Transcript `My Polish Teacher`s Tie`

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My Polish Teacher’s Tie
KS4 Prose Study
My Polish Teacher’s Tie (Helen Dunmore)
Resources
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PPT &
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PPT &
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Starter
Introduction
Pre-reading
predictions
Assessment of prior
knowledge – author,
story, polish, etc
Explain how story
fits into syllabus
(S&L) Carla
and Stefan
meet
Recap the story and
discuss character,
plot and themes
Development
Read ‘My Polish Teacher’s
Tie’
Plenary
Quick questions about
plot and character
Discuss plot /characters /
language / make
predictions
Complete plot
comprehension task –
Feedback diaries
Constructive criticism
Carla’s diary
Ext/Hwk
Rough guide to Poland
Who is it?
Carla mind map
Write a paragraph about
Carla using notes and
sentence starters
Feedback
Constructive criticism
My Polish Teacher’s Tie (Helen Dunmore)
Resources
Starter
Introduction
Development
Plenary
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PPT &
w/sheets
Introduce
concept of
archetypes
Set up Hotseating
task
In the hotseat
Feedback from
characters
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PPT &
w/sheets
The story so
far starter
Discuss the
concept of
symbolism and
how it is used in
the story
Complete symbol – quote –
insight
Feedback paragraphs
to the group
Write a paragraph
explaining how Helen
Dunmore uses symbolism in
the story
Constructive criticism
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PPT &
w/sheets
Thinking about
identity questions
(discussion or can
be written)
Immigration & social status
(discuss roles in a school)
Oral and written
feedback of responses
Pupils answer consolidation
questions
Teacher assessment of
understanding:
Set essay question
What is your
identity
activity
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My Polish Teacher’s Tie
KS4 Prose Study
My Polish
Teacher’s Tie
Objectives:
To make predictions about the text
To read and discuss the story
My Polish Teacher’s Tie
Think about the title of the story. What do you think this
story is going to be about?
Reading
Read the story ‘My Polish Teacher’s Tie’.
Discuss the plot,
characters and
language as you
read.
Make predictions.
Plenary
Create a quick ten
question quiz about the
story. Get into pairs
then try your quiz on a
partner.
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My Polish Teacher’s Tie
Consolidating the Plot
Consolidating the
plot
Objectives:
To create an improvisation based on the
story
To recap plot, character and themes
To complete a comprehension task
Carla and Stefan
At the end of the
story Carla and
Stefan meet.
In pairs improvise the
conversation.
Carla tries to explain
things to Stefan.
What would she say?
How would Stefan
react?
Recap
Recap what happens in
the story with a partner.
Discuss the following:
•Plot
•Character
•Imagery
•Themes
Carla’s Diary Entry
Imagine you are Carla. Think about what happened the
day you met Stefan.
Write a diary entry describing the events.
Remember to use the key features of effective diary
writing:
•First person perspective
•Personal pronouns
•Use imaginative and vivid description
•Include the main events of the story
•Include Carla’s thoughts and feelings about what happened
Extension Task
Poland
Create a ‘Rough Guide to Poland’ leaflet for English teachers
planning to go to Poland as part of the exchange programme.
To do this you will need to research information about
Poland. Gather information about:
•Education
•Family life
•Religion
•Culture
Present your findings in the format of an A5 folded leaflet.
Plenary
Volunteers read diary
entries out to the class.
Constructive criticism.
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My Polish Teacher’s Tie
Carla Carter
Characters
Objectives:
To identify character descriptions from the
story
To analyse the character of Carla
To write a paragraph about Carla
Who is it?
Read the quotes below then decide who it is and
explain how you knew. One has been done for you.
Quote
I wear a uniform, blue
overall and white cap with
the school logo on it.
He smiled wagging the
papers
Always holding up the queue
saying she’s on a diet, and
then taking the biggest bun.
His face looked much too
open, much too alive, as if a
child Jade’s age had got into
an adult’s body.
Who?
How did you know?
Carla
The description mentions a school
logo and the uniform reminds me
of school dinnerladies.
Carla
Think about the character of Carla. What words or
phrases could you use to describe her?
Character
In ‘My Polish Teacher’s
Tie’ Helen Dunmore
writes in the first
person. Everything is
perceived from Carla’s
viewpoint. We see
events and people
through her eyes.
Carla’s words provide an
insight into how she
perceives herself, others
and the world around
her.
12th May
Carla
At the start of the story Carla
introduces herself as …
Carla
The quotes below are taken from the story. Study them very
carefully. What do they reveal about Carla?
Quotation
Part-time catering staff, that’s
me, £3.89 per hour.
I am half Polish. They don’t know
that here.
I spoke Polish till I was six … my
father put a stop to it … I can’t
speak it now.
I didn’t write anything about my
job. Let him think what he wanted
to think. I wasn’t lying.
Me, Carla Carter, part-time
catering assistant, writing to him
about poetry.
What it suggests about Carla
Carla
Quotation
I knew he’d want to be with the
other teachers.
If ever anyone brought up their
kids to be pleased with
themselves, it’s Valarie Kenward.
He was as tense as a guitar string.
There were words in my mouth,
words I didn’t understand. And
then I was singing.
I wasn’t going to waste time on
the Head. I wanted to talk about
poetry. I smiled at Steve…’I like
your tie,’ I said.
What it suggests about her
The Change in Carla
Using your notes, write about how the character of Carla Carter develops
over the course of the story. Below are a few sentence starters to help
with your paragraph:
Carla
Carla is introduced to the reader at the start of the story where she
refers to herself as…
We learn a little about her background …
Carla seems to have low self esteem in the first part of the story. She
says …
Carla’s character develops as the story unfolds. She becomes …
By the end of the story she is … This change is due to …
Plenary
Volunteers read out
their paragraphs.
Constructive criticism.
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My Polish Teacher’s Tie
Characters
Characters
Objectives:
To consolidate knowledge of the characters in
the story
To develop understanding of how the author uses
archetypes
To hotseat key characters
Characters
In ‘My Polish Teacher’s Tie’ there are only a handful
of characters. Apart from Carla there is Jade
(Carla’s daughter), the Head, Stefan, Valerie
Kenward and Susie Douglas.
These characters are all seen through the eyes of
Carla. They are not explored in detail and they do
not develop as the story unfolds.
It could be said that each character is an archetype.
An archetypal character is one that exists to
symbolise or represent an attitude or type of person.
Look at the characters on the next page. Can you
match the character with what they represent?
Archetypes
Draw a line between the character and what they
represent.
Stefan
The Head
Valarie Kenward
Jade Carter
Bigotry and ignorance
The future for Eastern
European immigrants
living in the UK
The hope and high
expectations of
Eastern Europeans
coming to the West
Well meaning but
patronising attitude
to immigrants
Archetypes
Link the character with what they represent.
Stefan
The Head
Valarie Kenward
Jade Carter
Bigotry and ignorance
The future for Eastern
European immigrants
living in the UK
The hope and high
expectations of
Eastern Europeans
coming to the West
Well meaning but
patronising attitude
to immigrants
In the hotseat
Think about the following characters: Carla, Stefan, the Head, Valarie
Kenward. What would they be thinking and feeling at the end of the
story?
In the hotseat
Split into groups of four. Each member of the group must assume the
identity of a character from the story (either Carla, Stefan, the Head or
Valarie Kenward) or a questioner. The questioner will put forward a series
of questions about the events of the story to each of the characters.
Characters must respond to the questions in detail and in role, showing a
depth of understanding of the character being portrayed. Some ideas for
questions are included on the next slide.
I feel like I’m
beginning to
know who I am.
I am so excited
to be here.
He talks a bit
funny.
Who might say that?
Ideas for questions
The following are merely suggestions or starting
points. Questioners should listen closely,
challenge the characters’ responses and draw out
detailed answers from the other members of the
group.
1. Stefan, how did you feel when you met Carla?
2. Carla, why didn't you tell Stefan that you weren’t a
teacher?
3. Valarie Kenward, what did you think when Carla and
Stefan began to sing in the staffroom?
4. Headteacher, do you think that the pen friend scheme
has been a success? Explain your answer.
Plenary
One or more groups could perform
their hot seating to the class.
Audience members could ask
questions to the characters.
Consider what you have learnt about
the characters in this lesson.
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My Polish Teacher’s Tie
Consolidations and
Symbolism
Consolidation &
Symbolism
Objectives:
To consolidate understanding of character
and narrative
To analyse how the author uses symbolism
My Polish Teacher’s Tie
How well have you understood the story so far?
Answer the following questions.
1. Choose three words which describe Carla’s
character. Explain your choices.
2. How does Carla change in the story? Why does she
change?
3. Why is the pen friend relationship so important to
Carla?
4. Why do you think the author includes the story of
the bird trapped in the mine? What could this story
symbolise?
5. What does Carla gain from her relationship with
Stefan?
Symbolism
The story of the bird
trapped in a mine is
an example of
symbolism.
The stranded bird
‘sang and sang until it
died. Everyone heard
it singing, but no one
could find it’.
Think about the image of
the bird in the mine.
What could it represent?
Does its situation remind
you of anyone from the
story?
Symbolism in the story
In ‘My Polish Teacher’s Tie’ the author uses symbolism to tell us more
about the characters. Complete the table below showing how symbolism
gives the reader an insight into character. An example has been done for
you.
Symbol
Stefan’s tie
The bird in the
mine
Carla’s uniform
The
Headteacher’s
papers
Quote
‘His tie was wider than
normal ties, and it was
red with bold green
squiggles on it. It was a
terribly hopeful tie’
Character insight
The tie is very similar to Stefan.
He doesn’t fit in and looks out of
place. He is excited and full of
hope about his visit to England.
Symbolism
Using your notes, write a paragraph explaining how and why Helen
Dunmore uses symbolism in ‘My Polish Teacher’s Tie’. Below are a few
sentence starters to help with your paragraph:
Symbolism in ‘My Polish Teacher’s Tie’
Stefan’s tie is an example of how Helen Dunmore uses symbolism in the
story. The tie represents…
Earlier in the story Dunmore presents the image of the bird trapped in the
mine. This symbolises …
Carla’s uniform represents…
And the Head’s papers symbolise…
Plenary
Feedback your
paragraph to the rest
of the class.
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My Polish Teacher’s Tie
Themes
Identity and
Immigration
Objectives:
To consolidate understanding of how
the author explores the themes of
identity and immigration in ‘My Polish
Teacher’s Tie’
What is your identity?
What do you understand by the word identity?
What is your identity?
What do you understand by the word identity?
Where you live
Your culture
Your family
What makes
you who
you are?
How you dress
Religious beliefs
Thinking about identity
Answer the following questions in detail.
1. Has your identity changed over time? If so explain how
and why?
2. How does Carla identify herself in the first paragraph of
the story?
3. How does Carla’s identity change during the course of the
story? Why does it change?
4. What part of her identity takes on greater importance for
Carla as the story unfolds?
5. How does Carla’s personality change as she explores and
rediscovers her heritage?
6. What happens to Carla when Stefan sings the Polish song
at the end of the story? What is the significance of this?
7. What has Carla realised about her identity by the end of
the story?
Immigration and social
status
Immigration is another important theme in
the story. At the start Carla tells us that
she’s half-Polish and adds that ‘they don’t
know that here’.
•What does this quote suggest about Carla?
•Why do you think she has never told anyone
at work that her mother was an immigrant?
•What does this suggest about her
relationship with the school’s other members
of staff?
Immigration and social status
Carla has hidden her Polish heritage from her work
colleagues as if she is ashamed or embarrassed by
it. When Valarie Kenward mocks Stefan’s Polish
accent Carla doesn’t say anything, as if she is afraid
of challenging Valerie, her social superior. Carla has
a lowly social status and equally low self esteem.
She has an unskilled job which is poorly paid and she
seems to feel inferior to those around her. She
worries that when Stefan discovers that she is not a
teacher he will dislike her. It isn’t until the end of
the story, when she finally meets Stefan, that she
gains the confidence to accept who she is and
embrace her heritage.
Social Hierarchy
Most societies have a hierarchy. Place the following roles
in order of social status in a school. Explain your results.
Headteacher
Caretaker
Dinnerlady
Head of Year
Teacher
Students
Receptionist
Social status
‘My Polish Teacher’s Tie’ contains characters
that work closely together but are far apart
when it comes to social status. You probably
placed the Headteacher (the Head) at the top
of the list, the teacher (Valerie Kenward)
around the middle and the Dinnerlady (Carla)
somewhere near the bottom. As a second
generation immigrant and an unskilled worker
Carla has a very low social status. In the
story this is shown by the way in which
people relate to her.
Thinking about social status
Answer the following questions in detail.
1. In the first paragraph Carla says ‘I like the kids’ but she doesn’t mention
the teachers or her colleague in the kitchen. What could you infer from
this?
2. Carla says ‘very keen on fairness, we are, here’ in paragraph two. Is she
sincere here or is she being ironic. What does she mean by this?
3. In paragraph seven Carla says ‘Teachers are used to getting out of the
way of catering staff without really seeing them’. What does she mean?
4. What does the Head say when Carla approaches him about the pen
friends? What does this convey?
5. Why is Carla worried about Stefan coming to the school where she works?
6. Carla thinks about taking time off sick when Stefan comes to the school.
What does this suggest about her?
7. How do the teachers speak to Carla at break and lunchtimes?
8. What is Valarie Kenward’s attitude to Stefan? Why does she act like this?
Do you think she would speak about him the same way if he was English?
Explain your answer.
Themes
In ‘My Polish Teacher’s Tie’ Helen
Dunmore wants us to think about
identity and immigration. How we think
of ourselves and how we perceive
others. Dunmore suggests that a clear
sense of identity is important for our
happiness. When Carla embraces her
heritage she comes out of the shadows
and grows in confidence and is no longer
‘invisible’ to those around her.
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My Polish Teacher’s Tie
Links
Links
Helen Dunmore’s website
'My Polish Teacher's Tie' GCSE
Podcast
AQA Resources from the digital
anthology