To think an English teacher should know poems that AREN'T on the examination syllabus?

[Shiningbaubles]

And be familiar with Shakespeare plays other than Romeo and Juliet?

Friend is training but 'hates poetry" and 'hates Shakespeare.'

Or am I being harsh?

YANBU

how can she enthuse about a subject she seems to dislike so much of?

Sounds like someone who I know who recently qualified as an English teacher who doesn't encourage children to read. I thought she was a bit odd

I suppose they could teach English language? Do they love linguistics and syntax?

My guess would be that there aren't many jobs that are exclusively language focused but mayb e I'm wrong.

I love science and wanted to be a science teacher. But I find plants boring.

You can hate poetry and Shakespeare and love literature. That said, you need to know some for the syllabus.

Maybe what she means by 'hates Shakespear' is 'fantastic writer, massive impact on all Prose for 500 years but fuck me I'd rather watch the Baz Luhrmann version that go to bed and actually read the fairly impenetrable and over wordy when written text'

Any chance it's that?

Because I've watched a dozen performances, every film made and have never opened my Complete Works of Shakespeare book

But how can you hate poetry? :) Hating Shakespeare is one thing, but she doesn't know his plays despite having a degree in English (literature!)

I'm an English teacher. You'd be amazed how many don't have a degree in English these days - or a great deal of interest in the subject. In my dept we have two trained in PE, one in Drama and two unqualified.

Yeah I would have thought 'hating poetry' is more like training to be a science teacher and 'hating experiments'. Fair enough to hate Beowulf or metaphysical poetry or whatever, but hating all poetry of all types and all eras is likely to make them a very poor teacher.

I find most poetry boring. Some of it's ok - and I do have poems that I like to adapt.

But personally,I find poetry hard to teach. And discussing it is for me not very exciting.

Some kids are very good at poetry and come up with the most amazing ideas.

Hating Shakespeare is one thing, but she doesn't know his plays despite having a degree in English (literature!)

That must say a lot about our schools. How can you avoid Shakespeare?

Yes an English teacher hating all poetry is a bit concerning.

I hate poetry tbh! It annoys me so much. Even non-flouncy stuff.

But I would never, ever be an english teacher!

Why on earth study English then? Bizarre...

The older I get the more I like poetry. It's my dirty secret.

Love a bit of John Donne.

Maybe they hate poetry but do know some?

I mean everyone knows a few poems don't they?

I hate experiments. I studied theoretical physics.
I've still considered science teaching. If I did I wouldn't tell the kids I disliked practical work but I might tell them it wasn't my thing if they specifically asked if we're asking about uni options.
nobody loves all elements if a subject equally.

Shakespeare isn't impenetrable and no English teacher should think it is. But this is the quality of trainee we get all too often.

I've recently trained as an English teacher, and I also hate Shakespeare!

Deal with that!

There are many other elements of "English" as a subject...

I didn't say it was impenetrable, I said I'd rather watch it performed (as it was meant to be) rather than read the 'impenetrable, over wordy text'.

I really hate being quoted out of context.

Shakespeare is so much better when performed than read out of a book.

So what do you 'hate' about Shakespeare?

Try being a primary teacher. You have to teach stuff you are crap at

Art, music and PE.

At least in secondary, you get a choice of a subject you are probably ok at.

I think Shakespeare is too difficult for a lot of pupils, and having to study it to examination level puts them off English. I also think it is time consuming and they would benefit more from studying another text.

Yanbu. I know too many English teachers who seem to have only ever read about six books in their lives.

Deal with that? Shouldn't YOU deal with it?

Hear so many poets and writers saying l got the passion from my English teacher especially the old style ones. Think it would be terrible not to have that to pass on.

WEll, there is a proportion of grammar and spelling and punctuation to teach, but I'd prefer an English teacher to instil a love of reading in my dc so I'd be worried if they didn't love literature... You can't hate all poetry,surely?