Exciting times in schools!

Well, who ever said February was a dull month? Perhaps no one where you are, but here in the UK, every type of weather except sunshine has been the order of the day this side of Christmas. But inside the classroom, it's been a different story.

With dragons, space and wild woods as my topic choices this term, children have been conjuring up all sorts for me in schools across the country. We've had dragons charging into staff rooms, planets cartwheeling through black holes, and slimy slugs sliding through swamps - in poetic form, you understand! And acted out too, in some cases.

My old, battered guitar - and old, rusty strumming skills - have come in handy too for word-building songs along the way, including one where we watch out for the [something, something] dragon. You'd be amazed at the weird and wonderful assortment of dragons around: from spotty to invisible; from vicious to protective; from creepy to crazy to downright lazy to skiing to sky-diving to sports car-driving! You name it, a dragon can do it, according to the children in my classes. And as for the children, they can do poetry: they find it in themselves, lurking in odd corners of their souls, as the session rolls out.

In March I shall be including an extra topic - an ambitious one in this new climate of ours, perhaps: spring. If no spring comes, I shall be in for an uphill push to get youngsters enthused in memories of last year's... if we had one then. But children's imagination is a great asset in these situations: they'll create a spring scene as fresh as a March breeze with half a nudge.

It's always the right time for creativity!

Kate