ABSTRACT
Encouraging expression An effective poem (indeed any creative expression) represents a fresh and insightful
perspective. In some cases, the very fact that a pupil is a unique individual means
that what they say represents an original point of view. However, sometimes a
failure of nerve or a failure of imagination drains the vigour from the pupil’s way of
looking, and their work becomes pale, derivative and routine. This is not to say that
we shouldn’t encourage pupils to imitate the techniques and stylistic features of
other writers – emulation is an important step on the road to finding one’s own
voice. But I’m talking about something different, which is a kind of giving up, a
laziness in creative endeavour or a fear of ‘doing it wrong’. These tendencies must
be watched for and countered wherever possible, because they will dampen the
pupil’s whole thinking process. Conversely, if we can encourage and support
individuality of thinking as we ask pupils to play with words and strive towards
poetic freshness, such habits of thought will be transferred to all areas of their
learning and then beyond school into their lives more generally.
