‘Writing that works’, according to Australian author Mark Tredinnick, ‘is like the best kind of conversation you never heard. It’s talking tidied up. It’s speaking compressed, clarified, enriched and heightened by thought and art, and set down on paper.’ 

This week we continue with two more teachers sharing their writing. The first piece is a commentary on the lockdown by the Mathematics Coordinator, Mr Adam Withnall. The second contribution, by the Assistant PDHPE Coordinator, Mrs Denise Tyra, consists of two compositions. One is a reflection on the importance of writing and the accompanying piece is a journal entry composed in response to her son’s creative artwork. 

Lockdown 
Motivation and isolation are things I'm sure a number of people have been struggling with over the last couple of months or so. And for others, this forced captivity has further compounded what I would suggest are juxtaposing emotions. 

I know that for our students, particularly our seniors, motivation is a challenge they've been waking up to for the last five weeks. It has allowed me to think about the role of schools and education within our society. What do we value and what is its larger purpose to the individual?  One thing I've often thought is that my role is to foster good people, and my pastoral students know this all too well. When they leave each morning, I remind them to "Be good people. Do good things". I may be a mathematics teacher, but I feel it's my duty to model a good person as best I can with my words and actions both in and outside the classroom. If they have an affinity for maths by the end of our time together, then that's a bonus. This pandemic has really shown that whilst some are focusing on the content and the end result, it's the interactions that we are all being deprived of which may have the greatest long-term impact. Technology is an amazing tool, but we all crave human contact.

I know that one thing has helped me, and that's family. I don't just mean parents and siblings, as we all know family takes many different forms. I like to believe we as the Mount Carmel community, are one big family. Making time for those you care deeply about can help take some of the burden off you both physically and mentally. If we can take something away from this experience, it is the need to take the time for these people – our support systems and our cheer squads. Look for the opportunity to connect with others and see the bigger picture.

Oh, and how cool is Maths!

Mr Adam Withnall

Writing in Lockdown – A Family Affair
The significance of writing has never been so evident than in these unprecedented times. In a time where NESA has given schools the authority to prioritise the syllabus outcomes, content knowledge and skills being taught during remote learning, teachers would agree that writing is non-negotiable.

From the activities carefully selected for my primary school-aged children, to those crafted for my Year 7 to Year 12 students, the expectation is that students are writing every day in the form of narratives, persuasive texts, journal writing, PEEL paragraph responses or past HSC questions. It is vital that students have a key understanding of the necessary structure and writing conventions to ensure clear, coherent and logical responses. The fact that these type of learning tasks are prioritised in remote learning, signifies the gravity of writing.

Writing is a key mechanism for communicating our ideas and opinions. Writing is imperative for maintaining connections. Writing allows us to free our imaginations. Writing is critical for success in the classroom. I believe in the notion that writing needs to be modelled to students in order for them to encounter success. I apply this at home with my own children and at school with my students. 

I would like to share an excerpt from a piece that I wrote during family journal time, using a picture of the sea that my eldest son drew as a stimulus.

The sun was glistening in the crystal blue sky, making the water sparkle like diamonds. I couldn’t wait to dive in. I was eager to see what I would discover in the magical underwater world. I strapped on my scuba gear and triple checked my oxygen tank. I was ready! I fervently stepped in off the edge of the little white boat. At first, the feeling of the ice-cold water took my breath away, but as soon as I opened my eyes and saw the beauty I was surrounded by, I forgot about the water temperature. The pink and green coral waving around so majestically at the bottom of the ocean was the first thing that caught my eye. I could see tiny creatures feeding off it like bees to pollen. Nearby a crab was scuffling in the sand with its pincers pointing up, like it was trying to say hello, so I waved back. Next, an octopus swam by and as I turned my head to follow its orange body contrasted against the blue canvas, I realised that I must have drifted off with the current as my boat was now a distant object…

Mrs Denise Tyra

Mrs Clare Murphy
English Coordinator and Literacy Instructional Coach