Secret Teacher: subjects like art are being sidelined – but they matter


It’s Monday afternoon and I’m teaching a class of 10- and 11-year-olds French. Last week they wrote a set of descriptive sentences about animals and today they’re going to turn their descriptions into picture books.

“Once you’ve finished with your sentences, you’re going to illustrate them to reflect what you’ve written,” I tell the class.

Silence.

“Any questions?”

A hand pops up.

“Do we have to draw the pictures? Can’t we just write the sentences?”

“You need to draw the pictures as well. You’re making a picture book, remember?”

“But I can’t draw, Miss.”

Source : Theguardian