Monday, 9th November

MEETING IN THE ASSEMBLY HALL

All year 10 students have a meeting with the head of Key Stage. They have such meetings every two weeks, focussed on the academic progress of the students

This week I will be attached to the Religious Education department (RE). This will give me the opportunity of getting to know how philosophy of religion is taught in the school.

FIRST PERIOD

RE – Year 9 – Class taught by Mr. Shummer

In this classroom students are sitting in rows, not in groups. According to what some of the pupils tell me, Religious Education doesn't seem to be a very exciting subject for them.

The class begins revising the homework they are supposed to be working on. As an assignment, students must create a Memorial design, with their own personal suggestion for a space devoted to the memory of the victims of tragic events such as the Holocaust. They will show their ideas in a drawing and also in a written document which should argue whether racism can be overcome. The teacher will check the reasons given by the students, as well as the language used by them. They should use some of the key concepts and ideas that have been explained in the class.

It takes the teacher quite a long time to take the register. While he is doing this task, the students are supposed to revise the instructions about the assignment they have to do. Later he shows a slideshow about personal identity. What is your identity? Students give different answers What did the Nazis think about Jewish identity? The teacher expects them to use concepts such as racism, stereotypes, etc…

Only now the teacher shows the Learning Outcomes of the lesson: Students will consider what is meant by identity and they will get to understand Britain's multicultural roots. He also asks the pupils some interesting questions: Who would say 'I am a patriot'? In which context? What does this mean? The teacher talks about the British National Party, as when they say 'I am proud of being British' they actually mean 'I am proud of being white'.

To show this a video is used – Billy Bragg sings the song 'Half English'. The teacher explains the context in which this song was sung – in a multi-ethnic festival that was held in a multicultural city. He asks the students to pick some remarkable concepts and sentences connected with the lesson. After the lesson he asks the students to share with their partners one of the ideas that they have identified in the song. What are the benefits of being a multicultural society? Is multiculturalism a good thing? Is England a 'beautiful country'? What makes it beautiful or not beautiful? Do you agree? What would someone say in response to your view? After discussing in pairs, the teacher asks them to share their ideas in groups of 4.

Kids seem to enjoy this activity very much, but I am not sure whether they are actually discussing the particular topic the class is focussed on. Besides, they are not asked to jot down their ideas so it will be hard for the teacher to check if they really did their task. The teacher asks individually half of the students what makes Britain a beautiful country. Later, he asks individually the rest of the class what could be improved. The answers are really interesting, as some pupils talk about insecurity, overpopulation, taxes… The teacher also talks about his own personal opinion, showing the kids that racism is also a problem in the UK, even though no student talked about it.

As a new activity, the teacher shows a video with the testimony of a survivor of a Nazi death camp. After the video, the teacher explains his own opinion: he thinks that the way UK welcomed Jewish refugees after WW2 is a very beautiful aspect of the country – however, according to his own personal point of view (something he stressed a lot) it is not so beautiful how they are treating Syrian refugees nowadays.

SECOND PERIOD

RE – Year 11 – Lesson taught by Miss Ghinn

Students are distributed in groups, sitting with their mates.

The topic these students are studying is called 'Challenges to the argument from Religious Experience.' There are philosophical arguments against the experience of God, and there are also scientific arguments against it.

They had some homework that the teacher reminds them to do.

Students use a notebook: 'AQA – Religious studies – philosophy of religion' by Anne Jordan, Neil Lockyer and Edwin Tate. They also use another book 'Religious experience' by Peter Cole

The teacher asks the students the following question: Is an experience of God a philosophically sound notion? This is connected with a previous essay they have written, about the cosmological argument and Aquinas's ways to demonstrate God's existence. The teacher gives the students 5 minutes to read some paragraphs from the textbooks they are using. Later, she asks them to make notes to summarise what both sources say about these challenges. She insists in the importance of showing in their writing some evidence that proves that they have read the books.

In order to discuss if the 'experience of God' is a philosophically sound notion, the teacher asks the students to give their own reasons and opinions. Students give excellent arguments, such as the 'fallacy of composition'!

The teacher insists in the fact that perfectly sane and healthy people feel that they had the experience of God, so pupils should not talk about them in a disrespectful way. She asks them to consider this experience and think about it giving arguments.

There are several possibilities to foster debate and exploration. The teacher compares the experience of God to: 1) A material experience, 2) An experience of people, 3) Can god be recognised? 4) Direct experience of God is impossible

A good strategy: Can any of you explain this as if your friends were in year 3?

The class is based on an open dialogue, so students can interrupt the teacher and express their own opinions and suggestions. The teacher also talks about some personal experiences – including a very touching story that happened to a close friend of hers – in order to engage the students and foster debate.

I feel quite surprised by the depth, understanding and critical comments of these students, who are supposed to be Christian believers. Nevertheless, they are thoughtful and very intelligent listeners, and they accept nothing at face value!

THIRD PERIOD

RE – Year 11 – Lesson taught by Miss Ghinn

This lesson is

The teacher gives the class some homework. They have to make an index revision card of key thinkers and their major ideas. In order to explore the question 'Can the finite experience the infinite?' they will have to read a chapter in the textbook, but they will also have to do some further reading to expand their knowledge, as they will have to sit an exam on RE for their AS levels.

The objective for this lesson is to identify some of the main philosophical challenges to the argument from Religious Experience.

As their first activity, the students will have to explore the question 'Is an experience of God a philosophically sound notion?'. In order to discuss this topic and to be able to write a good essay on it, they are encouraged to read their textbooks. The teacher is using the same presentation and the same resources that have been used in her previous lesson with year 10. I also notice that most of the questions and arguments in her slideshow are taken from one of the textbooks they are using.

I love they way the teacher encourages her students to find arguments and counter-arguments for all the questions in the lesson. Apparently, in the class there are both believers and atheists. The teacher respects all opinions and tries to promote debate and discussion on rational grounds about these issues. However, I also notice that in this lesson she has been talking a long time, as their students are not very willing to participate.

FOURTH PERIOD

During the fourth period, both Marga and I have free time, so we can prepare our lesson plans and meet our tutors from Chichester University

FIFHT PERIOD

Year 13 – Class taught by Miss Ghinn

As starter, there is a recall test in order to revise the key concepts that were taught in the previous lesson. The class is about John's Gospel, so the students are asked to explain some of the basic ideas that will make the text understandable. 

Students will have to do some homework. They will have to create a one page summary poster about the topic they are studying, and they will have to complete wider reading an notes and then produce an essay plan. They will also have to examine the nature of signs, using the study guide they are following.