What Does a Virtual English Classroom Look Like at Manor House School, Bookham?

What Does a Virtual English Classroom Look Like at Manor House School, Bookham?

21 May 2020

Mrs Roberts, English Teacher says, “Teaching English virtually has been helped by the resources made available by the RSC and the National Theatre. I had booked to take my Year 10 class to the Globe in July to see their GCSE Shakespeare text, Romeo and Juliet. Unfortunately, this trip will no longer happen but instead as a result of the Globe’s free streaming on YouTube and the wonders of MS Teams we have still spent our lessons at the Globe! We have had the added bonus of me being able to pause the actors and discuss their delivery of lines, costume choices and interaction with other characters with my class.”

Sadly, Year 11 didn’t get to show their GCSE examiners their amazing knowledge of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein but instead, courtesy of the National Theatre streaming of Danny Boyle’s award winning production, we had a MS Teams viewing along with popcorn whilst sitting in the comfort of our own homes.

Years 7 and 8 have been studying poetry since Lockdown, so the English Department was keen to give them a poetic voice to express how they were feeling during this time and give them some time away from their screens. This resulted in the Poetry Project Competition judged by Headteacher, Tracey Fantham and Head of Key Stage, Tracy Evans. The winners are to receive prizes through the post. The arrival of a postman can often be a highlight for many of us during this time. A poetry anthology is also being created so that the wider Manor House School community can read the wonderful work of our girls.

Year 9 classes have been studying dystopian literature which suddenly seemed far more relatable to the girls and has resulted in the creation of some wonderful dystopian short stories. Many of them being based upon being locked in due to a mysterious virus. We have enjoyed watching trailers for The Hunger Games, Noughts and Crosses and reading short stories together.

Mrs Roberts commented, “I have been so impressed by the resilience and adaptability of all the girls I teach. Moving to a virtual world has not fazed them and they have been focused and have continued to learn. However, I miss interacting with them and look forward to seeing them all back together in my non virtual classroom.”

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