1. In Mrs Tilcher’s Class
LO: How to analyse an unseen poem

2. Poetry Terms
Warm-up
Match the terms to their definitions
and an example. Use a different
colour for each term.

3. Simile A word with the function of Metaphor
describing a noun
The not so clever cat A comparison where the The enormous, grey elephant
Ate the polyester mat person/thing ‘is’ something else began to paint
A string of words beginning with Alliteration I’m wondering where
the same of similar sounds I’ve left my feet, and why
my hands are outside clapping.
She was as clever as a Onomatopoeia Words which imitate the sound
professor, with eyes that
sparkled like a diamond
A non-human thing or idea is A comparison using ‘as’ or ‘like’ The day was a picture, a
given human attributes painting of perfection.
The clash of the clouds, the A line ending in which the sense Enjambment
whoosh of the wind continues into the following
stanza
Rhyme The terrifying teacher terrorised The same or similar sounds at
the trembling twins the end of two or more words
The frost froze spitefully over Adjective Personification
the pavement and waiting with
glee for an unsuspecting
pedestrian

4. Simile A word with the function of Metaphor
describing a noun
The not so clever cat A comparison where the The enormous, grey elephant
Ate the polyester mat person/thing ‘is’ something began to paint
else
A string of words beginning Alliteration I’m wondering where
with the same or similar I’ve left my feet, and why
sounds
my hands are outside clapping.
She was as clever as a Onomatopoeia Words which imitate the sound
professor, with eyes that
sparkled like a diamond
A non-human thing or idea is A comparison using ‘as’ or ‘like’ The day was a picture, a
given human attributes painting of perfection.
The clash of the clouds, the A line ending in which the Enjambment
whoosh of the wind sense continues into the
following stanza
Rhyme The terrifying teacher The same or similar sounds at
terrorised the trembling twins the end of two or more words
The frost froze spitefully over Adjective Personification
the pavement and waiting with
glee for an unsuspecting
pedestrian

5. Learning Checklist
AO1 and AO2
1. Respond with insight and imagination; select
text detail to support interpretations.
2. Explain how the writer uses language,
structure and form to present ideas, themes
and settings.

6. What is the
What tone of voice
poem about?
should it be read in?
Has the poet
Things to
used any
notice in a How do the
patterns?
poem! images support
the meaning?
How has the poet
recreated sound? What effect
does the poem
have on you?

7. When you read a poem,
always remember to SMILE
S • Structure (including form,
rhyme and rhythm)
• Meaning (including storyline
M and viewpoint)
• Imagery (including the senses,
I simile, metaphor, adjectives
and personification)
L • Language (including word use
and onomatopoeia)
E • Effect (including mood,
emotion and tone)

8. Skimming the Surface of a Poem
1) Read through the poem once.
2) Read through the poem again, working out a general impression of
the poem – What is the poem about?
* What happens in each stanza – note this down next to each stanza
* What is the poem about as a whole? Does it deal with a particular
topic or issue?
3) Look at the language used to express ideas for an idea of tone
* Is the tone of the poem happy/sad/positive/negative? How do you
know (which words create this tone – underline them)? Does the tone
vary at any point in the poem?

9. Go through the poem and pick
In Mrs Tilscher’s Class out other features of SMILE you
can write about, as many as you
S You could travel up the Blue Nile
with your finger, tracing the route
while Mrs Tilscher chanted the scenery.
”Tana. Ethiopia. Khartoum. Aswan.”
can in 10 minutes
That for an hour, In the exam you will have 10
then a skittle of milk
M and the chalky Pyramids rubbed into dust.
A window opened with a long pole.
The laugh of a bell swung by a running child.
minutes at most to do this
This was better than home. Enthralling books.
I The classroom glowed like a sweetshop.
Sugar paper. Coloured shapes. Brady and Hindley
faded, like the faint, uneasy smudge of a mistake.
Mrs Tilscher loved you. Some mornings, you found
she'd left a gold star by your name.
The scent of a pencil slowly, carefully, shaved.
L A xylophone's nonsense heard from another form.
Over the Easter term the inky tadpoles changed
from commas into exclamation marks. Three frogs
hopped in the playground, freed by a dunce
E
followed by a line of kids, jumping and croaking
away from the lunch queue. A rough boy
told you how you were born. You kicked him, but stared
at your parents, appalled, when you got back
home.
That feverish July, the air tasted of electricity.
A tangible alarm made you always untidy, hot,
fractious under the heavy, sexy sky. You asked her
how you were born and Mrs Tilscher smiled
Page 156 then turned away. Reports were handed out.
You ran through the gates, impatient to be grown
the sky split open into a thunderstorm.

10. Write your introduction
How does the poet show her feelings about her time
at Primary school?
You should consider:
• how the poet describes the sights and sound of the Primary School
• how the poet describes the experiences of Primary School
• what she realises as an adult looking back on her experiences
• the tone of voice in the poem
• the language the poet uses
• how the poem is structured
• anything else that you think important.
In your introduction it is a good idea to summarise the poem’s
meaning, tone and the response you think the poet wanted from
the reader.

11. PLANNING YOUR PEARL
So you’ve gathered your evidence to
answer this question. Now, how will you
structure your response? What will your
PEARLs be?
PEARLs:
1.
2.
3.
Number your evidence/annotations to
show which PEARL it belongs with. Will
you cover all elements of the question/
SMILE with this plan?

12. Lesson 2
Learning Objective:
using the PEARL paragraph structure

13. Starter
Brainstorm your memories of Primary School.

14. In Mrs Tilscher’s Class
You could travel up the Blue Nile
with your finger, tracing the route
while Mrs Tilscher chanted the scenery.
”Tana. Ethiopia. Khartoum. Aswan.”
That for an hour,
then a skittle of milk
and the chalky Pyramids rubbed into dust.
A window opened with a long pole.
The laugh of a bell swung by a running child.
This was better than home. Enthralling books.
The classroom glowed like a sweetshop.
Sugar paper. Coloured shapes. Brady and Hindley
faded, like the faint, uneasy smudge of a mistake.
Mrs Tilscher loved you. Some mornings, you found
she'd left a gold star by your name.
The scent of a pencil slowly, carefully, shaved.
A xylophone's nonsense heard from another form.
Over the Easter term the inky tadpoles changed
from commas into exclamation marks. Three frogs
hopped in the playground, freed by a dunce
followed by a line of kids, jumping and croaking
away from the lunch queue. A rough boy
told you how you were born. You kicked him, but stared
at your parents, appalled, when you got back
home.
That feverish July, the air tasted of electricity.
A tangible alarm made you always untidy, hot,
fractious under the heavy, sexy sky. You asked her
how you were born and Mrs Tilscher smiled
then turned away. Reports were handed out.
You ran through the gates, impatient to be grown
the sky split open into a thunderstorm.

15. Read ‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’ in your
Answer the following
Anthology and answer the following
questions. questions using the PEARL paragraph
Focus on using the PEARL structure:
paragraph structure.
a) Why might Duffy have chosen to write
Point the poem in the second person?
Evidence b) In the first stanza, do you think the
children understand what they are
Analysis learning?
Reader response c) In the second stanza, how does Duffy
Link back to question show her positive attitudes towards
school?
d) How is the image of the tadpoles relevant
to the main themes of the poem?
e) How does Mrs Tilscher finally disappoint
Duffy?
f) How does Duffy use language to appeal
to the senses?

16. PEARL EXAMPLE:
Why might Duffy have chosen to write the
poem in the second person?
Duffy may have chosen to write the poem in the second
person to encourage the reader to empathise with its
themes. Lines like ‘Mrs Tilscher loved you’ and the imagery
in the simile ‘the classroom glowed like a sweetshop’ are
childlike observations and evoke positive memories and
feelings of how safe and happy they felt in the school
environment as children. Through this personal
involvement, the reader is therefore as shocked as the poet
when the tone of the poem suddenly changes alongside
the poets realisation that her parents and teachers have
lied to her and the world is not quite as it seemed. The use
of the second person effectively places you within the
poem and encourages you to personally engage with both
the themes portayed and the feelings implied.

17. Plenary
PEER ASSESSMENT
• Swap books with your partner
• Read their PEARL responses.
• How could they improve them?
• How is their interpretation different to yours?
• Give your partner feedback.

18. Write a full answer – 30 minutes
How does the poet show her feelings about her time
at Primary school?
You should consider:
• how the poet describes the sights and sound of the Primary School
• how the poet describes the experiences of Primary School
• what she realises as an adult looking back on her experiences
• the tone of voice in the poem
• the language the poet uses
• how the poem is structured
• anything else that you think important.
In your introduction it is a good idea to summarise the poem’s
meaning, tone and the response you think the poet wanted from
the reader.

19. Task: Write Miss Allen’s class in
the style of Duffy’s poem