CPD Reflections: Learning From Other Schools

By Georgina Abbott

Sometimes it can be easy to become bogged down in the same routine, same style, same strategies. That is why when I was looking to moderate our GCSE Drama coursework with another school, I leapt at the opportunity to also partake in a visit to their Drama department for the day. Though my primary focus was the moderation of the coursework, I feel the inclusion of lesson visits and discussions with the HoD came at just the right time! With the news of a reformed timetable and adaptations to the curriculum, particularly affecting Year 9, and an aspiration to expand my subject, Drama, into IB territory, I was fortunate enough to see both Year 9 and Year 12 lessons on my visit. Hopefully, as you read on you will be convinced of the benefits of visiting another school too, no matter your level of experience! Beginning the day my first lesson visit was to a Year 12 double period where the A-Level group were studying their set text Woyzech. The class was being assessed on presentations of their vision and intentions if they were to put on their own production of Woyzech. They were responsible for creating slides to explain their vision and picking key moments from the text to act out demonstrating their intentions. The teachers role-played as rich investors (I became a Baroness, without the money) while the students pitched their ideas. As I watched the students, with the motivation of a winning pitch up for grabs, I was considering how I could scale down this task for a Year 10/11 revision activity to adapt into my own practice; How could I stray away from the shackles of practice questions and revision quizzes? How could I create more autonomy and life transferable skills? After this, I was then able to see a double Year 9 assessment lesson. I watched as students rehearsed their scripted performances and saw some very impressive acting! Students were given 2 double lessons prior to learn their lines and the majority had - which is something I have found can be quite challenging for my own students. This made me reflect on the expectations I have with regard to the skill of line-learning; how long is fair? How can I motivate students to take it seriously? What should I expect from my Year 9s and does this need to be adjusted, given this will soon apply to an entire year group?

After the lesson visits, we went on to do the standard moderation process which as stated previously was the primary focus and most helpful. However, the thing that surprised me about this day was the value of visiting lessons and the conversations I had with the HoD. As a single subject lead, I can often become stuck in my own ways yet my visit stimulated a whole host of questions. Though I yet have answers it has given me thought, inspiration, and ideas that I'm using as I begin to plan the curriculum for the next academic year. So if you are reading this and feel like you are stuck in a rut with your teaching or feel like you haven’t been able to experience the wider world of the profession, get yourself into another school, see what’s happening there and take, alter and adjust to your own practice. As I say to the students when discussing performance ideas - sharing is caring!