Traffic Lights for Group Work, The Boy Wonder and a shameful confession.
Think original Flakes better. The dipping gives you more chocolate but you loose that lovely crumbly texture. There has been a bit of debate on FirstClass about doing Group Work in English, the faculty are very keen on it but lots of us students didn't see any of it actually happening during our two weeks school induction. Some of the teachers we spoke to regarded Group Work with the same enthusiasm they might approach rectal examination and with the firm belief that the latter would be much less painful. I decided to ask The Boy Wonder about it. He is in Primary Seven, has he any experience of group work?
Lots. I found out that he works in several different groups. Some he really enjoys working in and others less so. He likes it when the group take his ideas on board, he believes he has a lot of good ideas but he can't always be bothered to follow them up. Sometimes he takes the role of leader if the group aren't getting anywhere but there is never any formal structure imposed on the group from outside. The people he doesn't like working with want to be the boss all the time. The people he likes working with are his friends and they do chat a bit but they always eventually get down to the work.
We talked for about half an hour about group work. I learned more about what happens at school than I have managed to drag out of him in the past 6 years. I wish I'd done teacher training before he went to school I'd have been a much better parent. Perhaps we should give parents crib sheets with things to stimulate discussion with their children like that scene with the American couple in The Meaning of Life. Its much easier to get info out of him now I know the right kind of questions to ask. Your average open question,
"What did you do at School today?"
just doesn't cut it with a seven year old.
I asked how the class manage to work in groups without it getting too loud and GUESS WHAT!!!
They use TECHNOLOGY to control it. They have a Traffic light system which is plugged in, the acceptable decibel level is programmed in and the light stays at green until the noise level creeps up at which point amber flashes, when the noise level exceeds that permitted the lights go red and the machine makes a noise like a police siren. WOW! I want one of those. I want one as much as I wanted that velvet skirt with the yellow submarine inspired pattern by Paul Smith but couldn't have because it was £200. Never mind just for group work I think it would be a great help in classroom management particularly with a certain 3rd year class I'll be teaching in a couple of weeks.
I like the idea that it wouldn't be me who is telling them they have broken the rule and now will have to accept a consequence like loosing out on reward time on Friday. This is partly because I have a craven desire to be liked (which I suspect will have to go if I'm going to be the best Teacher I can) but also because I am just a little bit afraid that one of them might hit me, what with a couple of them not seeming to have much of an understanding of the concept of rules or consequences from what I have seen so far.
Shameful confession time......
I'll be working with an Intermediate 2 Higher group doing Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and until last week had never read the book. I'm going to read the York Notes. There I've said it. Publish and be damned.
