Day Four Reflections

It was great to hear how successful people had been in their own working environments.  It was, however reassuring to note that everybody felt that they had insufficient time to implement new ideas and techniques to the extent that they wanted to. It wasn't just me then.

Some ideas were powerful and I could see how they might work in Lewis Girls' School.  I particularly liked the idea of us having an online student magazine.  I have talked to two NQT English specialists today and they have said that they would be interested in overseeing this student project - it ticks boxes for their NQT evidence.

With regard to the videos that we watched, I loved the idea of students working their way up through the ranks until they are the 'teacher' in the classroom. Whilst I am not sure about rewarding the students with money, I have found in my own experience that they thrive when you give them responsibility.  This is something that I will be exploring further.

The second video (PBL) was also inspiring.  As I have said previously, developing students' skills, sparking their curiosity and creativity and then standing back and allowing them to grow intellectually and academically is something that I firmly believe in.  Whilst it can be a 'messy' process and some pupils, without careful monitoring, could slip through the net - essentially doing very little for a long period of time - we are, through the use of this model, making our students more independent, and equipping them for the world of work. 

Last-minute Liz