Encouraging students to think divergently

Expectant faces. A new seating plan. Tables clustered in fours. No books out. No pens. A brief increase in the volume of chatter as the year 9 students regroup themselves before settling into a hushed anticipation. Everything about this geography lesson screamed: “Today, things will be different!”

And, at the centre of this collective frisson of excitement, was an envelope...

Several, in fact. One on each group of tables. Plain brown. A4. No name or label. Sealed. They had all seen them as soon as they walked in and lined themselves against the back wall to be allocated a seat.

Once assigned their place, several inquisitive individuals had inspected their envelope with the reverence a medieval pilgrim might afford the bones of St Alban, but none had dared open it. I was almost sure I had seen one boy sniff his.