Lektor Ilona Roberts

I am partial to the idea of working with literature in all academic subjects. In language classes, reading is naturally a must; reading literature is for me a priority.  I have many pupils who are reluctant to read in English. Getting them to read literary texts is my Everest - and I am starting at the bottom of the mountain. My goal is to get the pupils involved, to make them fall in love with big words, and get them to understand just how much fun it is to get lost in the world of literary characters.  If you are reading this I am guessing that you agree with me. You are probably also wondering what the plan is or where the bottom of the mountain is situated, so to speak.  I have concocted a formula for two-to-four lessons which I have used in the 5th grade. It has been an absolute pleasure for both me and the kids, and therefore I have decided to share it with you.  Step 1:  Tell the pupils... You are going to read three picture books. Some of you will read Dr. Xargel's Book of

Back to school and struggling to find ideas to revise vocabulary with your pupils?  Take advantage of the fine weather and start with an interactive trail quiz. My go-to topic to get things rolling at the start of the school year is food and shopping . The kids usually enjoy endlessly talking about food, and it is a subject that can easily be connected to culture and everyday life too. Cooking is all the rage among pre-teens and teenagers, they all watch the televised "master chef" type competitions. Additionally, the possibilities for follow-up exercises and writing assignments are endless. I shall give you a few examples below.  The trail quiz and subsequent exercises were tailored for the 5th grade, but keep in mind that most of my students are quite advanced for their age group, so it could easily be used for the sixth and even seventh grade (as a revision, for instance).  Duration : approximately two-three lessons, homework included.  Make sure you state the purpose of

I vividly remember ONE lesson from my highschool years - granted, it was a long time ago, but the fact that I remember this particular lesson above all others, demonstrates the impact of relevance-based teaching. The Peace Corp volunteer from somewhere in the USA - whose name unfortunately didn’t stick - came into the classroom and played U2’s famous song One . Back then I hadn’t even heard of U2, I was more into Metallica, Sepultura, Dream Theatre, The Doors, and other such markers of a troubled youth.   She played the song once and she only asked one question: “What do you think this song is about?” Those of you who are familiar with the song and its background will surely understand how excellent this kick-off was. We in the classroom must have all looked very confused. So we listened to it several times, wrote down the text (by listening, back then we didn’t have computers or google in the classroom, just a good old CD-player), and discussed it in groups. Then we were asked to pr

  At vi kan lære om forskjellige kulturer, andre levesett, og verdenshistorie fra litterære verk er jo ikke noe nytt.  I skolen skal litteraturen både utvikle den enskilde eleven og  bygge fellesskap.  Romaner, noveller og dikt kan være verktøy for å diskutere likestilling, solidaritet og at alle mennesker er like mye verdt. Det mener blant andre J. Edvardsson i boka Skönlitteratur i verdegrundsarbetet (2020, på svensk).  Jeg synes at litteratur er og bør være en grunnleggende ferdighet og ikke bare i norskfaget. Den handler ikke om å lese, litteratur hjelper en å forstå verden. Skjønnlitteratur er - som J. A. Langer skriver -  ikke kun en type av tekst, det er en annerledes tenkemåte hun kaller for “literary thinking” ( Envisioning Literature , 2011).  I dag mer enn noen gang, når vi får så mye informasjon via forskjellige medier, er resonnering, problemløsningsstrategier, og kritisk tenkning utrolig viktig. Men ikke bare det: for å løse morgendagens problemer måtte vi kunne tenke kre

Skolens viktigste jobb er å lære. Men for å lære må alle barna føle seg trygge, de skal ikke være urolige i kroppen og sinnet. Målet med dette tverrfaglige undervisningsopplegget er å gi elevene strategier for å takle vanskelige situasjoner på skolen. Dessuten vil vi øve på å samtale om fysisk og psykisk helse og hvordan vi kan forbedre skolemiljøet for alle.  Helse handler jo ikke bare om å spise godt, mosjonere og ta vare på oss selv, men også om hvordan vi har det mentalt og hvordan vi trives sammen med andre. Derfor er filosofiske samtaler om etiske problemer også en del av opplegget. Målet? Å sørge for at ingen blir utenfor og alle blir hørte. Opplegget gjelder fagene samfunnsfag, naturfag, og KRLE.   Del 1: Vennskap og følelser  Naturfag/samfunnsfag  For å løse opp stemningen og hjelpe elevene til å bli klar over sine egne standpunkter kan klassen begynne med en “enig/uenig” lek (cirka en undervisningstime). Flytta gjerne på pulter og stoler og la elevene sitte i en stor sirkel m