My Little 2.0 Project

September 2021 had a very different start to the year. Students had spent the best part of the last two years in Lockdown, working from home and social distancing. Everything felt strange. What should have been a familiar space, felt odd. Having the three kids really helped me put into perspective the apprehension my students felt.

As those of us in FE know, very few students like English. Many are frustrated that they have to retake English and Maths, often neglecting to give the subjects their full attention. They’ve spent the last 5 years of Secondary School studying what they were told, but now they had a choice: they’ve come to college to gain vocational qualifications. Why should they have to get their English or Maths? They didn’t get it first time (some second or third time!) but they are being forced to do it again. I hoped my introduction 2.0 would appeal. Crossing my fingers I opened the door and let them in.

I eagerly greeted my students and ‘broke the ice’ with the truth or lie game. I’m not sure telling students the first time you meet them, that you used to play dress up as a Roman and commanded armies of 8 and 9 year olds, is the best way to introduce yourself. However in 2021, it worked a treat! I was not their typical teacher, I had potential. After a few more games, we moved onto my carefully thought out, well prepared PowerPoint, introducing them to the wonders of Pearson English Language 2.0 Lift.

I asked my students to share their opinions of English. As expected, many were negative. Sadly Lockdown had helped to exacerbate these. I let each of them tell me what they most disliked. I must have predicted what many of them would say, as I had picked apart the expectations of their previous exam board, highlighting most of the points they had made to me. I flipped this around comparing their negative ideas to positive aspects of the 2.0 expectations.

I flipped and asked students to give me one thing they did like.Surprisingly, most said story writing. We were starting with this topic. I was on to a winner!

My students were becoming quietly interested. This was something new. A new attitude to teaching and a new curriculum to boot! Feedback comments from my students: ‘Yes, no 19th and 20th century comparison!’ or ‘ Anything different! I am so bored of doing the same thing!’

My enthusiasm for 2.0 had rubbed off on my students, they were happy to take part in the trial, purely because it was different to what they had covered in school. They needed the same skills, but having questions worded in a friendlier way, won them over. My trial could begin!

By the end of the year, many of my students would say that they now enjoyed English, and felt they had achieved something! But that’s an entry for another day. I had willing participants. Our 2.0 journey could properly begin and we had a long journey ahead of us!