20 min circle time activities for yrs 2 & 3

[MummyKnight]

Hi guys

I've got an interview on Wednesday and I have to do a 20 minute circle time activity with 8 children in years 2 and 3. I'm really stuck for ideas and I was hoping for some inspiration from the mumsnet collective!
The school got outstanding in their last ofsted with a recommendation to improve pupils spelling so I thought that would be a good topic for my activity.

Please help me out, I desperately want this job, it's my dream job!!

Thank you

Circle time is always tricky as a visitor as you don't know anything about the children or what issues they are facing. In your position, I think I'd work from the assumption that the task has been set as it shows how you relate to the children and the atmosphere you create.

So think - what do you want the school/interviewers/observers to know about you? Your strengths? What makes you a special teacher and the right person for them to employ? Also, view it as a conversation opener for your interview - make it easy for them to ask you questions about something you want to get across to them.

Could you do something about strengths/weaknesses/learning styles? I've got a half formed idea of you showing the children something you are good at (not sure what yet - depends on your interests) and then using that as a way in to getting them to reflect on what they are good at and how they could use that to help their friends. I might talk about my allotment, show them some of the vegetables I've grown and then discuss with them how my interest could be used in the school.

Does that give you any inspiration?!?

Ooh thanks, that's definitely given me some food for thought.

I got the job!!!!!!!!! Thank you for your advice toomuchicecream ??

Hurrah and congratulations. What did you do in the end?

I did a pirate themed spelling game. A selection of commonly misspelled words on cards and 5 pirates on individual cards. All the cards in a treasure chest and they took it in turns to choose one, read it then turn it over and spell it. If they got it right they kept it, if they spelt it wrong it went back in the chest. If they picked out Pirate Pete, he stole all their cards and they went back in the treasure chest. At the end I gave all the children stickers for the excellent effort they put in. During the game I mucked around with the children mixing all their names up and spelling my word zobrized (surprised) and they all told me how to spell it correctly. At the end of the session they didn't want to go back to their class because they wanted to stay and play the game some more! I'm on such a massive high especially as the head at my current school released me today so I'm starting the new job on Monday!

That sounds fun. Good luck for Monday.