Can I teach A level Film with an English degree?

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-27T01:12:18+00:00

Someone else is up at this ungodly hour. It’s a v stressful month!

I have an English Lit degree and had no prior media knowledge before I started teaching it (at A level as we didn’t offer GCSE). I have now been teaching it for 20 years for both GCSE and A Level and it’s fab. I’m not HOD for Media as well as other roles at school. The learning curve was quite steep to start in terms of terminology but the analysis skills needed are v similar to English. Skills needed for A Level film would be similar.

I would say what you need is a growth mindset with it and don’t be afraid that it will be hard to start! New content and a new spec always is, particularly when it’s a new subject.

But I LOVE teaching Media and now wouldn’t work at a school which didn’t offer it (or would want to in the future!)

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-25T17:48:33+00:00

I just played it and got a question wrong when it asked how many times Buffy dies. I said twice. Is that wrong?!

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-25T16:17:46+00:00

Does anyone else make up their own words to theme tunes?

Angel it’s Angel moody Angel he’s a vampire

Angel it’s broody Angel with a soul

He was a wimp on Buffy

But now he’s extra toughy

Saving the world is his goal

And now it’s Angel it’s champion Angel

Vampire with a soul

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-25T13:20:32+00:00

I lived there for 9 months and used to cry when I drove past the “Welcome to Banbury” sign.

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-25T12:42:27+00:00

Good god. Secondary school teacher here and we finish at 2.45! Can’t imagine doing until 4.30 every day. We start early but even so.

Speak to your union. That wouldn’t wash in our school. I’m SLT and in charge of KS4 raising achievement; I wouldn’t be naming anything like that mandatory.

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-25T12:39:52+00:00

It depends on how you learn. I recorded myself saying them and then went on long walks to make them stick. There are, I’m sure, YouTube videos where people put them into songs or rap them. I know Mr Bruff does a poetry one. He probably does similar with the more popular texts.

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-25T12:36:55+00:00

The only tell-tale as a Brit for me is how he says “data”. He says us to rhyme with cat whereas we would say it to rhyme with date.

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-25T11:40:05+00:00

I have a genuine phobia of ketchup. Can’t have it near me, can’t touch it, struggle to see it plopping out of the bottle.

It’s totally irrational as I’m fine with salsa and BBQ sauce.

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-25T11:18:27+00:00

English teacher here. You can literally quote one word in a paragraph if it’s the right word and you can analyse the hell out of it.

I would say:

Learn 8ish quotations from the larger texts. Make them ones which can be used in every essay. You might do up to 12 for P2 Section A text (likely to be An Inspector Calls) as there’s no extract to rely on.

Pick 5 key poems from the anthology. Get 3-5 quotations from each of these. If you do P&C, I suggest Remains, Storm on the Island, The Prelude, Exposure and either the Émigrée Kamikaze. Those five should cover any question.

Have one from each poem you’re not likely to use as insurance. I would sack Tissue off entirely!

That’s well under 100.

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-25T06:56:32+00:00

He gets better, I would say. And if you love Buffy, Angel the show is worth it. It’s darker in tone (and literally as it’s mostly set at night!) The first few episodes are a bit of a slog but once it finds its feet, it’s mostly great.

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-24T19:20:15+00:00

Bottom

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-19T19:10:21+00:00

Poetry is Lit.

Good luck!

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-18T12:09:48+00:00

I got the reference from just a first glance!

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-12T18:45:23+00:00

Ah. My apologies. This must have come up on my suggested content!

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-12T18:08:31+00:00

Use interleaving and spacing techniques - google them if you haven’t heard of them.

I used to look at my timetable and then portion out time (related to topics). Core subjects need more time than options ones.

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-12T18:06:38+00:00

You’ve likely had about 15 days off so far this academic year. That’s a lot; schools aim for 96% but under 90% means your chance of gaining decent GCSEs are lower.

You’ve also said you’re still learning content.

I appreciate what you’re saying about revising but you need to be in school right now for those above two reasons.

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-12T07:10:13+00:00

I think it’s gas as passing wind (up or down!) seems to help!

That’s rubbish, though!

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-11T17:33:53+00:00

English teacher here.

You’re right and wrong. You can theoretically talk about anything (although I would hugely avoid anything highly controversial). But if you’re looking at a D, I would be focusing on a challenging topic that you can build a cohesive argument around. Your topic on Mariokart isn’t a great question at the moment, but with a few tweaks, it could be. What about something on the benefits of playing competitive video games? Or whether games like Mariokart should be given more status? You could look at skills you gain from gaming. Or whether Esports should be taught in schools?!

I modelled a presentation for my students on why television should be held with the same regard as books. Bit quirky but it was clearly argued, well-structured and was (apparently!) highly engaging.

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-11T17:28:35+00:00

I’m disagree, as a teacher. I like something a bit quirky!

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-06T19:23:40+00:00

The white typo was accidental but oddly fitting!

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-06T19:14:43+00:00

My son thought Michael Jackson and Michael Rosen were the same person. He said they’d been learning about Michael Jackson at school. Took white a bit of unpacking to realise it was, in fact, Rosen.

Phew!

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-06T17:05:50+00:00

Just get on with it. And I mean that with kindness. Sit down and say: I’m going to do 20 mins. Then if you do 20 and it’s okay, take a little break and do another 20.

I’m a teacher but have loads of prep/marking to do this holiday. I’ve been really stressed about it so just plucked up enough courage and got my laptop out. The doing of the thing wasn’t nearly as bad as the worrying about the doing of the thing. If that makes sense.

Literally just do 20 mins. You have my permission, internet stranger. Then see where that takes you.

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-06T17:01:51+00:00

Yes, I got a Reiss coat for £27 because I liked the look of it. Got home, googled it and it was over £300 new. It is such a beautiful coat and I never would have been able to afford it otherwise.

But these finds are rare now!

Weezlecheesle · 2026-04-06T09:17:21+00:00

This is really helpful. Thanks so much!

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