Literature: Reflection and Analysis of the Cross-Curriculum

When reading the literature, I was prompted to think about our own Curriculum, questioning why Music was not an exam-based subject with the mainstream Primary framework. I do know, however, of children that have a personal music teacher who visits my school to teach piano and brass lessons to the pupils. This made me consider that there may be places where children do not always have access to the arts because of their social surroundings and priorities. I know that in my own school, lessons in Maths and English are paramount and are viewed as top priorities within the school. They are the ‘core’ subjects closely followed by Science.

After analysing Grainger’s quotes about using multi-pedagogical processes, I noted down the times that I had taught in some creative form or another. This included the use of freeze frames, role-play scenarios, storytelling, audio-visual PowerPoints, videos and resources. Using creative methods during maths, such as drawing to create mathematical tables has shown me the everyday occurrence of cross-curricular links. After undertaking my literature review, I then had a discussion with the head of Wider Curriculum about my Religious Educational work. He was impressed with the way that I had incorporated Drama into my lessons and told me that I could make use of the cross-curricular opportunities given to me in the Not As We Know It Curriculum (below) for Religious Education. Within the curriculum, the cross-curricular links allow me to undertake tasks that might be seen in other lessons such as drawing tables and collecting data, which makes me reflect on the notion again of learning through an area or subject, because children are using maths within the Religious Education and therefore not just learning how to undertake mathematical tasks in just one lesson, but to continue putting their skills into practice. This is something that I recently used in my own lessons this upcoming term, including creating tally charts about each other’s religious beliefs within the class. By enabling them to undertake a data collection task, they are also learning about their own classroom community and perhaps learning more about themselves and their environment because of the process. 

Literature Further Reading: Classroom Observations

Personal Study of Classroom Observations

The way in which the arts can affect personal motivation and drive within a child and inspiring them to continue learning is also brought into question.

The significance of regular feedback in quality teaching is highlighted in Quality Teaching: A Sample of Cases.

‘The key point is that learners should be provided with precise information about the results of their actions so as to enable them to adjust their next responses if necessary to solve the problem they are currently tackling.’ (Stones, E. 1992, pg.97.)

Within my own school there are constant reminders by our leadership teams to praise and feedback to children when they are putting in effort and making the right choices. As a result, feedback is vital in being able to inspire young people and to help them grow. This helps us to reflect on the benefit of sharing opinions and encouraging open thinking within lessons. This can in turn let the child have knowledge of what they are accomplishing within each lesson and therefore making them take control of their own behaviour and learning. They consequently have a good knowledge of what is expected of them by the teacher. It provides a power to motivate students and inspire them to be more much self-aware and more able to think for themselves. It interests me that ‘solving problems’ comes into question and as a teacher I often see a link between a child not understanding a concept and not behaving in a manner that the school expects. This makes me think about the behaviour systems that we use within school and how the children move along a ‘traffic light’ system. The visual image of travelling from the ‘good green’ to the ‘bad red’ colours is a very clear image for the children to see when they choose to behave a certain way and is a constant colourful and visual reminder.

I now feel as though I now have a deeper insight into views of the United Kingdom and where it stands within its own creative teaching terms as a result of reviewing different types of literature. It makes me question not just what Creativity means, but also what teaching means. Is the role of a teacher to help someone learn something or is it facilitate something that already lies within them? Or is it both? It reminds me of one visual quote by Socrates that my English teacher had displayed on her wall, which said, “I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.”

In an observation within ‘Investigations and Inquiry-Based Learning in the Curriculums of Preschool Education’, there is a prominent need for the teacher.

“Nevertheless, curiosity does not automatically lead to learning. Children’s spontaneous desire to explore is reinforced by the teacher when she encourages the children to ask questions and think, providing them with opportunities to plan, observe, collect, process and interpret data, to reach and present conclusions.” (Michalopoulou, A. 2012, Pg.1-6)

This leads me to believe that for someone to truly be taught anything, they need to have access to a facilitator as well as explore independently. It is viewing a teacher as someone who encourages yet channels the child's curiosity and encourages the belief in the need for both independence and guidance. In other words, it is one thing to wonder, bit it is another thing to learn. Not only do I feel it beneficial to look at lesson plans themselves, but I also think it beneficial to consider the way in which teachers present a topic through their own instrument in my observations. 

“In the category of teaching style, multi modal pedagogic practices, pace, tutor’s confidence and the ability to inspire and value students were identified as core themes. In relation to the learning experience, the emerging themes included, involving the students affectively and physically and challenging them to engage and reflect. Taken together, it is argued these represent some of the critical features of creative teaching which combine to support new thinking” (Grainger, T, Barnes. J, & Scoffham, S , A creative cocktail: creative teaching in initial teacher education, 2004, pg.7.)

‘Support’ is one word used to describe the role of a teacher. The facilitating of ideas in which a pupil has will enable them grow and have the courage to inquire further. The fact that the use of multi-modal approaches was considered a core them of teaching style, as well as the pace and tutor’s confidence to inspire makes me reflect on the importance of HOW you present a lesson. This encourages me now to really look at the opportunities teachers give pupils within their classes to access as many creative elements within a lesson as possible. There are elements such as pace, timing, vocal use and self-confidence that would be elements to consider in this inquiry and I would be interested to see how different teachers use these elements to affect and influence their pupils. Consequently, one of my main sources of investigation would involve the consideration of the structure of lessons and the time taken in teacher planning to ensure that pupils receive as many creative opportunities as possible within the compulsory mainstream framework.

Bibliography

Grainger, T, Barnes. J, & Scoffham, S , A creative cocktail: creative teaching in initial teacher education, 2004, pg.7.

Stones, E. (1992), Pg. 97, Quality Teaching: A sample of cases (London: Routledge)

Michalopoulou, A. (2-4 July 2012) Investigations and Inquiry-Based Learning in the Curriculums of Preschool Education. Proceedings of EDULEARN12 Conference, Barcelona, Pg.1-6.

Possible Interview Questions for Teachers

What are the ways you are creative within your lessons?

Do you find any creative methods that really work well or engage the children you teach?

What is the process you undertake when you plan lessons? (Is it a collaborative process or individual? Are you given a set structure?)

What would you say is important for teachers to remember when they are teaching?

What skills are important to have as a teacher?

How do you feel about the National Curriculum and is there anything you would change about it?

Would you say schools are killing creativity?

I would really like to know more about the creative process in terms of lesson planning and how teachers go about creative such plans. As a result, I have compiled these questions which I plan to possibly ask teachers of a 'creative' background as well as teachers who specialise in more academic subjects.