Workshop in Falmouth

We are lucky to have Jo Grace, a teacher based in the Camborne area, leading the workshops this spring. She went with Bartek to Falmouth today for the first session  - and clearly did a great job!

"Bartek and I had a fabulous morning in Falmouth, such polite students, they listened really well and we definitely changed some opinions. At the start I got them to answer the 'start up' questions in their books and then I collated their answers in the document attached. They were fairly sensible, but the yes/no questions were revealing. At the end of the session I showed them those questions again and asked if anyone had changed any  of their answers. Lots of pupils swiftly put their hands up without any pressure and proudly declared what they had learned, and everyone said they now thought migrant workers contributed to the local community. They have also all filled out the evaluation document.

              I began by showing a brief PowerPoint that I have made, that shows images of migrant workers I know and also of Cornish miners - just to illustrate what you say about historical patterns of migration within cornwall. I also showed a photo of a statue erected in an Australian town as a tribute to the Cornish miners who helped start the industry over there. I asked if we could imagine a statue for migrant workers being erected here.

            I said that it was important that we learn about other people, but also it is important we think about ourselves and who we want to be as Cornish people and as individuals. Do we want to be the sort of people who judge others or welcome them?

            I then showed your PowerPoint, all the time I warned the pupils that we would have the chance to interview Bartek, and they wrote down questions to ask him when they thought of them in the back of their books. By the time it came to ask Bartek to talk, they were brimming with things they wanted to know. I told them about you and about how you are a journalist and encouraged them to think of themselves along those lines. I let them do the whole interview, so first they found out the basics, where he was from etc. ...

           Next I got them to do the postcard exercise, except that we wrote on both sides. I said to write on one side what you think you would write to your family, and then on the other side write the truth - what it is really like. This produced some interesting results. I said we would have more time to ask Bartek questions and I pointed out to them how kind and diplomatic he is, and said if they were to be journalists and wanted to find out about the sadder things they would have to think up better questions.

       A few people came up with some good ones, "What's the hardest thing you've had to face here?" etc.

        We watched the film clips during the postcard exercise to help generate ideas.

       At the very end Bartek taught us a few Polish words.

         It really was so much fun. I really enjoyed it.... I'm looking forward to going back.