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 multi-

modal 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

Farlow

During ITT it seems like

every other person in the

teaching profession warns

you about how difficult the

NQT year will be and you

begin the year anticipating

the worst. No matter how

positive you try to be, in the

back of your mind you’re

constantly reliving someone

else’s experiences.

My first week began and

everything remained nice

and calm with all the books

marked everyday and all

the emails answered on

time, lessons fully planned

for the following day by

5pm, all the kids nice and

polite. Little did I know that

they were sussing me out.

I’d walk down the corridor

with big smile on my face,

literally skipping along,

wondering what all the fuss

was about.

The second week brought

the first after-school

training session, and that

was the beginning of the

excitement! The planning

routine went out the

window, my beautifully

ordered desk draw soon

began to fill up with paper

and stationery and before I

knew it, I was taking work

home at 6.30pm!

As the term progressed, I

discovered that actually,

the ratio of unpleasant

experiences to good ones

was 1:34 and the blame for

the single bad lesson lay

firmly on my shoulders. A

pleasant surprise as I was

anticipating 35 bad days at

the beginning of the first

half term. Nothing prepared

me for the very expectant,

trusting and excited Year 7s

whose entire attitude to the

subject, for the rest of their

life, would be influenced by

me. Nothing prepared me

for the realisation that I can

be in complete control even

with the most challenging

of kids and situations.

What have I done well this

half term? Smiled! What

have I learned this half

term? I have control of my

practice. What will I do

better next time? Manage

my limited time better.

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

So what exactly have I been doing every Friday for the past

thirteen months?

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 – Activate-

Demonstrate –

Consolidate! The key to

success with boys!”

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

How do I know what I think until I have heard what I said?

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)

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.

Overview

The Strengthening Family

Programme 10-14 (SFP10-

14) 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

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 –

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.

• 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

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

some students I don't

teach. Perhaps I can show

another side of me...... that

I'm not great at everything!

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

students. Have your lunch in the school canteen, or wander onto the yard at break. Relationships are vital – create them!

4. Routines, alongside relationships and expectations, help to create a positive learning environment. Make sure your routines are consistently re-enforced.

5. Consistency is key. Think hard about your expectations; make sure they are fair and consistently followed.

6. 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.

7. 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

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.

FRIDAY – CLUB TURN

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.7rcs.blogspot.com

http://holgatehistory.wordpress.com/

http://linoit.com/users/janeh271/canvases/7R%20Cultural%20studies

http://storybird.com/books/let-the-music-play/

www.oneword.com

www.photopeach.com