Recommended reading
This page gives honest reviews about books/articles that I have read and have impacted my pedagogy - the way I teach, what I teach and why I teach it. Throughout my training year I tried to read as many sources as I could to not change the way I taught but to ensure I continued to progress as an academic and a professional.
Theatre in Practice - A Student's Handbook
Nick O'Brien and Annie Sutton
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A very informative and resourceful book, that you simply pick up and roll with! I have used this book several times for specific Drama activities that focus on specific pracitioners. A great tool to extend both teacher and pupil subject knowledge and a mixture of theoretical and practical activities to explore. I have met one of the authors Nick O'Brien and was blown away by the workshop he delivered to the pupils. It was a fantastic learning experience for them, and great for them to have such a knowledgeable professional in the room. I have always been a big 'fan' of the work of Stanislavski, and this book and the workshop with Nick taught me so many more ways to explore his works with the pupils, and for my own exploration. As busy people, there is nothing better when other people have worked so hard to combine their knowledge and experienes to create an extremely informative yet easy pick-up book for us all to hugely benefit from. Thank you Nick and Annie.
With Drama in Mind - Real Learning in Imagined Worlds
Patrice Baldwin (Foreword by Jonothan Neolands)
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With Drama in Mind was a book suggested to me by my trainee year mentor to expand my subject knowledge of Drama and more specifically Process Drama. This book is a delight to read and it informs you and educates you about the simple yet majorly advantageous elements of chlildren's play, imagination and creativity. Patrice Baldwin discuss Drama for learning, Drama as a shared learning experience. They reference pretending to be someone else - a common feature of childrens' play - or pretending to be somewhere else, sparking out imaginaton and creativity fom our very earliest imagined worlds. Drama as a process for relaxing and preparing the brain is extremely interesting. I think the fantastically positive effects Drama can offer to infants, primary, secondary and HE students are so readily forgotten, and as a teacher of the arts it can soemtims seem we are always fighting a battle of importance. However, Patrice's writing reminded me of just how important Drama, the creative arts and expressive subjects are and exactly how they are benifiting the pupils in front of us!
The Boy At The Back Of The Class
Onjali Q.Rauf (Winner of the Blue Peter Best Story Award 2019)
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A heart-warming story of family, friendship, love and courage. I came accross this book whilst on holiday, right at the time I was looking for some ispirational material for a Year 8 scheme of work. I read the blurb and instantly recognised the story's importance in today's world. I was so excited to read it and create fun, inspiring, original lessons that provoke a love of learning for my pupils but also a forum in which they could discuss topical conversations of our modern world and analyse the world we live in. Having now completed my scheme of work. Onjali Q.Rauf has provided a platform for moral, social, economic and political discussion in my classroom, and for that I am truly grateful. Alongside all of these important messages, my pupils will experience becoming fictional characters that have the upmost kindest, courageous and loving personalities, all whilst enjoying Drama, storytelling and team building.
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An absolutely warming read, making us realise that everyone faces challenge, but it's what you do with it that shows the true you!
I will continue to add to this page as I continue to read the many fantastic, helpful and guiding resources out there for teachers :)