lesson resources
Whilst I am a Drama Teacher in Secondary Education and will share subject specific lesson resources, I also hope that some of these will be applicable to other ages, other subjects and other teachers. I know that before I have found excellent resources, however they are not completely suited to my pupils, but with a quick adjustment or two they have worked wonders. You will see that some of these resources have ratings and comments from myself. As a big believer that we never stop learning, I continually adapt my resources. Some recources are made with great intentions but never the less are not quite as successful as planned, and some perform completely surprises and bring out the best in the children sa t in front of us. As I've heard many times - "We're forever on a learning curve us teachers!"
WWWs and EBIs
When I first started my teacher training, I struggled to see how resources could be used across different subjects. However, a very good friend of me, who has recently became a D.T secondary teacher, was always talking about using EBIs (Even Better Ifs) and WWWs (What Went Wells) in her lessons - a simple yet effective way for both pupils and teacher to evaluate work. This method/resource is great for several reasons:
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It allows for accurate formative assessment.
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Applicable for a wide range of subjects.
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Easy and quick to make, adapt and use.
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Can be complete by both students and teachers alike dependant on their needed purpose.
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Can provide concise yet detailed feedback for pupils to have accurate knowledge of both their current atatinment and talents, whilst also considering future aims.
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Can be personalised.
In Drama, I have mainly used this resource for written activities and written summative assessments. I also often use this approach verbally when we analyse the pupils' performances in class, a simple adaptation to suit my lessons. For written work this is applicable to a variety of subjects, and from my experience it highlights the important things - a personalised summary for pupil, the work's higlights and simple actions for the future to achieve their full potential. However, all resources can be improved. The only thing about this resource is that it can be very time consuming - especially if you are like me and loves giving individual comments, easily writin several lines for each pupil - so I suggest the use of codes. Create your own code, for example 'A' standing for 'spelling and grammar', 'B' for use of punctuation, 'C' for use of subject-specific vocabulary and so on, to save writing similar points each time.
"I really like this! It meant that our feedback was easy to understand and we knew how to improve too!" (Pupil Feedback)
"This is such a great way to mark work precisely and so that the pupils know how to imrpove!" (Colleague comment)
"WOW! So simple and easy! I might steal this!" *giggles* (Teacher review)
Skillful Starters
Earlier in my teacher training, I came across a class with challenging behavioural needs. As a new teacher, I had not yet experienced overtly challenging behaviour and had to research new methods and activities that best suited this specific class. Throughout my training, the importance of starters were heavily emphasied, that and crisp starts to lessons in an attempt to minimalise distracting behaviours. This class needed to improve their skills of concentration, focus and teamwork. With my ever increasing experience and the famous internet, I created a powerpoint of starter games/activities that place emphasis on specific skills.
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Find the file HERE!
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The difference that occured with my challenging Year 8 class, were incredible, with their particular favourite being 'One Minute Wait". It created a sense of a team, working as a team and respecting everyone in that team, a concept they had really struggled with previously. The obvious divides of gender, friendship groups, abilities and personalities that were previously apparent were becoming less and less frequent as each lesson came by. Similarly 'Count To 21' produced similar results! They started to encourage each other, and share a sense of pride when they beat their personal best, which was an absoute delight to see. As the weeks ticked by, the nerves and apprehension I felt before teaching them lessened, and dare I say I missed them dearly when I had to begin a new placement! Joking aside, I did miss them dearly.
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Depending on what skill you feel needs to be improved, these games can be fantatsic, and so far the pupils are always excited by the word "GAME" - little do they know they are benefitting massively in gaining new skills and improving others.
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These games specifically utlise movement, characterisation, focus, teamwork, concentration and listening. The even better thing is that there are even more out there!
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My lessons have been made so much more engaging and progressive with these simple 5-10 minutes activities. I am a firm believer in learning through fun, love and laughter, and I have definitely evidence this in my own lessons. I can adapt them to my current scheme of work, the fictional narrative we are studying or the theatre practitioner we are learning about. Even if its a Geography lesson that has started a little too rowdy for your liking, see how quickly they focus and try to beat their PB in 'Count to 21' or can they 'Sculpture and Clay' elements of the period table in Chemistry? Just Drama? I don't think so! Happy game playing!
Form Time Activities
When I found out I had a Year 7 form class for my NQT position, and met them at a induction evening, I knew there was such a brilliant mix of personalities, abilities and confidences. I've always wanted to have an inclusive form class, a registration each day that everyone wants to be part of and feel appreciated in. I created these simple activities, both being so simple to make, to hopefully help achieve just that.
I'm no whizz with computers, but I created these easily on Microsoft word, printed them and laminated them ready for September. I recently wrote a blog about what kind of form tutor I'd like to be (go have a read!), and I feel these resources will really help with this. The 'Get To Know Me' jar allows each pupil to answer just one question about themselves, be that "have you got any siblings?' or 'if you were a chocolate bar, what would you be?' For some pupils this will challenge their confidence - to think of an answer independently, to speak in front of a class, and to socialise with people they barely know. However, it presents the opportunity for elaboration and discussion too if appropriate. It might be that when a pupil is asked 'where would you most like to travel to?', that a class discussion arises for that registration about all the wonders of our world...I can think of worse ways to start my morning! :) The form time passports, have two functions really. The first is for the pupils to feel part of something. Some pupils may not feel part of something yet, entering a new, big school with lots of new people so this is almost like a membership - a membership of friendship, welcome, and fun. Secondly, it allows me to know the pupils better. It means that if someones favourite hobby is motorbikes, we can maybe have a hobby formtime every so often, where pupils present to the class of why they love that activity so much. To generalise, both of these resources are about making conversation, about making a welcoming, sharing and collective atmosphere in form time. Now I've just got to wait to use them!
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If you would like access to these resources, find the links to the documents below:
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Please feel free to email us at missbblogs19@gmail.com, or tweet @MissBBlogs19, or comment on our Facebook post @MissBBlogs19 with any comments and reviews of these resources! Happy form times! :)
Stimulus Images
In Drama, we often ask pupils to devise from a stimuus to create a performance. These stimuli can be photos, images, music, articles, etc. Whilst searching, I found some particularly striking, thought-provoking and powerful stimuli that could be used both in Drama classrooms and other subjects. It made me question the world we live in, consider the value of money, lifestyle, poverty, culture and so on. These image provide platforms for conversations, whether thats in Drama, Geography, History, or English. I've put some ideas below about how these may be applicable to other subjects, through simple but effective activities. Please note, where I found these photos are typed beneath them. Take a look and they may help you create meaningful conversations in your classroom.
How can I use these resources in my subject?
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Drama - stimulus images for all year groups, choosing appropriately for the age of pupils.
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English - creative writing - ask pupils to create a piece of writing (poem, fictional story, non-fiction article, an argumentative piece) using one/several of the images as a stimuli.
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Music - ask pupils to create a short piece of music, to represent the feelings, emotions and/or thoughts the image connotates for them. Or, can they create a piece of music they feel might comfort the person in the picture, who is experiencing a difficult time?
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History and Geography - use as a starter image, asking pupils to highlight where the event might be occuring, are there any links/paralels to past historical events, how might we be able to impact the situation on a national/global scale?
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These are just a few simple but effective ideas I thought of for the use of these images. However, these subjects are not my specialism, so with even more knowledge of the subject, just think of the
creative, fantastic learning opportunities you could create with these striking images!
The above images were originally posted by "Ugurgallen" on Instagram, and on Facebook by 'Eunoia'. I found them shared in the Facebook Group "Drama Teachers Sharing Group" suggested as powerful stimulus material.
An image available on Google Images, that I magpied from a very talented ex-colleague of mine, and have very successfully used in Devising work.
Shared by a friend of mine on social media, unsure of origion of photo.
An image I found on Google Images.