I have designed a simple blank plans and reflections for teachers, student teachers and supply teachers. This a PDF version, suitable for making speedy handwritten notes, that can help teachers think through what they are doing and pass on the information necessary for their sessions to TAs and other classroom support. There are sections to indicate what resources are needed, what extra support or extension tasks should be given, the day’s timetable, what went well and the next steps to take in the children’s learning. The diary style of planning and reflection here is meant to inform and guide the teacher through their activities with their pupils, and is based on years of researched and tested ways of working. There are several different formats here for you to choose from, so feel free to pick what suits you best or to cherry pick elements from these to create your own. I would love to hear your feedback. Please let me know here, or via twitter @EmmisStories

Three sets lesson plans, worksheets and full notes on how to deliver fab experiences to get young children thinking! Inspired by **The Witches Spell **in Macbeth by William Shakespeare, these sessions are part of a longer unit covering all areas of curriculum, but are great as stand alone sessions too. In this pack are three lesson plans, and any printable resources you’ll need or may like as inspiration. The children are given opportunities to make music, sort objects, and create a cauldron of their own. Aims and success criteria are included in the plans, as are a list key words and resources needed for the activities that take place. I’ve put in some handy hints in too, but feel free to ignore them if you want to (I ignore me too, sometimes). There are three levels of activities within the lessons, although you know your class best so you can take my ideas and the editable version of the lesson plans and run with the ideas. Learning Objectives and Assessment for Learning boxes are included on the worksheets to marking as straightforward as possible. There is scope for further development into a longer term project, with potion making and further potion and magical activities etc. if you’re inspired and brave. All of the resources can be easily adapted for your use in the classroom, and the lessons are user friendly and well tested (by me). Nobody has ended up being turned into a frog yet. I’m making no comments about anyone being a toad already.

Here are the full set of lesson plans, presentations and printable resources that you’ll need for sessions with EYFS, Key Stage 1 or 2 children and their teachers. These lessons introduce the famous ‘Double, double, toil and trouble…’ verses from the play, Macbeth, said by the witches as they create a spell and is a great way to bring children to the Bard for the first time. Children get to act out the spell and build their own verses, using key vocabulary, and rhythm and rhyme. There are also lessons on capacity, counting, sorting, music, and art. Differentiation is built into the sessions, and the lessons can be seen as a starting point for your own ideas. There is scope for further development into a longer term project, with potion making and hallowe’en activities etc. A follow-up to the drama and music work could be a musical scene based on the spell, which could become a longer more demanding drama and movement performance for an assembly or end of term production, depending on the ability of your pupils. Every lesson has clear aims and success criteria, a comprehensive list of resources, helpful key words and specially designed worksheets and/or presentations, which are all created to be adaptable for your settings and your classes. My aim to make something that is useful and usable for teachers, that is fun for everybody, while creating memorable educational experiences. I have used the extract here with 3 to 11 year olds many times, and it is always a guaranteed winner, becoming a firm favourite warm-up game for drama activities. To hear a FREE recording of the poem, please go to my SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-983069543/the-witches-spell

This is a lesson plan and related resources for a Key Stage 1 Guided Reading session based on Where the Wild Things Are. Key learning objectives are included for both Year 1 and Year 2, a whole class plan, and differentiated group plans with specific questions tailored for each group. Essential and recommended resources are included in the plan. Homework sheets are here at two different levels, to follow-up the work done in class. The lesson plan here is the first part of a unit based on Where the Wild Things Are, a book described as a classic of American Literature.