Karin found the individuality of the different class communities fascinating. Much possible extension work was discussed. We also talked about whether we should have debriefed the children at the end of the day. Although Karin needed to round off the day, which she did brilliantly with the evaluation and the story, it was not felt necessary to tell the children that it had been a fantasy and not reality. Had it been needed, individual children could have been reassured but overall they understand the difference between fantasy and reality.
Pupils are adept at reading the twinkle in the eye and entering the drama with an open mind.
The thinking day brought together two very powerful strategies we have been developing - philosophy with children and context drama. The strategies flow and gel really well, making both teaching and learning an exciting process. The staff are comfortable with the notion of following the children. The open-endedness and creativity of this approach didn't predetermine the content of lessons so the skilled staff were to able to maximise learning opportunities. They felt the day provided wonderful opportunities to go off at meaningful tangents.