Antony West (Author)

A good metaphor is like a tiny, perfect story in a single sentence. It can convey a complex idea with incredible economy. But we need to teach our students how to use them effectively. Instead of a dreary worksheet, get them to play a game. “The sky was as blue as a…” and let them finish it with something surprising. Or “The silence was a…” and see what imaginative ideas they come up with. It’s about encouraging them to see the world differently. As Tom Sherrington would argue, it’s about ‘practising’ the skill in a low-stakes environment before they’re expected to perform it in a high-stakes one.