John Dixon
1966 Dartmouth Conference
Growth Through English
... teachers of English at all levels should have more opportunity to enjoy and refresh themselves in their subject, using language in operation for all its central purposes ... Teachers without this experience - who would never think of writing a poem, flinch at the idea of 'acting', and rarely enter into discussion of the profounder human issues of everyday experience - are themselves deprived and are likely in turn to limit the experience of their pupils. On the other hand ... just because language is so vital and pervading a concern, mature men and women can surprise themselves by the imaginative power they suddenly realise they possess, given the right opportunity.
John's words describe the kind of opportunities NWP (UK) is trying to provide for teachers through the care and enthusiasm of volunteer group and workshop leaders. Teachers regularly write poetry in NWP groups - and 'discuss the profounder human issues of everyday experience' (particularly those in school settings. These teachers so enhance their pupils' experience of the subject through the example of teachers writing alongside their pupils. And John's description of teachers being surprised by the realisation of the imaginative power that they possess is very recognisable: teachers are affirmed, grow and encourage others in NWP groups - and the benefits are passed on to their pupils through the 're-orientation' of their classrooms that follows. It makes a difference if teachers personally invest in and encourage situated 'writers' - rather than merely teach someone else's idea of what 'writing' and its conventions are.
It is no accident to the evolution of NWP (UK) that John's seminal work, 'Growth through English', was a core text on my PGCE course in 1976. I can still remember its sunshine yellow cover and the discussions about 'English and personal growth' that guided my development as a teacher of English and featured prominently in Kingman and Cox and were revisited in the 1990s when I became an English adviser. John's words still inform me today, some 42 years later, especially as I am about to attend NWP's first writing retreat. It is organised by Jeni Smith and will be attended by 5 teachers all of whom run or attend writing groups which I helped launch: London (Free Spaces) 2012, Bristol, Sussex and London (Whodunit) 2013. John's influence lives on in this project.
Simon Wrigley, NWP outreach director 24.7.18
Growth Through English
... teachers of English at all levels should have more opportunity to enjoy and refresh themselves in their subject, using language in operation for all its central purposes ... Teachers without this experience - who would never think of writing a poem, flinch at the idea of 'acting', and rarely enter into discussion of the profounder human issues of everyday experience - are themselves deprived and are likely in turn to limit the experience of their pupils. On the other hand ... just because language is so vital and pervading a concern, mature men and women can surprise themselves by the imaginative power they suddenly realise they possess, given the right opportunity.
John's words describe the kind of opportunities NWP (UK) is trying to provide for teachers through the care and enthusiasm of volunteer group and workshop leaders. Teachers regularly write poetry in NWP groups - and 'discuss the profounder human issues of everyday experience' (particularly those in school settings. These teachers so enhance their pupils' experience of the subject through the example of teachers writing alongside their pupils. And John's description of teachers being surprised by the realisation of the imaginative power that they possess is very recognisable: teachers are affirmed, grow and encourage others in NWP groups - and the benefits are passed on to their pupils through the 're-orientation' of their classrooms that follows. It makes a difference if teachers personally invest in and encourage situated 'writers' - rather than merely teach someone else's idea of what 'writing' and its conventions are.
It is no accident to the evolution of NWP (UK) that John's seminal work, 'Growth through English', was a core text on my PGCE course in 1976. I can still remember its sunshine yellow cover and the discussions about 'English and personal growth' that guided my development as a teacher of English and featured prominently in Kingman and Cox and were revisited in the 1990s when I became an English adviser. John's words still inform me today, some 42 years later, especially as I am about to attend NWP's first writing retreat. It is organised by Jeni Smith and will be attended by 5 teachers all of whom run or attend writing groups which I helped launch: London (Free Spaces) 2012, Bristol, Sussex and London (Whodunit) 2013. John's influence lives on in this project.
Simon Wrigley, NWP outreach director 24.7.18