Category Archives: 3.1 Teaching & Learning

Teaching Controversial Issues in the Classroom.

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Yesterday in my Social Studies Elective we were discussing teaching controversial issues within the classroom and it became clear that it was quite common for such issues to be shied away from, one of the reasons being the potential backlash from parents. It got me thinking about my experiencing with controversial issues during my time in primary and secondary school. One experience which stuck out was a modern studies class I had in first or second year of high school, we went in one day and without any prior discussion my teacher put on a clip from the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I was horrified, I couldn’t believe it, despite being 3 years old at the time of the incident and seeing it on the news, I had no recollection and had managed to not come across it till then. Despite being shocked I was so intrigued by it, I remember going home and telling everyone, I was so fascinating by what I had seen that I spent that night on the computer researching, watching documentary after documentary on it. This soon became my favourite class, I wasn’t the biggest modern studies person, I didn’t even take it at standard grade level and yet I looked forward to these classes due to the fact we would explore controversial issues in every lesson, my teacher wasn’t afraid to explore them and I for one, enjoyed discussing them and learning more about them, I was so engaged as a result. This experience has shaped the teacher I have become as I believe quite strongly in teaching controversial issues within the classroom, more often than not pupils will be engaged and you as the teacher can provide a safe place for them to discover and discuss such issues. This being said there is always going to be a certain degree of risk involved but isn’t risk-taking important in teaching?

So, why teach controversial issues?

It could be argued that the reason for social studies is to teach young people the kind of substantive knowledge that promotes a deeper understanding of their world. So you could say that the best way to do this is to provide consistent opportunities for students to tackle controversial issues. Still don’t believe me? Well you don’t have to, esteemed social studies educators such as Edwin Fenton, Lawrence Metcalf, Hilda Taba, Anna Ochoa, Shirley Engle and more all advocate teaching through inquiry which promotes enduring questions, positive confusion, reflective thought and an understanding of differences in values, priorities and definitions of mortality. Teaching controversial issues does this, nothing in my whole 6 years at high school got me thinking more than that lesson on 9/11, yes I was confused, it is hard to comprehend how another human being could do something like that but that got me thinking – what would make someone do that? This lesson promoted reflective thought, I had experienced something (watching the clip), I had thought (a lot) about what had happened and I learnt from that experience (that everyone sees the world differently and things can happen that drive people to do bad things). Reflective thought is part of the critical thinking process, are these not the sort of higher order thinking skills we want our young people to be developing? As controversial issues prompt young people to think about why people do things that we perceive to be horrific (like I did), this provides a perfect opportunity to nurture a growth in tolerance for other points of view. This sort of cultural awareness and appreciation of diversity is essential if young people are to become responsible citizens. If there was more of a tolerance for others within our society then there might be less conflict. Doesn’t that sound great?

But won’t the children will be scared?

Most of the time, no. As a teacher, you should know your children well enough and research the topic you intend to discuss well to ensure this doesn’t happen. Controversial issues can be seen everywhere in the media and with the rise of the internet, it is likely a lot of children will encounter these issues outside of the classroom off their own accord. Therefore, it is even more important they have a place where they can discuss what they have seen and share their thoughts, learning the facts rather than being alerted by fake news. You could argue they aren’t controversial issues they are relevant issues, issues that affect our society and learning about these are relevant to young people’s understanding of the world.

But what if the parents don’t like it?

Most parents understand that controversial topics will come up at school, just like they will come up at home, you can’t avoid them. If you are going to be exploring such an issue, send home a note or email letting parents know, a lot of the time they just want a chance to share their views with their children and letting them know in advance means you already know if there will be upset and you can deal with this. Controversial issues are extremely valuable learning experiences and as such it requires some thought and advance preparation but the impact it will have on your students will be worth it. 8 years on and I still remember that lesson like it was yesterday, the experience has stayed with me and enabled me to make sense of the world we live in. It introduced me to a world I didn’t know existed and shouldn’t a child’s education expand their horizons?

Controversial issues can be uncomfortable and it can be easier to avoid the conflict and risk involved with teaching them but it is necessary. As teachers we have the power to provide a safe and nurturing environment in which to explore controversial issues and we need to use it.

The Importance of Health & Wellbeing.

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Health and Wellbeing is becoming more and more prominent in the Scottish curriculum and is strongly embedded across all the curricular areas. Curriculum for Excellence aims to ensure that all children and young people in Scotland develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they will need if they are to flourish in life, learning and work, now and in the future. With Scots dying younger than in any other part of the UK (2010 Scottish Health Survey) and over two thirds of adults and one third of children classified as overweight, the Scottish Government has established a National Indicator to reduce the rate of increase in the proportion of children with their BMI out with a healthy range by 2018.  As children learn through all of their experiences, it is important that learning about health and wellbeing is embedded in the learning experiences of children from a very early age.

With childhood obesity rising at an astonishingly scary rate, I believe it is very important for children not just to do sport and exercise but to also have a very strong knowledge of how to be healthy in terms of food and their overall lifestyle. If this is taught from the early years they will grow up knowing how to be healthy and look after themselves properly. This will hopefully help with weight problems such as diabetes.

As a result of this, there are now 3 central strands to the curriculum that all teachers are expected to teach whatever the stage of development. These are: literacy, numeracy and health & wellbeing. I think it’s amazing that health & wellbeing is now being recognised as just as important as literacy and numeracy. It may have taken a while but it shows the public that the Government is aware of the increasing problem and is actively trying to solve the problem at the root through education.

Whilst it is essential to raise physical activity in children, it’s also essential to develop a good knowledge and respect for mental health. Mental health problems are becoming more of an issue in today’s society. With the number of suicides increasing each year, it makes complete sense to me that children should be taught about mental health from a young age. Being aware will allow them to not only help others but to help themselves if they ever have to tell with traumatic life experiences which can have a damaging affect on mental health.

Finally, I strongly believe food technology should be taught more in primary school nationwide. Many children may not have a stable home and therefore will not have a role model who can demonstrate healthy eating to them. By the end of primary school, I would hope that children can prepare simple healthy food and drink and also be able to discuss the journeys of food from producer to consumer. As a result, children should have established lifelong healthy eating plans.

Overall, as a teacher I would hope to make full advantage of health & wellbeing across the curriculum as I strongly believe it is central to children living a long and healthy life from the beginning.

Design Your Own Classroom

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As part of our organisation and management TDT we had to design our very own classroom with justification. As a result, I created this design.

Design Your Own Classroom

This particular classroom is designed to hold 28 children maximum as I strongly believe that children work better when in smaller groups. Although I am aware that this is not always possible as many classrooms these days have as many as 33 children in a class. The seating arrangement would be organised in mixed ability to allow children to progress by interacting with fellow pupils whatever their ability. Ideally, their would be no particular seating plan as to allow the children to mix with the whole class and get to know every pupil regardless of gender or background, this should enhance their social development. However, with literacy and mathematics they would be placed in ability levels to allow for differentiation but this should be done in a way that the child would not know what level they are compared to others.

There is a large mat in which the tables surround it in a shape similar to a horse shoe. This allows all the children to get together for whole class instruction. Additionally, it can be used for reading a story as a class after lunch to allow the children to calm down before lessons. It would also be ideal for things like circle time to allow the children to share stories and ideas with each other. On this mat is a white board which would be used to write and discuss the learning intentions and success criteria with the children as sharing these is essential for an effective lesson.  Behind the mat is an interactive SMART board which provides fun and engaging learning for children of all ages to enjoy.

To the left of the main area of the classroom is a reading area/ mini library. This provides a quiet area for personal reading as I believe that reading is essential for developing a wide range of language and furthermore instils a certain enjoyment into children that will hopefully stay with them through life. Reading can be a way of escaping as for some kids growing up can be difficult and they don’t always have the best upbringing. Additionally, it developments their sense of imagination which is at its greatest when you are young. The small range of books that live in this area will allow children who have no access to books at home to not miss out and still be able to use reading to its full potential. It also has an interactive chart for each child to keep record of what they have been reading.

Next to this is an individual study area which can be very useful especially when children are having a bad day. Something might be going on at home or maybe an incident occurred at break/lunch time. Whatever the case, this small space allows for any child to have some time out if he/she is not in he right mind set for the lesson.

Across the other side of the class is an art area. This allows for the pupils to be messy and creative without ruining the whole class! It isn’t a huge space but it will allow small groups to go over together and release their inner artist whilst minimizing any chaos! Next to this art area is an interactive wall display which would be relevant to the current class topic. This will add a colourful display to the class which will incorporate the children’s own work. It provides an area for an child to visit whenever they would like to learn in a fun and interactive way which would be regularly up-dated and changed to match what they are learning at that particular time.  Additionally, there is a section for a wall display on class rules and routines which the children will have created themselves. Not only will this be a fun, creative lesson but it will teach them what is expected of them in a way in which they are involved in the decision of what should be a rule and what shouldn’t. This will hopefully be a productive step in involving them in positive behaviour management. Lastly in this corner is a wall display full of the children’s work from all the curriculum areas which will be slowly built up over the class year and updated to what they are learning at that time in whatever subject.

Moving further down the class, there is 2 computer stations which accommodates for 8 pupils at one time. In this modern day world, it is essential to have a basic knowledge of technology as it is everywhere and will be required for their future careers. This is why I found it important to incorporate some computers which the children can use for interactive learning or even just typing up a story that won story of the week, for example. It will allow the children to develop a sense of responsibility when dealing with ICT. Additionally, they can play maths games online with other pupils in the class. I particularly like this as the children will have so much fun competing with classmates that they won’t even realise that they are significantly improving their maths skills.

In between these stations is a group work mat. This allows for more space so the children aren’t constantly sat down, there is room to move around the class and interact with other areas. IT allows groups of pupils to remove themselves and work together to produce a piece of work which may relate to the current topic. This is essential for their development as learning to work in a team provides excellent opportunities to develop their social skills.

The teacher’s desk is located in such a way that it isn’t the centre of the classroom. I believe this is very important as a classroom should be child-centred rather than teacher-centred and this is why I have the class laid out in such a way that the teacher isn’t seen as superior to the pupil’s. This should help to develop a strong pupil-teacher relationship. The teacher also has their own bookcase for a selection of books to use for the whole class story time and filling cabinets for storage. I have provided an inbox and outbox for student’s work to ensure effective feedback can be given by having an organised system for marking. Additionally, there is storage facilities dotted across the classroom for pencils, pens, jotters, etc. Ideally there is a door to the outdoors to provide opportunities for outdoor learning or even for some time out. However, this is not always possible.

Completing this task has really made me think about how my ideal class would be laid out. Unfortunately, you will never have your perfect classroom as it’s just not possible. However, part of being a teacher is making use of the resources and space you have in order to maximise learning. This classroom isn’t too dissimilar to my placement classroom. There is less room compared to this design but there is still room for the whole class to get together and sit for some class discussion. There is a reading corner which I think is great but no interactive learning displays for the children to take part in. However, their work is displayed and there is a great class rules display called “Gary the Good-Mannered Goldfish”. There is no room for an art area, computers, or a mini library. However they’re booked in each week to use these type of facilities which are located elsewhere in the school. Additionally, they all know how to take out their books and can do this in the library at any time.

Overall, I would love to be able to teach in this class that I have designed! However, in most cases I will have to adapt my ideas and use the space to the best of my ability.

Drama Llama.

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Drama has always been a good hobby of mine. Growing up, I was part of a theatre company were every year we would put on a show in the local theatre. However, it wasn’t part of our school curriculum until you chose to do at standard grade. I felt this was a real shame as personally I think drama can do great things for a child’s confidence and self-esteem. It allows you to express yourself in a form of acting and generally many will find it quite enjoyable pretending to be someone else and leaving the real you behind at the edge of the stage. Additionally, drama allows a child to understand different ways of communicating and expressing your feelings, e.g. through body language, tone, etc.

After my first drama input, I definitely felt more confident to teach drama as it had been a while since I had done it myself but brought back my childhood love from drama. The TDT we were given was all about reflecting on the structure of a drama lesson with the stimulus being this video: http://www.teachfind.com/teachers-tv/ks12-drama-teaching-drama-structured-approach

This video, was all about teaching the teachers how to structure a lesson for drama as this is essential for a successful lesson. The lesson is structured through stages, the first one being an agreement were there is a discussion between the teacher and the pupils about a set of rules that will be put in place for the drama lessons which should help with behaviour as it easy for the class to get over-excited with fun, practical lessons! I found the 3 C’s to be a great idea as any problems that may occur during the lesson will be down either communication, cooperation or concentration. This keeps it simple but effective to ensure the children are aware and compliant. Next was a warm-up which helps to differentiate between play and learning especially as it’s different from there usual maths or literacy lesson. It also incorporates teamwork which will get them engaged physical but also mentally. Following on from that, they were talking about creating a focus using a stimulus such as picture which helps the children to develop their ideas through talking with one another. The development section, is all about building up how to create a drama bit by bit. They are also creating a visual scene here which gives a child something to focus on and engage in by creating sounds themselves. Performance is an important stage as this is the finished product and will be what drives the children to actually get to that point. Evaluation is the last stage which enables the children to differentiate what they have learnt from what they already knew so they can see a purpose to the lesson they just participated in. Additionally, it allows them to calm down after an energetic lesson.

There are many benefits to come from structuring a lesson in this way. Throughout, the stages were based on how to keep the children focused and engaged in what they’re doing so they don’t get too off task, especially with practical lessons being quite exciting for them. Drama was presented in a very simple manner, it wasn’t one big scary play but it was broken down into little bits for the children to easily grasp and allow them to build on their performing. One curriculum for excellence experience and outcome I think is being addressed in this video is: “Inspired by a range of stimuli, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through drama. EXA 0-13a / EXA 1-13a / EXA 2-13a”. As this structure was using stimuli to get them developing their ideas and then expressing them through use of voice, etc.
Additionally, there was an emphasise on how drama can be used cross curricular. For example, one teacher gave an example of how she could have used it in her class that very day as their topic was fairy tales. Personally, I think the children would find it really enjoyable to re-enact their own world war 2 rather than just reading about it or doing a presentation on it. It allows them to really get a grasp on how children similar to them must have been feeling and this would hopefully strengthen their understanding.