Gary Snapper

Can I/we open up a civilised conversation here about boredom in classrooms? I do wonder if some - not all - issues of behaviour/attainment/attendance etc stem from boredom as a result of the recent focus on routines, repetition, lack of responsiveness, choice & student voice.

My phrase is 'on auto-pilot'. This seems to me to be a major problem with overly routinising things. Both teachers & students switch onto auto-pilot. Refreshing & ringing the changes keeps students on their toes & requires thought.

I’ve seen levels of repetitiveness & lack of variety recently that were perhaps not so common in my past experiences as a teacher. As a student myself I was sometimes bored at school - weren’t we all? - but that was always tempered by teaching that was involving & sought to include me & my voice.

English teaching in particular has lost its way in the knowledge era. Learning labels and "facts" and being taught what to say instead of learning to love reading, thinking and expressing yourself.

Fascinating read so far, including a pretty convincing argument that Adam Smith - he of Wealth of Nations fame - was the first teacher of English Language and Literature

Still looking for schools teaching Pride and Prejudice at GCSE! Please repost or forward to anyone who might be able to help... Thanks.

Can anyone help one of our doctoral students who is researching the teaching of Pride and Prejudice at GCSE?

In Memory of Jane Ogborn Tributes to Jane Ogborn by former colleagues

3 members of the EMC team were privileged to attend the funeral of Jane Ogborn yesterday. Jane was an EMC trustee for over 10 years + collaborated on many publications + courses. You can read tributes by some of her former colleagues here www.englishandmedia.co.uk/blog/in-memo...

A beautiful funeral filled with heartfelt, moving tributes

'The evidence for the application of cognitive
science principles in everyday classroom
conditions (applied cognitive science) is
limited, with uncertainties and gaps about
the applicability of specific principles across
subjects and age ranges.'

Always useful when thinking about English to read the findings of a large EEF metastudy of applied cogsci. Barely a single study involved English at secondary, with no evidence to justify the mass implementation of cogsci across all subject areas educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-ev...

In the spring issue of Teaching English, published early in March, Alison Binney and Lizzi Rawlinson-Mills explore the self-perceptions of trainee teachers of their identity as writers. #NATE #teamenglish

Becca Durham and Sally Hobday delve into student perceptions of racial representation in Edexcel’s Belonging Anthology and The Merchant of Venice for the forthcoming issue of Teaching English. #NATE #teamenglish

Anthony Cockerill - Director of the National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE) - York The Leading, Language and Literature Podcast · Episode

Great to hear @thecockerill.bsky.social talking to Chris Jordan about curriculum, themes and concepts — and thanks both for the lovely words about the NATE community and membership! #NATE open.spotify.com/episode/4HFB...

Could copywork help build our students' writing stamina? Sometimes, a simple idea from a teacher in another subject and a well-timed social media ad can come together to inspire a subtle but meaningful addition to classroom practice. Just before Christmas,…

Could copywork help build our students' writing stamina? Faye Griffiths explores how some tried and tested ideas can still hold water. #NATE #illumiNATE

In spring's Teaching English, Deb Niven challenges traditional approaches to vocabulary instruction, arguing for a shift towards dialogic methods to equip students with the tools to engage deeply with texts, fostering comprehension and analytical precision. #NATE

We’re looking forward to Carol Atherton’s Hall of Fame column in the spring issue of Teaching English, in which she reflects on Miss Caroline in To Kill a Mockingbird, and some of her own early school memories too. #NATE #teachingenglish

Teaching English, Issue 36 (Autumn 2024). Media and English: Issues and Approaches.

Thank you to all of our contributors, including guest editor Steve Connolly.

Find out more about the latest edition here: mailchi.mp/nate.org.uk/...

Warm message of subject unity from @natefeed.bsky.social's Director + Subject Lead @thecockerill.bsky.social. Wishing you all success in your role Anthony + looking forward to collaborating in the future! mailchi.mp/nate.org.uk/...

NATE News - Autumn 2024 - NATE NATE News – Autumn 2024 Welcome to the latest edition of NATE News, where we have...

If you missed it first time, check out NATE News from the autumn term. A highlight is Emma Leeson, Training and Resources Lead at SAPERE, the UK charity for philosophical enquiry, who engages reluctant readers by asking the big questions...

National Association for the Teaching of English This year, we're making our extensive archive of articles and teaching resources easier to explore — so you can learn, teach, and find inspiration whenever you need it...

This year, we're making our extensive archive of articles and teaching resources easier to explore — so you can learn, teach, and find inspiration whenever you need it: mailchi.mp/nate.org.uk/... #NATE #teamenglish

illumiNATE, Issue 99: Anne Enright's story 'The Weight' can be a great stimulus for discussion of narrative possibilities and technique: mailchi.mp/nate.org.uk/...

In the spring issue of Teaching English, to be published early in March, Arthur Sawbridge will ask if we can ease students through the transition from KS4 to KS5 and to university level study by making questions of literary theory more engaging. #NATE #teamenglish

The magazine for students of English Literature and Language A Level https://buff.ly/3PYyEd4

In this Friday's illumiNATE, Faye Griffiths asks if copywork can help build our students' writing stamina. #NATE #teamenglish

Our email newsletter, illumiNATE, is all about inspiration and ideas we can put into practice in the classroom. We'd love to hear from you. If you'd like to share a short article with NATE members and subscribers, drop Anthony a message at director@nate.org.uk. #NATE #teamenglish

This is worth sharing among English teachers as well as those involved in academic English studies.
@natefeed.bsky.social @englishassociation.bsky.social @engmediacentre.bsky.social

Teaching Pride and Prejudice at GSCE anyone?

Can anyone help one of our PhD students who is looking for a GSCE class studying Pride and Prejudice?

#TeamEnglish #Edusky #MediaLiteracy ⬇️