Visualising a story – A student-centred creative activity
By Les Huysmans
For me as a teacher, one of the most fun times is at the start of a new project, when I simply ask my students what they want to do next. For students new to my classes — still used to teacher-centred approaches — this can provoke reactions of disbelief and even slight panic. Those who have worked with me before, however, usually raise their hands straight away, quietly mumbling ‘YES’, followed invariably by everyone becoming very focused.
Students who have been with me longer are generally given more free rein, as they know what is expected. Choosing a project isn’t just about doing what you want — it always involves a discussion about which curriculum goals (still) need to be achieved, and how those goals can be met. The freedom to choose also comes with a responsibility to run much of the project themselves — with me in the background to ensure things stay on track — which is something new students may not be quite ready for.
For newer students, more guidance is required. I help steer their suggestions toward outcomes that won’t take forever or blow the budget. Depending on their age, this might mean me gently nudging them towards realistic ideas, or openly discussing our available resources — time, money, space, additional help, and so on.
Reviewing the goals and coming up with ideas
One example of such a project took place several years ago, with one of my secondary classes. These students were well-versed in project work and were therefore granted full freedom. Since this was near the end of a semester, they were allowed to choose whatever they wanted — as long as it supported the few remaining curriculum goals. The only rule? It had to be something they could visualise, and the visualisation had to involve every team member.
The first session was an open idea/story brainstorm, lasting 30–60 minutes. At this point, anything goes — no limitations, no filtering — just unfiltered creativity. Once a wide range of ideas was gathered, we narrowed the list down based on popularity, feasibility, and relevance to our goals. If an idea ticked all three boxes, great — we had our project. If not, we looked at ideas that met two out of three and explored whether the third could be brought in with some adaptation. This stage also included a discussion about how, where, and when the goals would be addressed. This usually takes another 15–60 minutes.
Once an idea was finalised, the story development began — unless they had chosen a well-known tale (e.g. Pinocchio, The Hobbit, etc.), in which case we’d adapt it instead. We first decided on the genre — adventure, scary, humorous, etc. — and then created a simple outline with 3–5 lines to map out the beginning, middle, and end. We decided how many characters we would need, making sure this matched the number and mix of students. The key here is flexibility — enough to allow ideas to flow, but still guided enough to keep moving. This stage often takes another 15–60 minutes, depending on how well the class collaborates.
Next came the writing of the full story — expanding those 3–5 lines into 30–50 (or more, depending on the age and maturity of the group). This could take up to two hours, after which the students reviewed it themselves to catch obvious language or continuity mistakes. Up to this point, everything had been done collaboratively as a whole class.
Splitting the tasks between groups/pairs
Once the story was reviewed and approved, we moved on to scripting and storyboarding. For smaller groups, we might continue as a class, but larger groups required some division of labour — often a jigsaw method. One group would begin drafting the speaking parts while another worked on storyboarding the action (adding dialogue later). Halfway through the session, we’d swap — each group reviewing the other’s progress — before continuing the tasks. This back-and-forth could stretch over multiple sessions, depending on how ambitious the project was, often taking between 2–6 hours.
Eventually, the final scripts were completed and everyone highlighted their parts. We read through the whole piece as a class, including the storyboard prompts (e.g. X walks into the room, Y is surprised). Then we repeated the read-through on location — usually around the school — to spot any logistical issues before filming. And then, the fun began.
We kept filming light-hearted and didn’t stop for small slip-ups (unless, of course, safety was an issue). Bloopers were part of the fun — and always included in the final reel.
Relaxing after the final shot is filmed
After filming, we reviewed all the raw footage together and checked whether the story flowed clearly. We looked for parts that needed clarification or re-shoots — unclear audio, noisy backgrounds, missing dialogue, etc. If necessary, we’d plan one last recording session to fix things.
Then came the editing. Depending on the time, goals, and available resources, either I would take on the editing (which can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks of my own time), or — if the students had the skills and time — they’d do it themselves. I usually handled it myself, adding sound effects, music, transitions, and the ever-popular blooper reel.
Finally, we held a screening for parents and guardians. The pride on students’ faces when they saw their own work — from first idea to final edit — was genuinely heartwarming. Parents, too, loved seeing their child’s progress presented so creatively. And best of all, the students walked away with a tangible artefact of their learning, accessible online or in hand.
If this sparked anything — questions, rants, good old curiosity — come say hi via the About Les page.