Education needs a radical overhaul and so do coursebooks. They are not the panacea to students’ linguistic and cognitive insufficiencies or to the state school insufficiencies. Most coursebooks available on the market are thoughtfully graded with material following a logical and clear sequence and cover a broad spectrum of topics, but are they a one-size-fits-all means of instruction? Definitely no! Coursebooks can be treated as a canvas, inviting teachers to add a splash of creativity alongside supplementary materials that would cater to each student’s needs.
Do you find the material collection process fiendishly tough going? Well, it is. I will not downplay the difficulty of this endeavor. But however challenging and time-consuming it might be, its equal parts fulfilling and enlightening.
Supplementary materials can involve visual aids (charts, graphs, infographics). During Halloween B2 students at my school unpacked the main character of Edgar Allan Poe’s spine-chilling novel “The Tell-Tale Heart” using a concept map that allowed them to trace his relationship with the man he was looking after. Multimedia resources is another exceptional way to supplement your lessons. I always flesh my lessons with TED talks, podcasts, movies, documentaries, university lectures for enhanced engagement.
For my kinesthetic learners, I opt for movement-based activities, like a scavenger hunt, crafts, outdoor learning, scientific experiments and roleplaying! My A Senior students were introduced to the state of matters on their coursebook and what better way to delve deeper into the change of state of matter than experiments! They melted chocolate observing how heat can impact solids and inflated a balloon with the air created after the reaction of baking soda and vinegar.
Journals can be an excellent complement to experiments providing substantial scientific underpinning. The same applies to fiction or non-fiction books related to the topic studied in class, as well as magazines. Very often my students are tasked with the summary of the main points of an article or engage in a full-blown textual analysis of short stories investigating imagery, delineating characters etc.
Undoubtedly students take great delight in razzle-dazzle online tools! A case in point is the quiz platform Kahoot, which has taken then world by storm since quarantine. Other educational games that center around phonology and correct spelling also abound. Lately, I’ve been dabbling with Scratch, a coding app launched by MIT, whereby students can take their first steps in coding by creating animated stories!
A field trip to the supermarket can be a practical and engaging way to enhance students' learning by connecting classroom concepts to real-world applications. The activity aims to develop life skills such as budgeting, decision-making, and practical math, while also promoting healthy eating through nutritional label reading and discussions on balanced meals. Before the trip, teachers can prepare by arranging permissions, coordinating with the supermarket for a guided tour, and designing tasks like scavenger hunts, price comparisons, meal planning or food label examination. During the visit, students can work in groups to complete activities such as calculating costs within a budget, identifying healthy snacks, and comparing unit prices. An excellent extention activity would be prepping a meal with locally sourced ingredients.
Occasionally, my school organizes special workshops in English, hosted by various local professionals who share insights about their jobs and expertise. These workshops provide us with an opportunity to learn in a creative and engaging way. Recently, we participated in a drama workshop led by a director, where we explored acting techniques and staged short performances, diving into the world of theater. Another memorable experience was a zero-waste workshop hosted by a forest school team, where we learned about sustainable living practices and how to minimize waste in our daily lives. These workshops are not only educational but also incredibly inspiring, giving us a glimpse into different professions and practical skills.
Supplementary activities do not necessarily require significant expenditure. With careful preparation and a creative approach, teachers can achieve remarkable outcomes while utilizing minimal resources. Thorough planning and ingenuity are essential to ensure a well-executed and impactful experience, avoiding the pitfalls of a poorly conceived or incomplete effort.
