As I wrote silence descended across my classroom. All that could be heard was the squeak of the pen. I could see my students in the mirror and took delight in their looks of horror. I wondered how long it would take. A moment later one brave girl slowly raised her hand.
“Um, excuse me Miss… haven’t you met the AP yet?”
“Yes I have met the AP.”
“Well just so you know Miss, she’s not going to like this......In fact, I think she is going to go crazy.”

On my first day at my new school my students sat apprehensive, whispering, predicting my demise. Lucky for me the AP is actually much more relaxed then the students perceive her to be and I am still alive and well and able to write this post.

So what was I doing that caused my students to quiver in fear for my life? I was writing on the mirrors that adorn one wall of my classroom with liquid chalk and I have continued to write on them just about every day since.

I believe that our classroom walls should speak - actually sing, yell, hail, screech, whoop and yodel what we are learning. Walls can be collaboration spaces, project vision boards, idea centres, inspiration zones and working areas. Teachers hang up complete works, but there is little purpose to this. The learning has been done and we have moved onto something new. Showcasing completed work isn’t assisting the current learning and teaching. While on the other hand, talking walls can project the learning forward.

My walls change daily, weekly and monthly depending on what is happening in my room. Here are some of the ways I make my walls talk: 

Liquid chalk Collaboration - As I mentioned earlier I have wall to floor mirrors at one end of my class. (This is a Drama classroom.) Each year group is allocated a section of the mirrors and this is their collaboration space for a unit of work. I also write key elements or vital information onto these mirrors so we can continually refer back to them. My students use these mirrors independently now.    Just the other day I came into my classroom to find, in my absence the day before, my year 12’s had used the liquid chalk to plot out a complete structure for the piece they are currently working on. I could see their working, their decision making and we could easily modify the work if needed. This allows for effective collaboration, ongoing communication, self-directed learning and increased metacognition. The mirrors are still usable for dance or drama tasks despite the writing. Sometimes when we run out of space we also write on the windows. You could use liquid chalk on other surfaces (as I am aware most of you wouldn’t have mirrors!), including non-porous surfaces, blackboards, whiteboards, whiteboard painted walls, glass, metal, ceramic tiles, Perspex, laminated surfaces, enamel painted surfaces or any sealed surfaces. It wipes off fairly easily.  The cheapest place to purchase the markers is eBay. 

Project Vision Boards – Yes, I am aware of Pinterest, but there is something immediate and tangible about creating a living, breathing vision board. I recently completed a playbuilding unit with my Year 9 students with the stimulus ‘Tales of the Sea’. In this unit students needed to work collaboratively to create original stories centring on the ocean. As a lead in to this unit students completed two of the following multiple intelligence tasks to stimulate their thinking and creativity around the theme. They then placed their work on the class vision board (just a wall in my classroom) resulting in a remarkable spread of inspiration for their storytelling. Throughout the unit, when they became stuck or found it difficult to move their idea forward, they returned to the wall to springboard new ideas. These ideas could be applied to a wide range of projects. Think PBL, design projects, creative writing, and science units. I find this technique really grounds a unit of work.

Inspiration Zones – These can come in many forms. One permanent feature is my character wall (which you can read more about here) that assists students to conceive complex characters. I also have one small area dedicated to writing prompts formed from deep questions and sentence starters. Students visit this area to stimulate creative thinking in both practical and written work. Inspiration zones can take many forms depending on your subject area.

Functioning Scaffolds – I often use scaffolds on my classroom wall (such as the Playbuilding Ladder). The students move physically with game pieces through the scaffold. They pin their pieces where they are up to in the process, which allows me to see the progress they are or aren’t making. It also ensures the students really consider the steps they need to undertake.

Post-it – My classroom is often covered in post-it notes. Sometimes they are used to make comments or expand ideas on the collaboration space or vision board. Sometimes they are used as exit passes or AHA moments. There is also a window above my desk where students know they can post me a note or a thought using a post-it. Each year group has a set colour so that I can quickly identify a group of thoughts. (Eg. I know all yellow post-it notes belong to year 10.)

There are no limitations on what you can do. I currently have an entire script on my wall so that we can move pieces around, discuss elements as a class, highlight sections together etc. It looks a little messy but it is learning in action. And then, when we run out of room (which happens frequently) we roll out the good old butcher’s paper.

The walls of my classroom mirror the walls of my student’s minds. They aren’t used to impress other teachers or parents that enter. They aren’t there to display A+ work. They are there to sing, yell, hail, screech, whoop and yodel what we are learning. And when I clear them, wipe the mirrors clean, take the last unit down -we have a clear canvas to begin creating all over again.

If the walls of your classroom could talk, what would they say?

I have been at a three day conference with a wonderful group of Drama Educators from across the globe. I am a shy person (no, not all Drama Educators are extroverted!) and this has given me the opportunity to sit quietly and observe my peers. I share this list with you today as I feel Drama Educators are often undervalued when in reality they are a unique commodity with much to offer the educational system.

1. We are incredible collaborators. This is the core of our teaching practice. We teach kids to be collaborative and in doing so deeply etch these skills into our own lives and actions. We know how to yield to the ideas of others and extend on the possibilities together. We teach this practice daily. 

2. We also know how to work independently. Many of us are the only Drama specialists in our schools meaning we often have to work on our own which leads to resourcefulness and an ability to network beyond the walls of our school.

3. We are risk takers. Yesterday we were in a workshop and we were told there was only room for some of us to participate in the practical component and the rest of had to observe the process. This process involved improvising and performing in front of your peers. It was interesting to watch the Drama Educators move straight into the space ready to take a risk, while the researchers sat as observers. And to be honest, as a shy person this is not easy for me to do (particularly in front of my peers), but I am a Drama Educator and therefore never play it safe.

4. We are disobedient. Now you are probably wondering why I am listing this as one of our beautiful qualities. Andrew Upton (Artistic Director of Sydney Theatre Company) in a keynote speech yesterday stated that “Disobedience is vital to all art.” It is essential to the creative process. If we never break the rules, never step outside the margins, how can we discover new ideas, new worlds, new ways of doing things? 

5. We are open to working with others (other teachers, researchers, other fields) because we value relationship. In fact, we value relationship so much that we explicitly teach it. 

6. We are creative and critical thinkers. We imagine. We play. We explore. We question. It is at the heart of our nature. 

7. We love our students and place them at the forefront of what we do. Yes, of course other teachers do this too, but our love stems from the emotional and social connections we make with our students as they share elements of themselves and the world in which they live in our classrooms every day.

8. We are empathetic. Empathetic to those around us - students, parents, other teachers, administrators. When we play a character we embody them. We walk in their shoes. This is enlightening and liberating for both us and those we are empathising with.

9. We are passionate. Passionate about our subject. Passionate about Education. Passionate about making a difference in our classroom, our system, our world. Nothing can suppress this.

10. We are joyful. Oh boy are we joyful! We know how to dance like no-one is watching. We know how to teach through play. We know the importance of taking time out to have fun with our students. And this joy is catching. 

So please, do not underestimate us. 

Imagine if all Educators were incredible collaborators but at the same time able to work independently. 
Risk takers, rule breakers, creative and critical thinkers yet open to working with others.
Loved their students deeply, were empathetic, passionate and oh so joyful. 
Our schools would look a little different don't you think?

A few years back a dear friend introduced me to the concept of Augmented Reality and I have been fascinated by it ever since. Augmented reality is when technology is used to create a  live view of an alternative, augmented world by generating sensory information through a computer or tablet. (This was the first video I saw that demonstrated Augmented Reality and I was awed by it!)  I have found it to be an effective tool to encourage deeper thinking and maximise instructional time in my classroom. The kids love it, other teachers are awed by it and you will have fun experimenting with it.

There are many ways you can approach the application of Augmented Reality in you classroom. I have found the simplest to be Aurasma. Aurasma is an app for iPhone or iPad that can allow for augmented experiences to be embedded simply in your day-to-day teaching. 

How can you use it in your classroom?

Peer Teaching and Self-Directed Instruction - One way I immediately implemented this tool was in my VET classroom. In this class students are required to use high-tech gear (audio, lighting and vision equipment) on a regular basis. My Year 12 students who were comfortable with the equipment created instructional videos for each element. We then layered these videos over an image of each device. My Year 11’s then utilised their iPads to bring up the instructional videos which assisted them in recalling the various elements of the equipment. This freed up my time to work with other students on different elements of production. My Year 12 students had the benefit of teaching their knowledge allowing them to reinforce the concepts for their own studies. My Year 11’s had the benefit of accessing this information whenever they required it, not just when I had five minutes spare to show them. 

This type of routine could be used in a number of classes for specific equipment or tools. Think Science, Art, DT, PE or Maths. It could also be used to reinforce concepts. Eg. In Maths, you could have a number of posters with formulas. These formulas could be posted around the room with embedded video examples of these formulas in action (maybe created by the more G&T students). When students forget how to apply them or where they can be of use, they can visit the posters and watch a live example. This encourages students to be more self-directed in their learning and saves the teacher valuable time explaining it again. Alternatively, in the Music classroom students could embed performances onto posters centred around a specific musical concept such as time signature or a particular musical instrument, to teach other students via sound, rather then through descriptions of sound. In Food Technology students could video a cooking demonstration and embed it on a recipe for other students to access when they attempt to create the recipe. This are just a few examples, but the possibilities are endless!

To Aid Deeper Thinking - Recently I moved to a new school. The girls in my senior class were intelligent, hard working kids that knew perfectly well how to play the game otherwise known as ‘mainstream education’. Within a term I was well aware of this and decided that for our second unit of work I was going to challenge them to become deeper thinkers. We were studying the History of Western Theatre which at times can be dry, but we completely shook it up. You can find the whole unit here, but to cut a long story short the students had to produce an interactive timeline of Western Theatre History for our classroom. Students created infographics which were printed for display as a large timeline. Using Aurasma we overlaid performances that displayed the theatrical traditions and performance styles in action. The students had to perform, direct and film their practical examples. At one stage during the project one of my girls said, ‘Miss, why can’t we just do a research report? This is difficult.” I had changed the game and she was unsure how to play. My response was this, “I want you to dissect information, apply information, create, collaborate and most importantly develop a deeper understanding of the impact theatre has on it’s world and it’s people. Completing a research report is only going to show me that you know how to use google and structure an essay.” She understood. By using Aurasma in this project I could physically fuse our theory with our practical work making it come to life for the students. These students still continually refer to this timeline drawing techniques and conventions from our prior learning to apply to our current performance work. Younger students also use it to gain an understanding of each of these theatrical styles. 

This type of project encourages deeper thinking. In Science students could complete a research paper and embed film of their experiments over the top of the report showing not only the final product, but the process that led them to their conclusion. In Art students could overlay a time-lapse of the art work being produced which would provide the viewer with another perspective on the art work in front of them. I said it before and I will say it again, the possibilities are endless. It is an awesome and innovative way to connect the thinking process with the product. 

To Give Students A Voice - Students could film themselves giving an opinion on a topic and overlay this recording on a given image which could be accessed by other students to enhance their learning. Imagine if all the books in your classroom had embedded book reviews by other students stimulated by the image on the front cover. I haven’t tried this yet, but it is on my list of things to do! Alternatively, students could voice their opinions on climate change or another current issue in a panel discussion, film this discussion and embed it on an image which other students could readily access throughout the school stimulating further meaningful conversations. 

I am sure there are many more ways Augmented Reality could be applied in your classroom. I know I am just touching the surface and I am excited about the future possibilities of this technology. I challenge you to experiment with this new dimension. When the posters in your classroom come to life for the first time your students may momentarily think they have transported to Hogwarts. Believe me, they will be suitably impressed and even a little bit dazzled by the magic you can weave with this technology.

I wonder if you will like this post. I like that you might wonder about it. Most of all I like this routine in my classroom and wonder where it might take us next.  

Welcome to two of my favourite classroom phrases-  'I Like...' / 'I Wonder...'. 

I embedded this practice into my day-to-day teaching after attending The PBL Australia Conference. At this event presenters from The Buck Institute introduced us to 'Gallery Walks'. I don't believe this a new technique, nor do I claim it to be ground-breaking; however, it is an effective practice that can be beneficial in all classrooms. (Here is an example of one teacher implementing a 'Gallery Walk' in her language classroom.) During the conference we had to present an idea for a PBL unit in our class. We wrote up our concepts on butcher's paper and pinned them up around the room. This is where the 'Gallery Walk' came into play. We had to view and read each teachers proposal and contribute two thoughts on Post-It notes - one beginning with 'I Like...' and one beginning with 'I Wonder...'. When I collected my proposal I found the 'I Likes...' really affirmed my idea and the 'I Wonders..' challenged me to push it further. So I took this technique back into my classroom and the thinking that results from this simple routine continues to amaze me.

Here are some examples of how I have implemented in my classroom -

1. Gallery Walks - I use Gallery Walks hand-in-hand with these prompts. A Gallery Walk a great starting point for a new unit. One lesson I set up 15 iPads around the classroom with different photographs, video and other media loaded to the screen. Students had to go to each iPad, engage with the content (which was centred around various forms of puppetry) and write an 'I Like...' and an 'I Wonder...' for each station. We then discussed the comments as a whole group. As a teacher it informed me of the material they were engaging with and also alert me to the questions that stimulated their 'want' to learn. (Eg. I like how the puppeteer has made this character's emotions come to life through the physicality of the puppet. I wonder how the puppeteer was able to manipulate the joints of the puppet so that it moved in that manner.) I have also set up online Gallery Walks to maximise time. Students record their performances and I upload them to Edmodo. (Could be used for speeches, photos of work or written work too.) Students then comment under each recording using the terms 'I Like...' and 'I Wonder...' . (Eg. I like how you used your voice to convey emotion and engage the audience. I wonder if your could further enhance the character through their use of physical gesture.) Gallery Walks also work well with essays, visual products such as posters or photographs and audio material.)

2. Daily Feedback - At the end of 99% of my lessons students share and showcase their work, both practical and theoretical, with their peers. As we view this work as a class I ask the students to either provide verbal feedback using the terms 'I Like...' and 'I Wonder...' or provide written feedback (generally in the form of Post-It notes) again using the same terms. This either opens authentic verbal discussion about the work being presented or stimulates detailed written reflections in the individual students logbook. 

3. Teacher Feedback - I also manipulate these terms to guide my feedback to students both during the learning process and at formal assessment time. It reminds me to look for and name the positive in the first instance. It also provides a platform from which I can pose my constructive criticism in a way that is palatable for the student. (Eg. I like how you manipulated the elements of Drama to effectively engage the audience. However, I wonder if you could further refine your character to demonstrate more conviction and therefore extract more empathy from those watching.) By modelling this practice effectively the students further engage with the principals of kind, specific and helpful feedback which I believe these prompts clearly scaffold.

4. Exploring Texts - I often use these prompts as a way to discuss text. At the end of a chapter, stanza or a scene posing these sentence starters can lead to meaningful conversations. The 'I Likes...' open up moments in the chapter or scene that the student connected with. The 'I Wonders...' suggest predictions or pose questions that we as an audience would like the writer to answer as we delve further into the story. At the end of text it can also be a great way to being a review or extend on the lives of the characters after the event.

This language is now embedded in my classroom culture. My students are familiar with the terms and use them comfortably, with and without prompting, in classroom conversations. These two simple prompts have changed the way my students approach and respond to feedback. The feedback they provide each other is kind, specific and helpful as a result. The use of 'I Wonder...' compels them to critically think about their learning rather than feel their peers are critical of them. 'I Wonder...' also generates substantial exchanges in relation to new source material or texts. 

This technique takes literally no preparation in its simplest form and can be an effective tool for generating deeper thinking in the classroom. Using it regularly will also help shape the language of the classroom and the way students approach and respond to new material. I challenge you to use it daily for a week and let me know how you find it. I wonder if it will work as well for you as it has for me!

Yes, I know what you are thinking - “Um, really? Drama teachers?” Drama teachers generally sit at the bottom of the educational food chain. “I mean, how hard can a puppet show really be to pull together? It’s just dressing up, playing games, having fun right? This is not what good teaching and learning looks like.”

You are wrong. 

Today I sat in a wonderful PD session run by some amazing colleagues of mine. They were discussing ways to ensure that our students became life long learners. Teachers were asked "What do we want the students we teach to be like when they are adults?" The answers included risk-takers, curious, creative thinkers, reflective, listeners, confident, creative, open to ideas, empathetic and adventurous amongst others. I sat there thinking, “This is what drama teachers do and do well.”

So here are six things I believe all teachers can learn from Drama teachers.

1. Play - There is one maths teacher that walks past my classroom on a daily basis and every time she looks through the door of my classroom she cringes. What she sees makes absolutely no sense to her. You can guarantee that whenever she is walking past she may be blasted by a strange noise, confronted by two students sword fighting in the corridor, witness a masked greek townsperson crying out in disgust or be greeted by a student bursting out the door only to turn directly around and burst straight back in making the grandest of entrances. In this moment she sees chaos; I see students playing, imagining, exploring the world, empathising with it’s people, taking risks, developing confidence in front of their peers, collaborating, trusting and most significantly learning.

Charles Schaefer wrote, “We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing.” All teachers should build play into their daily practice. Play with numbers in maths. Play with words in English. Play with materials in DT. Play with elements in Science. When we play we are engaged. We are exploring our world. We are learning about ourselves and we are learning to work with those playing with us. 

2. Teach The Whole Student - In Drama we are not teaching facts, we are not teaching equations -  we are teaching people. We are teaching people how to feel, how to interact with others, how to respond to the world and express ideas and feelings about what they see and experience. This can make Drama teaching exhausting some days, but it is also the most rewarding element. 

When students are giving an answer in Drama they are giving of themselves. They must be completely present; they must show up; they must participate. Drama teaches students about themselves and by learning about themselves they become more confident, more self-assured and more empathetic to others. 

Aristotle said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” So let’s give students the opportunity to know themselves. Teach them how maths is relevant to their life and experience. Teach them the science of emotions. Teach them about their cultures, their world, their lives and explicitly connect it to who they are. They will be engaged, reflective and curious in their learning.

3. Collaborate Daily - I don’t think I have ever taught a lesson in my class where students were expected to work through the entire period on their own. We are constantly collaborating. If we aren’t working in groups, we are working in pairs. Even if a student is working on an individual project they are sharing the work with their classmates, constantly seeking feedback and suggestions. In order for this to work I explicitly teach collaboration and team work skills at the start of the year. I teach trust and listening as core skills. I assess their ability to collaborate and provide them with ongoing suggestions on ways to improve in this area. All Drama teachers do.

Yes, Drama lends itself to collaboration, but doesn’t every subject? Build a culture of collaboration in your classroom. Start each lessons with a problem that must be solved in pairs. Use google docs to write a group essay (one paragraph each). Embrace group discussion. Encourage peer assessment and feedback. Set team challenges on a weekly basis. Mix up groups and partners every lesson to allow students to develop new relationships amongst their peers. If this collaborative environment is nurtured correctly and taught explicitly, students will become open to new ideas, empathetic towards others, and fantastic listeners.

4. Change The Physical Environment - I have one highly intelligent student who enters my classroom and either commando rolls or spins or leaps or runs through the door every Drama lesson. Why? She has told me that she feels free. Free to move, free to explore, free to be herself instead of sitting contained at a desk every other lesson. 

What does my classroom look like? Basically an open space. I have two desks for quiet writing and work if needed. We generally work on the floor in a circle, even when we are writing or I am giving direct instruction. I don’t have a whiteboard. Instead we collaborate on the mirrors and windows in my classroom with liquid chalk or butcher’s paper. The students work-in-progress is plastered on my walls making thinking visible. I currently have an entire script of a play on one wall so we can all stand around discussing different points of interest rather then all hiding in separate books behind desks. I have chairs in a cupboard that I can pull out if needed. I have cushions against a window. Boxes that can be converted into makeshift collaborative tables. I expand into the corridors if I require separate group space and if I still need more room to move I take them outside. My classroom allows them to work comfortably, freely and collaboratively. This encourages students to become creative in their thinking, adventurous and confident in themselves. 

Teachers of the world listen up. Remove your furniture. Replace it with various work areas that allow freedom of choice for your students. Create a flexible space that encourages collaboration and open discussion. Build an environment that allows freedom and creative expression. 

5. Assess The Process - In Drama we asses three areas - Performing, Making and Critically Analysing. The most interesting and difficult part of this is assessing the making. We mark the creative process. This encourages students to really focus on the decisions they are making, examine how they are collaborating and authentically establish and refine the thinking process as they work towards the final product. The whole method allows us as teachers to concentrate on the learning taking place and the individual growth of the students throughout the process.

There are various ways we do this - observational records, logbooks, self and peer assessment, questioning, progress assessments throughout the unit and reflective essays documenting how they approached a task. These could all be strategies used in each and every classroom. Throughout the last term we worked on a large group project. At the end of each lesson all groups had to show the class what they had achieved that lesson and received feedback from their peers. Each individual student needed to document the process and reflect on their learning in their logbook during and after each lesson. I also collected observational records on how each group was collaborating and the contributions of each individual student. Two-thirds of the way through the term each group had to present a raw performance (unpolished) in order to receive extensive feedback from myself and their classmates on how they could take the piece to the next level before their final assessment. This made the process extremely transparent and shifted the focus from the final product to the learning. These are all strategies that could be implemented in other classrooms despite the topic area.

6. Allow Your Students To Fail - My year 11’s will clearly articulate that it is ok to ‘fail in Drama’. This is because I say to them all the time, “If we aren’t failing we aren’t learning.” Throughout my lessons the students in my class are expected to perform, contribute and participate in every moment. This is difficult because when they are giving an answer in Drama they are giving of themselves; they are putting themselves on the line. I need my classroom to be a safe place, built on trust and love (and of course joy) so they will give everything a go. After developing a safe environment where failing is valued as part of the process students start becoming risk-takers. Creating this culture is difficult but completely worth it.

One way I encourage this is by modelling risk-taking myself. My lessons frequently start with,  ‘Today in class we are going to try this… I haven’t tried this before… It may not work but let’s give this ago.’ Additionally at the start of the year I tell my classes, “I am not going to ask you to do something I am not willing to do myself.” Yes, they call me out on it often and yes I get up straight away and put myself on the line…. and sometimes I fail and that is ok. They learn that it is ok. Ok to take risks and fail. Ok to make mistakes. And they also learn that by taking risks they win. They discover something great. They achieve more then they ever expected. They find the best in themselves. And we talk about it and we write about it and we learn from it.

I know other teachers do many of these things, but Drama teachers do them smashingly well! Drama teachers teach their students to be risk-takers, curious, creative thinkers, reflective, listeners, confident, creative, open to ideas, empathetic and adventurous amongst other things. 

What life-long skills are you teaching your students? What could other teachers learn from your area of teacher expertise? If you would like to share what we could learn as teachers from your area of teaching please email me. I would love to hear from you.