Jason Lesser

English teacher and part-time poet 👨‍🏫 BA and MA English Literature Uni of Leeds 📚Climbing 🧗Music 🎼 Books 📖

London-raised, Yorkshire-based

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

@dylanwiliam We are missing everyone Dylan, but we are all so close to seeing it: culture is the only thing that raises achievement, progress etc. When pupils are liberated by a school that says 'we will carve out and then protect your ability to show brilliance' they will flourish and thrive

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

Thank you to @af_english123 whose engaging PowerPoints were adapted to create many of the slides.

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

Literacy Intervention Resources - Free

We know from cognitive science that the more you know, the easier it is to learn more AND free up cognitive load for higher order thinking. Literacy intervention in Year 7 is therefore essential. Here is what I made:
https://t.co/acZhF1bzj2

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

@CV_Dalcher Well this is SO disappointing. Seeing you rightfully trying to counteract antisemitic lies last week and now you yourself are spreading extremely misleading and dangerous 'Europe must purge the foreign enemy within' rhetoric a few days later. You are radicalised, seek help.

[Christina Dalcher @CV_Dalcher]

I *really* hope the Auschwitz Museum doesn’t mind, but I’m going to put up snapshots of their online materials because

1) People don’t bother with links
2) There are FAR too many people out there saying the Holocaust never happened

🧵 1/

[Nick Robinson @bbcnickrobinson]

A few thoughts on this Holocaust Memorial Day

My Granny told me that she first realised that something was wrong when someone in her local grocers ordered “A kilo of potatoes, Heil Hitler” and no one laughed. 

My Grandpa - a doctor in Berlin - recalled the letter from a patient who said that he hoped Dr Rosenberg would understand that he could no longer be seen coming through the front door of his surgery but he would now come in through the back where he couldn’t be seen. What he didn’t say - of course he didn’t - was that he was quite prepared to allow a Jew to treat him and potentially keep him alive but he was not prepared to put himself out to protect a Jew. 

The year was 1933.

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

This brings so much hope in dark times. You might have to wade through mounds of Musk posts and racist memes to find it, but if you look you can find pure gold on X

A student taught this well could never fall for the fascist propaganda that will bombard them in the coming years.

[Peps @PepsMccrea]

🚨🚨 NEW TODAY

About that viral teaching clip of Pritesh...

It's from a top secret documentary I've been working on for the last 18 mths to capture & deconstruct some of best teaching in UK.

Why We Made It & How To Access It (For Free):

↓

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

@Sofia_carcamo23 @LauraLolder @Team_English1 @FunkyPedagogy @HughesHaili Sure, I'll DM you 🙂

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

@MrsOliver80 @LauraLolder @Team_English1 @FunkyPedagogy @HughesHaili Sure - I'll DM you 🙂

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

@PhilBeadle Comparing the gassing, burning, torture, slavery and shooting of millions and millions of innocent Jews to *checks notes* a book of teaching strategies IS antisemitism and you are a disgrace. Stop. Apologise. Don't do it again.

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

The hills are very much alive

#summerholidays #Switzerland 🇨🇭

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

Very proud of this one! Safiyyah is a poetic force and yet she claims she'd "never written a poem before year 10" - just another great reason to study and teach poetry and creative writing even at GCSE-level ✍️ keep crafting!💪 Next #WestYorksLaureate?

[National Literacy Trust @Literacy_Trust]

Congratulations to the students who are shortlisted in our #WestYorksLaureate competition, in partnership with National Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, @MayorOfWY and @WestYorkshireCA You’ve done amazingly! Meet them here: https://t.co/eDjat0YvZW

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

I ran a successful poetry competition in my school and so can you in 6 easy steps! ✍️

Second blog drop ⬇️ https://t.co/fEhVBrL1FU

@Team_English1 @Literacy_Trust @WoodkirkAcademy @RSLiterature @HaleDonal @FunkyPedagogy @TrinityAcademyL @PoetryLeeds @LEEDS_2023 @UniLeedsPoetry

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

@vipereller Erica focused a lot on the emotional maturity of Benvolio though as someone who might see clearest, and if you compare his wisdom to the naivety of Friar L. it better supports team youth in the generational conflict

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

Big thank you to @OldFortunatus @EricaWhyman and @PatrickCragg for an incredible CPD session on Romeo and Juliet - can't wait to teach this play again next year!
Would recommend to anyone if the BL put it out @Team_English1

Some big takeaways below in 🧵

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

@AliceEngteacher Mainly to front load the themes to come 'ancient... old' foreshadows the generational feud (young Vs old), 'civil blood... Civil hands' foreshadows the violence (hate Vs peace) and uses a pun. Fatal loins is also a pun and oxymoron - links to (fate Vs human agency)

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

@AliceEngteacher Undoubtedly their will be, you can still access the J&H and P&C ones through the British Library, they're on YouTube but unlisted so you'd need to ask for the link when it's released 🙂

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

@AliceEngteacher Erica suggested the young Montagues and Capulets can see more shared humanity and beauty in the world because, unlike the older generation, they are not blinded by fury, feud and hatred. There is never any justification given for the feud and therefore the adults seem childish

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

@AliceEngteacher Erica was saying that in a modern retelling you need to transfer the setting to one similar to war or battle (e.g. a city riddled with knife crime) to reflect the accurate gender dynamics within the play (women needing male protection) This is why West Side Story works well

[Jason Lesser @lesserbyname]

@vipereller I think Erica meant the noun 'children' referring to R+J is only used once in the play but even though there are references to 'child', I think the idea that S. doesn't treat them as foolish caricatures of adolescents still stands true. Their speeches contain maturity & wisdom