ENGLISH

WRITER OF THE MONTH / MY BROTHER JACK COMPETITIONS

Over the holidays, why not hone your writing skills by submitting an entry to Writer Of The Month or even the My Brother Jack Literary Awards? McKinnon has a proud history of staff and students having their pieces featured and rewarded in the My Brother Jack competition, so it would be great to see a strong representation in 2020. 

The Awards recognise the outstanding literary achievements of people who live, work or study in Glen Eira. Prizes are awarded for short stories and poetry in the categories of Primary; Junior Secondary; Senior Secondary; and Open. Find out more information and submit your piece here:

https://library.gleneira.vic.gov.au/whats-on/my-brother-jack-awards

Entries will open Wednesday 1 July and close 5pm, Monday 7 September 2020.   

TERM 2 HOLIDAYS

The English faculty would like to wish all students and families a safe and relaxing break - you’ve earned a rest. We look forward to seeing you again in Term 3.

Sam Florence

English KLA Manager

TEACHER REFLECTION: MS MAKRIS

Fingers flying across the keyboard to answer email after email gave my conscience the illusion of activity but as the time ticked over to the minute that class would usually start, I felt powerless. 

I wanted to be a bigger part of their lesson plan, to run over to a student whose lack of eye contact told me they hadn’t fully grasped the instructions. To rephrase some information that wasn’t received and comprehended perfectly the first time. To give feedback on student’s work in real-time.

Don’t get me wrong, amazing work was still completed. Students produced an average of 12 full pages of notes in a variety of methods; Digital mind-maps, Lotus charts, Theme tables and Propositions. We saw writing in more diverse formats than ever before, covering every category of learning activity we could - except that of discussion. It wasn’t until week three of six, that it hit me. I didn’t realise how fundamental this part of learning was to a subject that is based entirely around the production of writing.

Throughout the six weeks of remote learning we discovered that learning is so much more than a series of tasks completed by students. Far more important than a progressive list of instructions that eventually results in a grade.

It is a communal experience, an exchange of opinions from different perspectives, an encounter where two parties confront knowledge through conversation over many days’ time.

In a world so complex and flawed, I believe that the English faculty is positioned so uniquely to equip students with the skills to understand and articulate their place in the world around them.  In only three weeks of being back in the classroom we have covered topics from the effects of post-colonisation in Africa to the mechanics of connotation in language; from exploring sense of place and characterisation to time management and efficiency in exam revision. The classroom is a dynamic hyper-chamber of learning and the English faculty has missed it so much! Full steam ahead - we have lots of work to do, much discussion to be had!

Fiona Makris

Year 11 English