This term in History, Room 21 is investigating Life in the Goldrush in Australia. Students are examining daily life and schooling. They have discovered that classrooms then were hostile environments with repetitious lessons and punitive measures if any of the many rules were broken. Nothing like the child centred approach they enjoy daily at UPS!

These are the first poems that some students have written in response to their research.

 

The Dreadful Discipline

Muffled whispers,

She yells my name and picks up the cane.

Smack. Smack, Smack.

She is a hyena laughing at me.

She hits me like I have no feelings.

A laughing matter.

HENRY F

 

Entirely Endless

Hard benches,

Black boards. I sit

Helplessly.

 

Day in and day out,

Day in and day out.

 

The class is an unending sigh.

Waiting on a lizard on a rock

With a bird circling above.

ELIZA F

 

Ludicrous Lessons

Mindless droning,

On and on,

On and on.

This class is hell.

It sounds like screaming in my head.

My head on the block.

ARIJIT N

 

Torture Tool

The cane hits him hard and tears roll down his face.

Whack! Smack! Whack! Smack!

The tool is torture.

The cries of his pain haunt me like a ghost.

Reduced to tears.

SHAUN G