Classroom activity 1 – Developing scripted questions about transition
Students in class have begun to discuss and share a variety of experiences from their primary years and have talked about their excitement and apprehensions of moving to a secondary school environment. This activity works with these emotions to help students understand their own transition.
Introduce the concept of interviews with students, and the types of questions that we ask of each other.
- What good or bad interviews have they seen, for example, on TV, YouTube or TikTok?
Discuss
In pairs, groups or as a class, discuss the example questions below related to school transition:
Questions for students still at primary school
- What have been your best memories of primary school?
- What things will you miss about primary school?
- What do you think secondary school will be like?
- What things have you heard about secondary school? That are positive? That you might be concerned about?
- What are you looking forward to in secondary school?
- What do you think the major differences will be between your time in primary school and going to secondary school?
- What questions would you ask if you were asking the questions?
Questions for students in secondary school
- What have you missed most about primary school?
- What has changed now that you are in secondary school? What is the same?
- What has been the most challenging change?
- What are you enjoying most about being in secondary school?
- What advice would you give a student in their last year of primary school who is about to transition into secondary school?
- What questions would you ask if you were asking the question?
In groups, pairs or as a class, brainstorm and record the kinds of questions your students would like to ask. Students can practise these questions on each other. Students can then make a final list of the questions they want to use in their formal interview.