Online Teaching has been a real learning curve for me. In a subject like English, it is difficult to transition from such a discussion-based methodology to one where a dialogue is created on a screen. This, I feel, is a barrier to the meaningful debate and as a result, I have attempted to create engaging and enriching material which will serve as a springboard into my students'imagination. At least, that is the hope. I tend to structure my lessons with some sort of a hook, or idea to get them going, then build onto our online meeting and then finish with their task. I have used YouTube as a platform for some of my resources, and felt that sharing a few here would at least document what I feel will be a watershed in our thinking about teaching. What I have learnt in this space, is that with providing resources online, there is the promise of students being able to govern their own initial learning, and this is a rich epiphany. Perhaps we can recreate schools where we see the students three or four times a week, with one day dedicated to the tasks, and the development of responses? Maybe we can look at a later start to allow for sport in the morning? Many of my boys have found that they are far more productive after a morning run or cycle - and it makes sense. Fresh oxygen is going to their brain, they feel the release of endorphins and are energised for the work ahead. And then we could devote our contact time to the richness of discussion that is foregrounded by the work already done on that day at home. Anyway - some thoughts. I just hope that we take this opportunity to grow our teaching craft, because history doesn't afford opportunities to redefine a system very often. So, here are some of my works - predominantly around the Grade 10s where the boys are studying an elected 'Into the Wild' module with our setwork being one of my all-time favorite books - 'Where the Crawdads Sing' by Delia Owens. There is some other work from my Grade 11s related to the Power of Words as well. Enjoy.
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ContentSome thoughts about things, sometimes philosophical, sometimes just musings. The world through my eyes... Archives
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