New guide aims to assist in teaching of the arts

Introducing art, drama and music into the classroom can be a challenge for most teachers

Introducing art, drama and music into the classroom can be a challenge for most teachers. A new manual, School Gate - A Teacher's Resource Book, aims to overcome this obstacle by providing primary and second-level teachers with a guide to fresh ideas, workshops and methods for introducing the arts into the classroom.

The new guidebook, produced by DUBCIT - Dublin City Writers' Workshop - and launched last week, comprises five arts teaching modules: music, arts and crafts, dance, drama and creative writing, to facilitate teachers in the classroom. Each module is laid out in a stepby-step, straightforward manner with workshops outlined for each, showing teachers how to conduct arts classes. An accompanying 26-minute video gives an insight into the work of the practitioner and shows the School Gate project at work in a classroom.

"The book is for working teachers who can photocopy it and use it in the classroom," says School Gate programme co-ordinator, Liam O'Reilly. "Teachers can get practical hints and information from the book and use it as a guideline. It is meant to be working tool."

The guidebook shows some of the practised methods of experienced arts facilitators in the classroom and encourages teachers to use these new ideas or "new slants on old ideas" to introduce arts to their pupils. The arts and crafts module includes templates and designs for cutouts and drawings, and guidelines for classes based on their use. Different class themes are outlined in the poetry module, which also includes a selection of poetry written by Dublin schoolchildren. The music module includes guides to composition and music appreciation classes.

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The modules were developed by DUBCIT arts facilitators who visit primary and second-level school classes on a weekly basis. The arts and crafts modules may suit a younger age group (7-12) and drama modules older children (12-17) but each module can be used as blueprint for a class of any age.

Amongst the 15 FAS Community Employment participants on the DUBCIT project are poet Mark Granier, drama teachers Karen Joyce, Sinead Culbert and Mary Gunning, and musician David McKeever. The School Gate Project is sponsored by the DUBCIT Community Arts Project and FAS Community Employment, and supported by the European Social Fund.

The resource book and video, which costs £14 including postage and packaging, may be obtained directly from DUBCIT Community Arts Project, 40 Lower Clanbrassil Street, Dublin 8. Tel: 01-4733272 or email: dubcit@iol.ie.