Guiding a literary commentary with a thematic or conceptual focus
My classroom has a strong presentation element with students seeing and responding to the...
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Category: How to Teach Literature
Let the students struggle: Mindful of the Concepts we Choose
Can we be mindful about where we let the students struggle? It is mindless to let the students...
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Purpose of Denotation
In a world increasingly suspicious of authority, relativity in meaning is king. We feel what...
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Engaging with Models of Teaching
A frustration in my profession is the inability, or at least unwillingness, of us to be reflective...
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What books should students read for A-Levels/IB or Undergraduate?
Students seeking success in literature should aim to read beyond the limits of the classroom. Each of these books have proved very useful for both my students and me in teaching and reading literature at the higher levels.
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can concept-based learning help you teach and write better thesis statements?
The Teaching of Literature Should be Led by Ideas Literature is not a subject in itself. It has a...
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Do English teachers need charisma?
English teachers are usually charismatic. The act of reading and considering poetry and drama...
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Content vs Specification: Thoughts about KS5 Planning
This year I have taken on the running of our KS5 literature specification. It has been an...
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Building a Sixth Form Curriculum: Literature
This summer I was promoted to Head of KS5 Literature, leading a team of six people. I enjoyed the...
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Book Review: Notes from the Jungle: Provocative Teacherspeak
Notes from the Jungle is an engagingly provocative book from a working international headteacher....
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