Leaving Certificate Paper 1
First reaction to English Paper 1 in the 2021 Leaving Certificate.
Read More'To be or not to be' in BSL
Jamal Ajala performs ‘To be or not to be’ in BSL: an opportunity for an interesting exercise in class.
Read MoreMacbeth 6: ten key quotations
The final post in a series of 6 for pupils revising Macbeth. Here are 10 key quotations: think about their significance and write notes before reading the analyses.
Read MoreA Swim in a Pond in the Rain
George Saunders has written a superb book presenting and then commenting on seven great stories by the Russian masters. It is marvellous.
Read MoreCat in the Rain
An exercise for English class suggested by George Saunders in his marvellous book A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: divide Hemingway’s story ‘Cat in the Rain’ into 6 equal parts, handing them out one at a time, and examining the ‘escalations’ of the story.
Read MoreMacbeth 5: the end
Essay 5 in a series on Macbeth looks at the end, particularly the key speech ‘Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.’
Read MoreMacbeth 4: the supernatural
The fourth in a series of essays on Macbeth looks at the impact of the supernatural.
Read MoreMaking Meaning in English
David Didau’s new book is a welcome and rare analysis of the history and current state of English as it is taught as a subject in schools.
Read MoreMacbeth 3: Malcolm the hero?
The third in a series of essays on Macbeth looks at a possible ‘hero’ of the play, Duncan’s son Malcolm.
Read MoreMacbeth 2: the real Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth is not a one-dimensional ‘fiend’ but rather a complex, living human being. This essay examines her nine appearances in the play.
Read MoreTelling Tales
Patience Agbabi’s 2014 Telling Tales is a vibrant updating of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, and itself a masterclass in poetic form and tone.
Read MoreThe Boy Behind the Curtain
Tim Winton's The Boy Behind the Curtain: notes from an Australian life is an outstanding book of essays, both personal and cultural.
Read MoreSuppose a Sentence
Brian Dillon’s close readings of 28 sentences by authors ranging from Joan Didion to James Baldwin to John Donne are a real pleasure.
Read MoreMinds Made for Stories
Thomas Newkirk is one of the best writers on education today. His book Minds Made for Stories examines the ways non-fiction texts have narratives at their cores, and how these can be used to teach them.
Read MoreTechnology for Teaching: a personal history
From the Banda to the blackboard to the overhead projector. As a gadget and technology fan, I’ve seen a few generations of technology in the classroom.
Read More'The Kids' by Hannah Lowe
Hannah Lowe’s Costa award-winning sequence of sonnets The Kids is a triumph.
Read MoreLeaving Certificate English resources
During these uncertain and anxious times for pupils, here is a summary of some resources for Leaving Certificate English candidates that may be helpful when working at home. Regular updates coming.
Read MoreSeamus Heaney's 'Mossbawn: (1) Sunlight
This podcast examines Seamus Heaney's poem 'Sunlight', one of the dedicatory poems called 'Mossbawn', which open his 1975 collection North.
Read MoreDiversity in Schools
Bennie Kara’s new book Diversity in Schools: a little guide for teachers is small in format, big in ambition. It is just what schools and individual teachers need right now to navigate these issues.
Read MoreINOTE, November 28th 2020
Here are the slides from my two presentations at the (virtual) conference of the Irish National Teachers of English on November 28th.
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