TS 3: Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge
– Have a secure knowledge of the relevant subject(s) and curriculum areas, foster and maintain pupils’ interest in the subject, and address misunderstandings
The GSUS Live mobile education unit came to my block placement school which was a great opportunity for students to engage with key Christian ideas in a different way. It is a multi-media classroom in a lorry trailer. I facilitated all RS lessons in the GSUS live bus for a full week of teaching, ensuring students were following my classroom expectations, despite being outside of the classroom. Also, as there was a feedback session with Pastor Tim, I ensured students were respectful of each others opinions.
The media in the bus tells the story of three teenagers facing real-life issues in their lives, and how they get inspiration from the Bible to deal with their problems. Using touch-screen computers, the students were able to interact with fictional characters through animations, instant chat, short educational films and music videos. They explored the themes of fear, forgiveness and rejection, which we revisited in lessons following this.
To provide a little background on the GSUS Live Bus:
The GSUS Live education units have been used in over 800 UK secondary schools since 2000 and visited by around 500,000 students. In 2016 they were given a £150,000 upgrade. Amazingly it’s FREE for schools to have GSUS Live because the visit is sponsored by Counties, and other donor partners, including a Christian grant making trust and with help from local churches.
Students were positive and engaged. The interactive lesson added context to their work on Christian beliefs through beginning the GCSE content in Year 9. Facilitating a project like this demands the ability to adapt accordingly; on the Thursday during the week of the GSUS Live bus being in school, the school had to close due to issues in the canteen which meant some students in the afternoon classes may have missed out. Myself and my mentor negotiated students lessons in other subject areas and asked for students to have an opportunity to visit the GSUS Live bus as it would not be coming back to my block placement school. All students were able to experience this and it was a beneficial experience for them.
