First cab off the rank.

As I embark on this new project of a “digital portfolio”, I want the focus to be on my professional journey. Things that I have tried and how they have improved the outcomes for my students , things that have failed and caused me to rehone my skills as a teacher.

Today I tried what I called “the Jamie Oliver” experiment. In my wood class I usually do mass demonstrations of techniques and skills to the whole class. What I did today was I showed 4 students a skill and then asked them to teach another four the same skill who inturn show another four etc. until all know it.

How did it go and why?

I would give it about 70% – the students were a bit nervous about showing others and this I think is a good thing. They seemed to appreciate the one on one tutorial and were focussed.

I think they were nervous about getting something wrong- did this matter? No , often I am too focussed on getting it perfect and the final outcome rather than the journey that we have been on. Maybe I need to blur the lines of what I used to do and start challenging my own pedagogies.