HAVING RECENTLY READ MORE ABOUT THE FINNISH EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND ITS BODY OF PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS, I COULDN’T HELP WONDER WHETHER IT ISN’T TIME TO ADOPT A TRULY ‘PROFESSIONAL’ APPROACH TO TEACHING IN OUR COUNTRY. Yes, we have bodies that represent our teachers, but I very seldom hear them comment on the need for...

‘Library Lovers have strikingly positive views of public libraries compared with other groups, and with the U.S. population as a whole; they use libraries and library websites more than any other group, and believe libraries are essential at the personal as well as the community level.’ ~ The PEW Center’s Library...

I HAVE ASKED THIS QUESTION BEFORE, AND I STILL DON’T HAVE A SATISFACTORY ANSWER. I ALSO DON’T HAVE A HOST OF INSPIRING TITLES THAT I CAN SUGGEST YOU EXPLORE AS MY RESEARCH HASN’T YIELDED TOO MANY OPTIONS. But a recent review caught my eye: How does a writer tell the story of a traumatised nation without being...

I thought it would be a fabulous job: reading books, sharing ideas and making what I consider ‘valuable’ decisions. Having spoken to a number of teachers and colleagues about which titles they thought should appear on the prescribed list I’ve realised that it is a mammoth task, and, sadly, you are never going to keep...

First we had Disgrace and The Native Commissioner, then The Beneficiaries was foisted onto learners, and now the IEB selection committee has chosen Absolution (by Patrick Flanery) as a HL option for Grade 12 in 2015/2016. Angst and guilt abound – what are we trying to say to our youth about growing up in South...

Sounds like the title of a South African political discussion, doesn’t it? These opening lines from Richard III, together with the fact that the play is being staged at Maynardville open-air theatre this year, made me consider whether Richard III would be a suitable title to study in Grade 12. For those of you who,...

There is a chance that the prescribed works in the national curriculum will change in 2015/2016 and this has made me wonder what approach the selection committee will take. Will they be traditionally conventional (read ‘boring’), or be bold and offer relevant, inspiring titles? The current national selection provides...

Happy New Year to you! Macrat Publishing wishes you a fulfilling and productive year. The beginning of the year is a good time for making decisions to do things differently – to get rid of bad habits and start doing things that benefit us. What about making a New Year’s resolution to avoid burn-out this year? To...

We wish all our Macrat friends and supporters a very happy and restful holiday period. Herewith some suggestions for reading about implementing technology and rethinking teaching and learning – for the relaxing weeks ahead. 1) Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology by Collins and Halverson: The age of...

As a teacher, I always used to think that teaching was the second-most stressful occupation next to air traffic controlling, but apparently it doesn’t even appear on the list of top-10 stressful jobs in the world. (Try googling it and you will see for yourself.) So why then does it feel so stressful to stand in front...