The joys of dictatorship
I had a mad panic yesterday to find an end of day lesson for a really mental Y9 group on democracy and dictatorship. I found a really good US teaching website that had a few ideas. I nabbed the best one where you do a role play with the teacher as dictator. You tell them that you are the dictator and anyone who does not perform the tasks you set to your satisfaction will be sent to a labour camp for ten years, or executed.
First you design a flag and stick that on the screen and make the kids all bow down to it - anyone who refuses is "eliminated" (ie they have to stand up or put their head down on the desk or something so you can see who is out.) Next you put a "pledge of allegiance" on the board, give them 60 seconds to memorise it and then get a few of them to stand up, hand on heart, and recite it. (Mine had lots of silly guff about always doing homework and never talking out of turn and only referring to me as "the great and glorious Miss M".)
They bloody loved it! Only one refused to bow down, slightly worryingly. The two worst behaved boys I teach decided that they would try to earn my praise by shining my shoes which they did for three minutes in tandem (and complete silence, which was nice).
Clearly this stuff about "young people today love having clear boundaries set for them" is actually true.
I know what I will do for my end of term lesson with every class from now on!
First you design a flag and stick that on the screen and make the kids all bow down to it - anyone who refuses is "eliminated" (ie they have to stand up or put their head down on the desk or something so you can see who is out.) Next you put a "pledge of allegiance" on the board, give them 60 seconds to memorise it and then get a few of them to stand up, hand on heart, and recite it. (Mine had lots of silly guff about always doing homework and never talking out of turn and only referring to me as "the great and glorious Miss M".)
They bloody loved it! Only one refused to bow down, slightly worryingly. The two worst behaved boys I teach decided that they would try to earn my praise by shining my shoes which they did for three minutes in tandem (and complete silence, which was nice).
Clearly this stuff about "young people today love having clear boundaries set for them" is actually true.
I know what I will do for my end of term lesson with every class from now on!