I recently received a mark of distinction in Unit 3 – Practical applications of my LTCL Teaching Speech and Drama diploma. In the examiner’s written report he stated “it was noticeable that students enjoyed their class and performed with confidence and there was due appraisal and encouragement by peers (as well as the teacher)”… “A resourceful and confident facilitator who is able to think on her feet would be a suitable description of you”. Please read further for the examiner’s full report.
In this section of the exam I was asked to teach a lesson of 40 minutes’ duration with a class of 10 or more students. As stated in the Trinity Guildhall syllabus the lesson needed to be supported with a lesson plan, with clear statements of desired learning outcomes, and needed to demonstrate all the values embedded in the qualification. A degree of spontaneity and the ability to build creatively on the unexpected are looked for in the demonstration of teaching skills and pupil response. After the lesson the examiner discussed the demonstration lesson with specific reference to issues arising from it. The teacher is required to evaluate and discuss their teaching and discuss how their thinking and practice have developed.
Examiner’s Report:
The focus circle warm-up was an imaginative and helpful way to begin your class allowing them to start using their voices, bodies and mind in a quite challenging yet fun way. Your use of ‘Freeze’ and ‘can we see big smiles; sad faces; angry eyebrows; stretching out?’ as well as appropriate articulation exercises were slickly executed. Your ‘loud whisper’ was a useful way of using breath and encouraging listening skills and your use of space, with the carpeted area contrasting to the action area was imaginative, creating change of focus and intention. This was a fully engaging demonstration of concepts and methodologies informed by professional knowledge of the subject. Your lesson was pleasingly balanced covering the areas on page 46 of the syllabus in a satisfactory manner and ranged from some blackboard work, reinforcing your performance skills of: blocking, upstaging, not showing backs to the audience, powerful acting (teamwork) to ‘Post-box Scenes’ where a setting, prop and character were drawn from a bag and developed into creative group-work. You demonstrated impressive and encouraging communication with your class, showing also at all times, clear intention while using a range of suitable approaches and varied activities and materials. As well as imaginative and creative drama work, there was lively discussion guided unobtrusively by the teacher’s careful listening and observing. It was noticeable that students enjoyed their class and performed with confidence and there was due appraisal and encouragement by peers (as well as the teacher). There was also a very good level of concentration and good behaviour was commented upon at the end.
In the Viva Voce you were able to accurately assess the level of success of your lesson and to justify your choices of activities which constituted today’s class. Your responses revealed a confident grasp of methodologies and the advantages of teaching your subject. You also spoke about the possibility of further training overseas following on from your recent successful course completion. A resourceful and confident facilitator who is able to think on her feet would be a suitable description of you.
If you would like to discuss any of the Trinity Guildhall diploma papers please feel free to Contact Me at any time.