Message from the Head

of Teaching & Learning

What’s the point of Maths, poetry and Shakespeare?

I am an English teacher – I am actually very passionate about teaching English. I love poetry and Shakespeare, but I am also a realist. English is the only compulsory HSC Subject and it is not always very popular with the students. I have lost count of the number of students who ask why we learn about Shakespeare and what relevance it has to their lives and I have a wonderful repertoire of responses to this question.

That so much of the ethics and morals and themes of Shakespeare’s plays continue to resonate today is always a consideration. There will always be ‘Romeos’ and ‘Juliets’; forbidden love and parents failing to understand or appreciate the strength of feelings of their teenage children, dismissing them flippantly. Students can relate to that. 

Yes, yes, but what about the language? 

Personally, I find it beautiful, and I do all in my power to share my passion for the beauty of the bard’s diction but again, it just is not for everyone.

There is another response to this question – it is not as warm and fuzzy but it is relevant. I think it is important that we treat our students as young adults and be honest with them. After all, we are preparing them for the real world and in the real world, time and time again, they will have to do things that they do not want to do.

They will have to persevere when that is the last thing that they feel like doing. 

Studying Shakespeare and poetry and studying it with genuine engagement, even if it is difficult and even if they see it as irrelevant to their own lives, will prepare them for those times in their adulthood when they have to do things that they are not motivated to do. 

Because that is life. 

Life requires ‘Grit’.

This is why it is so important that school offers the opportunity for lots of different types of learning. Learning is not just about passing exams. The exams are important – they open doors. But school is about so much more than that, and there are lots of different doors which require lots of different keys.

In my last article I shared some great work that was happening with Year 9 Commerce and Year 12 Economics. This fortnight, Mr Yooie Choi shares the great work that is happening in Year 11 with the Philosophy Students.

Mrs Serena Lewis 

Head of Teaching and Learning

Case Study:

The Philosophy 137 Critical Thinking Course

Ten students across three schools in Orange made up the regional cohort attempting Macquarie University’s Critical Thinking course. The cohort achieved an impressive average result of 76 (Distinction grade) with 50% of the cohort achieving an individual High Distinction result of 85 or higher. Two KWS students (Fergus Baldwin and William Rawson) achieved a High Distinction with Fergus Baldwin notably achieving top honours with a result of 95.  

Fergus Baldwin achieved 1st place out of 68 students involved in the Schools Partner program and 1st out of the whole cohort of 1,239 university students enrolled in the course. This is a phenomenal achievement considering the large intake of university students, and having to spend a third of the course undertaking remote learning. 

Overall, the students were able to maintain their interest and enthusiasm despite not being able to physically attend class and get along to University campus. Discussions over video conferencing were just as lively and the students retained their good intellect and humour throughout the course.  

Albert Aitkin – Convenor of Philosophy 137 Critical Thinking said regarding Fergus’ result, “Very impressive body of work. Lots of effort too. Yooie is right to be proud of him.” Adelaide Chan who coordinated the program said of the cohort “… your students were very engaged, they asked good questions.” 

Information regarding the intake for the 2021 cohort has been sent to neighbouring schools, and hopefully, we’ll continue to facilitate a regional cohort here at KWS – bringing like-minded students across the region together, to embark on this unique learning opportunity. 

Mr Yooie Choi

Coordinator of Learning Enhancement