Antony West (Author)

You know that moment when the bell rings and you’re still fumbling for your whiteboard pen? Students are already off in a world of their own, discussing last night’s telly. This is where the brilliant Doug Lemov comes in with his concept of ‘Do Now.’ It’s a simple, high-impact task at the start of every lesson. For creative writing, this could be anything from ‘write a sentence using a simile’ to ‘describe the colour of fear.’ It gets the students thinking creatively from the get-go. No faffing about. No chit-chat. Just a quick dive into the deep end of imagination. It’s a pedagogical CPR, reviving the creative juices before they even know they’ve flatlined.