Story telling at ASPLEY EAST STATE SCHOOL

Charlotte attends Aspley East State School and she is in Grade I. At a recent "Show and Tell" she had taken in a few of the books which I had sent to her. She told her classmates about her Granny the AUTHOR. Hence an invitation came from the teacher for me to do a "Show and Tell"! Well maybe not but at least a time to talk about writing and how I got into the art of "Storytelling on Paper'.

As I prepared for the session, my memory kicked in to a time in 1968 when I sat in front of a group of similar students in Knotty Ash Liverpool UK. I was a student teacher on my first Teaching Practice. The story was told to the students, with all the emphasis and drama I could muster and their hands shot up when it came for questions. I was so excited that they had been rivited by the story and  I asked a little girl what she wanted to say and the answer was " I have a pencil case like yours". Ego sufficiently flattened!!!

So what lay ahead in the classroom at Aspley East, Brisbane Queensland?

The green chair at the front of the classroom beckoned for me to sit down and the students gathered around my knees (which were feeling a little shaky). I was introduced as Mrs Jackson by the classroom teacher and the stories of Mr Percival the Pelican, Magnificent Matilda, Rocky Rocketfrog, Lily Frillyneck and Scarlet the GreenTreefrog bubbled to the surface of my mind and words spilled out to these beautifully attentive students.

A question was asked by the teacher what makes a good story? A hero and a villain was my answer.

"Oh like in the stories Star Wars and the Hobbit" a student commented. I must make mention that the age group of the students is 6 years. I think my mouth dropped open with surprise but I smiled and said "That is exactly right!" It was a revelation that the stories of Darth Vader had an appeal to a 6 year old female student. Maybe one of her parents has a love for the Star Wars trilogy and had passed this on to her. I didn't think it was part of the classroom curriculum. 

I realised that my journey from Knotty Ask to Aspley East over a few decades had brought many changes and revelations. The final thought I leave you with today relates to a comment made by my youngest granddaughter Amelia who had been present with her mum Amy, in my "Show and Tell"

" You aren't Mrs Jackson, you are Granny."