Three days in

We have now completed three days of our project and after half term we have a whole week focus in school which will be really exciting. It is quite tiring to do everything else alongside the project and to keep a clear focus because the project does take over the normal rhythm of the week. Being off timetable at those times does add extra excitement to the classroom and there is a buzz of interest and energy from the children that is contagious but also leaves us more exhausted by the end of the day.

Half term provides some space for reflection and thinking about the next stage of the plan as well as keeping an eye to the final product on the celebration day.

How will we share our work with the school community...video clips, photo competition montage along the walkway walls, shoebox worlds, presenting poetry, photos of the project itself, performances of poetry, footprints with pieces of poetry, display of written poetry, journals, class book, poetry map, skipping rhymes, favourite poems...tents...?!

responding, recording and reflecting

An action filled, busy day with our poet. Children responded well to skipping and clapping rhymes on the playground, and then the hopscotch word play afterwards. Some great collaboration between pairs and small groups, exchanging ideas and sharing their work.

Was great to be able to record some of the children on camera and on video/audio recordings - will be able to build on that skill as the project progresses. Will be great for the children to take responsibility for more of that and maybe for some older pupils to contribute their skills as well.

'I like messing about with words and changing the order.'

'Poetry is my favourite subject now!'

Reflection book is set up and ready so tomorrow the children can begin to add ideas, thoughts, comments, photos and captions to it and we can build up a picture of our experience and learning together. (Different coloured paper and simple ways of mounting eg. ripping edges of paper to create interesting effects).

I think I will put some questions and sentence starters with the book to encourage different kinds of reflection...What are you learning? What do you like about working outside/about this project? Have you discovered any new ways of learning and working? Today I have learnt...I think that...Poetry is...Alice is helping me to...In my journal I like to...I want to get better at...

Definitely a team work approach between Alice and myself; she brings many of the ideas but we structure the session together and both ask questions to help the children reflect on their experience at the end of the sessions. Freedom to be creative but within a structure...

Day Two

Yesterday Alice worked with the children to help them discover different ways of writing poetry down and we particularly focussed on story poems, creating a very imaginative, fun, collaborative poem that followed the children's own ideas.

The idea of developing a story verbally really makes the children use their imagination and articulate their ideas. Questions that enable the children to go deeper and take their idea further can be really effective and children who may be more hesitant to say anything at first are soon drawn into the story and can contribute on an equal footing with more confident children.

Could this be used in smaller group work to encourage speaking and listening skills, or to act as a stimulus for written work?

The gap

It was noticeable this week that there is a gap between the ideas that the children are able to verbalise and how they put those ideas and creative thoughts onto paper. The process of translating thoughts and conversation into words on the page is something we need to spend some time developing because it will then enable the children to communicate in a way that has impact and clarity in their written work.

How can we encourage and equip writers to sift through all the material they collect and observe in the early stages of the creative process, so that the most effective words and language can be discovered and be given greater impact and quality in written or spoken form...?

In the classroom

Well we have had Day One with our poet, Alice, this week, working outside and beginning to look at the world around us in new ways and with new imagination.
The snow added some extra sparkle and magic to the experience.

' the snow makes things which usually look boring, look different and interesting' (Y3 child)

We have started to record ideas, sketches and words in our poetry journals now and the children are keen to share their ideas with each other and to read their work aloud.

Alliteration and simile/metaphor are already being used without any prompting;

'the pond shivers...the playground smiles...the tree is like a jellyfish with a walking stick.'

Will be good to see how all of this develops.

Back in the autumn!

Well, we have received so many applications it is really exciting! The work involved in getting to this point has been hectic but we have;
involved all the key stage two classes and many of the key stage one classes in dreaming and imagining how the outdoor grounds could help our learning. We are keeping all those ideas because they will provide a basis for any other work we want to develop outside;

we have drafted and planned a brief, with the input and ideas given by the school council. That part of the process was great because the pupil voice was taken seriously and their views helped to focus our ideas. The children had so many thoughtful ideas about the kind of person that they would like to work with and the skills they should bring to our school, and it was a very positive conversation;

we have had input from one of our school governors, who has been invaluable in helping us think through the process, asking questions that have helped us refine what we are looking for;

we have waited to see who would respond to our advert and brief with eager anticipation...!