Day 2 begins with the daily log provided by
Mags – brave heart! Mags recounts our
day and provides insights into those elements that particularly struck
her. Following the log we have time to
journal before Tuesday’s demo which is provided by Anne-Marie. Anne Marie works in Finglas, in Dublin, with
early school leavers and students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Her demo centres around rap and how she has used
rap to connect with the students and to genuinely begin where they are. By her own admission she knew nothing about
rap before she threw herself into this new world guided by her class, some of
whom were pretty expert in the genre.
It is hilarious and affirming to see Anne-Marie
rapping an excerpt from the Dr Seuss
Sleep Book; she can hardly get through it for laughing, thus, providing us
with the evidence that her son was correct when he said ‘You can’t do that one
with them Mam – it’s too funny!’
In Anne-Marie’s class we listen to a rap
that her students wrote and recorded.
She describes how committed and engaged her they were with this task and
how it spilled over into time, interests and enthusiasm beyond the
project. We wear headphones to hear the
work and I am taken by the mood altering power of music. We also comment on the experience of hearing
the students’ voices and reading their voices – the contrasts here and the
similarities. We examine the words and
seek out the meanings and what is evoked.
I find Anne-Marie’s commitment and passion for teaching, and her care
and compassion for her students, utterly inspiring. I wonder if they realise quite how fortunate
they are to have found themselves in her class, in the glow of her expertise
and her attention. I wonder do they know
how much they mean to her …
After the coffee break we talk about
writing groups: how they work at SWIFT and participants’ experiences of
them. A bunch of “volunteers” role play
the writing group from hell which stars a cheerleader, a writing mechanics nut,
and a piggy backer, amongst other characters.
Their authenticity is unnerving J We spend the time before lunch agreeing what
Louise subsequently calls the ‘compromised rules’ based on draft writing group
guidelines.
In the afternoon we introduce a new feature
of SWIFT; a research panel of previous SWIFT participants who have agreed to
join us to discuss second level writing, particularly at Leaving Certificate, in
the broader context of ‘writing for life’.
Lawrence from University of Limerick chairs the panel which explores the
sort of writing that happens at second level and considers what part this might
play in our students’ ‘writing for life’.
The discussion is intelligent and measured, but/and it inevitably brings
us towards the bigger questions of the function of education. Our previous Fellows are like this year’s
cohort, an amazing group of teachers who have clearly given all the matters
touched on today much thought. I’m again
tempted to think that the revolution might happen and that all the most
damaging and unhelpful elements of the Leaving Certificate process and
associated exams would be eliminated. If
ever our tendency towards reckless optimism was called for …
Our day finishes all too soon. I feel, as I always do by Day 2, relieved
that we are hitting our stride and incredibly privileged to be a part of this
very special week.
No comments:
Post a Comment