passion to practice - english teacher

Passion to Practice

ETAENGLISH TEACHERS ASSOCIATION NSW

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2019May 31st - June 1st

UNSW KENSINGTON

List of Exhibitors

Table of contents

President’s Message page 4

Program Overview page 11

The Ken Watson Address page 18

Speaker Abstracts page 20

Friday page 20

Saturday page 31

Map of UNSW page 43

Acknowledgements page 3

Friday’s attendance at #LetsCreate will contribute 4 hours and 30 minutes and Saturday’s attendance 4 hours and 15 minutes of QTC Registered PD addressing 6.1.2, 6.2.2 and 6.4.2 from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW.

AcknowledgementsThe ETA thanks all the volunteers who have worked so hard in the lead-up to,

during and in the aftermath of the conference, particularly:

Co-ordinators of Volunteers Vanessa Refalo

Financial Manager Susan Gazis Social Media Managers James Bannerman & Victoria Keech

The ETA is very grateful to its staff who work tirelessly to ensure the quality and smooth running of the conference.

Thank you to all the members and presenters who so generously share their expertise.

Member Services Jay Cooper

Events Coordinator Shale Preston

Administrator Sarah Baldwin

Administrator Francesca Cucciardi

Carla Mascaro Bookkeeper

Eva GoldVenue, Evaluation & Catering

Eva Gold & Ann SmallProgram

President’s Message

Welcome to our State ETA Conference! Once again, our management team, volunteers and

presenters will ensure that you will enjoy an inspiring and engaging conference and experience

rich conversations with colleagues.

Fried (2001) defines a passionate teacher as: “someone in love with a field of knowledge,

deeply stirred by issues and ideas that change our world, drawn to the dilemmas and potentials

of the young people who come into class every day.” One of the reasons that I have remained in

ETA is that I get to meet teachers who are passionate about English and who are driven to

improve their practice so that they can make a difference to the learning of their students. Olson

(2003) observes that “when we discover and explore our passions about teaching and learning,

and begin to share them with others, doors are opened, and the possibilities are endless.”

Sharing with others and collaborative professionalism will be two of the keys to the success of

the ETA’s conference. When we share practice with others informed by our passion and

knowledge, we open doors to new ideas, inspire others and deepen our own learning. Great

teaching does not happen in isolation. We all stand on the shoulders of those who went before

us and we continue to deepen our pedagogical knowledge and skills when we collaborate with

our colleagues.

For me personally, Eva Gold, Ann Small, Deb McPherson and Gill Lovell were my

inspiration when I returned to teaching after time off to be a mum. My passion for English was

strong but I experienced self-doubt about my knowledge and practice as I had not taught for

over nine years. These amazing women enriched my understanding and in the case of Deb,

encouraged me to present and create teaching programs for the DEC.

I relish the opportunity to meet amazing teachers and attend workshops and presentations

at this conference that will enhance my knowledge and practice. May your passion be ignited,

and your practice be enriched by your fellow English teachers!

Karen Yager

President ETA NSW

1 Challenging students to respond and reflect critically for deeper learning, launchpads for interpretation, reflection, metacognition2 Enabling students to become confident interpreters of texts3 Extended realities fostering critical and creative thinking4 Enabling agency and agility in writing5 Discursive and reflective writing6 Constructive talk: the role of speaking and listening7 Conceptualising the discipline of English

ETA Professional Learning 2019

Events in terms 3 and 4, 2019

• Literacy and Concepts• English Textual Concepts 7 - 10

Events coming in 2020:

• HSC Examination 2019 Post Mortem

Register at englishteacher.com.au

Did you miss our Designing Learning event earlier this year?

Webinars for this event are coming up in June and July …

The International Federation & Australian Association for the Teachers of English

Sydney Grammar School

6th - 9th July 2020

The conference theme, ‘if…’ will focus on the potentials of English. There will be an international strand throughout the three days. Papers, presentations and workshops are invited on all topics relevant to the teaching of English and Literacy.

Potential presenters may contact the selection panel informally for advice on the suitability of their proposal. All papers will be peer reviewed before acceptance. For all enquiries:

[email protected]

We are aware that acceptance is vital to many international delegates in order to secure funding, hence the opportunity to make a proposal in good time and to receive an acceptance by 31st January 2020.

‘if…’ explores and celebrates the potentials of our discipline to define how English is key to a sense of self, social agency and cultural vitality. Going beyond public perceptions of our subject to seek and promote a multifaceted identity, we consider:

‘if only…’ the big ideas, theories, research as we Invent Futures

‘if so, why so’… approaches strategies, pedagogies - Ideas in Flight

‘if and when’… Implementing Frameworks for curriculum, assessment and practice.

Putting aside all ‘ifs and buts’, and keeping our heads when all about are losing theirs, ifs become realities and English takes its recognised place as the cultivator of social good and cultural richness.

Call for papers

englishteacher.com.au

mailto:[email protected]

https://www.englishteacher.com.au/administration/marketing/news/editArticle?articleId=29

ETA HSC Publicationsdownload at englishteacher.com.au

ETA Publications

ETA Practice Papers

Paper 1: Texts and Human Experiences(For English Advanced, Standard and Studies)

Paper 2: Modules: English Standard

Paper 2: Modules: English Advanced

Practice Paper: English Studies

Buy individuallly or as a package

HSC Exam Papersdownload at englishteacher.com.au

Year 11 Resourcesdownload at englishteacher.com.au

ETA Student Days 2019 Course Date Venue

Introduction to Common Module for 2020

Texts and Human Experiences

Wednesday October 23, 2019 Wesley Convention Centre

Modules (Advanced, Standard & EALD) sessions)

Wednesday June 26, 2019 University of Sydney

Introduction to Extension 2 for 2020 HSC

Friday November 15, 2019 University of Sydney

For further details: www.englishteacher.com.au [email protected] [email protected] (Student Days Project Officer)

How these events can help your students?

• Reinforce their classroom experiences of the course and texts• Hear some different perspectives and insights• Meet their HSC cohort• Be stimulated and inspired• Hear HSC marking insights• Enjoy the buzz of a university • Broaden their ideas and experiences

Share this information: • Year 12 Year Advisor• English noticeboard• School newsletter• School Facebook • English faculty HSC documents for students• Librarian and local municipal librarian

through

A new online resource for Year 11 English

English AdvancedEnglish Standard

English EAL/DEnglish Studies

CRUISE CONTROL

Cruise Control applies the English Textual Concepts™ to texts from the Centre for Road Safety website. The activities scaffold skills of analysis and criticism to authentic texts that have immediate personal significance to students as young drivers.

Through differentiated sections and activities, the resource addresses the outcomes and content of the Year 11 Advanced, Standard, EAL/D and English Studies courses and is made up of activities providing opportunities for:

• Addressing modules in Standard, Advanced, EAL/D and English Studies • Reading to Write as reading is used as stimulus for composition • Any study of multimodal texts in any course• The mandated multimodal assessment • An independent project.

Ignition is where it starts …Access classroom and student resources through the Ignition page in the teacher resource,

https://onthemove.nsw.edu.au/content/stage-6-years-11-and-12

https://onthemove.nsw.edu.au/content/stage-6-years-11-and-12

ETA Annual Conference Program Overview

Session Title Presenter

10:15 Cruise Control: Stage Six Resource Eva Gold

Audience

All

F1.1 Module A: Textual Conversations: just how different is it? Mel Dixon Stage 6

F1.2 Differentiation in the English classroom Sharyn Stafford Early Career Teachers

F1.3 Poetry: an interactive workshop Meaghan Hird Stages 4 & 5

F1.4 Harnessing the grand narrative of humanism David Gawthorne Stage 6

F1.6 Exploring the marvellous (im)possibility of language Ben Gilholme Stage 6

F1.7 Metaphors to shape our practice Terence De Luca Teaching Standards

F1.8 Children in war: representations through time Emma Bennis Stages 4 & 5

F1.9 Ten strategies for engagement and success in English Studies

Shaheena Anwar Stage 6

F1.10 “Whose voice is it anyway?” Approaches to develop student critical voice in response to An Artist of the Floating World

Fiona WillisNathan Compton

Stage 6

F1.11 Poetry, literacy and confirming student identity Janet DuttonKathy Rushton

Stages 4 & 5

F1.13 ECT: Formative assessment strategies Stefanie LiaRebecca Ross

Early Career Teachers

Morning Tea 10:30 - 11:00

Friday Session One: 11:00 - 12:00

F1.5 Project-based learning in the English classroom Sophie Ottley Stages 3 & 4

F1.12 Choices for English 7-12: texts to explore in your classroom Deb McPhersonJane Sherlock

Stages 4 & 5

Friday May 31st, 2019Registration: from 8 am

9:00 am Welcome9:15 – 10:15 am The Ken Watson Address

Where ya really from? Poetry, Practice, Passion and Place

Lachlan BrownSenior Lecturer in English

School of Humanities & Social SciencesCharles Sturt University

Transition 12:00 - 12:10

F2.1 New assessment approaches in Stage 6 English Luke Bartolo Stage 6

F2.3 Productive procrastination David Martin Early Career Teachers

F2.4 Engaging students in multimodal texts from Stage 4 Danielle Darwick Stages 4 & 5

F2.5 The Coraline Case Files Kelly Cheung Stages 4 & 5

F2.6 Enabling year 12 student agency and agility Karen Yager Stage 6

F2.7 MAN UP! Using technology to help boys define what it means to be a man in the 21st century.

Marcia Almelor Stages 4 & 5

F2.8 Greek classics and Extension English Michelle Hasking Stage 6

F2.9 The Craft of Poetry for Year 10 Troy Wong Stages 4 & 5

F2.10 Nominalisation Samantha Lee Stage 6

F2.11 EAL/D: globalisation's impact on English teacher 'constructs' Alison Laird Stage 6

F2.12 Mentoring to strengthen teacher practice in English Theodora Kindis Teaching Standards

F2.2 Module C: How's it going? Mel Dixon Stage 6

Friday Session Two: 12:10 - 1:10

Session Title Presenter Audience

F2.13 Shakespeare: engaging different learners Jo BloomNicholas Gell

Stages 4, 5 & 6

ETA Annual Conference Program Overview Friday May 31st, 2019

Lunch 1:10 - 2:10

F3.1 Transitioning from Year 6 to Year 7 David Magro Stages 4 & 5

F3.3 Muddling through marking a multimodal Sharyn Stafford Stage 6

F3.4 Classical Studies can support the English syllabus Catherine Walsh Stage 6

F3.5 Cancelled

F3.6 Make English relevant again Jonathan Kassab Stages 4 & 5

F3.7 Embracing diversity through Literary Homelands Viviana MattielloAllison Stutsel

Stage 6

F3.8 Allowing students to engage in English through performance Tammy Borthwick-Mathurin

Stages 4 & 5

F3.9 Teaching up: enhancing student learning Kate Colgan Stages 4 & 5

F3.10 Poems to share: guiding theory into practice Emma Rose Smith Stages 4 & 5

F3.11 From zero to hero: textual promotion through bibliotherapy Eleni ConnollyRebecca Kelly

Stages 4 & 5

F3.12 Crafting engaged, effective teacher identities through meaningful mentoring (K-12)

Dianne Pizarro Teaching Standards

F3.2 Reading and writing personal essays Jane Sloan Stage 6

Friday Session Three: 2:10 - 3:10


F3.13 Putting the fun back into fundamental: strategies to engage students in literacy development

Paul Cullen Stages 3 & 4

ETA Annual Conference Program Overview Friday May 31st, 2019

End of Day

ETA Annual Conference Program Overview Saturday June 1st, 2019

S1.1 Spoken Word poetry as a tool for critical literacy development

Jen Scott CurwoodKatelyn Jones

Stages 4 & 5

S1.3 Movement for improvement in the English classroom Raine Brown Stage 6

S1.4 Creative English teaching ideas to engage and inspire students

Paul Grover Stages 4 & 5

S1.5 Explicit criteria connecting assessment for, as and of learning

Michelle Hasking Stages 4 & 5

S1.6 Making connections with Inside My Mother Kimberley ScottNarelle RobertsAmy Tickner

Stage 6

S1.7 Creative non-fiction in HSC Extension 2 English Anthony Britten Stage 6

S1.8 Feedback - use it or ignore it? Melissa KennedySam Kilborn

Stages 4 & 5

S1.11 Move on from the mnemonic mindset Sarah Warby Stage 6

S1.2 ECT: Preparing students for the HSC exam Mel Dixon Early Career Teachers

Saturday Session One: 9:30 - 10:30


S1.10 Theory to practice: Extension 1 related project Jacob AnsteyBro Reveleigh

Stage 6

S1.9 Extending textual exploration through access to extended reality in English

Imelda Judge Stages 4, 5 & 6

Morning Tea: 10:30 - 11:00

S2.1 Film and project-based learning Mark PeruzzoLuke Bartolo

Stages 4 & 5

S2.3 Teaching for the future: creativity and literacy Amanda TaplinLibby Broughton

Stages 4 & 5

S2.4 The power of verse Haylee Ward Stages 4 & 5

S2.5 Approaching texts creatively Kerri-Jane Burke Stage 6

S2.6 A sign of the times: teaching dystopian texts Alex Wharton Stages 4 & 5

S2.7 Touching the light - Can theorists electrify learning? Heather Kroll Stage 6

S2.8 Integrating The Craft of Writing: ideas for HSC Module C Kate Murphy Stage 6

S2.9 Tell me what you really think! Zenna Diab Stage 6

S2.10 Teaching Creative Non-fiction Catherine Laughlin Stages 4 & 5

S2.11 Mentoring English teachers: guiding practice and leading the English faculty

Paul Grover Teaching Standards

S2.2 Integrating language teaching into the English classroom Mel Dixon Early Career Teachers

Saturday Session Two: 11:00 - 12:00


S2.12 Poetry inspires passion and precision in writing Karen Yager Stages 4 ,5 & 6


Transition: 12:00 - 12:10

S3.1 Reimagining professional learning: improving practice through collaboration

Pip Healey Teaching Standards

S3.3 Engagement and enthusiasm for the challenging class Jillian Peruzzo Stages 4 & 5

S3.4 Engaging writing activities for any age or stage Michelle Hasking Year 12

S3.5 The power of wonder in Extension 1 English Zenna Diab Stage 6

S3.6 Strategies for enhancing writing in junior classrooms Kate Munro Stages 4 & 5

S3.7 One for all - a collaborative scriptwriting project Richard ShortRebecca Smith

Stages 4 & 5

S3.8 Matchbox Poetry: making multimodal poetry and more Anthony Britten Stages 4 & 5

S3.9 Reflective writing: students developing an understanding and appreciation of their own learning

Sharyn Stafford Stage 6

S3.10 Simple, snappy, catchy: design lessons for teachers Matt Roden Stages 4 & 5

S3.11 Spoken Word poetry for Stage Six English Jen Scott CurwoodKatherine Bull

Stage 6

S3.2 HSC Paper 2 Advanced and Standard: what do we need to know?

Mel Dixon Stage 6

Saturday Session Three: 12:10 - 1:10



Lunch: 1:10 - 2:10

S4.1 Texts and Human Experiences: The Merchant of Venice Luke Bartolo Stage 6

S4.3 Escaping the assessment trap Narelle Roberts Stages 4 & 5

S4.4 Miss Saigon: a preliminary text supporting success across the HSC modules

Nikki PeekMichelle Bounos

Stage 6

S4.5 This book changed my life: promoting reading culture in secondary schools

Anthony BoscoDanielle Rodrigues

Stages 4 & 5

S4.6 Writing about popstars: reflecting on art, fame, and power Matt Roden Stages 4 & 5

S4.7 Yr 11 Common Module: Reading to Write Elizabeth SofatzisJessica Harris

Stage 6

S4.8 The hidden depths of Billy Elliot Zoe CoyteAmanda Fajou

Stage 6

S4.9 Teaching dramatic and Shakespearean texts Alex Wharton Early Career Teacher

S4.10 HSC Paper 1: What do we need to know? Mel Dixon Stage 6

S4.2 Facing the mirror: reflection and reflective writing Thomas Gyenes Stage 6

Saturday Session Four: 2:10 - 3:10



End of Day

Ken’s work in curriculum development in NSW has been extensive.

He was a long-time member of the NSW 7-10 English Syllabus Committee that created the syllabus which had a life that ran from 1987 to 2002. He was also a member of the Years 11-12 Syllabus Committee during much of that time. He has, of course, written extensively on English teaching with English Teaching in Perspective being best known because of its wide use in Faculties of Education preparing teachers of English.

Ken Watson took Australia into the international family of English education that founded and bedded down what was then known as ‘the new English’. His great passion in the 70s was Young Adult literature and Ken led the charge in legitimising its place in school education. In his later years at the University of Sydney, and in retirement, that passion was turned on Shakespeare and manifested itself in the wonderful – and, again, pioneering – work of the St Clair Shakespeare Workshop series.

Ken has always treated students, former students, teachers and novice academics with a rare spirit of collegiality, inclusion and friendship and those of us fortunate enough to work with and for him remain continually grateful. For these reasons, it is fitting that the English Teachers Association NSW honour Ken by giving his name to the key address in their annual conference. This year we are delighted that the Ken Watson Address will be delivered by Dr Lachlan Brown from Charles Sturt University.

The Ken Watson Address

Where ya really from? Poetry, Practice, Passion and Place

This presentation is an extended meditation on the writing of poetry from a practitioner’s perspective. It takes up various aspects of the term ‘passion,’ exploring the way that poems press their way into existence, often from unexpected origins and with surprising results. Of particular interest for my poetry is a conception of place that pushes out from the southwestern suburbs of Sydney. What I want to explore is how a passion for those places that are often ignored or derided might animate our creative practice, reorient our notions of the literary, and alert our students to the rich ways that poetry activates and interrogates the world around us. Thus, locations like Macquarie Fields, or the megacities of contemporary China, or even the sleepy suburbs of Wagga Wagga can prompt us to consider a rich array of contemporary ideas, from the edgelands of Marion Shoard to the non-places of Marc Augé.

Dr Lachlan Brown is a Senior Lecturer in English at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga. He is the author of two volumes of poetry, Limited Cities (2012), which begins in Sydney’s southwest, and Lunar Inheritance (2017), which explores his Chinese-Australian heritage. Lachlan’s research interests include poetry and the sacred, as well as contemporary transnational literature. He has been shortlisted for the Newcastle Poetry Prize, the Judith Wright Poetry Prize, the Macquarie Fields poetry prize, and the Mary Gilmore Award. Lachlan enjoys speaking with High School students at the Riverina ETA HSC study days about various set texts, including works by Kenneth Slessor, Henry Lawson, Alex Miller, Sophia Coppola, and Alain de Botton (though he may need a break from The Art of Travel).

The Ken Watson Address

Dr Lachlan BrownSenior Lecturer in English

School of Humanities & Social SciencesCharles Sturt University

Conference AbstractsFriday May 31st

10:30 – 11:00 Morning Tea

Session Title Audience

11:00 – 12:00 Friday Session One

F1.1 Module A: Textual Conversations: just how different is it? Year 12

Mel DixonThis session will look at Module A closely and explore ways that it can be interpreted given the variety of combinations in the Module. An overview of some of the theoretical models that underpin this Module will be discussed. Consideration will be given to the types of assessment and HSC questions that may be asked. There will be time to workshop your own HSC questions.

F1.2 Differentiation in the English classroom Early Careeer Teachers

Sharyn StaffordEffective and meaningful differentiation is a difficult skill to master. In this workshop, I will offer some theory to focus your thinking and some practical strategies to start you on the road to leading your differentiated classroom.

F1.3 Imaginative writing: narrative focus Stages 4 - 5

Meaghan Hird

This workshop will focus on extending teachers' repertoire of strategies for teaching the conventions of narrative such as plot, voice, point of view, and character. Whether students are composing a written narrative, or applying those conventions in a playful manner to a range of textual forms, knowing how narratives function will help them create more engaging and meaningful responses. Imaginative writing occurs across a number of textual forms, including short story, novel, creative non-fiction, poetry, film, script, podcast, and other multimedia. Using textual models, this workshop will explore teaching and learning strategies which can lead to greater confidence and self-efficacy in students and teachers. During the workshop, participants will be encouraged to apply the strategies to their own texts and school contexts.

David GawthorneThe creation of student-built crime boards has moved Stage 5 students through processes of both skill and knowledge development by adopting principles of universal design for learning (UDL). In 2018, we trialled the use of augmented reality witness statements and the creation of holographic clues embedded within student-created crime boards. This presentation will explore how multimodal affordances, holographic clues and augmented reality witness statements may operate to pique both student curiosity and creativity in our crime fiction writing unit.

F1.4 Harnessing the grand narrative of humanism Stage 6

9:00 – 10:30 Conference Opening & Ken Watson Address




F1.5 Project-based learning in the English classroom Stages 3 & 4

Sophie OttleyOur students will inherit a world that poses unique 21st century challenges. It is integral that teaching and learning adapts, develops and evolves to equip students with the skills they need to thrive after school. Project based learning is a teaching method that requires students to investigate and respond to an authentic, complex and meaningful problem or challenge. Often inquiry based learning lends itself to STEM subjects, however this presentation applies the principles of PBL to the subject of English. The presentation will showcase the implementation of PBL in a western Sydney school and explore the impact that design thinking has had on school culture, learner engagement and student achievement.

F1.6 Exploring the marvellous (im)possibility of language Stages 4, 5 & 6

Ben GilholmeLanguage is at the heart of teaching English but it is often treated as little more than a conduit for thought, a repository for ideas. The theory of semiotic mediation, however, suggests that engagement with language forms, structures and patterns can promote curiosity, conceptual understanding and ultimately help re-imagine the world. This presentation will explore the practical applications of semiotic mediation in the stages 4, 5 and 6.

F1.7 Metaphors to shape our practice Teaching Standards

Terence De Luca‘You don’t have a choice as to whether to think metaphorically. Because metaphorical maps are part of our brains, we will think and speak metaphorically whether we want to or not. Since the mechanisms of metaphor is largely unconscious, we will think and speak metaphorically whether we know it or not.’ Lakoff, G and Johnson, M (1980) University of Chicago Press. Page 257.

Metaphors can help teachers connect with their values, and often spark the inspiration and motivation needed to make a commitment to move in new directions. Education is in constant change which can cause stress/anxiety for teachers. This workshop empowers participants to examine their teaching practice and find ways to connect/ reconnect with students, colleagues, skills and content using metaphors. This can be supported by current research in mindfulness based therapeutic practices which can be adapted to the teaching profession. Participants will be given the opportunity to explore the metaphors which guide their practice by using visual presentations, reflection techniques and small group discussion. You will be given the opportunity to develop new metaphors and experience how others think and feel about their practice. The group will be able to develop networks helping them build professional learning relationships and gain skills to work with students focusing on what is important to them in their educational journey.




F1.8 Children in war: representations through time Stages 4 & 5

Emma BennisThis presentation will showcase a detailed Stage 5 unit of work entitled 'Children in War: Representations through Time'. The unit challenges students to experience some of the conflicts that have shaped our history through the eyes of the children who were there. We explore extracts from a wide range of textual forms and perspectives, and we hear from diverse voices from around the globe. The unit's explicit focus on representation, challenges students to think critically about the influence of context and bias, as well as assessing the attitudes and values embedded within texts. The unit draws on innovative inquiry-based pedagogy with a focus on reflective writing to empower students to truly appreciate how the study of English can lead to a stronger connection to the world around them. Student and teacher feedback on the unit is also presented so that participants can determine how to best tailor this unit to their own school context.

F1.9 Ten strategies for engagement and success in English Studies Stage 6

Shaheena AnwarThis workshop will outline ten strategies to promote student engagement in English Studies, leading to successful development of understanding, literacy and communication skills. Teachers are encouraged to bring along one unit of work from their Year 11 or 12 English Studies course to annotate and develop throughout the workshop.

F1.10 “Whose voice is it anyway?” Approaches to develop student critical voice in response to An Artist of the Floating World

Stage 6

Fiona Willis and Nathan ComptonHow do we as English teachers engage students passionately when studying a text? How do we maintain academic rigour while maintaining passionate engagement? How do we foster an authentic critical voice so that students can become their own personal advocates? This workshop will explore the ways in which we have sought to teach An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro within the context of a comprehensive Sydney high school so as to ignite personal engagement. The workshop will look at how we've approached the critical study of the text, how the students have engaged with both the module and the text, and ultimately how students have been empowered to find their own critical, authentic voice. With the right pedagogy, difficult texts can be sites of impassioned writing, thinking and discussing.

Janet Dutton and Kathy RushtonWhen the Malaysian-Australian author, rapper, and poet, Omar Musa observes "I do not see myself or one like me", he captures the experiences of many students when asked to be passionate and inspired by their encounters with poetry. This can be especially true for students who are learning English as an additional language or dialect and who may need support in language development. We know from research and practice that we can build engagement and support learning by encouraging students to employ all of their languages and by designing learning that embraces students' linguistic and cultural repertoires. This workshop will explore how to achieve this by using creative classroom-ready strategies, fabulous contemporary Australian poems (because we are always passionate about poetry!) and examples from English teachers who have been using poetry to develop literacy, negotiate and confirm student identities, and respect the linguistic and cultural heritages of their students.

F1.11 Poetry, literacy and confirming student identity Stages 4 & 5




F1.12 Choices for English 7-12: texts to explore in your classroom Stages 4 & 5

Deb McPherson and Jane SherlockDeb and Jane are back with the best texts to explore in your classroom. We believe that the core of the English classroom should be exciting students about the possibilities of reading and viewing. Let's reignite the passion not only for the English course requirements but for our students' curiosity, enquiry, recreation, joy, leisure and pleasure. The presentation will include the exciting possibilities of multimodal texts to inspire and expand student horizons in Years 7-12 and texts for the new Year 11 and Year 12 courses. Years 7-10 fiction, film and non-fiction, picture books and graphic novels, poetry and drama, and digital texts will be reviewed and discussed. This session will help you reflect on what texts you can add to your book-room and library to share your love of books and film.

F1.13 ECT: Formative assessment strategies Early Career Teachers

Stefanie Lia and Rebecca RossThis session is designed to help early career teachers use formative assessment more effectively to inform their teaching practice without drowning in marking. We will explore a number of practical strategies for assessing how student learning is progressing and look at ways to use this for differentiating teaching and learning. Make formative assessment work for you.


12:10 – 1:10 Friday Session Two

F2.1 New assessment approaches in Stage 6 English Stage 6

Luke BartoloWith the arrival of the new HSC specifications for Stage 6, the time has never been better for examining new approaches to essay writing that take students away from the stress and anxiety of formal exam settings. In this presentation, we will cover how the tools of peer editing, conferencing, annotation, and 'Assessment As Learning' can be used to build both confidence and enhanced writing skills in senior English students. Teachers will also be given access to a variety of materials that can be adapted to their own classrooms for a number of Year 11 and 12 modules.

F2.2 Module C: How's it going? Stage 6

Mel DixonThis session on Module C will review the requirements of the module and the ways it has been implemented. We will share experiences about the concurrent versus the stand alone Module option. How will this module be realised in the HSC examination? How can we embed crafting into our present practices to enhance our teaching and support the module aims? There will be time to workshop your own HSC questions.

David MartinSustaining and developing motivation can be an issue for both teachers and students. In particular, it can affect students in Stage 6 due to the additional pressures and expectations placed on them. Unmotivated individuals tend to procrastinate and avoid tasks, resulting in an ineffective use of time by teachers and students alike. Similarly, both groups can maximise their time by using small windows between tasks or events to engage in small yet productive tasks. These small windows include times where an individual may have a few minutes before their next class or before transitioning to a new event. However, there are a range of small tasks that teachers and students can do that will use these windows of time productively. Likewise, by engaging in these activities during moments of procrastination, individuals can become more productive, resulting in improved levels of motivation.

F2.3 Productive procrastination Early Career Teachers

F2.4 Engaging students in multimodal texts from Stage 4 Stages 4 - 5

Danielle Darwick'Multi-what?' The new focus on multimodal texts in our curriculum has come with increasing pressure to prepare students earlier for the demands of the new syllabus. This workshop will present some simple approaches to introducing students from Stage 4 onwards to the concept of viewing, comprehending and responding to texts across multiple modes. This workshop aims to demystify some of the concerns about what actually constitutes a multimodal text and will examine a range of easy to implement ways (both with and without the use of technology) to improve students' awareness of the relationships between, and purposes of, different modes of communication in the texts they are exposed to.




F2.5 The Coraline Case Files Stages 4 & 5

Kelly CheungNeil Gaiman's dark fantasy Coraline is a perfect tale for exploring the textual concept of genre. This session will discuss how students can understand the genre of fantasy within Stage 4 English by experimenting with and creating new stories and artefacts within Gaiman' s Coraline world. The Asquith Girls High School Coraline Case Files exhibition will be on display for participants to engage with Gaiman's novella through reading, feeling, and playing.

F2.6 Enabling Year 12 student agency and agility Stage 6

Karen YagerThe new HSC English examination presents numerous challenges for teachers and students. There are a number of strategies and approaches that will ensure that students own the learning and have the courage to be more flexible when they are confronted with challenging questions. Creating a positive culture of teacher and student collaboration and strategic feedback is essential. This workshop will share strategies and approaches that you can use with your year 12 students to prepare them for the demands of the HSC English examinations.

Marcia AlmelorIn this workshop, participants will gain a number of tools to engage boys through a unit on documentaries. We will look at both the theoretical and technical aspect of getting boys to produce their own documentary and assess each other's work in an effective and manageable way.

F2.7 MAN UP! Using technology to help boys define what it means to be a man in the 21st century.

Stages 4 & 5

F2.8 Greek classics and Extension English Stage 6

Michelle HaskingThe Extension English course in year 11 has a focus on appropriation and adaptation. What better opportunity can there be to indulge in a passion for Greek literature? A foundational knowledge of Greek philosophy, mythology and literature is also valuable to students in the Extension course in Year 12, providing a basis for understanding intertextuality in the prescribed texts and for encouraging conceptual Extension 2 writing. This presentation will outline my Year 11 Extension English course, with a focus on Greek classics and their appropriations in the modern world. I will provide copies of my scope/sequence and assessment tasks, and resources, as well as explaining the links between the year 11 and year 12 courses.




F2.9 The Craft of Poetry for Year 10 Stage 6

Troy WongHow do you keep Year 10 students engaged at the end of Term 4 after their final exams, at a time of year when so many want nothing more than to bludge their way clean through to Christmas? Obviously, you make them write poetry. At least four poems each - multiple drafts of course - and then you painstakingly assemble each student's best poem into a class anthology as an early Christmas present from you to them. That's what I did anyway, with my two Year 10 classes of 2018. In this interactive lecture I'm going to talk you through exactly how I managed to do this. You'll get a stack of practical resources including a program and lesson plans, and most importantly, you'll get access to the anthologies produced by my two Year 10 classes. No hyperbole when I say: they have to be seen to be believed.

F2.10 Nominalisation Stage 6

Samantha LeeLiteracy has become a larger part of what English teachers focus on, particularly with the new Stage 6 syllabus where students need to consider their writing for a variety of purposes. This workshop will include what nominalisation is and how to teach it to a variety of students, including how to differentiate it for different groups and within the classroom. Teaching nominalisation improves students' analytical writing by condensing their language to form more sophisticated sentences, and teaches them to choose more effective verbs. This can be taught throughout Stages 4-6 as it is relevant for persuasive and analytical responses.

Alison Laird“Nihao, ching jin!” When the classroom door is a portal to Beijing (or Berlin or Beirut) how does this impact our passion, practice and even our identity as English teachers? This workshop will explore the current context of International Students within NSW schools and propose that more than improved practice is required to best cater to student needs. Rather, spring-boarding from Marcello Giovanelli's research (University of Nottingham; 2015)*, this workshop will propose that EAL/D teachers and their roles need to be viewed in the new light of the global push to learn English and its impact on classroom demographics. Workshop attendees will be provided with various opportunities to explore links between Giovanelli's research and its practical application within their individual contexts. * Giovanelli, M (2015), 'Becoming an English language teacher: linguistic knowledge, anxieties and the shifting sense of identity', Language and Education, Vol. 29, No. 5, 416-429.

F2.11 EAL/D: globalisation's impact on English teacher 'constructs' Stage 6

F2.12 Mentoring to strengthen teacher practice in English Teaching Standards

Theodora KindisThe approach underpinning mentoring in this workshop is solution-focused. Solution-focused mentoring is an approach that allows individuals to become empowered to enact change; it allows teachers to find personalised and innovative solutions to the issues that they are engaged with addressing. Two interrelated actions assist with this practice a) changing perceptions (changing the viewing) around issues to a positive stance; and b) changing the actions, (changing the doing). In order for this to happen, our job, as leaders, is to have enabling conversations with teachers to assist them to change their negative views around their teaching practice and help them to change their actions with respect to delivery of learning in their classroom. The workshop will provide a hands on approach to mentoring teachers that is supported by evidence-based research.




F2.13 Shakespeare: engaging different learners Stages 4, 5 & 6

Jo Bloom and Nicholas GellComprehension. Appreciation. Connection. Expression. Which is the most potent? Can you have one without the other? We believe each approach plays a role. Stripping down a text intended for the immediacy and sensation of the stage, to words on a page, can make the majestic mundane. As a theatre company working with young people to present full-scale, internationally touring Shakespeare productions, as well as incursions and holiday workshops, we know what makes young hearts and minds tick. And it’s surprising! The Australian Shakespeare Company presents a session to share with teachers the strategies we have seen work to captivate a range of learners in Upper Primary, Secondary and HSC levels. While some students (and teachers) relish an active, ‘on your feet’ approach to Shakespeare, others are best supported by different strategies. You know your students, we know Shakespeare. We have created a workshop to showcase how to engage students through a range of approaches. We explore



2:10 – 3:10 Friday Session Three

F3.1 Transitioning from Year 6 to Year 7 Stages 4 & 5

David MagroProfessional discourse has illustrated a significant difference in the way English is taught between Primary and Secondary levels. The Year 7 English classroom can be an intimidating and daunting place for students who arrive from different schools and different learning experiences. This presentation aims to explore strategies to help make transition into High School English easier for students. By drawing upon students' prior learning experiences, teachers can recognise what learning activities new students find most helpful and apply this when planning English lessons and units of work. Furthermore, teachers can empower students to critically evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies in achieving Stage 4 English outcomes.

F3.2 Reading and writing personal essays Stage 6

Jane SloanPersonal essays have lain at the heart of my reading and teaching for many years. I've always been drawn to this form because of how it traverses such diverse terrains and finds such compelling ways of speaking to the reader. Marrying passion and intellect, anecdote and information, it's an expansive, greedy, potent, and provocative genre that not only contests boundaries but happily colonises territories - the borders of which were, in all likelihood, presumed safely sealed. I want to look at what essayists have to say about the form as well as considering passages from personal essays that have fostered thoughtful writing from my students. I hope to inspire you to read, think about, and try your hand at composing personal essays with an eye to informing your classroom practice.

Sharyn StaffordThe new Stage 6 syllabus specifies a multimodal assessment. In this workshop, I will critique my journey of composing two multimodal tasks (one for Reading to Write and the other for Texts and Human Experiences) and the accompanying marking criteria. Let's look at what my students produced. Please bring along your task and marking criteria for discussion.

F3.3 Muddling through marking a multimodal Stage 6

F3.4 Classical Studies can support the English syllabus Stage 6

Catherine WalshThe HSC English syllabus provides an opportunity to engage with what is happening in classical studies, in terms of addressing questions about Western civilisation, who owns texts, what we can assume about a students' cultural capital, and the place of classics in our society. Opportunities include the use of rhetoric, acknowledging the scholarship of the ancient Mediterranean world, and the theories of Reception Studies. In Classical Reception Studies we use texts as a lens through which we make meaning and examine ourselves and our society; everything depends on context and values. This allows all students to engage with texts by inscribing their own meanings. Diversity of scholarship brings diversity in terms of readings. An approach which focuses on the 'how' rather than the 'what' improves student metalanguage while dismantling the power structures of the canon. This presentation includes an example of a lesson from Yr 11 Extension on rewritings of The Odyssey.



F3.5 Cancelled

F3.6 Make English relevant again Stages 4 & 5

Jonathan KassabEnglish is not the same as it was ten years ago. In ten years, its definition will be different again. As English teachers, we don't just need to adapt our programs to meet syllabus requirements, but must embrace the ever-changing educational landscape. Whilst appreciating the role of the traditional, we must explore the new 'texts' that 'distract' our students. Student engagement extends beyond defining multimodal texts and engages with the contextual ideologies that have brought them to relevance. Further, it seeks to understand how and why such texts have come to play such a significant role within contemporary society. My session will focus on embracing popular 'media' forms in the classroom, without the attendant literary guilt.

Viviana Mattiello and Allison StutselWith a passion for texts which reflect changing global realities, inspiration to embrace the Literary Homelands ideal of national and global interconnectivity is of enduring value for our students. Making sense of historical perspectives is pivotal to understanding the complex, diverse, and profound nature of migrant experience. In exploring the nuanced interplay of culture, society and the impacts on individual identity, this Module empowers students to think as informed citizens of their own context, and project this thinking to global empathy. Through a study of Eileen Chong's poetry, Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger and Sarah Gavron's Brick Lane, we seek to provide practitioners with ideas to inspire passion in our students to become confident consumers of texts from other Literary Homelands.

F3.7 Embracing diversity through Literary Homelands Stage 6

F3.8 Allowing students to engage in English through performance Stages 4 & 5

Tammy Borthwick-Mathurin This workshop will be about a Junior Drama program that was created to allow refugee students to develop a love for English and to build confidence in Stage 4 students so that they could improve their speaking skills in Stage 5 and 6.

F3.9 Teaching up: enhancing student learning Stages 4 & 5

Kate ColganThe wish to inspire, engage and educate students about their world lies at the heart of any passionate teacher's practice. And yet, even with the highest ideals, being time poor, responding to classroom management issues and accessing resources can decrease our ability to meaningfully address the diverse needs of students. In acknowledging that there will always be forces which lean on inspired educators, a curious and committed mindset can choose to respond by 'Teaching Up'. 'Teaching Up' is a pedagogical strategy that has the potential to invigorate classroom practice and encourage input from the range of students. It reiterates the value of flexible yet purposeful learning activities within differentiated learning environments. It's an infectious ideal but more importantly, it seeks to encourage the enhancement of literacy, curiosity and agency within our students. This presentation will draw on current research regarding differentiated learning spaces and reflect on how theory might work for you in practice. Discussion will also extend to explaining how the strategy of 'Teaching Up' was implemented within a differentiated class group of Year 10 students studying poetry. It is hoped that it might inspire you to consider the preparation, implementation and evaluation of your future lessons.





F3.10 Poems to share: guiding theory into practice Stages 4 & 5

Emma Rose SmithPoems to Share II is created by Red Room Poetry and AATE. Written by teachers for teachers, it features 40 poetic activity cards to spark imagination and creative writing. The linked digital resource, with learning sequences for each poem, supports educators to deepen poetic engagement, language exploration and imaginative thinking, with alignment to Australian curriculum outcomes. This interactive workshop will explore the reading and writing of poetry in the classroom, inspired by local contemporary poems. Based on the experience of creating the Poems to Share II learning resource (published 2018 by Red Room Poetry and AATE), this session looks at crafting new poems in response to poetic stimuli and poetry theory. Activities will look at published poems written by Australian students and teachers, and the process of responding to theoretical and technical prompts in primary and secondary classrooms. Participants will create their own poems!

Eleni Connolly and Rebecca KellySometimes as teachers we face the Herculean task of convincing disengaged students who view literature with animosity that there is relevance and value in the curriculum. How can we address the diverse needs of these students by helping them find personal meaning in what they are studying? We can do this by asking our students to internalise the hero's journey in the narratives that they are exposed to. Like the Greek Gods, we are all ultimately on our own quest experiencing both success and failure. The foundation of the year for our Stage 5 class is to utilise the concept of bibliotherapy as a means of providing a thread to help students develop and articulate their own values and strengths through stories, narratives and metaphors. By building self-awareness, we can foster an environment of respect and understanding for students and their peers, and demonstrate the importance of literature in their day-to-day lives.

F3.11 From zero to hero: textual promotion through bibliotherapy Stages 4 & 5

F3.12 Crafting engaged, effective teacher identities through meaningful mentoring (K-12)

Teaching Standards

Dianne PizarroThis session provides educators with both a theoretical model and practical tools for implementing a school mentoring system that is inclusive, flexible, affirming and engaging. This presentation marries best practice and classroom research into teaching and learning in Subject English and Primary classrooms to promote conversations about mentoring. In particular, it focuses on lesson observation for the purposes of inspiring teachers to courageously continue to craft their teacher identities in the current anxiety provoking context of accreditation. This presenter is passionately committed to enhancing teacher experiences of mentoring. Mentoring teacher identities is a delicate endeavour and commitment only comes with mutual trust, belief and the valuing of the 'other'.

F3.13 Putting the fun back into fundamental: strategies to engage students in literacy development

Stages 3 & 4

Paul CullenThis workshop is designed to provide strategies that engage students in the study of English. These will include ideas that deal with listening, reading and writing. Participants will be invited to share ideas that work in the classroom. Beyond worksheets, there are ways of exciting interest, fostering curiosity about language, and providing students (even the less confident ones) with the means to find their own voices. These strategies, if there was a warranty, would have a money-back guarantee. Suitable for Years 7-10.



9:30 – 10:30 Saturday Session One

S1.1 Spoken Word poetry as a tool for critical literacy development Stages 4 & 5

Jen Scott Curwood and Katelyn JonesSpoken word poetry is an increasingly popular form of creative expression that is engaging youth in innovative ways. As a form of poetry that combines the written conventions of poetry with performance, poets utilise their voice and movements to enhance meaning and engage their audience. This presentation highlights the Real Talk spoken word program, which allows young adults to discuss and share their own spoken word poems with the help of mentor poets from the Bankstown Poetry Slam. Last year, 14 high schools participated in the six-week workshops, culminating in a competitive poetry slam. This presentation will share findings from a recent study about how spoken word poetry encourages youth to share their lived experiences, engage in creative expression, and foster a supportive environment where taking risks and 'talking back' are possible. By sharing teaching strategies and offering examples of student work, it will also provide English educators with the tools to effectively incorporate this new form of expression into their classrooms.

S1.2 ECT: Preparing students for the HSC exam Early Career Teachers

Mel DixonDespite our attempts to limit the emphasis in Year 12 on the HSC, it is a reality that we need to consider in our teaching. What are the requirements of the HSC and what are our responsibilities to our students? How can we run an effective classroom that leads students to their HSC destination while making sure that we don't lose sight of the bigger picture in terms of the importance of English study for their future? Some strategies for effective teaching in the HSC year will be shared and some time may be given to discuss issues from your own teaching of Stage 6.

Raine BrownGrowing discourse and research strongly suggest that movement-based activities in the classroom have the potential to not only help students connect more closely with the texts, contexts and concepts explored in English, but can also improve students’ analytical and imaginative responses. Evidenced-based data shows that movement activities aid in developing higher order thinking skills and create a greater understanding of language and meaning, committing a deeper analysis to memory. This workshop will explore the value of movement and rotational activities in the secondary English classroom and participants will explore ways to maximise their learning spaces. Attendees will discover a range of movement strategies and activities and also receive access to valuable resources, such as scaffolds, templates and task cards which they can adapt or integrate into any English teaching and learning sequence.

S1.3 Movement for improvement in the English classroom Stage 6

S1.4 Creative English teaching ideas to engage and inspire students Stages 4 - 5

Paul GroverThis presentation will showcase a wide variety of learning and teaching resources, strategies, models and ideas that are successful in English classrooms and can be adapted to a wide range of units and programs across Years 7-10. Participants will receive copies of resources, links to sites and see samples of resources and strategies in action. This is a practice-based session allowing participants to consider connections with their own teaching programs, units of learning and textual choices. There has been an increasing emphasis on outcomes-driven, standards-based and data-analysis processes in teaching and learning, so there is a corresponding risk that this emphasis will reduce the important focus of English teachers on high-interest, high-engagement teaching strategies and resources to facilitate student learning. This presentation provides a resource bank to take back to classrooms and faculties.

Conference AbstractsSaturday June 1st



S1.5 Explicit criteria connecting assessment for, as and of learning Stages 4 & 5

Michelle HaskingAt South Sydney High School, we have used information from both the syllabus and the literacy progressions to write explicit criteria in plain English for students. This criteria, actively taught to the students throughout the unit, encourages them to understand and apply it. In this workshop, I will provide sample criteria and discuss the process of translating outcomes into clear criteria. I will also demonstrate the explicit teaching and application of assessment criteria. Moreover, attendees will be given the opportunity to write their own clear criteria and brainstorm approaches to help students to understand it.

S1.6 Making connections with Inside My Mother Stage 6

Kimberley Scott , Narelle Roberts and Amy TicknerThis presentation will examine Inside My Mother as a prescribed text for the HSC. Ali Cobby Eckermann's poetry invites students into a culturally rich context that can seem far removed from their own world and inspires rewarding learning experiences. This talk will provide an informative overview of classroom activities and materials that assist students in enhancing their understanding of language, culture and identity in Eckermann's poetry.

Anthony BrittenThis workshop will explore the possibilities of the new and exciting category of Creative Non-fiction in the HSC Extension 2 English course. We will explore the history and definitions of the genre, discuss and share examples of Creative Non-fiction from Australia and other regions and consider possible sites of publication. Participants will learn about the conventions and scope of this fluid and dynamic form of writing and explore the importance of story, reflection, veracity and authorial presence in the composition of Creative Non-fiction.

S1.7 Creative non-fiction in HSC Extension 2 English Stage 6

S1.8 Feedback - use it or ignore it? Stages 4 - 5

Melissa Kennedy and Sam KilbornHow do I spark students' curiosity so that they take action and make a change to improve the quality of their writing? In this workshop we share strategies and templates to create, share and evaluate the effectiveness of feedback to students. Using Assessment for Learning theory, including the work of the English academic, Dr Dylan Wiliam, we show how you can create a writing workshop culture whereby your feedback carries maximum 'bang for your buck'. This is Workshop 1 in our 'Sustainable Teacher Files' as we focus on practices that have strategic impact in terms of student learning but don't kill you with additional work in the process.




S1.9 Extending textual exploration through access to extended reality in English

Stages 4, 5 & 6

Imelda Judge How do we help our students engage in meaningful learning through a stronger understanding of the language used to explore and analyse extended reality textual forms, like virtual reality and augmented reality? We will also investigate HOW we can extend our students learning in English through the opportunity to create powerful extended reality digital narratives. In this session, we will be exploring a number of apps that can be easily accessed through your mobile phone so please bring a charged phone with data to help you enjoy the full experience of this session.

S1.10 Theory to practice: Extension 1 related project Stage 6

Jacob Anstey and Bro ReveleighThis presentation explores the possibility of literary and critical theory as the explicit origins of a methodology for students undertaking the Related Project in the Preliminary English Extension course. It considers how the wording of the syllabus makes such an approach possible and the kinds of teaching and learning activities that bring such an approach to life.

Sarah WarbyIn order to reinvigorate the passion for writing within my faculty and school, we are stepping back from formulaic approaches to writing (PEEL etc) and focusing on engaging with the different voices and critical thinking involved in each aspect of writing. This has already seen students find greater confidence and awareness in terms of what and how they are communicating, rather than getting caught up on elaborations of an acronym. Additionally, considering the range of different responses required of students in the updated HSC, there is now an appreciation that we cannot be hamstrung by limiting structures and students need to engage with the essential aspects of writing: outlining, interpreting, analysing, synthesising etc.

S1.11 Move on from the mnemonic mindset Stages 4, 5 & 6



11:00 – 12:00 Saturday Session Two

S2.1 Film and project-based learning Stages 4 & 5

Mark Perruzzo and Luke BartoloTeachers can use a combination of cinematic knowledge, visual literacy, and film grammar to deepen student knowledge of filmmaking as a mode of communication. This presentation will provide a series of examples that utilise project-based learning to teach various aspects of film in Stage 5. A range of practical activities will be modelled for teacher use to demonstrate how Assessment As Learning can increase student efficacy and assist teachers in gathering valuable data on student competency and understanding.

S2.2 Integrating language teaching into the English classroom Early Career Teachers

Mel DixonGrammar can be a great addition to the classroom, offering students a language for speaking about their own writing and that of others. In this session, we will begin the grammar journey and look at how you can draw on grammar to facilitate the communication of literacy skills to your class.

Amanda Taplin and Libby BroughtonHow can we bring creativity into literacy strategies? How can we harness creativity so students can realise their enthusiasm for learning? Sir Ken Robinson posed the idea that "creativity is as important now in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status." With a focus on teaching English as an Additional Language, this presentation will equip you with ready to use strategies for bringing creativity and improved literacy to your classroom and school. This involves having the passion to encourage students to be more confident, independent communicators with more student-centred learning.

S2.3 Teaching for the future: creativity and literacy Stages 4 & 5

S2.4 The power of verse Stages 4 - 5

Haylee WardI will be focusing on how the verse novel can be used in the classroom to support and enhance student understanding of concepts. I will also offer time for participants to workshop how they can incorporate verse novels into their own teaching.

S2.5 Approaching texts creatively Stage 6

Kerri-Jane BurkeEmploying the research of Jessica Mann and Marcello Giovanelli, this session explores the notion that typical analytical approaches privilege the context of production over that of reception. Teachers will reflect on their role in delivering a student centred pedagogy that supports unique responses to a range of short texts. We will examine several strategies designed to 'step inside the text' and explore creative opportunities for developing student agency in meaning making.




S2.6 A sign of the times: teaching dystopian texts Stages 4 & 5

Alex WhartonThe ways in which students relate to and identify with different texts in the world around them continues to evolve. Texts layered with dystopian features are often so unpleasant we are pushed away, yet there is something within them that pull us even closer. This presentation will explore some conventions associated with dystopian texts, varied examples of literature and texts, as well as strategies for engaging even the most reluctant of learners through this fascinating genre. Come and vicariously experience the future whilst being empowered to make a difference here and now - the dystopian texts are waiting!

S2.7 Touching the light - Can theorists electrify learning? Stage 6

Heather KrollThis is an introductory nerd’s tour of social and literary theorists and some of the texts they inhabit. Add some spark to your teaching with some electrifying theorists relevant to the Stage 6 syllabus. It is easier than you think. We will zip through some significant social philosophers who have proposed the death of: truth, ignorance, reality, privacy, the other and individuality. Following this, we'll examine some literary theorists who explore the fantastical and the real in world building; the suspension of disbelief; language and meaning; and ‘reading’ literature. The philosophers and theorists examined will range from Plato to Simone de Beauvoir and from Stephen Greenblatt to Jacques Derrida.

Kate MurphyHow can we use the skills and focus of Module C to give our teaching of prescribed texts a new sense of flair and meaning? This session will discuss the possibilities suggested by an integrated approach to The Craft of Writing. Examples from classroom practice, particularly related to The Crucible, The Tempest/Hagseed and the poetry of T S Eliot will be used, although the material discussed will include ideas that can be adapted to different texts and courses. Teachers will walk away with a series of suggestions for classroom activities that can both enrich students' understanding of prescribed texts and enable them to become familiar with the skills required in The Craft of Writing.

S2.8 Integrating The Craft of Writing: Ideas for HSC Module C Stage 6

S2.9 Tell me what you really think! Stage 6

Zenna DiabAn informed personal response is the crux of Module B in the HSC English Advanced Critical Study of Literature Module but students are not always keen to share their thoughts or take risks when interpreting a text. As English teachers, we want our students to be invested enough in texts to tell us what they really think. However, when interpreting a text, we find ourselves talking at students more than with students. In this session, a range of strategies and resources, in the form of a series of mini lessons (within a suggested timeline for a Module B unit of learning), will be presented. The strategies and resources within these mini-lessons can be used for any prescribed text and are very effective in terms of developing genuine and invested responses from students who were once reluctant to share their opinions. By using critical readings and research methodology, and through making connections with the students' worldviews, you will be able to generate personal responses that lead to rich and opinionated discussions about the prescribed Module B text.




S2.10 Teaching Creative Non-fiction Stages 4 & 5

Catherine LaughlinThis practical workshop will showcase a way to introduce Year 10 students to the style of Creative Non-fiction. Using a variety of written and digital texts as models, participants will be led through a scaffolded structure to use with students in order to help them create texts which reflect their understanding and engagement with the world. Participants will also see how the pedagogical techniques of Explicit Direct Instruction can assist students to shape their writing during the drafting stage, and Thinking Routines can help students reflect upon and hone their writing during the editing stage.

S2.11 Mentoring English teachers: guiding practice and leading the English faculty

Teaching Standards

Paul GroverWith the implementation of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and an increasing focus on professional learning within the profession, it is valuable for English teachers to draw from evidence-based resources in developing knowledge and skills for mentoring new faculty members and teacher education students on professional placement from universities. Moreover, it is also important to draw upon these resources to lead an English faculty. This presentation will provide practical strategies and guiding principles for effective leadership as an English Head Teacher/Coordinator, and it will focus on the important role of experienced English teachers in mentoring new English teachers and teacher education students. Insights from recent research and professional projects will be shared, and resources for innovative mentoring and effective faculty organisation will be presented. There will also be opportunities for sharing ideas and discussing implications in the context of accreditation and leadership development.

Karen YagerPaul Engle stated that “Poetry is boned with ideas, nerved and blooded with emotions, all held together by the delicate, tough skin of words.” With its clever interplay of words to create evocative images and provoke feelings, poetry is the ideal form for students to explore and play with to cultivate the craft of writing. We need to immerse our students in a range of engaging and beautifully crafted poetry as the poets teach our students about fusing the language into compact and powerful texts that appeal to the senses, embrace lexical density and use form and structure to convey ideas that resonate. Through poetry, students of all ages learn to hear, see and feel the impact of a word. This workshop will share a range of ways to use poetry to engage and unleash the writer in your students.

S2.12 Poetry inspires passion and precision in writing Stages 4, 5 & 6



12:10 – 1:10 Saturday Session Three

S3.1 Reimagining professional learning: improving practice through collaboration

Teaching Standards

Pip HealeyIf you wish to harness the passion of educators and shape collective practice through collaboration, then this is the presentation for you. We will examine a high value, English professional learning case study focused on improving HSC results. Through the means of this differentiated professional learning model, you will be given the tools to develop an accredited and tailored approach for your team, and inspire the collective drive for improvement. This model addresses professional standards, promotes collegiality and links to teacher PDPs. You will gain insight into building successful collaborations and effectively using data to inform practice, measure growth and inspire change within your school. Walk away with a wealth of resources, templates and checklists to use within your context for the purposes of revitalising and reimagining your approach to professional learning.

S3.2 HSC Paper 2 Advanced and Standard: what do we need to know? Stage 6

Mel DixonIn this session, we will closely examine the format and the types of questions suggested by the samples from NESA for Paper 2 and consider how we can build on these examples to anticipate and design our own examination style questions, focusing on Modules A and B. How do we distinguish close study from critical study questions in Modules B? We will discuss some of the issues that arose as the ETA team worked on the writing of the ETA HSC papers. With this in mind, we will workshop different types of question writing for Modules A and B.

Jillian PeruzzoThis workshop will be a hands-on, fast paced, interactive demonstration of a variety of strategies that can be utilised when working with a challenging class. These strategies are designed to improve student engagement, build rapport and improve student learning. There will be a focus on doing things differently and creatively, and on harnessing your own enthusiasm and willingness to take risks in the classroom. We will also be looking more specifically at how each strategy can serve to improve specific skills within the English curriculum for stages 4 and 5. Please bring a pen, passion, and a pun!

S3.3 Engagement and enthusiasm for the challenging class Stages 4 & 5

S3.4 Engaging writing activities for any age or stage Early Career Teachers

Michelle HaskingQuick hands on activities to get students writing high level sentences, engaging paragraphs, describing character and expanding their vocabulary.




S3.5 The power of wonder in Extension 1 English Stage 6

Zenna DiabAn effective HSC Extension 1 program is dynamic and creative: students are provided ample opportunities to traverse numerous literary worlds wherein they will observe how the world of the text is constructed while trying their hand at constructing their own literary worlds. In this session, a sample program and supporting student companion resource will be provided to showcase how teachers can develop and extend a student's capacity to think creatively and critically. This program is rich with quality teaching and learning strategies and resources, designed to be taught as a separate unit in 8 consecutive weeks. While the focus of the presentation is on the Common Module (and building the capacity of our students to respond constructively to the types of questions sampled by NESA for the HSC Written examination), we will also identify opportunities for the ideal segue into the various electives.

S3.6 Strategies for enhancing writing in junior classrooms Stages 4 & 5

Kate MunroIn light of the demands of the new HSC, particularly The Craft of Writing Module, it is essential that we upskill our students in the junior school by exposing them to a variety of engaging writing and language-based tasks to develop their confidence as writers as well as their passion for the English language. This workshop will present practical strategies and resources for improving writing that are easy to implement into classrooms to suit the needs of students across different levels of readiness, including the extension of gifted students. Structured peer, self and teacher feedback to facilitate reflective goal-setting will also be demonstrated with accompanying resources and student samples.

Richard Short and Rebecca SmithDuring 2018, The Story Factory and Belvoir Theatre collaborated with four high schools in Western Sydney to create a drama script containing input from over seventy students. This project prioritised student voice, collaboration, creativity, and provided students with a real world outcome for their writing. The scriptwriting was facilitated by a theatre maker intent on sharing his passion for creative experimentation, improvisation and storytelling; a drama teacher with a love of musical theatre, student voice and drama pedagogy; and a poet passionate about collaborative writing projects. Based on their particular passions and interests, each facilitator contributed specific elements to the development and delivery of the project. In this presentation, the facilitators will share the process, explain how activities used in the project might be utilised in schools, and provide the participants with resources and the structure to create a small scale version of the project in their own school.

S3.7 One for all - a collaborative scriptwriting project Stages 4 & 5

S3.8 Matchbox Poetry: making multimodal poetry and more Stages 4 & 5

Anthony BrittenThis workshop is all about encouraging creativity and developing an awareness of how to pitch, plan and then create fun and innovative multimodal texts. Participants will learn about and compose some of the kinds of multimodal poems that have been successfully employed in our school based programs. These include Match Box poems - where students compose compelling four lined poems that tell the story of objects that are small enough to fit inside a match box; and Prescription poems, where students write healing and helpful poems in response to requests by patients. The workshop will model how students can learn to think like poets and share practical and striking strategies for publication. Multimodal poetry is a valuable tool that can become a dynamic and visible presence in your school community.




S3.9 Reflective writing: students developing an understanding and appreciation of their own learning

Stage 6

Sharyn StaffordHow do we help students reflect beyond the description stage? In this presentation focusing on Module C: The Craft of Writing I will share my journey of understanding what is required of Stage 6 English students in order to reflect.

S3.10 Simple, snappy, catchy: design lessons for teachers Stages 4 & 5

Matt RodenAfter a decade employed in the world of graphic design, illustration and art direction, Matt Roden re-entered the classroom as an English teacher. He's since applied the skills of his previous trade - clear ideas, quickly communicated, with eye-catching stimuli - to his lesson planning, lesson delivery, classroom activities/worksheets, and student publications. In this workshop, teachers will learn the primary rules of graphic design and design theory, and why implementing these in planning can increase lesson creativity, and how their use in delivery can lead to more successfully communicated ideas and concepts, and build students' visual and instructional literacies. They will create classroom messaging that students will find fun and relatable, and take away hacks and cheats to assist students in quickly elevating their work to real world standards, while allowing them to practice critical thinking.

Jen Scott Curwood and Katherine BullSpoken word poetry encourages young people to engage in identity exploration while voicing concerns and experiences from an often otherwise marginalised point of view. This presentation highlights two youth poets and their engagement with spoken word poetry for English Extension 2. It details how community contexts and literacy practices can inform young people's knowledge of spoken word poetry and its integration within the Stage 6 English curriculum. In this study, community-based poetry slams and school-sponsored poetry workshops directly informed students' knowledge of spoken word poetry, and teachers' use of culturally sustaining pedagogy supported its integration within high-stakes assessment. Drawing on students' poems, reflections, and interviews, this presentation offers insight into how spoken word poetry can be used in the context of the curriculum in Australia. Further, it shows how it can shape young people's creative practices, critical literacies, and multi-faceted identities.

S3.11 Spoken word poetry for Stage Six English Stage 6



2:10 – 3:10 Saturday Session Four

S4.1 Texts and Human Experiences: The Merchant of Venice Stage 6

Luke BartoloOne option in the Texts and Human Experiences Common Module provides an opportunity for students to engage with one of Shakespeare's most contentious plays, The Merchant of Venice. In this presentation, teachers will be shown a range of pathways into the text through the lens of the module. Important contextual grounding will also be shared as a means to help both teachers and students understand Shakespeare's challenging and controversial play from a modern standpoint.

S4.2 Facing the mirror: reflection and reflective writing Stages 4 & 5

Thomas Gyenes'Reflectiveness' is not only the OECD's 'key competency', it is required practice as part of many university degrees; now it is embedded in the new HSC in NSW. How do we inspire year 7s as well as year 11s to be reflective? What does meaningful and engaged reflective writing look like? Does the exam really require this, or a watered down 'self-analysis' of language devices? This presentation will explore both school-trialled and theoretical strategies designed to encourage students to be reflective. It will also investigate the requirements and issues concerning reflection and reflective writing as part of the HSC process.

Narelle RobertsThis workshop will explore a range of tasks which can be adapted for authentic formative assessment; these tasks can be adapted for a range of stages and texts and they address multiple learning outcomes. Examples range from a Shakespearean escape room to assess students' prior knowledge, to an urban adventure which utilises Instagram to track student progress. We will also explore how QR codes can be used for both revision and assessment of learning. The tasks are used across all stages and can be embedded into a range of units.

S4.3 Escaping the assessment trap Stages 4 - 5

S4.4 Miss Saigon: a preliminary text supporting success across the HSC modules

Stage 6

Nikki Peek and Michelle BounosStudents who struggle with English often find confidence with familiarity, therefore it is crucial to use the Preliminary course as an opportunity to ‘build the field’. Boublil and Schonberg’s Miss Saigon can serve as a powerful bridge into year 12 as it can facilitate study as drama or poetry (song lyrics) while providing thematic links to TAHE (particularly Go Back), and Language, Identity and Culture (in particular the NESA Pygmalion unit). This presentation will include a full unit and resources using key scenes from this emotionally powerful text that can be adapted to suit Contemporary Possibilities (with Puccini’s Madama Butterfly or Long’s Madame Butterfly) or close study for preliminary while providing an opportunity for students to build language surrounding the universality of cultural displacement, hope, politics, love, loss and parenthood to ensure an effective and engaging lead in to HSC success.




S4.5 This book changed my life: promoting reading culture in secondary schools

Stages 4 & 5

Anthony Bosco and Danielle RodriguesHow do you promote a love of reading to high school students in 2019? How do you create and foster a reading culture? What might a whole school approach to wide reading look like if you built it from scratch? Our new wide reading program has been designed to improve student engagement with books and promote a love of reading through activities that promote skills in recommending and reviewing, predicting and inferring, speaking and listening, evaluating and reflecting, sustained reading. Whilst the focus will be on reading for pleasure, students will experience other benefits related to the function of reading such as increased vocabulary, improvements in spelling, reading comprehension and verbal fluency. (Cunningham and Stanovich; Krashen, 2004)

S4.6 Writing about popstars: reflecting on art, fame, and power Stages 4 & 5

Matt RodenFrom chart toppers like Ariana Grande and Travis Scott, to recent films like A Star is Born and Bohemian Rhapsody, students are surrounded by real and imagined rollercoaster narratives of popular music makers. This workshop will give participants insight into how they can harness the relatable tropes and often hilarious clichés of pop stardom to encourage thoughtful and critical creative writing pieces in the classroom. Through numerous highly successful workshops run by the Story Factory, students from various backgrounds and demographics have used these prompts and strategies to create narrative poetry and collective multi-perspective scripts, and have been encouraged to consider the themes of art as commodity, and power and agency in the lives of young women. Participants will be guided through student exercises, and leave with plans for their own exciting popular culture writing program.

Elizabeth Sofatzis and Jessica HarrisThis presentation will share experiences teaching the Yr 11 'Reading to Write' Module to Advanced English students. Our program, 'Revisionist Writing', analyses the ways quality texts can challenge dominant paradigms and revise our conceptions of complex ideas, historical events and cultural/narrative assumptions. Our program maps out the interaction between the 'author's intent' in a piece of work and the 'personal interpretation' of the reader. This allows students to re-negotiate their own identity in response to the text, and imbues the text with a nuanced and personal flavour for the students themselves. During the module, students conduct their own 'alternate readings' of texts. We end with an assessment task where students write their own Revisionist Imaginative Composition with Critical Reflection and then we offer suggestions in relation to how the Module can be examined in the Preliminary Examination. Some pointers for how this program can be run for a Standard cohort will also be explored, including how a conceptual study of 'identity' in texts allows Standard students an entry point into understanding how characterisation, voice and point of view emerge and how their own identities are shaped in and through reading and writing.

S4.7 Yr 11 Common Module: Reading to Write Stage 6

S4.8 The hidden depths of Billy Elliot Stage 6

Zoe Coyte and Amanda FajouThis presentation will provide teachers with a variety of practical resources and ideas for teaching Billy Elliot directed by Stephen Daldry. In this lecture, we will focus on the hidden depths of the film. Rather than focusing on the obvious techniques of the film we will highlight and explore the film's finer details. We'll shine a spotlight on elements of costuming, props, set design, choreography, and colour scheme. These fresh insights will aid teachers in developing creative lessons for Texts and Human Experiences and will inspire critical thinking, creativity and collaboration in the classroom.




S4.9 Teaching dramatic and Shakespearean Texts Early Career Teachers

Alex WhartonWe know that teaching dramatic and Shakespearean texts is a requirement of our English Syllabus, but how can we do this in a way that seeks to bring to life and not destroy the wonderful experience of English? This presentation is practical in nature and seeks to equip early career teachers with strategies, ideas, and activities to make the most of these unique texts.

S4.10 HSC Paper 1: What do we need to know? Stage 6

Mel DixonIn this session, we will closely examine the format, the choice of texts and the types of questions suggested by the samples from NESA on Paper 1 and consider how we can build on this to anticipate and design our own examination style questions. How might we differentiate between the different courses? Where will we connect courses? We will discuss some of the issues that arose as the ETA team worked on the writing of the ETA HSC papers. With this in mind, we will use a textual extract or extracts to workshop different question writing techniques for the different courses.


See you at in 2020 if…

AcknowledgmentsThe ETA thanks all the volunteers who have worked so hard in the lead-up to, during and in the aftermath of the conference, particularly:

Co-ordinators of Volunteers: Vanessa RefaloFinancial Manager: Susan GazisSocial Media Managers: James Bannerman and Victoria Keech

The ETA is very grateful to its staff who work tirelessly to ensure the quality and smooth running of the conference.

Administrative staff:Member Services: Jay Cooper Events Coordinator: Shale PrestonAdministrator: Francesca CucciardiAdministrator: Sarah BaldwinBookkeeper: Carla Mascaro

Venue, Evaluation and Catering: Eva GoldProgram: Eva Gold and Ann Small

Thank youto all the members and presenters who so

generously share their expertise.

ETAENGLISH TEACHERS ASSOCIATION NSW

With thanks to

passion to practice - english teacher

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