Joyce Bainbridge

Teachers' gendered expectations and their evaluation of student writing

Abstract The 94 participating teachers had marked narrative writing for either the third‐grade, sixth‐grade or ninth‐grade provincial achievement examinations in July 1995 and/or July 1996. Questionnaire and interview data revealed that teachers attempted to ignore the influence of gender perceptions in order to foreground the individuals self‐expression and to ensure equality for all individuals in their assessment of student narrative writing. In spite of their efforts, teachers did construct the writers gender while reading student narratives, however. Once constructed, these gender preceptions narrowed the lenses through which teachers assessed the writing, allowing for the perpetuation of gender stereotypes and the inequalities they create.

Living History Through Canadian Time-Slip Fantasy

Time-slip fantasy is a particularly popular genre of literature with many children in grades six and seven. It is sometimes referred to as historical fantasy, time-warp fantasy, timetravel or past-time fantasy. Its strong attraction lies partly in the fact that it crosses three distinct genres (fantasy, historical fiction and contemporary realism) and takes the reader to a time that is quite distinct from current time, one that might be perceived as being less complex than today. It enables the reader to step back from contemporary life and see the struggles of human existence from a more distanced, reflective perspective. At the same time, the reader remains fully engaged with the characters and the issues with which the characters are faced. In time-slip fantasy, the travel across time is generally spurred by some unhappiness experienced by the protagonist. Contemporary readers in the ‘middle years’ can certainly identify with the need to get away from the routines of life when they grapple with issues that are beyond their control; issues such as body image, bullying, anxiety, divorce, death, and adolescence itself.

From Poetry to Politics: The Gifts and Talents of Michael Rosen

Michael Rosen is a well-known poet, author, radio broadcaster, playwright and speaker in the UK, with over a hundred books to his credit. In his writing and in the many workshops he gives, Rosen focuses on the spoken word and the “voice” of the child. He believes oral language forms the basis for children’s writing. To that end, he encourages teachers to capitalize on the child’s voice and experiences as they introduce children to the art of writing and motivate them to write for pleasure.