Retraining as a primary school teacher was meant to be the start of a second career. But it became obvious early on in my classroom placements that it was not going to work for me.
It was the children who told me that they were stupid, couldn’t spell, found maths hard, that they were bored, bored, bored, who made me really question what school was doing to them.
Many were difficult in class, but if you had the time to talk to them about what they really loved, they became animated and enthusiastic. Reading The Element was a Eureka moment for me, because here was someone expressing so brilliantly the concerns that had been growing in my mind.
The authors talk about the need to nurture human creativity in all its forms, to genuinely value talent of all kinds, not just academic achievement.
Written with humour, and illustrated with case studies on well-known names such as Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons cartoon, this is an accessible text that urges a less straitjacketed approach to education.
At the museum, I’m in my element – here is the opportunity to translate theory to practice. Using the objects in the galleries and our extensive handling collection, learning is a sensory, shared experience. Or, as it says on our T-shirts: Inspire, Create, Imagine, Discover.
Sandra Ashenford is the education and outreach officer at the Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum
It was the children who told me that they were stupid, couldn’t spell, found maths hard, that they were bored, bored, bored, who made me really question what school was doing to them.
Many were difficult in class, but if you had the time to talk to them about what they really loved, they became animated and enthusiastic. Reading The Element was a Eureka moment for me, because here was someone expressing so brilliantly the concerns that had been growing in my mind.
The authors talk about the need to nurture human creativity in all its forms, to genuinely value talent of all kinds, not just academic achievement.
Written with humour, and illustrated with case studies on well-known names such as Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons cartoon, this is an accessible text that urges a less straitjacketed approach to education.
At the museum, I’m in my element – here is the opportunity to translate theory to practice. Using the objects in the galleries and our extensive handling collection, learning is a sensory, shared experience. Or, as it says on our T-shirts: Inspire, Create, Imagine, Discover.
Sandra Ashenford is the education and outreach officer at the Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum
