A school workshop that’s more than an English lesson!
A workshop with me can capture the attention of schoolchildren more than any normal English lesson.
Why?
Because it may be the first time they’ve seen how to use the English language they’ve learnt in a real-life situation.
It’s not all about grammar, verbs and spellings. It’s about accuracy, integrity and proper communication.
When reporting on a story it’s vital that the journalist understands what they are writing about, so research is also important.
During my workshop students learn about the mistakes that can be made when reporting and how to avoid them. I’m hot on accuracy and my mantra is CHECK, CHECK, CHECK!
Pupils find themselves slightly starstruck because I have a lot of real stories to tell them.
They love the fact that I’ve met popstars and Royals and as the session progresses they start to fire more and more questions at me. They want to hear details about the more dramatic stories I’ve done – murder, suicide, and how to report on the sensitive subject of death.
And then there’s the excitement and satisfaction when they get their own news story down on paper.
One budding young journalist told me she had read through one of my stories and re-written it. She had changed the ‘angle’ of the story!
Wow! 10/10 for listening and using initiative!
It’s time like that I feel so proud of the students and thrilled to see how I’ve opened their minds.