for the classes you teach - it gives you a code which the students use to log in. You can upload resources and web links to it, send them messages and, most importantly, they can contact you.
I have been using for the last 2 weeks with my Yr 10 and Yr 11 GCSE History groups and it has been brilliant. The kids really like it and find it easy to use as "it is just like Facebook".
Just this weekend, 3 students have posted specific questions about homework or coursework. It took me just a few minutes to type in a reply which will really help those kids to get great grades and move on. I used to think that things like this would intrude on my private life and get in the way but the technology now allows this to be really easy and within my control. There is even an App for edmodo so you can access it on the Iphone.
Give it a try - I heartily recommend it. Go to www.edmodo.com - it takes less than 5 minutes to set up.
If you are already using edmodo - let me know what else you are doing with it.
Look out for Teachmeets - they are the best CPD I have seen in years.
I came away with tons of ideas - the first of which is edmodo. This is a brilliant free website which acts as a social network for teachers and students. As the teacher you set up groups for the classes you teach - it gives you a code which the students use to log in. You can upload resources and web links to it, send them messages and, most importantly, they can contact you.
I have been using for the last 2 weeks with my Yr 10 and Yr 11 GCSE History groups and it has been brilliant. The kids really like it and find it easy to use as "it is just like Facebook".
Give it a try - I heartily recommend it. Go to www.edmodo.com - it takes less than 5 minutes to set up.
If you are already using edmodo - let me know what else you are doing with it.
Look out for Teachmeets - they are the best CPD I have seen in years.
Monday, 14 March 2011
Models of Understanding
I stole this idea from Mike Hughes - I am a thief but I am an honest one. I always admit when I am stealing ideas.
I like activities which utilise what kids will do anyway. Have you ever marveled at just how much junk kids carry in their bags? And how they want to empty it out all over the table too? This activity gives them the freedom to do that but also develops creativity and enhances understanding by helping them personalise information.
Give students 7 minutes to make a free-standing model using whatever is on the table, in their pockets or in their bags. Give them a key word, idea, personality, event or group that the model must represent. Usually you get a minute or two of confused muttering and emptying of bags before someone comes up with an idea that someone else copies, picks up or adds to. Everytime I have done this I have been amazed at what kids come up with.
Today I did this activity as a starter with 2 Yr9 groups. We were looking at the main themes of Nazi propaganda. I gave each group a theme on a strip of paper that they had to keep secret from other groups, build their models and then see if other groups could guess their theme.
I like activities which utilise what kids will do anyway. Have you ever marveled at just how much junk kids carry in their bags? And how they want to empty it out all over the table too? This activity gives them the freedom to do that but also develops creativity and enhances understanding by helping them personalise information.
Give students 7 minutes to make a free-standing model using whatever is on the table, in their pockets or in their bags. Give them a key word, idea, personality, event or group that the model must represent. Usually you get a minute or two of confused muttering and emptying of bags before someone comes up with an idea that someone else copies, picks up or adds to. Everytime I have done this I have been amazed at what kids come up with.
Today I did this activity as a starter with 2 Yr9 groups. We were looking at the main themes of Nazi propaganda. I gave each group a theme on a strip of paper that they had to keep secret from other groups, build their models and then see if other groups could guess their theme.
"Heroes" - sadly Justin Bieber gets everywhere
This one is "Strength" - well it made sense to them!
Great fun as a starter and one that has loads of replay value.
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