Dream Children

[steepholm]

I refer not to Charles Lamb's might-have-been little ones, who must "wait upon the tedious shores of Lethe millions of ages before they have existence, and a name", but to the highly-corporeal, not to say in-your-face students at Jamie's Dream School. The show is ostensibly designed to give these pupils, all of whom left school with fewer than five GCSEs, a "second chance" by letting them star in a TV reality show drink in the wisdom of some of the most eminent people in Britain. (Only three of the nineteen teachers are women, by the way: Mary Beard, Ellen MacArthur, and... Cherie Blair!)

Not only are these teachers the "best" at what they do, but they have a small class to teach, and apparently unlimited resources: David Starkey was able to bring the Staffordshire hoard into the classroom and set up a tilting yard in the playground; Robert Winston to take a chainsaw to a dead pig [cue vomiting]. Yet it all failed: no one paid much attention to Simon Callow on Shakespeare; even Rolf Harris couldn't enthuse them about the Impressionists; and Starkey fell at the first fence by insulting one of the pupils for being fat and then going into a huff when he responded in kind.

As an educational experience for the children, this was probably of limited value. However, it was an excellent advertisement for professional teachers - and maybe that was its secret purpose all along? Teaching is one of those jobs that people have a tendency to think "anyone can do" (cf. children's writing, which also has a fatal allure for celebs). But these eminent scholars, politicians and public figures stumbled and/or fell - despite having all that cash, just one class to teach and no administration to worry about. It would be nice to think that they would draw the obvious conclusion: that teaching is a difficult profession in itself. Maybe we'll hear just a little less about "long holidays and short days" now? Alas, I foretell that next week David Starkey will blame his own incompetence on the woolly-minded teachers who let the kids get into this state in the first place. And that the Daily Mail will agree with him.

Comments

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

I left school with _no_ qualifications and what I've got since has been by my own efforts. I had six initials after my name at the last count. I'm also a qualified teacher- I worked in special needs for twenty years with seriously disabled, abused and terminally ill kids and burned out by my early forties doing it. I'd love these 'exeperts' to show me how it's done...........

I for one get tired celebs of whatever brand thinking they know how to run things- if so, get elected and show us how it's done (sadly, a good many of our fellow citizens would be daft enough to vote for them too). Jordan for Prime Minister?

Just don't get me started on that bloody reactionary, Starkey, with whom I'm sometimes ashamed to share the designation 'historian'!

'Dream Children'? The Piece by Sir Edward Elgar of that name is truly lovely :o)

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

I watched this too yesterday evening, mainly because I was hoping to see Mary Beard have a go at teaching the kids some Latin. But I ended up feeling much the same as you, particularly about David Starkey. Had I had a desk in front of me, my head would have been hitting it repeatedly at his obvious rookie mistakes.

I'm still hoping Mary Beard might prove more equal to the challenge when she finally gets her slot, as at least she is a pedagogical professional. I'm betting the gulf between her normal students and the kids on this programme will fox even her, though - as indeed I'm pretty sure it would me in the same situation.

[fjm.livejournal.com]

Did you read her account of it? She seems to have begun with far more reasonable expectations ie all she wanted to achieve was a flicker of interest and a sense of wonder. In other words, she's a teacher, not a starlet expecting to change the world in one lesson.

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

LOL I am kind of glad I missed it.people who know I'm losing my job glibly say I should retrain as a teacher as if it was the easiest thing in the world. I don't think I've got what it takes.

[sheenaghpugh]

To judge by the review in the Graun, he blamed the kids. I didn't watch it but was predicting much this outcome.

[gillo]

I watched the second half, so I missed Starkey's actual outburst, but it was fascinating to see that he was angry with "them", while the "head" felt it would be a disciplinary case against him. Starkey is unbelievably rude to people he considers his equals (or near-equals - does he genuinely accept anyone is actually his equal?) and it's clear he sees these kids as beneath him in every way. That's never going to work.

The kids are a typical concentration of low-achievers of the sort almost every teacher has to deal with at some stage in their career. The arrogance and bluster of the kids hides an incredibly low self-esteem; it makes them obnoxious and very hard to reach because they have given up on themselves, and because they have taken short-term thinking to an art form - immediate gratification is all that matters.

Presumably there will be some success, following the traditional Jamie format, or they would have ditched the series. But I don't see how Starkey can ever be a part of that.