My 13 year old son came home and told me that Shakespeare is BORING

[nearlymybeetrootday]

Because the school had sat the class in front of a film of the Merchant of Venice without any discussion or explanations.

I emailed the head of English who said 'there is only so much we can expect a supply teacher to do'

That will be err ...nothing then? Apart form bore the pants off my son and his mates for two lessons.

I am livid - surely the supply teacher could've done something - even if it was nothing to do with Shakespeare? ds1 learnt nothing - had no idea of the story -

and this is a child who sees Shakespeare regularly.

I work my socks off promoting Shakespeare in schools and my ds school fucks it up/

RANT OVER

Great ot hear that I am right!!

I do think that the merchant of venice is rather dull (despite loving other Shakespeare plays). However it's presented. More of a Macbeth girl myself. Providing videos are followed up with discussion I think they can be a good way of seeing the story in the round, and with the drama.

i shouldn;t worry too much most kids think that shakespeare is boring i can vividly remember being at school and finding it really boring

ooh sorry was going to make you feel better even though i found it really boring got an a in english lit so i wouldn't worry

Ooh no, the Merchant of Venice is a wonderful play, and full of drama and interesting discussion to be had about anti-semitism. The teacher could easily have done a bit more with it, even if it wasn't their subject.

I have read somewhere that one of the reason's for the under achievement of teenage boys in English is the fact that they are made to study Shakespeare at KS3.

I either read it, or an English colleague at work told me.....

(smile)

DOn't shoot the messenger........

It's probably true fizzbuzz, but I wouldn't think it's because they're made to study it, but because of the way they're made to study it. (Such as that described by the OP!)

Don't think Shakespeare is the problem. It's what you do with him. A good teacher should be able to make teenage boys (or anyone, for that matter) see the relevance of some of the themes of Macbeth, or Othello, or (as someone said below) the Merchant of Venice... it just needs a bit of imagination. (And I teach medieval literature, so this is the Voice of Experience speaking, lol )

d

Crossed posts with Caligula... couldn't agree more!

i dislike shakespeare - maybe its because i was never taught it properly.

When ds's English teacher was off, one of the music teachers covered for her. Not only did they continue with reading Romeo and Juliet, the teacher gave homework! Ds was horrified at a covering teacher acting in such a way. He tolerates it as something he has to do to pass an exam, I think enjoying reading is not something many people pick up in English lessons.

I loved English and am a voracious reader and always have been (not that my spelling would ever suggest that) but I was never a big fan of Shakespeare. I'm not sure why. I loved Emily Brontë and Jane Austin and was even reasonably fond of Castle Rackrent but something about Shakespeare left me unmoved. It was probable because my teacher was such a fan and he was a plonker.

i do feel a philistine even saying it. i have a degree in english lit and avoided shakespeare at all costs - even doing poetry of the vietnam war instead!

I love Shakespeare.

Took a while though...

Custardo I also hate Shakespeare....did it for A Level, and really didn't enjoy it at all. In fact didn't consider English as a degree because of this.

However love reading and have millions of books.

What I said on the earlier post, was said about the subject ie Shakespeare not the teaching...... I think it was in the context of however well it was taught it was failing to turn teenage boys on.....

Am now running away to go shopping and may peer at this post later if have courage....

I love Shakespeare. But have to say that I can't help thinking it would be an exceptional teenage boy that would really like it. If you have to mess about with it to make it accessible it's isn't Shakespeare - the beautiful somewhat impenetrable language IS the point of it. Not the somewhat silly stores half-inched from previous sources.

Personally I think that both R & J needed to have their pocket money stopped as well as some teaching about STDs and unwanted pregnancy. That would have put a stop to all that nonsense...

I have never read Shakespeare. It wasn't on the syllabus when I did my GCSEs between 1987 and 1989. Certainly wasn't in KS3 back then either. Maybe I should give it a go now, but I do wonder if it is one of those things you do need guidance with?

That report was in the Times Ed.....(see I came back!)

its stuff that when i see kenneth brannah acting it - i think is soo funny, however i just wouldnt read it as funny - i miss the wit and humour amongth the 'thou' 'thee' and i find it very difficult to read.

We took dd1 and her friend to see Midsummer Night's Dream at the OPen air theatre in Regents Park the summer they were 8. It had Russ Abbot as Bottom, and the actors were clearly having a fantastic time camping it up and maxing out the slapstick potential. The girls were falling off the benches laughing -- it was such a fantastic introduction to Shakespeare.

shouldnt plays be watched though ?

i read shakespeares poerty - tiz beautiful (some)

can't help thinking plays should be watched. not read.

come on elglish teachers what am i missing?

Well Custardo, not an English teacher, but am a school teacher, and will back you up! Will that do?

I don't like shakespeare, although am aware that this comment is tantamount (love that word!)to treason!

Can appreciate all imagery and poetry in his work, but do not like reading it at all.

2 thoughts - we had a supply teacher a few times in English in S1 (same one each time); she was so well prepared - clearly had a stash of one-off lessons that she brought with her. I still remember the one on Saki - no excuses from your school - supply can be well taught and inspiring.

Second thought - I didn't have a bad English teacher at secondary school - they each had their strengths and played to them. We were streamed and it was easily 50/50 boy/girl and were eating out of our senior teacher's hand with the way he taught Shakespeare - just fabulous.

(now why didn't I do English at university? )