Thanks to the generosity of Salamander Street publishers we launched a giveaway in February 2021 to send 5 bundles of plays to 5 Drama departments across the country where you had nominated colleagues to say thank you for all they do for you, their teams and the young people they work within these strange and unusual times.
And what a difficult decision we had to make! The nominations prove that Drama Teachers are amazing human beings and are going above and beyond for everyone. Here are some of the features of the nominations we received:
- Early Career Teachers have been thrown in at the deep end and have thrived rather than just survived. The nominations for Trainee Teachers and NQTs show how inspirational the next generation of drama teachers are.
- A big shout out to one person departments and non-specialist teachers. We received gushing nominations from colleagues in other departments and from senior leaders recognising how difficult it is to work in these roles.
- We’re not just colleagues, we’re friends. Over half of our nominations were for teachers who were juggling difficult personal circumstances whilst going above and beyond to support their colleagues.
Here is a share of a few nominations we received (edited for anonymity). Have your tissues at the ready!
She has never ending energy and time for pupils and so much passion to see them all achieve no matter what the situation is.
Couldn’t do things without her!
I would like to nominate [my colleague] for not only writing the schemes of work for KS3, but adapting them for online learning and then making sure us performing arts teachers are ok at least twice a week!
She is a fantastic colleague who goes above and beyond to support myself and others around us. She always checks in on me which is really appreciated during these lockdown days.
[My colleague] supported me endlessly as a PGCE student in my first term alongside being ‘acting HoD’. She made time to check in with me every single day and support me throughout the terms ups and downs. She’s amazing and deserves this giveaway and more!
Since joining the school as an NQT he has done nothing but grow in confidence, grow in his ability to engage students in his subject and encourage so many young people to enjoy Drama and the Arts. He goes above and beyond for all us colleagues, including starting a Staff Well-being Group. He makes every day at school a joy.
As a teacher she works phenomenally hard – always being one of the last to leave. She cares passionately about the well-being of students and the power that Drama has to change lives. She lives, eats and breathes Drama and leads an impressive expressive arts faculty – she truly deserves thanks and a nomination to recognise her professional contribution to her subject and school.
Her wisdom, creativity and advice has allowed the students and her team to grow and flourish around her even through a digital lens. She is an asset to her school but also to her profession. I can’t thank her enough for all the hard work she is doing.
I would like to nominate my colleague for always being amazing and the ear I use to moan to and converse with over all my issues.
I would like to nominate my colleague an NQT who trained during the first lockdown and is single handedly running my department whilst I have cancer treatment. She is maintaining full time remote learning, GCSE and A Level classes and setting extra-curricular challenges for the Drama Club. She is an outstanding teacher and a wonderful friend.
I would love to send a big thank you to my colleague, an inspirational new HoD, who in her first year put on a spectacular production of Beauty and the Beast, before having to deal with challenges of transforming the drama departments curriculum, into a remote online one. She manages all of this with positivity and kindness. She is most deserving of this thank you gift!
She is my right hand woman in the department and keeps KS3 and careers in the department ticking over. She is a good friend and had helped me a lot over the last couple of years. I respect and admire what she has done by building a dance company at our school. She has her own personal things to deal with but still turns up every day and works hard.
Since she started alongside me in January last year she has been incredible. Nothing has been too difficult, stressful or daunting for her and she just gets on with it. She has created some cracking schemes of work that go above and beyond the standard practice and really drives forward the fun and importance of Drama in the curriculum. Despite all her personal challenges, she always has a positive attitude and loves the arts hence why I would like to nominate her.
We applaud the work passionate, creative and dedicated teachers are doing across the country through ever-changing circumstances and a huge thank you to all of you for everything you do!
