Pairs of student teachers devised dynamic lessons related to carefully chosen themes intended to engage and excite children, while cleverly incorporating developmentally appropriate learning opportunities. Some of the themes explored were as follows:
‘Taste Explosion’ involved introducing children to chef Heston Blumenthal’s imaginative food creations. This was the catalyst for grimaces and shrieks as both pupils and PGCE students experienced some surprising and alarming tastes. Feelings were expressed through spoken and written Irish and, visually, through art.
‘Winter Wonderland’ exposed children to some icy and slippery experiences, curious experiments and an exploration of materials which informed 3D creative outcomes.
‘Sound Sensations’ shocked the ear drums as PGCE student Tony played his Scottish bagpipes for children to feel the air pressure associated with different sounds. This inspired the children’s own sound experiments.
‘Flashing Fireworks’ incorporated video, music and drama and provided immense scope for expression by pupils. Students were well equipped with skills to make learning meaningful due to the drama workshop they had had with drama specialist Samantha Porciello earlier in the course.
‘Nocturnal Creatures’ inspired spontaneous questions about habitat, eating and sleeping habits of animals and resulted in incorporating science into group work using mixed media.
Students planned creatively to promote children’s creativity, and the outcomes were impressive for both PGCE students and pupils. Following the introduction of a stimulus and opportunities to experiment, the students stepped back to fully allow the expression of the children’s own ideas. Without exception, the pupils’ learning exceeded expectations.
From the perspective of the PGCE students’ professional development, the experience of thinking creatively, planning collaboratively, articulating ideas, co-teaching and evaluating learning was extremely beneficial. The Art Department extends appreciation to Mrs A Andrews, principal of Gaelscoil na Bhfal, to her staff and to the pupils who work with St Mary’s PGCE students annually in this valuable part of the PGCE art programme.