A reflection on some different ways to structure discussion of a text in the classroom. The example is from Key Stage 3, although the principles are applicable to any phase. The text below is one which we used to read with Key Stage 3 pupils at Parkside Community College, in Cambridge, when teaching about World... Continue Reading →
An account of a poetry lesson, with some thoughts on efficiency, on how we treat texts and on knowledge. When I became an Advanced Skills Teacher, in 2002, the designation was still fairly new. There was quite an intensive appointment process involving a portfolio of documentary evidence, a set of testimonials and a visit by... Continue Reading →
This is an approach which I have used successfully when revising clusters of poetry for GCSE. (Apologies for any parts which seem commonplace or obvious.) The basic idea is familiar - to practise summing up the ‘essence’ of each poem, so that students feel that they have a pinned-down overview of each – a handy... Continue Reading →
James Durran 