Wednesday, February 3, 2010

'Ello 'ello, you're a very lovely TV station and I'd like to buy you a drink

Over the last few months there has been a rash of new digital TV stations on air. There's digital-this and Go!-that and more kids' stations than you can poke a Justine Clarke at.

With all these new stations there's the predictable mix of crap from yesteryear (like the Flintstones; die, Barny, die) and more present-day bafflers like that extraordinarily bouncy version of basketball from the States that involves very tall men and trampolines.

Anyway, while most of the new stations are fairly unimpressive from 6am to midnight there is one that's gold all day: Teachers' TV. Oh my lordy it's like porn for nerds.

The first time I watched it there were shows about bullying, about leadership in the classroom, about how to survive (and thrive!) as a substitute teacher. Sure it took me a few minutes to figure out what 'permanent exclusion' meant when the Strategies for Inclusion show started, but I knew exactly what was going on in the show about Sue, the maths teacher from Birmingham, who had a bit of teacherly coaching from some mentor guy and then taught the best lesson of her life. Wow! What a ride.

The first time I tuned in I watched for three hours straight; I was enlivened, I was inspired, I wanted to enrol in a Dip Ed straight away.

Then I happened to flick over to Teachers' TV again about a week later and what ho! The same shows were running, the bullying, the classroom leadership, the substitute teaching. Sure I was glad I knew what 'permanent exclusion' meant this time, but I couldn't believe Sue was back there peddling her insecurities then soaring again to teach the best lesson of her life!

Teachers' TV: back on the streets as soon as you enrol in that Dip Ed.

13 comments:

squib said...

As the child of 2 teachers, I can think of nothing *worse than a show featuring teachers talking about teaching

*except maybe The Bill

We never watch TV these days, Kettle. We have millions of Star Trek dvds. We watch an episode every night and on the weekend we watch two a night. Exciting!

Senji said...

Slamball!

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

What does "permanent exclusion" mean anyway.

Kettle said...

How marvellous, Squib. Not only did your parents take you to all sorts of Labor shin-digs when you were little but they also surrounded you with awesome teacher-talking. You're a lucky, lucky person.

We watched Next Gen a couple of years ago. Best 178 45-minute episodes I've ever seen of anything. With parents for teachers AND Star Trek you are possibly the world's luckiest person.

Dear Senji, with 'slamball' are you reliving a school yard horror or a school yard victory?

And Ramon, 'permanent exclusion' means expelled. Bit of a weasel word, eh.

squib said...

Awesome NOT

We're watching the Enterprise series. An integral part of the viewing experience is drinking a beer or mineral water with a wedge of lemon. Life doesn't get better than this, surely

Kettle said...

You're right, Squib, life doesn't get better than that.

Are you selling tickets to your couch-based utopia, and please can I have some?

squib said...

LittleSquib might be selling tickets, along with overpriced pipecleaner bead bangles

Kettle said...

What about over-priced pasta necklaces too? I ate my last one by mistake.

Kettle said...

Ps Squib, what do your parents teach?

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

Ps Squib, what do your parents teach?

Advanced capitalism I would think, if LittleSquib is any guide.

Kettle said...

Ramon as luck would have it I just came across this sentence in a book:

"Stated briefly, the capitalists are the brains of civilization, because they supply the entire fabric of which all education, enlightenment and human progress consists."

So there you go.

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

Bollocks to that, Kettle.

Kettle said...

I agree, Ramon, and hideously inappropriate for something published immediately post-Depression.

I also liked this sentence, because it made me laugh and spill my beer!

"Capital consists not alone of money, but more particularly of highly organized, intelligent groups of men who plan ways and means of using money efficiently for the good of the public, and profitably for themselves."

Wonderful crap for a Friday afternoon, don't you think?