Teaching Your Play is a blog created and maintained by me, Emily Binks. I’m currently completing my final year at York St John University specialising in Drama and Theatre. In September, I will begin my Post Graduate Certificate in Eduction in order to gain the skills and experience necessary to achieve my Qualified Teacher Status to be a secondary school Drama Teacher.

I decided to call this online space ‘Teaching Your Play’ as, firstly, what a fantastically witty play on words being a trainee drama teacher…

On a more serious note, Teaching Your Play recognises that the process of learning is completely individual. For me, it is important to remember to not compare, or look at what others are doing, but to concentrate on my own learning and development as a person and as a teacher. Ultimately, we all find our own way and no two people are the same. We all have rhymes, reasons and realisations that help us along our own paths. Hence, Teaching Your Play. Whatever that means to you.

Teaching Your Play is a space to explore how, as teachers, we can start to look beyond solely teaching our subjects. I believe that bringing a sense of playfulness can begin to have positive implications and results on the lives of young people. ‘What do you mean by playfulness?’ I hear you ask. Good question. I think of playfulness as an attitude. A sense of being emotionally and physically ready to say ‘yes’ or ‘I will’ in order to roll with whatever comes. It’s this willingness that allows us to fail, which ultimately helps us learn more than constantly succeeding ever could. Playfulness is not taking things too seriously, too personally, and knowing that ultimately, everything is going to be okay. The world is still going to turn. Playfulness, for me, is a way to nurture our childish, intuitive nature and practice this in circumstances where we’re told ‘we must do this and that properly and maturely’. Playfulness, for me, is a refreshing approach to life! Hence, Teaching Your Play.

On this blog you’ll find posts that are reflective, academic, and personal. Whether you’re a trainee, a graduate drama teacher, a highly experienced educator, a theatre practitioner or someone in-between, I hope you find something for you. On this site you’ll find: 

• A reflection of a selection of my degree projects which evidences the learning undertaken which I can take forward and apply to my teaching career. 
• A copy of my Curriculum Vitae and Personal Statement that I used for my PGCE application. Here I share my own interview experience and top tips.
• A pitch of The Blatchford Initiative – an original idea that I wish to pursue further into my career and how my skills and experience support my idea. 
• A reflection about intimacy in theatre and the arts. 
• Recommendations for great books that have inspired my learning. 

 

Enjoy!