The work behind the finished page
Text: an original contemporary school-commentary-style practice extract.
The corridor display looked immaculate. Every page had a clean border, every heading sat level, and not one crossed-out sentence was visible. A visitor might have thought the work had appeared in its final form without any uncertainty along the way.
In class, the pages had looked very different. One pupil had covered a paragraph in arrows, moving a piece of evidence beside the point it supported. Another had rewritten an opening three times after a partner asked what it meant. Those marks were not signs that the work had failed. They showed decisions being made. Yet our display presented only the moment when the decisions were hidden.
Some teachers worry that showing drafts would make the corridor look untidy. That is a fair practical concern; pupils’ work should still be readable and treated with care. But a small display of draft alongside final version could show what revision actually involves. A pupil unsure where to begin might see that a strong page can be the result of several imperfect attempts. Finished work deserves a place on the wall, but it should not be the only part of learning that we let other people see.
In this extract, the writer tries to persuade readers that schools should sometimes display the process behind pupils’ finished work.
Evaluate how successfully this is achieved. Support your views with detailed reference to the extract.
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