More Monsters

I said in my previous blog that I should expect more monsters (aka unpleasant surprises) to show up during the next two weeks. There was a slight lull, I almost started believing that everything would run smoothly, but then today kicked me in the balls.

This is what happened.

I’ve contacted the University a few times since being accepted on the course. Mostly it’s to verify things: the letters they send I find to be worded oddly, or just vague, and I’m scared of getting something wrong in the ID verification/pre-registration process in case it affects my admission to the course or something similar. Anyway, from my various phone calls, I had successfully mailed all my ID documents, my original exam certificates, my CRB and health check forms, cash for the CRB check; and I’d learnt that term started on 3^rd September, and that I should expect to receive a welcome pack and a book list before then. I’d managed to secure myself accommodation, with a moving-in date of 1^st September. I’ve spoken to my current employer and arranged to finish work this week.  I’ve organised and completed my placement; I’ve written and mailed the report. I’ve sorted finances. I’ve done the all the pre-course requirements and “necessaries” that I can. 

Or so I thought.

Today I got a letter. This letter says that the University hasn’t received my Degree certificate, or my CRB check, or my health check; and that a delay in receiving these documents will delay my registration. Now, I know for certain that the University has received these documents a) because they’ve sent them back to me, b) they’ve taken the cash for the CRB check and c) I’ve received my copy of the CRB check. So, once again, I called the University.

The lovely receptionist checked my file. She said that actually they do have the CRB check, and my GCSE certificates, but not the rest. Strange, given that I sent all the documents at the same time, in the same envelope. The receptionist said they’d had temps in during the summer who must have made an error when logging my details. So, I’ve sent them again. 

I decided to ask about the welcome pack and the book list. Apparently, I’m not getting them. Today’s story is that some tutors have put them together, but not for English. Lovely.

Oh, and the last surprise: term doesn’t start until 17^th September!

Now, I’ve calmed down a bit since reading the letter and re-sending my documents. I’ve realised that the later term-date isn’t such a bad thing: I’ll have two weeks to get to know my new city, and two-weeks to read whatever I want, and to generally get my brain back into education mode. Not having a book list gives me a vast amount of choice over which teaching theory/practice books to read; and no deadline of when to have them read.

However, I’m still annoyed. The University received my documents at the beginning of June, but wait until the end of August to send me a (rather accusatory) letter about not having them. I’ve had absolutely zero contact from the University since the beginning of June when they requested the documents. And, having contacted the University with questions, I learn today that I’ve been given the wrong answers…repeatedly. This is what I’m getting for a £9,000 tuition fee. It’s not just about the fee though. This is supposed to be a professional course, and now, I’ve gone from being excited about starting the course, to having my faith in the course dashed and slightly afraid that my registration process is going to have been hampered by the University’s error; and that I still have the wrong information. Everything just feels too disorganised, too unprofessional, which is worrying for someone who likes things sorted and settled in advance. I really don’t want to be starting this course feeling how I do right now.

The Countdown Begins

Two weeks today and I will have been plunged into the mayhem of my PGCE. Actually, I’m not expecting it to be ‘mayhem’ until after about three days. I’m hoping the introductory stuff will be fairly simple- although, no doubt, I will have got lost about twelve times already by lunch on the first day.

This is it then: the final countdown.

I’m working every hour I can to stash enough cash away for the time between moving and student loan arriving. The other day I was considering searching for a weekend job in my new city, but from all the horror stories I’ve heard about the PGCE workload, I’m betting I won’t have time for a job. And, while I was working as a TA, I met some students who were doing their PGCEs. They both had jobs too. They both said they were frazzled (ok,  “frazzled” may be my word, but you get what I mean).

I’m still waiting on the book list. I’ve called the University a few times about this now. The lady I speak to is really lovely and she’s led me to believe that I should expect a book list, and that it’ll be sent with the welcome pack. Given that the course starts in two weeks, I’m hoping no one’s expecting the books to have been read in much detail (if at all). I also hope the list’s fairly short. I worry that the books may not be in stock when I finally get around to buying them. I’ve turned into quite the worrier this week. While waiting for the elusive list, I’ve been keeping an eye on teaching blogs, and English resource pages. I still feel woefully unprepared.

I’ve had a scare from the housing people. All resolved now but, typically, little monsters rear their ugly heads when I’m so close to moving/starting the course. I’m sure there’ll be more in the next fortnight.

Aside from that, I’ve started the fun task of buying stuff, and planning how I’m going to rearrange all the furniture in my flat. Oh, and trying to guess which school I could potentially end up in for my first placement. Although, as the admission tutors said I’d have to be willing to travel up to an hour on public transport, I feel this is a somewhat futile task. I’m just trying to check my excitement.

I’ve almost given up with Pride and Prejudice. It still has a bookmark in it, but I’ve resigned myself to trudging through it steadily, rather than neglecting things I want to read in favour of it (If I wasn’t so sure that it’d show up, in some shape or form, I would’ve abandoned it ages ago). Instead, I’m powering through Faber’s The Crimson Petal and The White. What a book! I probably won’t review it on here because it’s not teenage fiction, but I’ll recommend it. It’s a cracking read.

So, I move house on 1^st September and the course starts on 3^rd. Obviously on 2^nd September, I’ll be skipping about my new city, getting lost and feeling stupidly excited. Then this blog will revert to its original purpose of documenting the PGCE's ups and downs, rather than just reviewing teenage fiction.

[In my head, the Countdown clock music was playing as I typed this blog].

Poetry

As I mentioned in my last post, poetry is my strength. I absolutely love to immerse myself in poems; whether reading or writing them. Therefore, I’m hoping it’s going to be quite prominent within my teaching practice, and my future classroom. Of course it won’t all be poetry, but poetry will be there (hopefully) as a positive influence.

I know the current anthology for GCSE is Moon on the Tides. My work as a Teaching Assistant has allowed me to read some of the poems included in the anthology, and to see some of them being taught. Absolutely fantastic experiences, and I really enjoyed reading the poems, but I’m not going to talk about that in this post.

I believe poetry’s got a bit of a bad reputation, especially among teenagers, so I intend to have a bit of a crusade to prove that poetry can be written and read by absolutely anyone. It does not solely belong to scholars, Oxbridge, the fabulously rich or the poor: it is for everyone. Now I’m not quite a one-man army: Shake the Dust is a fantastic opportunity for young writers and performers; and I’m gathering information about other performance poetry events, and more traditional readings. I hope to attend more of these during the coming year(s) so I can prove to students just how vibrant poetry can be; that it doesn’t just belong on the page; and perhaps even give them the opportunity to showcase their own work. [This is me being a dreamer again].

Until then, however, I’ve been doing what I do best: reading. I’ve been reading quite a range of poetry, from the established poets, to new poets and works I’ve stumbled across online; but I’ve barely even scratched the surface of the immense world of poetry.

So, I’ve been flicking through The Bloodaxe Book of 20^th Century Poetry (ed. Edna Longley).  The blurb describes this book as an “epoch-marking anthology”, in which “Longley shows you the key poets of the 20^th Century, and through interlinking commentary points up the connections between them as well as their relationship with the continuing poetic traditions of these islands”. That pretty much sums it up. For a less professional review: this book is a great introduction to the work of 20^th Century poets from Britain and Ireland. It features the work of 59 poets, ranging from Hardy, Yeats and Lawrence to Shapcott, Duhig and Armitage; via Sassoon, MacCaig and Adcock. Longley’s introductions accompanying each poet are great summaries of the poet’s works and place within the UK’s poetic traditions (Ok, now I’m stealing phrases from the blurb). I really love dipping in and out of this book. It’s already led me to go out and buy further works by some of the featured poets: Muldoon and Shapcott, particularly. I enjoy Longley’s writing style too. One day I will read her critical essays.

 

 

I mentioned Caroline Bird in my previous post, but her collection, Watering Can, really impresses me. I hope to have a copy of this in my classroom, and I will be recommending it to older pupils. It’s such a witty collection of poems. I especially like ‘Impartial Information’. It is a poem that doesn’t get lost in tangled word-play. It is raw, blunt, direct. Brilliant. This collection contains such a fantastic variety of poetic styles and techniques. I really love it, and its potential as a classroom aid and a good collection for older students to read.

I’ve also been reading Jen Campbell’s The Hungry Ghost Festival. This is a collection that I would recommend to both the older pupil and adult alike. It’s a collection about growing up, looking back on the growing up process. Again this collection demonstrates a wide range of poetic styles, but I think what really comes through here is a strong voice. This is story telling through poetry. This is what makes it so accessible. This collection is witty and poignant and strengthened by a sense of the real and the honest. I can believe the stories in the poems. I really hope to incorporate this collection into my teaching.

And finally, I stumbled across the work of Rachel Fenton. I really love it. I found these examples of her work. I think such poetry will be great to use as examples of how poems do not have to be written in Standard English. They could also be used as great starters to discussions as to why poets don’t write in Standard English; and what are the strengths and weaknesses of using colloquial spellings. So much potential.

As I said, I’ve barely even scratched the surface of poetry. I want to read more Laurie Bolger and John Agard to name but two. And I really want to use the next year to get more involved with the performance poetry scene- for both personal and teaching value.