[etni] Re: The literature module (again)
- From: avi tsur <tsuravi@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <ask@xxxxxxxx>, ETNI <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:39:51 +0300
I don't want to turn this into a ping-pong challenge and so will keep my answer
short. Bringing History into your lessons is great, background information etc.
is certainly HOTS so yes, you are already THERE but why must you prepare this,
why not have your pupils do some or all of this. I somehow feel that it could
motivate them even more when learning the poems.
shabbat shalom
avi> From: ask@xxxxxxxx> To: etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: [etni] The literature
module (again)> Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:33:29 +0200> > From: David Graniewitz
- graniewitz@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: The literature module (again)> > I am
pleased to see that my comments have again sparked off> a lively and productive
debate.> > Let me start off by writing that in a perfect world, I would> agree
wholeheartedly with Avi and Adele. I would much rather> be teaching literature
than plodding my way through reading> comprehension passages in order to ensure
that my pupils> passed their Bagrut. But, my friends, the Israeli school>
system ain’t a perfect world.> > Personally, I have an MA in History and I
would very much> like to utilise that in the classroom in my capacity as an>
English teacher. I have developed, for instance, a unit> teaching war poetry.
Amongst the poems that we read are “The> Charge of the Light Brigade” and
several poems by Siegfried> Sassoon. I start it off with a s
ong (“Fighting For> Strangers” by Steeleye Span) and try to make the lessons
as> inspiring as possible. Class participation hasn’t been that> bad. It gives
me the opportunity to teach a bit of history—> something that I love doing—as I
have to give the background> to the poems. Even so, I get the impression that
the only> reason that I have the kids paying any attention at all is> because I
keep reminding them about the grade I am going to> give them after they are
tested on the material.> > And I can’t really blame them. 11th and 12th graders
are> under incredible pressure. The number of subjects they have> to study is
burdening. Add to this the fact that they may be> doing 2 majors which is very
demanding. Those who are doing> drama or art will disappear for large chunks of
the year as> they have other obligations. I had a pupil who was allowed> to be
absent for 2 months of the school year last year> (after the strike!) as he was
practising the viola in order> to be accept
ed into the IDF orchestra. Go figure.> > The fact is that the literature
module is worrying many> teachers. Nothing substantial is being taken out to
make way> for the module. We will still find ourselves doing the same> amount
of work in addition to the extra requirements. I may> have misunderstood how
many hours we are supposed to get to> teach English, but that does not alter
the facts. We are> already walking a tightrope with our pupils and I am afraid>
that the additional obligations will cause us to lose> balance. Perhaps the
inspectorate should consider removing> the book reports as a concession to the
teachers.> Psychologically, I believe, it would alleviate many of the>
teachers’ apprehensions about the new module. Following the> posts on this list
and from speaking to my colleagues, it is> clear to me, that the main complaint
of English teachers> today is that they feel overburdened. We also have to>
remember that not all teachers work the same amount of> hours. Ma
ny of us (such as yours truly) work in more than> school and work more than 24
weekly hours in order to scrape> together a living. The remuneration we get is
pitiful as we> all know.> > As for the assertion that everything can be learnt
through> literature, I find that hard to accept under the present> Bagrut
system. Most teachers agree that the reading> comprehensions have more like IQ
tests than tests which> really show the level of a pupil’s understanding of a
text.> How many times have we heard pupils say after attempting and> doing
badly on an unseen, “I understood the whole text, but> I didn’t understand the
questions”? As with all IQ tests,> the best way of improving grades is to keep
practising them.> I have found, to my chagrin, that pupils actually enjoy>
doing unseens more than studying literature. I would dearly> like to believe
that those who think that the new module> will change things are right.
Unfortunately, I have my own> reservations.> > In order to preve
nt the “Pygmalion Effect” taking place i.e.> teachers (like myself) putting
the mockers on the module> even before it has started, the Inspectorate needs
to take> our opinions into consideration and prove to us that we will> not be
even more overburdened than we are at the moment.> This cannot be done by
making us take part in yet another in-> service training course (how long has
it been since we did> the NBA course?). Concessions have to be made, and, as I>
have already written, removing a module isn’t the answer as> it just doesn’t
decrease our workload. Whilst there may be> teachers who are excited at the
prospect of the literature> module, there are at least an equal number (if not
more) who> are not. the Inspectorate has to start work on a major PR> campaign
in order to convince us that it understands our> position and is taking
everything into consideration.> > Best regards> David Graniewitz> > > >
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