Rupert Shortt teaches A level English literature and language at City and Islington College in north London. At the beginning of the term, he has to deal with some AS level students who fail to keep up with their reading of Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice'. Rupert and his head of department, Tony Fahy, discuss the problem in a mentoring session and Rupert decides to take a proactive approach. In a follow-up lesson, he sends the non-readers to the library to catch up on their reading and then enjoys a rewarding and encouraging session with the remaining students. At the end of the lesson Rupert sees each of the non-readers individually to get to the root of the problem. The issues that arise include paid work taking priority over homework, difficulties in understanding the text, and time management for a young mum. Rupert negotiates a way forward with each of them and finds his patience usually pays off in the students' exam results.

Video Series: FE: Teaching for the Future
Release Date 2005