At the chalkface
News
Let sleeping teens lie
WHILE YOU’RE busy quelling lesson – if I keep it brief? Who
the distracted 8th year of a knows?
bleak March afternoon some of Dr Kelly is much taken with
your betters have more rarefied these discoveries. I’m not quite
concerns. Like Dr Paul Kelly, convinced. I conduct my own
head of Monkseaton Community research with morning classes.
High. He observes that many The Lower 8th year rather
pupils are “teenage zombies” who refute the professor’s “findings”.
“doze off” in lessons before lunch. They are, regrettably, not dormant.
Why? The syllabus? Rubbish They’re rather “up”. Too “up”.
exams? Teachers droning? Who Shrill even. Most antic. I wish
kno eh? Perhaps Russell they’d go back to bed.
Foster, Oxford professor My legendary 10th year
of neuroscience. He is validate most of the
drafted in. After lengthy professor’s insights.
and, no doubt, costly They are, indeed,
research, he has some mentally dormant,
significant “findings”. cerebrally neutral and
Here are his key Eureka snoozing by my plenary.
moments: “Sorry, sir, the old
1. Teenagers don’t like circadian rhythms are
getting up of a morning. playing up!” says Crumlin.
They’re knackered Dervish is very late.
and prefer of bit of a “Sorry, sir, I’ve been listening
“lie-in”. 2. Getting up to my body!” says he. Ah.
earlier has a deleterious And yes, the 6th form
effect on their mental and wander in like teenage zombies,
physical health. They get what especially the Goths and Emos.
we neuroscientists call “ratty” Like Narcoleptics Anonymous.
Boys seize the chance to dance
and are prone to “turns”. 3. They My ruminations on Jungian
have different “body clocks” to Archetypes in The Ancient Mariner
real people. They can’t get into top fall on dozing minds. Poor little
cerebral gear until 11am. Classes sleepy heads dragged from their
by Emma Lee-Potter
Dance experts believe the motivate and inspire young people hoping to show off their skills
increase has been fuelled by the between the ages of 11 and 16 who by performing a breakdance rou-
should therefore not start before slumbers. I’ve hitherto been so popularity of television shows like for some reason may be finding tine in front of the school during
this time. unsympathetic. I thought their Dance lessons are putting a spring BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing, school life difficult. National School Sport Week this
Among the professor’s more lassitude was consequent on in the step of a growing number of with students being inspired to take Each week the 1,800-pupil summer.
clinching exempla is test case spliff, raving, White Lightning, or youngsters. up a vast range of genres, from school gives the students involved PE teacher and year 9 tutor
Tayler McCullough, 15. Tayler listening all night to Thrash Metal Dance is now second only to ballroom to hip hop. in the project an achievement card, Rachel O’Bryan said: “It’s early
is often knackered and would at the Camden Barfly. But it’s their football as the most popular activ- At Cheltenham Bournside which they then take to every les- days but I think the initiative is
welcome “extra hours in bed”. biological programming. Things ity in schools across the UK. A School and Sixth Form Centre in son. Staff allocate the youngsters having a real impact. It rewards
“Most of us would be up for will, apparently, perk up after noon. total of 96 per cent of schools Gloucestershire, a group of year 9 points based on targets they have good behaviour, attitude and work
going in later!” s/he observes. They don’t. They’re marginally now offer dance and the number boys leapt at the chance to take part set with their mentors. They need to and really appeals to the boys. They
“Up”? A semantic quagmire. worse. So much for the professor’s of pupils choosing to take dance in breakdancing sessions each week receive a certain number of points are really buying into the idea and
Vertical? Awake? Out of bed? findings. lessons has risen 83 per cent in four as a reward for improved behaviour to take part in the weekly break- appreciate the fact that it is very
Cerebrally active? High? Stoned? years, a third of them boys. Entries and attitude to school life. dancing class. much a group effort.”
Not disinclined to pop into my • Ian Whitwham is a former for GCSE dance have also gone The dance classes are part of the The project has now been run- To find out more about Sky
class and permit me to begin a secondary school teacher. up from 7,003 in 2001 to 17,855 Sky Sports Living for Sport initia- ning for a month and is prov- Sports Living for Sport, go to
last year. tive, which uses sport as a way to ing hugely popular. The boys are
http://livingforsport.skysports.com
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28 SecEd • March 26 2009
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