WH Auden's 'Shield of Achilles'

Last term I attended one of Glen Pearsall's sessions on Module C: Representation and Text, Elective 1: Representing People and Politics. The session, provided by Teacher Training Australia (TTA), gave me so many great ideas that I was immediately struck by how much time I wanted to put into the unit, how much time I wanted to spend on each poem, how much I could do! 

I am not sure I have done the Module justice so far and I could honestly spend a year studying Auden but I thought I would share a few ideas that I think assisted students with their understanding of the poetry.

The first idea I utilised with ‘Shield of Achilles’ a beautiful poem about the horrors of war and the impact upon the people. This was one of the ideas from the TTA Workshop but you can find it, and many other great ideas in Glen Pearsall’s ‘The Literature Toolbox’ book. The ‘Instant Picture Book’ was an instant success with my students. They really engaged with the ideas in the poem and chose poignant moments from each stanza to illustrate. I decided I would also complete one as an example for those struggling, but also for myself – as this is the first time I have taught the poetry. Students sometimes dislike drawing in English class, I tell them that we are doing ‘English’ drawing, rather than ‘Art drawing’ and they need to focus on developing the symbols and ideas in their work. This usually works and helps them overcome their reluctance.

So far I have found that students are enjoying the ideas in the poetry and are making connections between the poems and the rubric requirements as well.  

I have no affiliation with TTA or Glen Pearsall - I am just thankful for their existence! I have attached a few links; to the TTA Module C course outline, the link to 'The Top 10 Strategic Questions for Teachers' - a free Glen Pearsall publication, and a link to other texts that I have found helpful.

TTA Course Outline:

http://tta.edu.au/products/1530/3219

Glen Pearsall's FREE eBook - available for TTA Members:

http://tta.edu.au/free-ebook

Publications from the Teacher Learning Network:

http://www.tln.org.au/tlnshop

Ruminating on teaching the HSC...

I have taught HSC Standard English for several years and have been fortunate to mark Paper 1, Section III twice. I was excited and nervous to learn of the new prescriptions for 2015 – 2020 just when I was about to take Advanced English for the first time. It is now Week 6 of Term 3, which is Term 4 for the current Year 12, and I have almost worked through the first year of the new Prescriptions.

As a first time Advanced teacher (almost a year ago now) my principal was very supportive and allowed me to attend PL sessions to get acquainted with the Stage 6 Advanced syllabus and content, and learn approaches to the course. It has been a very busy year – deciding on texts, Electives for each Module, and programming resources for new Electives – and the old (all new to me!).

My marking kit...

AOS: Discovery Classroom Display

I purchased resources from Into English, the English Teachers Association, Barbara Stanners, Excel and from publishing houses – I was happy to pay for resources for another viewpoint, a different approach, teaching ideas, summaries and to ensure I didn’t miss anything with my programming. I have also picked up bits and pieces from teaching blogs, Pinterest, the English Teachers Association Facebook and our resident English tutor at school – all of which supplement my resources and will help me put together a revision program for the holidays before the HSC. All in all I am confident that I have provided enough for my students, I have poured myself into this year and hope that it pays off. I do wish that my students had spent more time revising and practising their writing during the year – but I think most HSC teachers would be thinking this! 

How it all began!

Education. It is one of the most important things in my life, both my personal life and professional. I believe learning and institutions that support learning are key to a rich and accepting society where prejudice and bigotry are counteracted by critical thought, where people don't 'tolerate' what they think they understand, but they accept difference by knowing and understanding and appreciating the diverse and wonderful uniqueness of people everywhere.

Starting at the beginning, my education began in a preschool 15 minutes from the small coastal town where I grew up. There was only one preschool available to families in the area and I am sure it began the positive associations I have with educational institutions. I spent several years as a three and four year old making bubble paintings, trying to secretly add water to the orange bowl of sand in the sandpit so it could be stirred like cake mix, trying desperately not to make a sound when eating my cheese and peels of carrot sandwiches at lunch, telling the teachers that I was not crying when my mother was leaving, but in fact the sun had melted my eyes. The smells and experience of walking over the bridge as my mother walked me in, the apprehension and anxiety that I felt on the way to preschool are so deeply embedded in my sense of self that I am more aware than ever of how important early experiences are.

My primary school years, all 7 of them, were spent at North Haven Public. This small school now bears very little resemblance to the school I attended, perhaps this was in my mother's mind when she enrolled me in 1989 as she had attended the school a few decades before. I recall a few pertinent moments from these years - chucking a tantrum in kindergarten and throwing a bead at someone else's mother, doing contract work on the novel, 'The Secret of Nimh' in composite class in Year 5/6, lying on the floor doing muscle relaxation, attempting to conjure spirits with an Ouija board drawn on a piece of paper (I chickened out), the Gumnut Club my friend created, making tracks in the leaf litter to run around in under the camphor laurel trees, bin cricket, saying the Lord's prayer in Year 6, making weird art sculptures, the book sales (how I loved the book sales - I would pour over the pamphlets for weeks making selections), lettering, the new classrooms with the computers with black screens and orange and green writing, trays, the bell and then the new electric bell, the blue covering and then the aluminium covering over the quad, the handball courts, the paperbarks, not knowing the word 'cupboard' until the teacher said it out loud, my 'ET' book (Every Thing) with white paper and a pattered of coloured pencils. The teachers - Mrs Moore, Mrs Easy, Mrs Eggins, Mrs Knightly, Mrs Gavigan, Mr Jordan, Mrs Vincent and Mr Vincent, Mr Ballasty, Mrs Ryan. Memories. So many. 

Primary school encouraged my love of reading, as did my parents, especially my mother and grandmother. Visits to the library, books for presents. There was always something to read in our house - encyclopaedias, a book about apparent ghost and alien spottings that intrigued and frightened the hell out of me. 'Baby Sitter's Club', 'Sweet Valley High', my brother's 'Goosebumps' books, Robin Klein, Roald Dahl (I read my first Dahl book, 'The Witches' whilst sick with pleurisy in Year 3), Enid Blyton - oh how I wanted to visit the magic faraway tree. My love of literature was fostered by the adults around me and my hunger for stories and for this I feel very lucky.