You know Bruce - unlike you I was a rotten teacher- really crap.

Unlike ou I hadn't a lot of life experiences when I started. After about two years got my first graded post in another school - teaching reading in a secondary school in the inner ring of Birmingham. It was a very disadvantaged school with over a third of the 11 year olds having a reading age of seven years and less.

I thought I had the secret of teaching reading. And for the first three months I went home and worked every evening from six til eleven - maikng worksheets to go with these Australian reading books.
there were no computers in those days - so at half term I borrowed a large print typewriter. Working the whole seven days of my half term, 12 hours a day, I managed to type out these worksheets - 12 a day.

And then I presented my magnum opus to the children. And they hated it. They voted with their feet and stopped coming to school in many cases - it was so boring!

Finally someone on the staff was selected to speak to me. And say, Alan - if the kids have pissed off - there's no education going on!

And of course it broke my heart. however it was a good experience and taught me stuff about myself, although I'm not sure I ever picked myself up as a teacher.

Above all years later, it taught me to recognise something about folk music. When I saw all the empty clubs in the 1970's - I realised I was the lucky one. Because someone had spoke to me. So many of the folksingers nowadays - don't get it. Nobody has ever said to them, when the folk have pissed off - there's no folkmusic going on.

love

al