Lessons as usual – warming-up

It occurs to me that one area of school life that I have not covered at all in this blog is the one that, since Viloshni went into hospital, takes up the majority of my time, i.e. lessons.  So, to begin with: warming-up.

It will not surprise any of you who have had any experience of me as a teacher that I have lost no time at all in introducing my absolute favourite warm-up activity: the game of zip, zap, boing. For the uninitiated, it is a fast and furious game requiring energy, commitment and lightning-fast reactions.  Its purpose is to instil energy into the listless; basically, waking people up. (There is a version which seeks to pretend that what is being passed around the circle is a ball of energy, but I think that is pretentious nonsense; my belief is that the major motivation is competitive, i.e. not getting out.)

What has come as a big surprise to me is the enthusiasm that has infected both the classes I teach that are big enough to play it.  I have never come across classes who have taken to it with such a spirit, and I have taught it to lots and lots of people (actually, quite a lot of you out there.)