In the spring of 1999 I got the best education in poetry I have ever had. I was in Suffolk, … More
Tag: Education
Writing and Silence
Originally posted on Lifesaving Poems:
I love the silence that descends on a classroom full of people who are all engaged…
The First 50 Lifesaving Poems
I began writing the Lifesaving Poems posts in June 2011, back when I was using Posterous for this blog. … More
Originally posted on Lifesaving Poems:
For the last nine years at the end of the first week in July I have…
In Praise of PGCE Students
PGCE students are so dedicated. They burn with desire to be amazing. They hand in their work and have beautifully … More
Lifesaving Poems: John Logan’s ‘The Picnic’
The Picnic It is the picnic with Ruth in the spring. Ruth was third on my list of seven girls … More
My Hero: Michael Laskey
Photo: Derek Adams Some writers influence you through the pull of their imagination on your work, opening up new worlds … More
Poetry and 9/11
I am a little late in writing these reflections prompted by the tenth anniversary of 9/11. What I want … More
The Write Team Conference: Creativity, Confidence and Challenge
Creativity and Writing Explored.ppt Download this file > Keynote Address to Conference AW June 2011.ppt Download this file >
Can Poets Teach?: On Writers Teaching Writing -by Joan Houlihan at Poets.org
Like a Jules Verne novel, Dana Gioia’s famous essay “Can Poetry Matter” got the future’s big picture right, but the … More
Why Jamie’s Dream School is not about education
You have to hand it to Jamie Oliver for giving it a go. How he kept so positive confronting all … More
Joan Miro, teaching and freedom
Last week I had the privilege of taking my Primary PGCE English specialists on a trip toLondonfor the final … More
Ways With Words: Teachers’ Metalinguistic Understanding of Poetry
This is the powerpoint of the paper I am giving with Debra Myhill at the Writing Across Borders II conference … More
Why initial teacher education needs to stay in universities
Artwork: Kate Vaughan What Michael Gove says about trainee teachers having the opportunity to observe and learn from teachers in school … More
On Cliff Yates’ Poetry Workshop
‘Whenever I work with people – no matter what their age – I try to run a checklist through my mind: are … More
My recent research: Teachers’ metaphors of poetry writing pedagogy
Download now or preview on posterous Teachers’_Metaphors_presentation_Poetry_Matters_Jan_2011.ppt (93 KB) I was pleased to present the attached paper at the ESRC-funded … More
The Write Team: Engaging Invisible Pupils Through Creative Writing
Download now or preview on posterous ESRC_The_Write_Team.pdf (423 KB) Emma Metcalfe from The Bath Festivals’ Write Team has created this poster … More
New Research on Teachers’ Conceptualisations of Poetry Writing
via edlinked.soe.waikato.ac.nz My latest research paper is now published in English Teaching: Practice and Critique Volume 9, Number 3, December … More