What is the Artists in Schools Project? Many years ago, I worked on a programme to encourage schools to invite artists into the classroom. They… Read More »Artists in Schools Project: Visual Arts and Language
Using Storytelling in ELT to Young Learners: The Hands Up Project Nick Bilbrough has been involved in the field of language teaching for twenty-five years.… Read More »Using Storytelling in ELT to Young Learners: The Hands Up Project
Ask any teacher to react to the idea of teaching teens and there will be either a shiver of horror or the exclamation of “bring it on!”. We’re going to find out why teaching teens is a not only a deeply important privilege but how it will also improve your own brain health. We’ll look at the hormonal and neurological changes that take place, and the needs of adolescents, that if met, will make for fantastic relationships and effective learning.
Chances are that at some point in your teaching career, you will teach or will have taught children. I had the classic scenario of starting with adults and slowly but surely being given classes with younger and younger students, until one day I realised that I was almost entirely a young learner teacher. Thing is, I never got any clear guidance in all that time as to how that should have been affecting my teaching. How do children learn? Were there any learning theories I should know about?
500 Activities for the Primary Classroom” is the answer to that perennial question of “What on earth am I going to do with my class tomorrow?” Aimed at teachers of young learners between the ages of 3-12, this is a lively, varied compendium of ideas and classroom activities.
This new edition, Tell it Again! The New Storytelling Handbook, brings together this accumulated experience as well as recent developments in language teaching, and provides a completely revised and updated methodology section including new guidelines on how to assess pupils’ story-based work, learning to learn, learning about culture and learning technologies. Part 2 offers detailed story notes written by experienced materials writers and practising teachers on ten stories selected from Puffin’s rich list of children’s literature as well as two photocopiable stories.
“This book gives you advice on behaviour management that is easily accessible and equally easy to apply. This book provides plenty of information on the basic of behaviour management, lots of tips and ideas for managing the physical aspects of the classroom environment. The ideas and advice given are based on common sense observations and strategies that have worked for me.”
Coetzer (IHJournal June 2017) calls them “chubby questions”. Questions that get people, and importantly our learners, drilling down deep for answers. If you’re aware of HOTS and LOTS, you’ll know they refer to “Higher Order Thinking Skills” and “Lower Order Thinking Skills”. We want learners to move beyond LOTS, that include activities like memorising, applying and answering short Yes/No answers into the challenges of HOTS: investigation, interpretation, analysis, manipulation, critique and creation.
While contemplating project-based and experiential learning, Emma finds out some key truths for learning in the world of workshop artist Tony Gee, the Artistic Director and co-founder of Creation Myth Puppets. Tony has worked in the arts and as a puppeteer, for over 30 years, touring shows and workshops all over the world.