At the chalkface
News
Magic of mice and men
I’m “doIng” a set text with eyes like gobstoppers. They’re
the 10th year. I’ve “done” it for gobsmacked. Especially when
30 years. I know bits by heart. I do the voice of the mentally
I just read it to the whole class. challenged Lennie. Real slow. A
Just print. Surely it should fail? word every 10 seconds. They hang
never. or bore them? or me? on to every one. Love it.
never. It’s bigger than both of us, “Easy, sir!”
the best text ever. It’s Steinbeck’s The Lennie character prompts
Of Mice and Men and it’s magic. fizzing debate.
They can’t get enough. “He got them special needs!”
“more mice!” yells Primrose “He’d be in Inclusion!”
as she comes in. We discuss why we
“Yeah!” says Billy need to hurt the weak
Boy, an illustrious and illiterate.
disruptive. “What’s so clever
“Page 22!” says ‘bout bein’ clever?”
page monitor niloufar, Indeed. I get on my
who is functionally hobbyhorse.
illiterate. “Kindness trumps all!”
“I love them mice!” “I love Lennie. I could
says Sabrina. take him home!” drools
“Let’s go!” says Sabrina. What will she feel
dervish. And we’re off. when the poor boy gets a
Especially me. Showing bullet through the skull?
off. I get to do the The novel hits the spot, Grotesquedisplay:Thewinningstudentshelptounveilthenewsculptures(pictured)at
voices. Southern drawl, more than ever. It deals OxfordUniversity’sBodleianLibrary
early Elvis, Beverly Hillbilly with credit crunches, migrant
and an appalling mae West. workers, asylum seekers – and
Shameless histrionics. Tawdry much else modern. I can even
stuff. They love it, though some slip in a bit of socialism if the
can get a bit baffled inspectors don’t show up. or
Student designers make history
“Why he talkin’ funny?” play Woody guthrie’s Dust Bowl
“Why he speakin’ Jamaican?” Ballads or Springsteen’s The Ghost Bodleian Library. The grotesques competition, with drawings ranging really well. It’s going to be there
“Why he speakin’ Welsh?” of Tom Joad. The pupils just get it.
by Emma Lee-Potter
were unveiled at a special ceremony from Tweedledum and Tweedledee for so long and I will still be able to
Then... check this! I play my So it’s sentimental. So are they. last month by Philip Pullman, the from Lewis Carroll’s Through the show it to people when I am much
pedagogical trump card! The “Pip! Pip!” The lesson ends. School artwork is usually on show award-winning author of the His Looking Glass to Aslan, the lion older. It will be a piece of history.”
fruits of 30 years. Watch me and “more, sir! more!” for a few weeks at most. Dark Materials trilogy. in CS Lewis’s The Chronicles of The other winners were Ben
wonder! I leave the book on the Patience! There are more But designs by nine oxfordshire The Bodleian’s original stone Narnia. Bryant (Abingdon School), Henry
desk and zoom round room and lessons to go. more of them mice! teenagers will be admired for centu- carvings had crumbled away over Stone carvers Alec and Fiona Chadwick (Christ Church Cathedral
still do the dialogue, all the voices. magic. ries after they won a competition to the years and there were no histori- Peever then transformed the nine School), Kerrie Chambers (Bicester
Verbatim! Flash or what? They’re create new stone carvings for one of cal records to show what they once winning designs into grotesques. Community College), Eve
mesmerised. Level 4s follow the • Ian Whitwham is a former the country’s most historic libraries. looked like. one of the winners, Hannah masmanian (oxford High School),
print, Level 2s follow me around, teacher. A collection of his best The youngsters’ designs have So oxford University challenged duckworth, a 14-year-old pupil at Alex Sermon (John mason School,
Chelsey thinks I’ve lost the plot columns, At the Chalkface: great now been transformed into stone local pupils aged eight to 18 to sub- Headington School in oxford, cre- Abingdon) and Hayley Williams
and Ebenezer, seeking asylum moments in Education, is out “grotesques” – similar to gar- mit sketches of their own designs ated a drawing for the mythical (John mason School, Abingdon).
from Eritrea and quite bereft now priced £8.99 from Hopscotch goyles, but without waterspouts based on one of three themes – green man. After seeing the stone Winners george o’Connor and Alfie
of English, gazes at me with Books. Order on 01722 717022. – and adorn the north-west wall myths, monsters, or people. carving of her design, she said: “It’s Turner both entered individually
of oxford University’s famous Hundreds of children entered the absolutely amazing. It’s turned out rather than through their school.
Organised by In association with
Royal College of Physicians
CONFERENCE FEE
FIVETOSEVEENDUCARTO
TO
Edinburgh
INCLUDES ENTRANCE
TO THE CONFERENCE,
WWWFIVETOSEVENCOUK
LUNCH AND REFRESHMENTS,
FULL CONFERENCE
The 5th national conference
DOCUMENTATION AND
CERTIFICATE
Autism Today:
OF ACCREDITATION/
ATTENDANCE
Tuesday 17th November 2009 Wednesday 18th November 2009
Diagnosis, management Sharing strategies and secrets
and treatment for success in education
An essential conference for all in the medical and education professions working with
individuals who have autistic spectrum disorder
Topics from Wednesday 18th November 2009 include:
•Asperger’s syndrome and education PJ Hughes WORKSHOPS
•Assessment and therapeutic intervention Susan Derham
•TEACCH Barbara Blyth
•The way from A to B: using wise choices to manage
•Applied behaviour analysis: early intensive behavioural
challenging behaviour Mike Stanton
intervention Lynsey Herdman and Risca Solomon
•Help! Programme - messages from 10,000 parents
•Using the ADOS and ADI-R in the diagnosis
of ASD Marianna Murin
Andrew Powell
•ECHOES: improving children’s social interaction
•Sensory issues in autism Michael McCreadie
through interactive play with digital technologies
•Real services to assist students with Asperger’s
Wendy Keay-Bright and Dr Karen Guldberg
Syndrome Dr Nicola Martin
•The effectiveness of PECS Sue Baker
•Adult outcome for children with autism
•Strategies for teaching children functional skills
Professor Patricia Howlin
for life Liz Shew
MA Healthcare Ltd
For further information and a booking form, please contact
St. Jude’s Church
Dulwich Road
Tel: 020 7501 6748 Fax: 020 7733 8174 Email: javan.abass@markallengroup.com
London SE24 0PB
MAE Autism09 SecEd half.indd 1 21/8/09 12:45:58
20 SecEd • October 1 2009
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