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Creative Classrooms

 

Unlocking the creative potential of children through music, movement, images and words

 

'Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.'

Pablo Picasso

 

This programme is designed and delivered by Philip Davis. It will help you further unlock the creative potential of your classroom. A combination of expressive forms will be described, demonstrated and experienced.

 

Philip will take you through his highly successful approaches to integrating music, movement, images and words. By the end of the day you will have seen, heard and felt how a creative approach can enliven your classroom.

 

This programme will inspire those who teach or lend support in the Primary classroom, teachers with an interest in creativity and anyone in need of a dose of inspiration.

 

If you want a push in a new direction, if your creative juices need stimulating or perhaps you want 101 ideas for Monday morning ‘Creative Classrooms' is for you.

 

‘Philip Davis takes the simplest of ideas and turns them into something magical for children'

Alistair Smith, co-author of The Alps Approach and How to Help Your Child Succeed

 

To find out more about Philip Davis, click here

 

Introduction

What is creativity?

In what ways do people demonstrate creativity?  In this short introduction we explore the learning attitudes linked to creative expression.

 

Session One

Part One - Movement and learning - creating the right conditions for learning

This session will demonstrate how you can weave movement into your everyday teaching.  Music is used for a variety of different moves to energise, relax and much more.

 

Part Two - Linking content to music

This part of the session will demonstrate how you can easily link the content of learning to music.  You will see how literacy, numeracy and science can come to life with a song!  Philip will play excerpts from the Beat It CDs which he wrote and performed and will demonstrate how they can be used to great effect in the classroom.

 

Session Two

Picture the Music

This session Philip will demonstrate how to use pictures and music to generate creative thinking and writing.  You will see how this technique is applied to narrative, poetry, drama and composition.  You will use a special planning map to organise your thoughts.   You will hear examples of children's work and gain an understanding of this powerful teaching method.

 

Session Three

Using children's composition to enhance learning

This is a highly practical and fun session where you will see how to develop children's own music alongside other areas of the curriculum.  You will learn about the basic fundamentals of music composition and discover the musician in you!

 

'Imagination is more important than knowledge... '

Albert Einstein

 

Philip Davis's top ten tips for the creative classroom:

 

• Explore what's possible through the senses
• Value all contributions
• Focus on questions rather than answers
• Make it safe to take risks
• Allow time for ideas to emerge
• Encourage and develop visualisation
• Dream, draw and describe before you write
• You have to know the rules before you can break them
• Make connections and then make some more
• Make the familiar unfamiliar and the unfamiliar familiar

 

'To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. '

Joseph Chilton Pearce

Delegates who have been on this course fedback the best thing about it:

 

The Inspiration – What a fantastic day – well worth the trip from Cornwall – thank you!'

Jackie Long, Roche CP School, St Austell, Cornwall

 

We learned and had fun at the same time!  A real 'pick up' before the half term break.  Very positive feedback from all five schools.  Thank you.

Mrs Jackie Whiting, Wickhambrook Primary School

 

'Philip's enthusiasm for his work. Excellent to hear of practical ideas form someone who is still teaching'

Sarah Watson, Hearne Bay Infants School

 

'Practical ideas across the age range. Extremely well presented with enthusiasm by Philip Davis'

Joanne Howcroft-Scott, Raynehurst Infant School and Nursery, Gravesend

 

'Philip's enthusiasm and drive kept the course on track and engaged everyone.  His ability to identify and model potential barriers to learning and provide practical solutions was excellent'.

D.R. Atkin, Sefton Children's Services