If I had to assign blame, I'd probably point a finger at Ten Things I Hate About You. Or perhaps Bring it On. Definitely Dawson's Creek. (Team Jen, forever.) In any case, the nineties has a lot to answer for. Growing up in small-town Scotland, the representation of the 'classic American high school' in films and books (for what was a childhood without Sweet Valley Twins and The Babysitters Club?) was other-worldly and mesmerising. Basketball teams? Speckled composition notebooks? School newspapers? As they say: hell yes! With that in mind, I may have just had the best few days of my career to date. Let me take you back a couple of days and quite a number of miles...
On Saturday morning I flew from Glasgow International Airport to Boston Logan International Airport, with a connection in Reykjavik. I have flown into Iceland (and then over Greenland) a few times before and the views are sensational. I was also incredibly lucky to have a row to myself on both flights! Who needs first class when you can curl up with a cup of tea and Margaret Atwood?
I have to confess I was pretty excited about collecting my pick-up truck at the airport! Those who know me will know how much I love driving, especially in America. The Jeep Gladiator has not disappointed! It's a bizarre vehicle in many ways and there is a glamourless knee-to-chest situation every time I hoist myself in, but I love it.
I spent my first morning - a sunny Sunday - exploring the beautiful college town of Amherst, Massachusetts. Emily Dickinson was born and lived here; I loved getting to see her home and her alma mater, Amherst College. Amherst is also home to a quaint little book shop that has a vending machine that dispenses poems for 50 cents a piece! I, obviously, could not resist. I fell in love with the idea of instant and accessible poetry that costs less than a bar of chocolate. (If my headteacher is reading this: is there a specific form I should fill in to request funding for a poetry dispenser in Dunfermline High School...?)
From Amherst, a leisurely all-day drive west, into New York state (and Pennsylvania, for 30 seconds) to stay with Sally Ventura and her family in Olean. (Pronounced Oh-lee-ahn rather than rhyming with 'Jolene'!) I had contacted Sally some months ago after finding an article she wrote in Teachers and Writers Magazine that discusses the importance of creating a sense of indentity in young people by explicitly referring to them as writers and as readers in the classroom. (https://teachersandwritersmagazine.org/english-language-artists-5828.htm) The Ventura family were kind enough to host me in their beautiful home for the evening and I was treated to true American comfort food (with a Polish-Italian twist!) Sally - I will be fantasising about that chicken stew as I try to sustain myself on the road for the next few weeks. (I cannot neglect to mention Mick Jagger and Angie, cat and tiny kitten respectively, who also made me feel very welcome!)
Sally is the Faculty Chair of English Language Arts at Olean High and currently teaches 11th grade. Built in the 1930s, Olean High is the personification of my ideas about American schools - lockers line the corridors, the gymnasium was in full flow with volleyball practice and students begin the day by standing and pledging allegiance to the flag. The school's Principal, Mr Andreano, was kind enough to meet me and take me on a walking tour of the whole building, introducing me to numerous teachers. In a non-contact period (or "prep time") Sally and I broke out, got in the car and took a drive around Olean! Just like at home, there is a diversity to the town's economy that includes many low-income households. I felt somewhat ignorant when I learned that a 'regular town' like Olean had a number of Projects (or Low Income Apartment Communities) as that's something I had only ever heard of in relation to the Bronx. I didn't really have a sense of what a Project looked like but commented at the time that they look quite similar to my own house! I also saw St. Bonaventure University whose varsity athletic programme is named the St. Bonaventure Bonnies! (I'm not sure it means "pretty", in this instance.) Back in school, I met with the District Superintendant, Mr Moore, who oversees a number of schools in the area. Within a minute of meeting, we had decided to further the connection between our two schools by investigating the potential for an exchange programme...! Watch this space.
Spending time in Sally's classes was the highlight of my day. Olean students were so open and welcoming, asking questions about Scottish schools and expressing horror at the idea of wearing uniform! My perception of writing as part of the ELA curriculum is that it can be very much geared towards preparation for state testing and, later, college. I can see how the creativity could be sucked out of the writing process. One of the ways that Sally is combatting this is through her excellent 'High Schooler's Guide to Happiness’ unit, which focuses on increased agency and empowerment in her students. Incorportating elements of psychology and encouraging self-reflection, I loved the idea of a programme of study with writing at its core that will, undoubtedly, have an explicitly positive impact on a young person's wellbeing.
Once of the most exciting parts of visiting Olean High was that the English faculty have already implemented two of the specific things I set as aims at the outset of my research. Firstly, the school's creative writing group have professionally published an incredibly impressive literary journal, MacGuffin, containing poetry and photography from students. I was blown away by the quality of the content and am only bolstered in the belief that celebration of success is a crucial way to empower and encourage our young writers. Additionally, within the English faculty, a dedicated space for writing has been established in the form of the Writing and Media Center. This has become a multi-purpose hub of sorts, a place where students can spend quiet writing time during lessons or can receive some one-on-one support with a piece they are working on. I was shown some student-made films based on poems that had been created and edited on Macs in the writing center, an important reminder that there are many ways - traditional and technological - to harness literacy skills and creativity in our young people.
All of the young people I spoke to were happy to complete a questionnaire for me that explores their ideas about writing and their perceptions of themselves as writers. Their responses will form data to be used in my research report when I return home. I gave the same questionnaire to my own classes last year so I am very interested to discover what the differences - and the parallels - are. The American students also kindly offered some writing advice to Scottish students that I look forward to sharing upon my return, such as: "Express yourself and don't hold anything back", "excite yourself by giving yourself a reason to write" and "write for yourself, write what you need to express or let go of." I couldn't agree more. I was also treated to a tutorial of some local slang by some devilish 11th graders. Olean, I can confirm it was a high-key pleasure and that's no cap...
(Coming soon: Oswego Middle School and Lake Placid, New York...)