Feedback from Recalibrating English Presentation. Q1. How interesting did you find the presentation?

Q2. Have you thought about the content of the session much in the last week?

Q3. Which part of the session was most engaging?

comments:

I guess that I thought that the examiners would have more agency than they did. 23/10/2012 19:44 I thought this was very clear and put into words something that has been bothering me; it was also good to have the problem properly 'theorised' rather than the vague rant I usually resort to. 22/10/2012 22:47 I found it all interesting but the feedback from examiners surprised me the most. 20/10/2012 11:42

Q4. Do you feel the session has influenced your teaching this week?

comments: Not yet teaching! 24/10/2012 10:32 I am trying to encourage more critical thinking from my pupils. 23/10/2012 19:44 It's changed the way I've shaped discussions this week and hopefully I will be able to introduce some of my chosen texts next week. 23/10/2012 9:07 Probably more in my thinking about my teaching long term than in my actual planning for this week, as most of my classes are (ironically?) doing end of half term assessments or controlled assessments so I had no room to change much in the short term. 22/10/2012 22:47 I taught a lesson on a text that I've always wanted to teach - I found it liberating. 21/10/2012 14:00 I am not teaching yet, but I will be after half term and I definitely want to spend time doing creative writing with my year 9 class. 20/10/2012 11:42

Q5. Which parts of my manifesto did you agree with?

I agree that we should be teaching modern texts that are relevant and interesting to students. 24/10/2012 10:32 Your focus on the importance of pupils' ability to think critically about a text/piece of media. 23/10/2012 19:44

That the study of literature is too influenced by a cultural capital 23/10/2012 9:07 That the canon can be damaging to students' enjoyment and experience of literature and is socially/politically motivated, that grade quotas are wrong, that there shouldn't be set text lists on GCSE specifications. I agree that student enjoyment should play a leading role in choice of texts, not some murky agenda or ease of teaching. 22/10/2012 22:47 I was particularly interested in the contrast between the exam boards for English and Media in the way they approach the issue of canon. I think having more freedom to choose texts to teach in English would great. 21/10/2012 14:00 English teaching would benefit from incorporating more Media techniques. Creative writing should feature at GCSE and A Level. Exam boards should offer more choices of texts to schools. Choose something that would shock Daily Mail readers and prove that it's as challenging and interesting. 20/10/2012 11:42

Q6. Which parts of my manifesto did you disagree with?

I don't agree that all texts are of equal value. 24/10/2012 10:32 I disagree with the notion of completely dismantling the notion of a value system in terms of literary worth. Although I understand the notion of the canon is problematic (not least in terms of its ethnocentricism and the fact that it's predominantly male), I still feel that there is a difference between literature that is worthy of study and that which isn't. And, I believe in the transformative power of literature (obviously different for different people), and I think that we have a responsibility to introduce students to texts that they wouldn't necessarily experience outside the classroom. If they choose to reject it after studying it then that's fine. But at least they've had the opportunity to make an informed choice! Oh, and I love 'Of Mice and Men'! 23/10/2012 19:44 None 23/10/2012 9:07 I don't think this was actually in your manifesto, but it was implied in the talk that we shouldn't be choosing certain (canonical) texts to read with students just because they are cultural capital - I agree that it is silly to only expose e.g. working class Bengali girls to e.g. dead white middle class English male authors; however I also think there is a danger in this argument that the choice of texts could be narrowed by trying to choose texts that 'suit' students' backgrounds. I think they should have a genuinely open and unfiltered exposure to literature of all kinds - as far as that's possible. 22/10/2012 22:47 While I don't disagree with any of it in principle, I think it's impractical to have complete freedom of texts - there will still be departmental restrictions, and it puts the onus on the teachers to determine which texts will give students the best results in a core subject. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but the politics of assessment make it difficult. One of the pleasures of teaching media is that it is smaller and less

heavily scrutinised. In order to create the conditions for effective choice of text in English on a similar model to Media, one would have to change the pressures put on it as a subject by external bodies. 21/10/2012 14:00 Although I agree with you that literary heritage texts shouldn't be at the forefront of study, I don't think that choosing a heritage text means that a love of reading can't be encouraged amongst students because the subject matter isn't contemporary or trendy. 20/10/2012 11:42

Q7. Were you able to use the text you chose in the session in a lesson this week?

Q8. If you did do it, please tell me how it went. Comment on students engagement, how it felt for you and how easy it was to insert a standalone lesson on the text you chose.
Not this week but I'd already taught it, a few weeks ago. It felt great. Seriously and despite everything I am resolutely optimistic about the opportunities to do a broad range of FUN texts with students - I've always stuck to doing this, although it does sometimes mean working hard on how to present/justify it to (or in some cases, hide it from) leadership. It was actually easy to insert a standalone lesson because I find that saying lessons are 'non-fiction for unit 1' or 'speaking and listening' means you can do whatever text you like - I did this in an observed lesson and the deputy head was really complimentary: I'm sure she would have been worried, however, if I'd said I was teaching towards the literature paper... But your session inspired me to return to wider reading, and to texts which I personally love, with my KS4 classes and I am looking forward to putting lots of this into my planning for next half term. 22/10/2012 22:47View Responses It went well. It was a real challenge, and I certainly had to work a lot harder to develop an approach that didn't alienate the students but overall it was fun and I think the students got something out of it. 21/10/2012 14:00View Responses

Q9. If you didnt do it or havent done it yet, please explain why.

I have not taught yet (still observing as a PGCE student) 24/10/2012 10:32View Responses I think that it will go down better when we're all a bit fresher after half term! 23/10/2012 19:44View Responses I feel it will fit in better with what we are doing in the next couple of weeks. 23/10/2012 9:07View Responses I haven't done the creative writing yet with my KS4 class because of CONTROLLED ASSESSMENTS however, I will do it next half term and thank you for the reminder to keep at it. 22/10/2012 22:47View Responses I am a PGCE student, starting to teach after half term. 20/10/2012 11:42View Responses

Q10. What did you think about the format of the session? Is there anything I could improve or change for next time in terms of timing, location, presentation method etc?
I think it would have been interesting to have more time for debate and more participants/audience to contribute. 24/10/2012 10:32View Responses No, I think that the ethos of the EMC chimed with your manifesto very well! 23/10/2012 19:44View Responses Longer time for discussion at the end of the session, after the presentation and discussion sections 23/10/2012 9:07View Responses I think it would be really interesting to do this session with students, if you haven't already. I think I am going to hold a version of it with my Year 11 class, who are reluctant readers and I wonder if a big part of it is this experience they have had of the imposed canon... the poor things are on their second reading of Of Mice and Men. 22/10/2012 22:47View Responses I think it was great. I really enjoyed it and came away feeling really excited about teaching. 21/10/2012 14:00View Responses I thought there was a good balance between your presentation and debate amongst the audience. I liked the feedback from teachers / examiners that you displayed on the white board. Your manifesto was polemical and interesting and you encouraged interesting debate and defended your argument well. 20/10/2012 11:42View Responses