There was a time when, if someone had said "sock puppets" to me, I would have recoiled in horror, thinking that "that kind of stuff" was for primary schools only. However, I 've come a long way since then and having seen a post by Lisa Stevens about Puppets a while ago it got me wondering about their potential for me.
I am currently blessed to have been given a well-balanced timetable and amongst my well-balanced classes, I am very lucky to have a gorgeous Yr8 class of 12 (with absences on a regular basis). We have French 4 times one week and twice the other, so I imagine that by period 4 on a Friday they're pretty tired of my voice droning on at them. Well, I hit upon an idea this week...sock puppets! We would spend some Friday afternoons creating our puppets and scenery and them write a script to perform to camera. This would be good for their French in the long run when they got to doing the speech and also it meant that I could put the film on my blog with no fear of worrying about getting permissions to use said children's faces etc...
So today we began. Last night on my daily visit to a local supermarket I bought socks (OK, 14 too many as I forgot in my fervour that socks were sold in PAIRS, so bought 14 PAIRS of socks) and googly eyes, felt, glue etc... and tok them all to work today. I explained what we were going to do...basically get very messy and expected a cry of how babyish but no...their faces were a glow with anticipation. It was fab!!! I flet like the perfect mother that I can never be. O
f course it was all done in a very controlling fashion with me not letting the glue out of my hands and not allowing too much creativity with the darling socks. However, by the end of the lesson we had beautiful puppets, all now drying on one of my tables in my room (hope they didn't scare the cleaners too much.) What remains now? Well in 2 weeks, scenery and beginning scripts. Once filming is done I think they will also do a profile of their puppets...name, age, hobbies etc. So...not much French achieved today but I often feel with classes who find language learning a challenge, enjoyment in worth 10 times more than achievement. They will remember these puppets for a long time. The lovliest thing was, as small boy saying "Thank you Miss for making the puppets today" (I nearly wept) and another small boy who went straight to his tutor to tell her all about the lesson. Priceless!
I am currently blessed to have been given a well-balanced timetable and amongst my well-balanced classes, I am very lucky to have a gorgeous Yr8 class of 12 (with absences on a regular basis). We have French 4 times one week and twice the other, so I imagine that by period 4 on a Friday they're pretty tired of my voice droning on at them. Well, I hit upon an idea this week...sock puppets! We would spend some Friday afternoons creating our puppets and scenery and them write a script to perform to camera. This would be good for their French in the long run when they got to doing the speech and also it meant that I could put the film on my blog with no fear of worrying about getting permissions to use said children's faces etc...
So today we began. Last night on my daily visit to a local supermarket I bought socks (OK, 14 too many as I forgot in my fervour that socks were sold in PAIRS, so bought 14 PAIRS of socks) and googly eyes, felt, glue etc... and tok them all to work today. I explained what we were going to do...basically get very messy and expected a cry of how babyish but no...their faces were a glow with anticipation. It was fab!!! I flet like the perfect mother that I can never be. O
f course it was all done in a very controlling fashion with me not letting the glue out of my hands and not allowing too much creativity with the darling socks. However, by the end of the lesson we had beautiful puppets, all now drying on one of my tables in my room (hope they didn't scare the cleaners too much.) What remains now? Well in 2 weeks, scenery and beginning scripts. Once filming is done I think they will also do a profile of their puppets...name, age, hobbies etc. So...not much French achieved today but I often feel with classes who find language learning a challenge, enjoyment in worth 10 times more than achievement. They will remember these puppets for a long time. The lovliest thing was, as small boy saying "Thank you Miss for making the puppets today" (I nearly wept) and another small boy who went straight to his tutor to tell her all about the lesson. Priceless!
Great stuff - have fun with your puppets - my group made alien sock puppets and got pipe cleaners to add as antennae for each correct sentence they produced over the year. The kids loved the sock puppets and they were a real confidence booster to those who felt nervous speaking in the target language themselves but somehow felt that it was ok for the puppet to speak French! Looking forward to some video / pictures!
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff - have fun with your puppets - my group made alien sock puppets and got pipe cleaners to add as antennae for each correct sentence they produced over the year. The kids loved the sock puppets and they were a real confidence booster to those who felt nervous speaking in the target language themselves but somehow felt that it was ok for the puppet to speak French! Looking forward to some video / pictures!
ReplyDeleteYou have such wonderful ideas! I may try this with bottom year 8.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marie-France...that's who I'm doing it with too! Thought that Unit 1 of Metro 2 vert lent itself very well to this kind of thing.
ReplyDeleteDon't give me all the credit though...it has to go to Lisa, really, as it was she who gave me the idea :o)
You have such wonderful ideas! I may try this with bottom year 8.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marie-France...that's who I'm doing it with too! Thought that Unit 1 of Metro 2 vert lent itself very well to this kind of thing.Don't give me all the credit though...it has to go to Lisa, really, as it was she who gave me the idea :o)
ReplyDelete