tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post9090050772605217880..comments2024-03-25T09:56:16.164+00:00Comments on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure: '"Big" is a Banned Word in Our Classroom...' Musings on Creative Writing and SATs - Cecilia BusbyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-2106852877640613092013-08-20T20:55:09.392+01:002013-08-20T20:55:09.392+01:00PS I don't wish to be anonymous...I just could...PS I don't wish to be anonymous...I just couldn't work out how to be ME as Sarah Gallagher Iex headteacher and Story shack adventurer)Sarah Gallagherhttp://www.storyshack.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-86502445045082268752013-08-20T20:40:14.448+01:002013-08-20T20:40:14.448+01:00This just hits the spot in summing up primary scho...This just hits the spot in summing up primary schools really. As a headteacher it is increasingly difficult to 'steer your ship' through the increasingly prescriptive 'waters' of literacy especially when schools are intense pressure to achieve results. Many of the reasons behind why we went into teaching are being swallowed up into achieving the right DATA to be honest at the children's costs. Some of those structures to support less able writers do work actually but they need to be part of a much bigger culture of reading and writing for pleasure and ENJOYING STORIES and our imagination . The danger is when those 'formulae' on offer are delivered in isolation. What you say strikes a chord as I'm exploring a new venture to immerse children in stories and encouraging the schools I work in to read a book to their classes like I was lucky enough to enjoy when I was at school. In my last school we sat down for a story at 3 pm more or less every day-it was non negotiable!!! www.storyshack.org is for CHILDREN -young and old for all the reasons you have put so pertinently put.Anonymoushttp://www.storyshack.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-3659565041422141162013-08-20T12:58:50.157+01:002013-08-20T12:58:50.157+01:00Absolutely! Most of the joy has been taken away fr...Absolutely! Most of the joy has been taken away from writing as the kids are never able to build up any momentum. They have to stop every five minutes to look at their VCOP chart (vocabulary, connectives, openers, punctuation), self-assess against a 'key features' checklist, highlight parts they are most proud of, uplevel a friend's writing, contribute to a mini-plenary, etc. It's extremely regulated and very frustrating for teachers because 'that's what Ofsted are looking for'.Jon Biddlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10753930052538238409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-22854905835277584112013-08-20T12:57:08.884+01:002013-08-20T12:57:08.884+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Jon Biddlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10753930052538238409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-65414092952966378642013-08-20T11:12:07.949+01:002013-08-20T11:12:07.949+01:00Also, to pick up on Sensibilia's point - I agr...Also, to pick up on Sensibilia's point - I agree there are some terribly formulaic shouty vampire and goo/snot/burp books out there! My daughter hates them, but a lot of kids do seem to like them...<br />C.J.Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12288574235370421625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-2218092770562346592013-08-20T11:03:25.447+01:002013-08-20T11:03:25.447+01:00Thanks for all your comments - I agree, there are ...Thanks for all your comments - I agree, there are certainly some things teachers do focus on better now, and it's true that often a 'scaffold' (to use the teaching term!) for children that are struggling to see what they need to do, is really helpful. I also think some teachers work brilliantly around the National Curriculum. But it's too easy for a head in a school where they want to get good league-table results to put pressure on teachers to just make sure the kids tick as many of the boxes as possible, rather than learn to enjoy books and writing....C.J.Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12288574235370421625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-90856500034283009212013-08-20T10:34:26.177+01:002013-08-20T10:34:26.177+01:00I see Elen's point - we have to look after AL...I see Elen's point - we have to look after ALL students, not just those who can handle it - but oh, this sounds so familiar! We're just going to a national curriculum here and we have to go through all those things on the list and at my school, we've been ordered to write a "learning intention" on the board at the start of the lesson. I'm working in the secondary system. <br /><br />That said, it doesn't all go on the report and we don't use idiotic words like "pedagogy" to the kids. I don't mind dying, "Today we're gong to..." and, where time, asking individual kids,"What's one thing you learned okay?"Sue Bursztynskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362273418897882971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-22604532862170145722013-08-20T09:38:18.919+01:002013-08-20T09:38:18.919+01:00I agree with a great deal of what you say, Celia, ...I agree with a great deal of what you say, Celia, but I also think Elen has a point - I certainly think it's true that teachers have much more sensitive antennae now when it comes to special needs. But there's nothing like that hush that comes when a class is engrossed in a story, and from what I gather, the space for that has certainly lessened - especially in secondary schools.Sue Purkisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-64873969860929690672013-08-20T08:21:04.773+01:002013-08-20T08:21:04.773+01:00p.s. genuine questions, not necessarily a declarat...p.s. genuine questions, not necessarily a declaration of beliefs - I have little contact with schools outside of visits.Elen Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00445201005486291612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-27531494933145253072013-08-20T08:19:56.341+01:002013-08-20T08:19:56.341+01:00As devil's advocate for a moment, can I sugges...As devil's advocate for a moment, can I suggest that while free-form teaching is great for children who already have aptitude for writing, for others, who perhaps are better at maths, or the sciences, codification of learning helps?<br />I also think that we are now so much better at spotting and intervening when children are having difficulties - special educational needs teaching was non-existant outside special schools when I was in primary. Having expectations of achievement is key to spotting struggling students, no?Elen Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00445201005486291612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-74324257823746854372013-08-20T07:25:29.674+01:002013-08-20T07:25:29.674+01:00Cecily, I wholeheartedly agree with this blog post...Cecily, I wholeheartedly agree with this blog post. I used to be a primary school teacher and am now an author too. The joy of stories has been stolen and children, in upper key stage two especially, are being brow beaten with formulas and the need to analyse a text as we might have done at O level. I despair. Another banned word of course is 'said.' And yet as authors we know that too many flowery alternatives can interrupt the flow for the reader. Thanks for expressing this so well Cecily. I love your idea of authors working with a primary school more intensly than just one visit. I too do author visits. I love just injecting the fun and creativity back into the process. My website is www.karenlangtree.com Karen Langtreehttp://www.karenlangtree.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-8072931594036214272013-08-20T06:57:48.888+01:002013-08-20T06:57:48.888+01:00A very interesting post. Do you not feel, though, ...A very interesting post. Do you not feel, though, that, increasingly, children's books are also written to a formula? There is a lack of feeling in many of the books I sample. Instead, there is a focus on a forced story arc following a prescribed pattern, interspersed with hysterically over-the-top adjectives and actions, plus vampires, aliens, pirates etc . sensibiliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08715737628925538412noreply@blogger.com