bbcteaching

First Attempt in Learning My first proper go at Mantle, post-residential, was the epitome of F.A.I.L. I had decided early on that I wanted to feel my way into Mantle rather than think my way in. Having experienced the 'Jagged Hole' Mantle on the residential, I decided to create something similar, a short 'test' fiction, to try the process in a short, low-risk session. Our topic this half ten is 'Blue Abyss' and I'm focussing on the human impact on the Ocean (pollution and litter). The commisioner: a fisherman whose nets are filling up with litter The commission: to help him to catch more fish to feed his family The responsible team: I wasn't sure! I used an Iconic starter (more on this another time), using blue material to invoke the sea. I invited the children to sit in a circle around the material and asked them if they were interested in solving a problem. I briefly explained what we were doing and told them they would need their imagination ...

I am incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to attend the Mantle of the Expert Lead Practitioner Course, funded by the NEU and led by Luke Abbott and Tim Taylor. I've decided that rather than keep a private journal, throughout the course I'm going to blog my experiences as a record of my learning. Even if no one reads it, it feels good to log the changes in my practice Whilst I had some experience of the Mantle approach going into the weekend, nothing could have prepared me for the experience I had. My understanding of Mantle had been shallow at best. I had a basic understanding of the commission and had tinkered with the six forms of dramatic imagination, however I hadn't understood the way the Mantle system joins the dots. There's a feeling that comes with being inside a Mantle. It's hard to put my finger on what it is, but there a palatable sense of involvement in something huge. I've always been a believer of the idea that teaching is 2 parts magic a...