Okay, the image might not look like much but there's a story to those small plasticine models.
On Sunday night, at around 8pm, I started to worry about the next day's move-up afternoon. My new Year 1 children would come to join my current Year 1 children (I teach a mixed class at the moment) for the usual move-up activities.
I had planned my afternoon and I've done many such move-up afternoons in my long existence as a teacher, but I just wasn't convinced. My usual approach is to welcome the children in, read a story or two, let them play with a variety of resources while I chat to them and then do some sort of art activity to create a display ready for when they arrive in September. It's always worked well. However, this year, on Sunday night, at around 8pm, I started to worry.
My main worry was the children's behaviour. I had heard many things about some of the children joining my class and I also currently have a few children in my Year 1 cohort who, while absolutely lovely, might not be described as 'role models' for younger children. I started to worry that they would just get up to mischief and that I'd find myself fighting fires around the classroom, which is of course not the way you want to start with a new class.
The answer to my worries was, of course, Mantle of the Expert. I messaged my Reception colleague to ask her advice - would the children enjoy mantling as their move-up activity? She was in favour of this idea.
So then, a short mantle. This is how it went.
I told the start of the story of Paddington Bear using some simple images on slides.
At one point the bear (not yet named Paddington) was alone on the station platform. The image showed him sitting on his suitcase while people rushed by.
I marked out a 'drama square' (a square of masking tape) and invited one of my current class to represent Paddington at this moment. She did a great job with her body language and facial expression.
I asked children to look at her closely and infer how the bear was feeling or what he might be thinking.
Then I said, 'what if someone came along?' and I stepped into role and started talking to the bear. My child-in-role was exceptional. The conversation went something like this.
Me: 'Oh! What are you doing here?'
Bear: 'I'm all alone.'
Me: 'Where have you come from?'
Bear: 'Peru.'
Me: 'Do you know anyone here?'
Bear: 'No.'
Me: 'Well, it so happens I run a Bear Sanctuary. Would you like to come with me?'
Bear: 'What's a bear sanctuary?'
Me: 'It's a safe place for lost bears. Would you like to come?'
Bear: 'Oh yes please.'
I paused the story and spoke to the children about what they had just seen. I clarified the meaning of 'sanctuary'.
I wondered aloud - do you think there might be other bears in the sanctuary?'. They agreed there might be.
I invited them to create the sanctuary with me. I laid out some green card and created a representation of Paddington Bear out of plasticine.
The children were, of course, keen to get involved. I gave them each a ball of plasticine and invited them to represent a bear that was in the sanctuary. I invited them to think about where the bear had been found - at a train station, like Paddington? In an alleyway? On the school playing field?
The children spent a while representing their bears. It was interesting to watch the responses of the new children. I don't do 'assessments' during move-up sessions but it was a good opportunity to observe some learning behaviours.
They added their bears to the sanctuary and I recorded where each bear had been found.
I considered stopping there, but the children were, by this point, pretty invested in the sanctuary.
I gave out A3 pieces of paper, one between two (pairing current children with new children), and invited them to design the bear santuary - what would the bears need to survive and to thrive?
And by this point it was 2.15pm. My new class, with children aged 4-6, had been fully immersed in this learning for over an hour.
It was a good afternoon.
Comments
Post a Comment