Class Rivals & a Happy Horror
Prompted. Academic rivals except it’s two teachers who compete to have the best class./Write a happy story without conflict. Then with the last sentence, turn it into a horror story.
Prompted
Academic rivals except it’s two teachers who compete to have the best class
Thank you for the prompt! As soon as I saw the prompt, I thought - this is an anime-style waiting to be made.
Hook.d
Each episode in the series, a comparison of teacher strategies and theories thrust upon the students. A wholesome delve into people who care in a diverse profession.
Up Beat
Series 1
Teachers meet. One is serious. The other is silly. Both want to be the best at what they do.
They begin facing off. Who has the best…
…lunchtime club.
…English lesson.
…parent interview
…performance review
The show deals with dualisms
Imagination vs the real-world
Technology vs nature
Extrospection vs introspection
Independent vs group work - Interpersonal vs intrapersonal
Math/science vs The Arts
The punchline is the teachers keep getting the same results - different students achieving in different ways - as well as being outdone by the teacher whose been teaching for 40 years and her young upstart prodigy (the two constantly high fiving).
Series 2
The two dueling teachers face off against the senior (the senior appears to be appalled at the concept, but secretly loves the challenge) and junior teacher (is bursting with enthusiasm).
Our duo realise the other team are working together and complement each other. They talk and give feedback, and as they do they grow. Each episode is a new realisation.
Series 3
They all have to face off with becoming obsolete with the personalisation of ALS. Adaptive Learning System.
But the ALS teach students in a way that is only applicable to them. They notice there is less cohesion in the classroom. Students are unable to see the physical world as interesting.
The teachers learn to integrate the new tech. Which has moments of ridiculousness. Technologies not working. Passwords forgotten. Wi-fi out.
There is a hefty learning curve when the school becomes BYOD.
The teachers band together with the students to figure out the best lessons technology can be used for. And the ones in which physical will work well.
Throughout the series.
The students are almost completely oblivious to all the shenanigans of the teachers.
And when asked for feedback are constantly confused about the language the teachers use to express the technical aspects of teaching.
The technology brings a lot of - "Are you serious?” Looks from the students and concepts that took the teachers an hour and two coffees to figure out.
Wholesome moments of a hug from a student, silliness and storytelling, moments of giving students choice. Complete failures from the teachers. Where one is in tears and the other comes in and sits with them after a hard day. A Monday morning when nothing is going right. Reviews from supervisors. Parent phone calls and interviews. Lunchtime duties and book clubs.
A small scene at the end of Series 1.
As the teachers look at each other huffing over their respective wordy deliberations - Mrs J squeezes in.
Her short stature a presence of warmth and a look of I-may-not-be-looking-at-you-but-I-know-what-you’re-doing-“Jack-put-down-those-scissors!-Thank-you-Jack.” and posts her results.
Our duo look at each other. Over the term Mrs J looked like the students were not working a tick! They were simply having too much fun. But the results were out. And our duo now faced a new rival.
IFs
Curious Tippi is a teacher on Earth. In another dimension, she would be the silly part of the duo. Bullheaded and convinced of imagination being the ‘only’ way. Over their development as a teacher, they become nuanced.
When The Travellers ‘borrow’ her from Earth to help NeverWonderLand (storyline The Bubble) - she takes an unexpected leave of absence from the classroom. This means her teaching rival has to plan for her classroom.
This is a moment of discovery for her teaching rival, as they realise on the second day - the plan that works for their own classroom is a disaster for the relief/substitute teacher to follow!
They have to embrace the concepts of Tippi to help draw on the strengths of the classroom and scaffold. They get better over the week and greet Tippi with a newfound respect.
I couldn’t help myself!
Prompted
Write a happy story without conflict. Then with the last sentence, turn it into a horror story.
(@Writing-prompt-s Tumblr)
KISS
Theirs was an everlasting kind of love. The once in a lifetime promise made between souls of entwined fate.
He hid her from the hatred of the village, name calling, and grimm stories. She was his light. He was her anchor aboard a life ship.
They had been waiting for the blessing of a new life. And when the day had arrived. She turned to him with a smile. Whispering, as to not disturb the bundle.
"She's beautiful, Rumpel."