Working with Themes and Images that Touch the interest of the Teenager

When we find an archetypal theme, such as the Journey, we know we have hit the motherlode when ideas and inspirations keep on coming and our students are enthused as well. The boat journey offers a metaphor for all kinds of projects we might do together but also opens up the cross curricular scope of what we can offer. This means an economy  for the teacher, always desirable, and a core integration of subjects for the students whereby learning happens in a unified field. Creation works like this so why not align ourselves?

The six stages of our boat journey called, Getting Underway were explored very creatively  in group work as if we were students.

We then applied this experience of Netting, Mapping, Building our Boat, Resources, Captain and Crew, and Evaluation, in the Clouds of Knowing and Unknowing process as teachers planning a seven week course. The theme of the Renaissance was the universal Choix du Jour and produced a cascade of creativity as we bathed in  images, impulses, turning points and good ideas for a short course..

The next step is the assignment to build a bridge into the future by creating the first day of our Renaissance course using the 8 fold mandala structure.

Mandalas as a Tool In Active Learning

Mandalas are an ancient spiritual tool used traditionally to focus the mind and spirit in both stillness and dynamism. What teacher might not need that? They can also offer a simple and economic way to both plan and review your lessons in the same form.
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Starting with the Phases of an Active Lesson spiral we can then translate this into an 8 form mandala to make sure those elements are all covered and to create a more dynamic interactive form. The categories are Meeting, Moving and Mobilising, Multi-sensory, Multi-faculty, More student talking, Making, Memorisation and Mapping

You can also use the mandala to organise a myriad of themes and different kinds of content. For example, a calendar, perhaps using a larger division, such as a 12 fold, the structure of a play or text, or a plan for a project. If six teachers were working on a course together you could create a six fold mandala and have each teacher fill in his/her segment to see how different subject areas might harmonise around the central topic as resonances and connections can be built.

Two students' cartoon storyboards for a play

A 14 year old student's character study -first page of 3 page draft

A student's overview of the play

Student's version of calender indicating key focus with the blue arrow

A teacher's mandalas to illustrate an overview calendar for rehearsing, and organising sets and props for each scene of a play

Why do we need to learn about writing and evaluating journals?

Journals can offer leitmotifs for our learning where we can muse, reflect, plan, organise, quote, diagram, cartoon, storyboard, headline, problem solve and jot down the kaleidoscope.

Good tools strengthen any craft. Two strong covers, front and back, and an excellent spine are ideal for sterling service. If we expect quality we offer quality. As well, generous space invites abundance of content. So less than A4 size and you will find the throw away: cramping, scribbling, and wasteful use of paper may rear. When a glue stick is your friend you will glue in those precious handouts. Paper aeroplanes, scuffed, dog-eared, and torn worksheets can become past tense.

How we introduce and steer the journal will give our students clues about how we work. Are we methodical, do we rate our worksheets highly enough to give time in class for training them in glueing in,dating their work, taking time initially to write guided reflections, until it is internalised and becomes an automatic habit, sans training wheels?

Borders boundary and define the work. Colour adds warmth and a personal touch, making the work more my own. Images and great quotes add a clarifying or sign-posting function, focussing the topic, stimulating memorisation and subsequent reflection. Dating the work each time grounds and anchors us in time. Encouraging some pages of white space can free up our thinking. Doodling can focus some minds and stimulate thinking.

Journals are places where we can plan, brainstorm, generate, find our own whimsy and get more in tune with our own deepening learning.