What keeps people from?exercising?their creative potential? From negative past experiences to the way we see ourselves, there are many things that can hold us back, no matter how old we are. As teachers, it’s our job to help each individual find out what their creative barriers are, whether internal, external or imagined.
Our classrooms, therefore, need to become places where we nourish emotional safety and welcome mistakes. As such, we should encourage a culture that promotes failing as part of learning.??
Here are three activities to help nurture creativity in the primary classroom.
In this activity, students express themselves in words and images, using a life-sized drawing of their bodies. The aim of this is to help them share their feelings and ideas. With a little adaptation, it can work just as well with teens and young learners.?
Before the lesson, ensure you have enough cardboard or paper for each student. Each piece will need to be approximately 2m long. If you’re using paper, roll it into tubes, so it’s easier to distribute to each student later.
In class, hand out the paper/cardboard to each student. Tell them to draw a life-size outline of themselves on the paper. Students working online can copy the outline you share onto a large piece of paper. They can do this in their notebooks if they don’t have any paper to hand.?
Tell the students that they are free to use their creativity. They should draw, write, and express themselves however they want. If they are stuck for ideas, ask them:
Note that questions should be adapted to your students’ age and level of English.?
During the activity, your students can use colors, stickers, magazines – and anything that will help them express what is in their minds and hearts.?
Primary-aged students will need more support. Here are some example instructions:
Afterwards, students should explain what they’ve included in their silhouettes to the rest of the class. Encourage students to ask each other respectful questions.?
The aim of this activity is to establish a routine where students can share their ideas, thoughts and feelings on a regular basis.?
Have students bring an old box into class (of any type). Encourage them to personalize their boxes with decorative paper, markers, crayons, stickers, etc.?
Instruct students to write an idea, feeling, thought or question down. The complexity of the task will depend on the grade you teach and their level of English. Topic ideas include:
Have your students write their answers and put them in the box. When everyone has finished, they should take turns to choose a piece of paper at random and read it out loud to the group.?
Wrap up this activity by asking the class, “What things do we have in common as a group?”. This way students will see that everyone has similar worries and dreams and hopefully they’ll be more willing to talk about their feelings in future classes.
Keep the box in a safe place and review the notes after a month to see if peoples' thoughts and feelings have changed since they did the activity.
The ideal class environment is one where students feel challenged, but not overwhelmed.? The aim of this activity is to have students reflect on the challenges they have faced in their day-to-day learning and think about what they need to do to improve.?
On a blank piece of paper, ask students to draw two vertical lines and one horizontal line to form six boxes. They should number each box from 1 to 6.?Students should then write a challenge or objective in box number six. It should be something that they would like to improve, for example, studying habits, reading skills, doing homework, getting better at exam results, etc. Then encourage them to think of five things they can do to help them reach their objective and write them in boxes 1-5.?
Provide students with your support and constructive feedback. Have them share their objectives with the rest of the class and every couple of weeks check how they are doing.?
Remember to praise their ideas and efforts to improve. Students are more motivated when they feel their teachers are invested in their success.
Whether you're hiring new talent or upskilling your current team, understanding the level of English proficiency required for specific roles is crucial. In today's global business environment, effective communication is key to success, and that's where the Global Scale of English (GSE) comes into play.
Staying ahead requires not just talent but the right talent. For HR professionals, ensuring that employees are equipped with the necessary skills is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. Enter the GSE Job Profiles—a game-changing tool designed to facilitate role-targeted upskilling by mapping English language skills to specific job roles. This blog post will explore how HR teams can leverage this innovative tool to enhance workforce capabilities efficiently and effectively.
The GSE Job Profiles utilizes 色猫AV’s Global Scale of English and the Faethm by 色猫AV skills ontology to provide a detailed analysis of the language requirements for nearly 1,400 job roles. This precise mapping allows HR professionals to make informed talent management decisions, including hiring, training and development, and ensuring that employees are adequately prepared for their roles now and in the future.
English is the international language of business and a foundational skill for many roles. The right level of English proficiency is key for individuals and businesses to excel.
But what is the “right” level?
English is not a one-size-fits-all skill. Customer Service Representatives need different English skills to IT Systems Managers. Senior staff will often need more advanced English skills than junior staff.
