Creative Writing and Oracy CPD Day
We were delighted to welcome teachers from Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Islington to our Creative Writing and Oracy CPD.
The aim of the day was to develop practice to inspire and motivate children to write, and use the power of talk to generate, enrich and extend this work. The day was planned with practical workshops at the heart, so the teachers could experience some of the Ministry of Stories creative approaches and activities.
To frame the practical workshops, Professor Teresa Cremin started the day with Reading and Writing for Pleasure, the Role of Talk. She shared her extensive research and contextualised the drive for oracy in schools. Starting with a story, Teresa got us all talking animatedly about the power of stories, opportunities for talk and how we can prioritise and create space for talk and reading and writing for pleasure in a crowded curriculum. Her passion for developing children’s identities as readers and writers inspired and carried us through the day.
Keth Jarrett then wove his magic as a poet with his workshop Performance Poetry. Within minutes he helped us create a group poem about all the things that we want – from the mundane to the sublime. Keith’s beautifully structured, inclusive lesson plan then got us creating and performing group poems. The poems were surprising, funny, and moving in equal measure and performed by all with commitment and confidence. Even the most hesitant found the exercises accessible and supportive.
“Poetry can be effortlessly taught in a discrete but powerful manner.”
“I really enjoyed the way Keith taught poetry, and will be implementing the strategies in class but also to teachers across the school.”
“Huge thank you. What a great way to network and engage in a professional dialogue.”
In the afternoon Michelle McMahon’s workshop, Talk into Writing, focused on collaboration and talk in the development of creative writing. We were asked to identify our talents and tips (words of advice) – these ranged from how to grow and cook with Lovage to the best way to cold water swim. A group exercise then asked teachers to find and imbue an everyday object in the room with exceptional powers and pitch to the whole group. Bunting became the gateway to extraordinary worlds and an ordinary pen became what every teacher would desire; magically marking and filling in all data on their pupils in nanoseconds
After collaborating to create character profiles there was a period of quiet – a time for individual and personal creative writing. A hush descended as people shaped and honed their stories using the ideas generated in the room and then taking them off into surprising directions.
“More free writing and more collaboration. Empowering!”
What was clear, when sharing this work – something we know but surprises afresh each time – is how we come to know ourselves and each other through creative writing. The day and writing was brimming with the personalities of everyone who took part; our passions, enthusiasms, idiosyncrasies, and humour. The conversations and creative ideas shared and built on throughout the day sparked new ideas and possibilities for us to pick up and run with.
It was a day of rich talk, creative collaboration and the drive to find ways to support children’s writer identities and agency in the classroom. Teachers told us:
“Such a powerful reminder of the importance of allowing children to choose and write collaboratively and to give time and space.”
“Let’s teach readers and writers, not reading and writing! Talk, talk, collaborate and talk.”
“So many ideas to take back for our teacher inset and beyond.”
