Why I love my TA

To be or not to be dramatic?

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. William Shakespeare

The Importance of the Short Story

Short stories can help to inspire a love of reading and learning. They can provide an opportunity to explore a great range of authors and styles in a short period of time. Short stories provide a snapshot of literature and are an ideal way to introduce and encourage pupils to begin to discover an interest and love of reading.

If pupils were presented with a lengthy story they may become overwhelmed. It is therefore important to build up both their ability and enjoyment of the subject.  In particular lower ability pupils would be likely to lose interest in longer pieces of literature.

Short stories ultimately are a beneficial way to provide pupils with a range of literature by different authors. This helps them to discover a style that they can connect with and particularly enjoy. This will enable pupils to be able to read a wider range of authors and potentially discover a love for a particular style, author or theme of writing.

Short stories can introduce the reader to new characters, themes, topics and cultures. In just a few short pages it can create a variety of senses and emotions. Ultimately short stories are a way of capturing our imagination and leaving us wanting more. This inspires the reader to read more and build up a connection and a love of reading. As an English teacher my main aim is to help pupils to develop their own love of reading. Short stories are a great way to get their attention and interest in reading. By offering such a diverse range of literature they are able to find their own interests and discover the type of literature that suits them. Short stories are a starting point that can open up a new world of possibilities.

 

What will an A-Level in English Literature offer you as a school leaver?

Personal Poetry

I never really connected with one particular poem until earlier this year. I have always enjoyed reading and studying poetry but it never truly had affected me when reading it. I could never really relate to it personally until this particular moment in my life.

When reading this poem it was at a particularly challenging time and it was this poem that really helped me to get through this difficult period. A friend posted it on Facebook and I connected with it instantly. The poem was ‘Death is Nothing at All’ by Henry Scott Holland. My Granddad had recently passed away and when I read this poem I had him in mind. It was the first time that I had connected to a poem emotionally and personally and I will never forget the way in which it helped me to deal with his passing.

 Death is Nothing at All

Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away to the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
That, we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way
which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect.
Without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was.
There is absolute unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?

I am but waiting for you.
For an interval.
Somewhere. Very near.
Just around the corner.

All is well.

Henry Scott Holland

Since reading this poem I have found a new connection with all types of poetry. When teaching it I want my pupils to understand the story and emotions behind the poem. For me personally I never thought that I would enjoy teaching poetry as much as I do. I enjoy the ways in which a poem can mean so many different things to so many different people. I like to take in different interpretations and meanings and compare them to what I originally thought. When teaching poetry I am able to look at the ways in which people can connect to a poem and how it can relate to them personally. I just hope that one day my pupils will understand the impact that a poem can really have.

 

Poetry

The Creativity of Poetry

In the past few weeks I have began to teach poetry lessons. I have really enjoyed planning and implementing these lessons as I find that poetry allows you to explore teaching and learning in a variety of different creative ways. Poetry itself is a form of expression and it can be looked at and interpreted in a number of different ways.

 One of the most enjoyable things about teaching poetry is the ideas and aspects of a poem that pupils come up with; in particular the thoughts that you yourself might not have considered before. One pupil in particular in my year 11 class has a so many different interpretations when she looks at a poem. She clearly enjoys studying poetry and is extremely inventive when analysing any poem. It is pupils like her that really help lessons to progress and have an impact.

I find that teaching poetry also help me to develop my creative abilities. There are so many different ways in which a poem can be taught. I try to use a variety of visual, audio and kinaesthetic learning styles when teaching poetry to help the pupils understand the poem fully and to develop my own skills when teaching and encouraging pupils.

This week I have been involved in a team teaching poetry lesson. This has helped me to gain new ideas and techniques to use when teaching poetry as I have been able to see how others approach poetry and the way in which they teach it.

Poetry is a form of expression and creative ability and it is important that when teaching it that the lesson fits in with these aspects.