Have you ever had the experience of asking your students a question and no-one, not one of them, says anything; and you are left with an uncomfortable silence? Now there are many possible reasons for that silence – perhaps they are too shy, maybe they don’t understand, or even, heaven forbid, they aren’t interested! Whatever it is, for some reason they are afraid to speak. I think that it is fear that inhibits students more than anything else and fear is the enemy of learning. It might be fear of getting it wrong, fear of looking stupid, fear of not being good enough – or of being too good, fear of being judged by the teacher or worse, by their peers. So what we need to do is to alleviate this feeling of fear in students
This CD will explain exactly how you can work with your students to create a fear free environment to work in. The ideas are used by Bamboozle and have produced some remarkable results. For example:
Kieran is a 13 year old boy who came to a Bamboozle residency in Wellingborough. Max his learning support worker said: “Kieran was normally very reticent to speak at all and when he did it was in a whisper. During the Bamboozle workshops he very quickly became eager to speak up and had no inhibitions about expressing his ideas before a group of unfamiliar children. This was a fantastic achievement!” And in a Leicester residency with Oaklands Special School a primary aged girl who is an elective mute actually spoke several times during one of the activities, her teachers were dumbfounded ☺. When we remove the fear – extraordinary things happen.
Now I imagine that you already get some amazing results with your students and I also imagine that as you are reading this you are looking for some more strategies to add to your skill set. When you put the ideas that are explained on this CD into practice with your own students, I feel sure you will be amazed how quickly you see the results.
Here are some of the things that you will learn when you listen to this CD:
- How to remove any judgement from your own language so that your students feel free to join in
- Ways to enable students who are reluctant to speak to contribute
- Language to use that will put students at their ease
- How to give praise and encouragement without value judgements
- Six alternatives to saying ‘good’ that enable you to give value without judgement
- Body language to use so that students don’t feel ‘on the spot’
- And lots, lots more
But don’t just take my word for it.
Here’s what some people say about the methodology explained on the CDs.
“This week [when this CD was recorded] has been a joy from start to finish. It has given me insight and the skills for working with special needs. Having run workshops all over the country it has been so refreshing to have an opportunity to really examine the way I do things, and in a wonderfully supportive atmosphere be able to admit that my methods can and must change. Thanks Christopher. Thanks Bamboozle.” Anthony Biggs- director, London.
“This week has re-educated me. Bamboozle has given me a fresh and exciting way to understand and free up children’s talent and imagination. Christopher has a particular way of talking to everyone which is engaging and passionate.” James Barriscale – actor and director, London.
