Re:generation NZATE16: Keynote 3 Michele A'Court - Small Town Girl

According to Steve, Michele writes 'real'comedy!

We get caught up with the 'minutiae' of our lives! 

How come my house earns more than I do in a year??!! 

Fundamental philosophy is that life is chaos. We spend our lives writing narratives to explain that chaos. 

'I look at my life as a book' 

Teachers who mattered to me: 

40 or more kids in my primary class - you just got moved through the system - always young in the class. Escaped into books. The librarian who led me to the young adult section of the library - was s key influence. 

My Yr9 teacher who told that you could make a living from writing - this was revelation. 

Mr Marsh - who made the 5 of us who chose drama to do Chekhov. In his own time, his own money, his own enthusiasm....

Last year she wrote an open apology on 'social media' to the teachers she had harassed through school - such as Dr Iles who did Economics without the knowledge he needed! 

Memories of SC English - writing on 'not' set texts - my teachers taught me HOW to read, not hoe to regurgitate! 

Two teachers who believe in you; no teachers who crush your dreams and few teachers who are faking it! 

I live the life I dreamed I wanted! If you can't recommend the job you do to others, why are you doing it? Find the 

place where you feel the 'most you'. 

Still keep grounded in the 16 year old in Levin. 

Three things needed in life: 

Something to look forward to

Someone to love 

Something to fight for 

Talking about fear: performing creates anxiety. 

Do something one degree scarier than the thing you have to do, it makes the thing you have to do less scarier. 

We tend to remember the shitty things that people say, not the good things - we need to hold onto those! 

Key quotes : Alice Walker ' I have the right to be this self' 

Final words - the fight for feminism belong to all !!

 

Capital Letters - Glenn Colquhoun - opening keynote - Myths and Legends Of the Ancient Pakeha

For some unknown reason, Glenn Colquhoun began his session by apologising for his singing voice - I have no idea why?? He has beautiful voice. 

Glenn's keynote was on the art of oral poetry in NZ - or songs for Pakeha to sing at powhiri! 

He started with songs and poetry that focussed on love across cultures - using Burns and Maori voices.

Ideas such as - an oral poem does not exist on the page - but in thin air and the spaces in between - and that we need to fill those spaces! 

Our country had two poetries - one  written in English the other sung and danced in Maori - very little conversation between  the two. His journey has led him to connect the two. The conference at Takapuna  forced him to confront these two worlds. 

What would pakeha oral poetry sound like - would they match the power of Te Reo?

He used a lovely phrase - Maori have 'Hymn book in the head' 

Historically writing allowed the poem to become more cerebral and more studied - this has left the poem 'spiky irrelevant and intimidating at times!

We tend to forget that melody changes the way the poem is understood - but is very powerful. 

Value of public performance changes the meaning and creates part of a conversation with an entire society. 

Glenn spoke about how he mined 'pakeha history' for the stories  of early NZers to form the oral poetry-songs of Colquhoun - Budby, Kendall, von Tempsky, Price, Diffenbach, and his own great great great great Grandmother- hymns,shanty, sonnets, ballads and work songs. 

While writing/composing these he discovered that stories of pakeha are as powerful and moving as those of other cultures. Fabulous link between the painted image and the spoken word - each piece of poetry linked to an early NZ image. 

Broken and incomplete subjects are more powerful than those that are bright and shiny. 

Again I have  no idea why he apologised for his singing - his keynote was mesmerising.

Kia kaha 

CETA 50th Celebration

50 years of the Canterbury English Teachers' Association -  Colin Macintosh and Helen Hogan were at the inaugural meeting - and they were here to celebrate tonight! 

Put a few generations of English teachers in a room with few glasses of wine - and let the conversations begin.

CETA team member, Anita and Helen Hogan 

Past CETA members - Colin Macintosh and Geoff Tait - catching up 

Two of the 'new generation' from RHS 

Franci Sutherland and Kirsten Kean 

Speaker for the night - Joe Bennett (with organic ginger beer) and Ros from Hagley Community College 

Colleagues catching up - Julia Malcolm (RHS) and Kath 

Amelia Gilmore and Steve Langley (past and present CETA and NZATE) 

Mike Fowler (Hagley) Sue Hume and Gloria Moyle (Marian) 

National English Co-ordinator, Trish Holden and Lauren (Aranui).

Chief soirée organiser - Marie Stribling -CETA chairperson 

Sublime Rhyme winners perform their words 

Harry ( St Bedes  - winner 15-18) 

i-solation

Courtney (Aranui) 2nd 15-18

Steve Langley introduces guest speaker Joe Bennett 

Master wordsmith - Joe Bennett 

" I had no idea what I was doing when I stood up in front of my first class" 

Getting animated over explaining NCEA assessment!!

Parent teacher evenings - you see the parent, you forgive the child!!!!

You need the full gamut of staff to connect with every type of student ! 

As a teacher, you know not what you do!

Founding member - Colin Mackintosh shares memories. 

Rangiora High School team - helping CETA celebrate 50 years