English Teaching

 

I am fascinated by English language in all its forms. I love reading  and  I'm passionate about literature, especially Shakespeare. I like to provide relaxed but stimulating environments for students to explore and grow in  their understanding of English.  My aim is to create interesting, fun lessons  which will encourage and stretch students, helping them to increase their  knowledge,  experience and enjoyment of English language and literature.

 

I think that learning should be enjoyable but with  enough academic rigour to challenge students.  I am a firm believer that plays need to be taught not only as texts to be studied but  as scripts for performance.  However, in my experience as a class room teacher, I have discovered that far too often there is little time for this in the English curriculum.  So I like to make this experience  available to students through Flourish drama lessons,  Drama Workshops and Theatre in  Education.

 

 

Speech and Drama 

 

Drama has always had a very important place in my life.  I have enjoyed acting, directing, script writing  and running drama clubs in a variety of setting,  including schools and churches.  I am passionate about all forms of theatre  and dramatic arts. Drama is a wonderful form of  self-expression which allows us to explore  language, thought, movement and emotion in new and unusual ways.

 

Through Flourish, I offer coaching in Speech and Drama and  enjoy preparing students for LAMDA graded examinations in Performance: Acting, Mime and Devised Drama. I also coach students for South Cumbria Musical Festival.  

 

As well as  coaching in acting and speech,  I offer lessons and workshops where students can  use drama as a medium through which to  explore  a wide range of subjects and experiences of life. Drama is an invaluable tool for releasing creativity and imagination as well as for developing self-awareness and confidence.  Whether coaching  for performance or for self-development, I like  to provide a safe, encouraging environment where students can experiment, take risks, discover their  potential and explore their dreams.

 

 

Theatre in Education

 

Theatre in Education is a style of theatre which brings audiences of young people face to face with actor(s) in an interactive theatre programme designed to harness the power of drama, story and imagination in order to enrich and enhance students' learning.

 

Flourish’s Performance and Drama Workshops use live performance interspersed with and followed by drama workshop activities to provide an inclusive and creative  learning experience for History and English Literature.  Each of my programmes include  drama workshop activities and the live performance of a play.

 

Live performance can be an exciting experience for children of all ages, opening up their imagination and inviting them into new worlds where they can encounter a whole range of characters and experiences.  I use a variety of performance techniques such as puppetry, music and audience participation to engage and inspire young audiences. This creative learning is further enhanced by the use of a variety of drama workshop activities.

 

Drama Workshop is an active and participatory form of learning which uses mime, movement, voice, acting and improvisation to engage students in the exploration of a wide variety of subjects and experiences.  It provides excellent opportunities for historic re-enactment, bringing the study of History to life.  Drama Workshop is also great for gving students fun and accessible experiences of English literature such as the  plays of Shakespeare.