When inspiration strikes.........unexpectedly!

When you first start learning about what it means to be a writer (like I am) and you are offered all kinds of awesome advice, the one thing that literally everyone says is always have a notebook and pen with you in case inspiration strikes. Let's be honest, you probably have one of these anyway, but it really is good advice!

So, picture the scene, I'm at 38,000 feet flying home from Iceland and all of a sudden I came up with a whole new plan for my current (and first) book. I have my pencil case with me so I'm all set for pens, however, the only paper I had was my travel journal. Now, if you are anything like me you will understand that my travel journal can only be written in about travel, not random book stuff.

My lovely travel journal!

Rip a page out you say? Shut up! That is monstrous!!! I grabbed the closest thing to me, a napkin. Come on, who else has used a napkin when in need of a place to write? So I'm not alone then! Sure, people were looking and the stewardess gave me an odd glance when she asked for any rubbish and I clutched my napkin and let out an almost growl.

My Precious napkin!!

I learnt a valuable lesson there, always, ALWAYS, have a notebook with you. You don't have one? Get a new one, who doesn't love new stationery?! Inspiration can strike at any time, I always thought I would use my phone if I didn't have any paper but I had not considered that it might me in the air where my phone is off and I can't get to paper (cue manic looking around, borderline hysteria and sudden relief at finding the napkin!).

Where is the most random place you have got inspiration? What's the weirdest thing you have used because you didn't have any paper?

Until next time.........xx

So, is education not important then?

I am lucky enough to be surrounded by children in my family aged from 13 - 15, all of which will ask me for help with homework, usually science as that's what my degree is in, and it has come to my attention that the homework that is given by local schools, is, well, to be blunt, it is terrible! How these children are supposed to learn from this homework is beyond me. An example of the science homework that my 15-year-old niece was given had questions to answer using the diagram above, which I'm sure would have made sense if there was actually a diagram included!! So automatically there were 6 questions that she could not answer. Her confidence has plummeted in science, a subject she is very good at but thinks she is not due to the work they are being given. I also could not fathom why they were given homework about the circulatory system when they were learning about the digestive system?! Did they give them the wrong worksheet?!

This is not unusual, look at the picture below, this is my 14-year-old brother's homework, they are studying Romeo and Juliet. He has been told to fill out the worksheet, it has a column saying 'Character', one saying 'Action' and one saying 'Because'. The instructions above told him he needs to write what happened in these situations, detailed paragraphs (now look at the size box he has been given to write in!!)

Homework sheet!

 Now, anyone that knows Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet will see that the characters mentioned in the left column are not the ones who carried out the action, for example in the second one down surely Tybalt cannot tell Tybalt he may not fight Romeo. Or my personal favourite, the bottom question, are they talking about Romeo or Juliet? Juliet cannot marry herself and both 'him' and 'her' are used in the same sentence! How is he supposed to fill this in?

My brother is dyslexic (and while we are on this subject I have Irelens and therefore understand what he is going through), he needs things printed out on blue paper to enable him to read them clearly, this is black and white. He struggles at the best of times, without the tools he needs not being utilised.

This sheet is clearly one that has been printed from the Internet, which if it had been correct or in reasonable English I would have been absolutely fine with this, however, this has clearly not been checked and just handed out.

I am scared. I'm scared that this is the quality of homework that children are being given today which will have a detrimental effect on their confidence and their education. I know that teachers are overworked, I get that, I did a stint as a teacher. But, my students always came first, I created every bit of homework they were given to ensure it was right, I would not have dreamt of giving them a print out I hadn't checked. Education is too important not to be taken seriously!

How does one go about fixing this? Complain? But who would listen? Home school? They aren't mine to do that with!

That was a bit of a rant.........sorry!

Until next time......xx