https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZtktAVR00A

Throughout the social studies elective this year, I have learned many things that will certainly impact upon my teaching in future placements and career. However, for my portfolio reflection, I have decided to specifically focus upon ‘Wolfgang’s Story’ as when I watched this video I felt completely sucked into the learning, along with the rest of the children in the classroom.  I believe this piece highlights the importance of using engaging and exciting teaching techniques within primary school in order to produce imaginative and thoughtful pieces of work.

The video is based upon the teachings of Graham Hicks, a Primary 6 teacher at Eastfield Primary School in Middlesex. His history lessons are particularly unique as Graham transports his pupils back in time through becoming the role of a fictional character, Wolfgang Drenler. In this particular topic, he uses the fictional character within the historical context of World War Two, illustrating a German standpoint. As a student teacher this struck me as World War Two is a very common topic taught in primary schools across the United Kingdom. However, teaching it from the point of view of a German soldier would question and challenge the ideas and beliefs of the children in his class.

Graham uses the power of artefacts by putting on a long, black coat to resemble becoming the fictional character. As soon as the coat is placed on, the story is resumed and the children are instantly gripped to the learning. He also engages the children throughout by using different artefacts and objects each week to help build up the story. This is clear in the video as Wolfgang is sent german bread from his lover Clara, while he is away fighting in Ukraine. Therefore by passing the bread around the classroom, the children were able to draw on all their senses as to what it must have felt like to be Wolfgang Drenler.

After each lesson, Wolfgang leaves the children on a cliffhanger, building up their interest and excitement in the learning with the children able to ask questions to Wolfgang before resuming the story the following week. Graham also shows the importance of cross-curricular learning as the children after each lesson, write a letter in response to the letter Wolfgang received from his lover, Clara. From this point of view, the children feel like they are part of the learning as they take on the role of Wolfgang.

Overall, I believe that this video has taught me that for teaching and learning in history to be effective, it must revolve around stimulating activities that engage the children, such as artefacts, drama and storytelling.

One of my most memorable experiences from school involved learning about the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Despite the fact that my knowledge of the subject is not quite up to scratch on the subject today, I still remember how captivated I was in the learning of the subject. This is mainly due to the fact that the teacher made the learning interesting and quite literally brought the learning to life by staging the battle in our playground.

In preparation for the battle, the teacher incorporated art, technology and drama into the topic as we had to design our chosen weapon and shield as well dressing up into costumes. I remember feeling part of the learning and that is why it is one of my most memorable experiences from school. The teacher could have taken the easy route by just teaching from the textbook, however he brought it upon himself to make the learning exciting and engaging.

I always remember feeling excited to go to school every day in primary 7 due to the ability of my teacher to captivate the learner and bring the teaching to life. In fact, my primary 7 teacher was such an inspiration to myself and one of the reasons I decided to pursue a career in teaching. My only hope is that I will be able to transform learning into being engaging and exciting like the way my teacher could.

From a young age, I have always engaged myself with sport at school. In the way that many kids dreaded the day p.e. came around, I was quite the opposite! Yesterday, the p.e. workshop with Will reminded me of my inner child and the enjoyment that I used to feel at primary school. Having spent a few days of my work experience teaching primary children in schools how to play rugby, I was already confident in my ability to teach sport to children. However, I learnt yesterday how to make that particular sport, fun and engaging to those children that dread the day p.e. comes around. I believe that it is especially important to make this fun and enjoyable more than ever now that children have been required to spend at least two hours a week staying fit and healthy.

It is quite easy to make a simple warm up fun and enjoyable by giving the children a few simple instructions to remember while running frantically around the gym hall. For example, by signalling one finger the children would know to touch the ground with their left hand while running around. Two fingers would signal touching the ground with your right hand, while three fingers would signal a jump. An easy exercise like this not only gets their heart rate up but tests their mental ability to remember what number corresponds to what exercise. in this way p.e. becomes enjoyable to everyone, not just those who are involved with sporting teams.

When on my work experience in January 2014, I spent two days working in Clifton, a Special Needs School in Northern Ireland. Two days is a remarkably short time, however the experience and memories I received will last a lifetime. The whole experience taught me to appreciate everyday life. Many of these children have severe learning difficulties and will never have the freedom of being able to do things for themselves. As a result of this experience I decided to volunteer for Positive Futures, a charitable organisation that integrates sports with children with disabilities. As a result I have met many amazing people and have made even more great memories. Before I left for university, we went on a day trip to Portrush with the boys’ group, consisting of 15 boys ranging from ages 10-18. We went to the amusements and ended the day with a chippy by the sea. Watching them having so much fun, laughing and smiling proved to me that teaching was 100% the vocation for me. I learnt from the whole experience that what makes teaching great, is the feeling you get from helping others. From working in Clifton and for Positive Futures as a volunteer I am deeply interested in specialising in Special Needs. Seeing those children, whose lives are very much limited enjoying themselves and having a good life is very rewarding and very much a profession I would love to be involved in.