The Power of Oracy is Lying Dormant in Your Classrooms, Waiting For You to Bring It Into the Light

Children and young adults are generally better speakers than writers.

Speech is a natural function of the human body. One we are set up to learn and master.

Writing is a technology, passed down through culture.

It takes longer to learn, is more technical, and the path to proficiency is completely different.

Which, for me, has always begged the question:

It’s not the only benefit of focussing on oracy in the classroom.

But, boy, is it a big one.

Getting learners into the habit of articulating their ideas verbally, before beginning to write, can have a profound impact.

When we speak, we have the chance to refine, order and edit our thinking.

And we can do this with skill, ease and speed, thanks to the high level of mastery we possess when it comes to speaking.

At all stages of formal education, a learner’s capacity to speak is likely to be in advance of their capacity to write.

The gap narrows, for sure.

And a few learners may be better writers than speakers.

But, overall, the idea holds.

When I work with schools on my Oracy Unleashed training, a big part of what we do is focussed on exactly this.

Seeing oracy as an end in itself, and as a means to an end.

To put it another way:

I’ve seen teachers amazed at how using oracy activities to precede writing can lead to written work far better than what learners usually produce.

And I’ve worked with hundreds of teachers and schools, helping them bring the power of oracy to bear in their classrooms.

Supporting them to create learners who are more confident, better able to articulate their ideas, and better placed to write fluently and coherently.

Don’t Just Listen to Mike’s Insights, Experience Them Yourself with Oracy Training That Puts Interactive Discussion at the Heart of Everything

There’s no better way to understand the power of oracy – and how enjoyable it is – than to experience it for yourself.

That’s why interactive discussion is at the heart of Oracy Unleashed.

While I lead all sessions from the front, sharing my expertise and walking your staff through the key ideas they need to know to bring oracy alive in their classrooms, a huge part of what we do involves teachers taking part in discussion.

Your staff will experience high-quality oracy activities for themselves.

They’ll see what they look like.

Hear what they sound like.

And feel what it’s like to take part in them.

For me, there’s no better way of learning about the power of oracy, and how it can transform your classroom.

Throughout, there’s opportunities for colleagues to pause and reflect.

To think about how the strategies and activities we look at could work for them, and their learners.

Plus, as we move through the training, I’ll reveal the subtle techniques we can use to:

Gaining confidence with oracy means being confident to let go of some of the control we tend to seek as teachers.

This control is necessary.

It lets us direct the learning, manage behaviour, and ensure that everyone makes the best progress possible.

But for oracy to have the impact we want it to have, we must cede some of our control.

That’s inevitable.

Oracy involves learners talking to each other.

Speaking and listening.

Driving their own learning and being active players in the process.

One of the most important ideas we’ll look at together is around structuring discussion.

How we give learners the best framework in which to express themselves.

One in which the focus is clear, unambiguous and connected to the learning.

This is how we can give up some of that control we seek, but do so in a way that gives us confidence learners will get to where we want them to go.

If we want to bring the benefits of oracy to bear – if we want to unleash its potential in our classrooms – we need to ensure learners speak and listen in a way that’s meaningful.

And when we get the structure of discussion right, good things follow.

Across the Oracy Unleashed training, we’ll look at multiple examples of effective, impactful oracy strategies, including:

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Give Your Teachers the Confidence to Make Oracy the Focus of Their Planning, Their Teaching and the Learning That Happens in Their Classrooms

A full-day with Mike gives your staff an inspiring, energising deep dive into the nature of oracy, and how any teacher can bring it to life in their classroom.

Here’s an example of a full-day schedule:

In Session 1, we’ll look together at the power of oracy, thinking about the relationship between speech and writing, the different types of talk we can use in the classroom, and the fundamental way in which oracy can reshape how we teach and how learners learn.

Then I’ll start to introduce the practical strategies and techniques.

Tools teachers can use to change their planning and reimagine their teaching.

This is where the interactivity ramps up.

Throughout the second half of the first session, and all of the second session, I’ll give your staff the chance to trial activities and techniques for themselves.

To see what high-quality, structured discussion feels like, and to reflect on how they can bring it to bear in their own classrooms, for their own learners.

We’ll cover a wide range of practical tools, all of which subtly direct learner effort, ensuring the children and young adults we teach get the most out of the oracy approaches we decide to use.

Implementation is Key

After lunch, we get colleagues into teams, working on implementation.

For me, this is crucial.

Staff need the opportunity to translate the ideas and techniques from the morning into their own practice.

While this is happening, I circulate, spending time with each team in turn.

It’s incredible just what colleagues can produce in this timeframe. The quality and depth of work I’ve seen teams create is remarkable.

I always encourage one or more senior leaders to come round with me as I circulate, so they can get a sense of what staff are developing.

Finally, we have the reflective plenary.

I bring everyone back together and teams have the opportunity to share their work with each other in a supportive, collegial atmosphere.

This creates great momentum to carry into the next full week of teaching, and beyond.

It ends the day on a high, and gives staff the confidence and energy to drive forwards with the new ideas, strategies and materials they’ve created.

What is included in a full day of Oracy Unleashed INSET, Training or CPD?

All bookings include:

For half-day and twilight INSET or CPD, we focus on the expert-led sessions from Mike, and remove the implementation and plenary sessions from the agenda.

Everything else listed above is included in half-day and twilight bookings.

One input from Mike and, if you follow his guidance on how to maintain momentum around developing oracy, you’ll have scope for 12+ months’ sustained impact in your school.

Plus, an exclusive bonus to celebrate the launch of my newly developed CPD platform, Mike Gershon’s Effective Teaching and Learning.

World-Leading Expertise on Practical Teaching and Learning That Works

Five reasons you can rely on Mike to deliver expert training and practical guidance for your staff.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you do half-day and twilight training?

Yes. I offer both and recognise the flexibility schools sometimes need around their calendars. Half-day and twilight CPD focuses on expert input from me. We remove the teamworking and plenary sessions to accommodate this.

Do you offer follow-up packages?

Yes. Many schools I work with ask me to come back and work with them again, to support them in their developmental journey. Follow-up options include further training, supportive observations with constructive feedback, paired observations and SLT coaching.

We’re a small primary school, can we still work with you?

I always hold back a few dates each year for small primaries, recognising the challenges the smallest schools face in accessing high-quality training. We can also work around tight budgets by looking at online options and in-person training involving multiple schools. The smallest primary I’ve worked with had four teachers – and we had a great day together!

We’d like to look at online training. Is that something you offer?

Yes. It is not my preference as I believe that in-person is always better, and includes elements that can’t be replicated online. However, I do provide online training for schools where in-person may be difficult due to geography, time zones and other factors. My one rule for online is that staff must sit together so that I can facilitate discussion and interaction just as I do when delivering in person.

How far are you willing to travel?

I travel across the UK and overseas from my base in York. Far flung visits have included Shetland, Cornwall, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Pembrokeshire. Even further flung visits have included Romania, Norway, Italy, Bahrain, Kuwait and The Falkland Islands. Trips that require extensive travelling attract a higher cost to cover additional time and mileage.

Can we book you in conjunction with another school?

Yes. Many smaller schools opt for this approach. Sometimes this sees two or three primaries joining up for a full-day session, sometimes a cluster of schools combine budgets and I work with them over an extended period. Occasionally schools ask if they can book me and then sell tickets to the event to nearby schools to cover costs. That is also fine with me.

Is the training relevant for all age groups?

Yes. I have worked with hundreds of primaries, hundreds of secondaries, and dozens of FE colleges over the years. I present in a curriculum agnostic way, using examples that are relevant for the audience in front of me and the age group they teach. A big part of all my training is giving colleagues the opportunity to think about how they can take the ideas and strategies I present and use them with the learners they know best.

Start Changing Your Staff’s Approach to Oracy Today With Mike’s FREE Talk, Discussion and Oracy Knowledge Base

Get a head start on developing oracy in your school by exploring my Talk, Discussion and Oracy Knowledge Base and sharing it with your staff.

The Knowledge Base features 61 blogs and articles adapted from my hugely popular book How to Use Discussion in the Classroom: The Complete Guide.

You’ll find guides, explanations and practical strategies covering:

So enjoy – I hope you and your team find it useful!

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P.S. Don’t forget, when I deliver my Oracy Unleashed training, the emphasis is always on making life simpler and easier for your teachers, so they can adapt, develop and enhance their practice in ways that work.