This is the lesson that will bale you out of trouble when you a) are doing emergency supply cover b) when you have an annoying gap at the end of a lesson c) it is Friday afternoon and you and your class are counting down to the time the bell goes d) it is just one of those days when everything you do falls flat e) it is the morning after you have broken all your own rules about not going out on a school night.

Bring on ‘Plinky’  –  a website which throws out a new task to complete every day. Pupils can do this on their own, in groups or as a whole class using an interactive whiteboard to display the site. If you really have nothing – use a smartphone to connect to the web and just read out the challenge.

Here are some example Plinky prompts to give you an idea what you’re getting yourself into…

• Write about the most precious thing you’ve ever lost
• Take a line from a song that you love or connect with. Now forget the song, and turn that line into the title or inspiration for your post
• Scour the news for an entirely uninteresting story. Consider how it connects to your life in some way. Write about that.
• Review the most delicious meal you’ve ever been served, as if it were a movie.”

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