Capital Letters 2015

NZATE Conference in Wellington

 

Day 2

Today's line up - Bernard Beckett and then Bernard Beckett.  And in between, food and then food.  Excellent.  I was very pleased that my timetable lacked complexity and appeared to err on the repetitive side ('appeared' being the key word here)for after yesterday's trials and tribulations, simplicity was my heart's truest desire.

The workshop

Call me shallow (I don't mind) but I trust a man in a cardy.  Maybe it's because I'm from the deep South.  Whatever the case, Beckett wore his well; hands in pockets, welcoming us as we entered the room at Wellington Girls' College.  Outraged readers, I ask you not to focus on the superficiality of my wardrobe commentary.  Instead, read this as an assessment of mana.  Cardies represent other c words to me: comfort, casualness and confidence. Beckett's command of the space was all of these things - comfortable, casual (as in relaxed/friendly/unpretentious, not slack!)and confident.  Pretty much everything I would want in a teacher.  Well, throw humour in there, too.  And you can, because Beckett is astutely funny. Laugh-out-loud funny, and in all the right places.  If you saw his keynote, you'll know this, but I'll talk of that soon.

It seems to me that a great teacher is an artist.  I got the sense that Beckett is this - he talked about teaching as being a conversation; an evolving discussion between people.  Inwardly I was fist-pumping - everyone loves an echo chamber (she said cynically).  Jokes aside, I think we can get really cynical about how exposure to theories, views and beliefs that match our own can be a never-ending loop of back-patting. There is real value in the inspiration that can come from those that seem to 'speak your language'.

 

Sorry (not sorry) - bad pun. 

Bernard Beckett's workshop was on narrative.  The blurb read:

Bernard Beckett

Picking apart narrative

As English teachers, we are well used to pulling text apart, to look for themes, revelations, metaphors and connection. Traditionally though, literary criticism has paid less attention to narrative: how it's constructed, what the tricks of the trade are, how the flow of the narrative affect us and why (film criticism, by contrast, pays much closer attention to narrative devices). In this workshop, I intend to come at narrative from a writer's perspective, and using some well known texts, look at how we might go about talking about and teaching the construction of narrative tension.

B22

 

It's true - literary criticism (including us as teachers - ME as a teacher) HAS paid less attention to narrative. In fact, I would posit that the word PLOT is almost a dirty word in English classrooms.  How often have you told students 'stay away from the plot', 'less plot, more opinion', and 'this is a plot summary'(said in a tone that insinuates more is needed)?  I know I feel like I've given that feedback before, in various forms, and I'll tell you now, Beckett has given me the confidence to STOP DISSING PLOT and value its place in the construction and deconstruction of texts. After all, if you don't have the story, what have you got? And, as a fellow teacher at this workshop said to me, plot can be a valuable way in for some students who struggle with theme, character, setting etc.  

Plot, you are hereby renamed NARRATIVE and shall be given the attention you deserve.  I apologise for the neglect you have experienced.

Beckett spoke about the importance of several elements.  They were:

* Building empathy
* Three act structure
* Reincorporation
* Internal coherence
* Endings
 

Beckett's notes on narrative - a conversation via whiteboard!

As I review this, I see the skill with which Beckett structured his workshop.  It all seemed so comfortable, casual and confident it would be easy to think that Beckett had no plan.  Indeed, he spoke of how, as a keynote, he was obliged to present a workshop - but foolish would be those of us who thought this meant a lack of skill and vision.  I felt like I was in the presence of a master teacher, and, as you can see from the focus points above, there was definite structure and flow.  What a remarkable teacher this man must be. How I would have loved to be in his classes!

Storycorps app - allows you to record interviews with people and save and/or upload to a site.

The keynote presentation

After food, Bernard Beckett presented his keynote to a cavernous hall of English educators.  Again, one could have been fooled into thinking that this was an unplanned presentation.  There was nothing but Beckett's name up on the screen.  Again, one would be foolish to think so. This address was an eloquent political commentary on where teaching seems to be heading and Beckett's views on this. I was so inspired by the image he described at the end - that of a teacher-as-assistant to students through a crucial part of their lives as they negotiate what it means to be, well, human. 

I think Bernard Beckett is my new hero.



P.S. I have more to write about Day 2, but am very excited to be going to the launch of Rachel Barrowman's biography of Maurice Gee, a favourite of mine.  And so I must abandon this, to return later tonight.  I'll be back!