Over the last few drama workshops we have looked at numerous different drama techniques, there were a lot more than I previously thought. Through the teaching and identifying of these techniques my knowledge of drama has deepened. As part of these workshops we work in groups and take part of completing small drama pieces that are effective for the different techniques. By doing this I can see that my confidence is gradually building up in the curricular aspect, as I was once very afraid and apprehensive about drama. Through the support and encouragement of my peers I am more involved in the participation of our ideas and I am more willing to take a “lead” role. Week 1 I was very reluctant to take part and just shied away but by week 3, I was fully wanting to participate by taking on different roles.

MUSIC

“The voice of the teacher is of paramount importance in carrying out professional roles and responsibilities. It is essential that this asset is protected” (GTC, 2017).

In today’s seminar we focused on the importance of the voice. We started off by looking at the GTC and their explanation of why the voice was important. They have a whole document explaining why the voice is important and what we should do if our voice is affected. This was a useful tool as it allowed me to follow instructions on how to use my voice effectively and what to do if it gets damaged.

We then went on to look at the use of voice in music and how we can use singing in the primary school classroom. We were shown many resources that were very useful such as Choon Baboon. Choon Baboon is a brand new, modern way to get the children singing songs they will love in the classroom. Every song is on YouTube which is a quick and easy way to access. As I am not very confident in the Expressive Arts, I would use this resource in the classroom as it does not show to the children that you may lack confidence in this subject, just because you use a different method to teach.

We then went on to sing a few songs of our own such as “A penguin came for tea” and “Number 9”. These were fun and engaging and suitable for the primary classroom.

We were also shown Graphic Scores which was a way that children can draw their own music and follow it :

As the sessions on music continue I find myself stepping out my comfort zone more and becoming more confident with various aspects of music.