Too much monster gruel has made me tetchy. I feel a rant coming on. Why has nobody built an incredible monster-tracker contraption to seek us out and rescue us?
Is it because creativity is withering in our nation’s schools?
Yup, I’m going to stomp my foot and rant, right here, right now. Well, OK, not right here. But perhaps here:
http://timesonline.typepad.com/schoolgate/2009/02/how-secondary-s.html
09/02/2009 at 5:29 pm Permalink
Brilliant piece, Joe – and spot on! I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had ‘the apology’.
Tommy
09/02/2009 at 6:05 pm Permalink
Terrific article, Joe. And a phenomenon I’ve seen all too often, too.
Tell you what: let’s all team up and… oh. Well, it’s AWESOME to meet like-minded thinkers, even if we are all stuck in this floomin’ cave!
09/02/2009 at 8:53 pm Permalink
I find the problem with my teachers is that they:
A) Don’t do enough creative writing. Who cares about Romeo and Juliet, I want to write stories!
B) Either give us something like ‘Never Again’ to base our stories around, which gives no creative spark but limits it in certain ways, or they limit it too much so the fantastic idea that was sparked is outside the task’s guidelines.
C) They want us to read, but limit it to the books in the school library (you can read additional books from home though at the same time). I personally ignore this and put up a protest every time they offer detention, because it isnt like I don’t read and I have the highest reading mark (which isnt really reading, more vocabulary) in the year, so surely it doesn’t matter what I read…
D) They give us so much homework, so we have little free time which I personally would use a fair proportion of trying to think of a decent plot. Unfortunately, when I do get down to writing I can’t even think of a storyline, which I guess backs up your rant.
*Sigh* The woes of school…
10/02/2009 at 12:14 am Permalink
I think most authors who do school visits with secondary school age groups will empathise with your article, Joe. I seem to get asked to work with Y9 & 10 a lot (seemingly because most other authors don’t want to go near them! Can’t think why – I think they’re great. Challenging, but great!) and there is no doubt that they are well and truly indoctrinated by the time I see them. It’s scary how similar all their ideas are! Those few who can still think laterally, though – wow! I find myself hoping to find one of those with every trip out … yet I know I’m going to see it when I visit Primary schools. You’re absolutely right.