New Inspirations in the Classroom

I recently started a placement with the writing charity First Story which places professional writers in schools with the view to helping young people in underrepresented communities find their voice.

I’m working with Year 10s at Coop Academy Failsworth and, after just four weeks, can already see the confidence and creativity of these talented young writers growing. And I’m learning lots too. I’m focussing on creativity, as well as general writing skills, and this has forced me to reflect on my own creative practice.

Today we created portal stories, inspired by this glorious sweetshop I came across recently while on holiday in Palma. Just look at the glow from the window and tell me it isn’t magic!

We watched a video to help us imagine how the interior might look and sampled a variety of sweets to get our taste buds tingling…magic sweets that transported us to a fantastical world. A world we explored through drawing a map, bringing this all together to write a short story.

And yes, it was a right tasty adventure. I’m looking forward to seeing where our imaginations take us next.