Going too fast with English Literature A level?

Should we be already writing our essay English Literature A level? I remember in GCSE we would study a novel for like 2 months than begin writing notes on it. Ok, I get that was GCSE but I thought since we're studying two novels, we would have some time. The real thing is set for may but my school is acting for the first draft in November? Our teacher expected us to be finished already with reading both novels and making notes.

This is completely normal. GCSE is not even close to A level English Lit. You should expect to be writing essays pretty much every lesson within the coming weeks/months. You need a very specific structure and need to cover a lot more content - unlike at GCSE where you had a good shot of doing quite well without revising and such.

You have to be rather serious and dedicated when it comes to studying English Literature. I wrote my very first essay for it within the second week of starting it.

That's par for the course. You have a lot more still to come.

But how long does a good teacher spend on skills? We did 2 weeks on skills, and finished a play in 2 weeks. This doesn't seem enough.

I don't spend any time on skills. (Perhaps I'm not a good teacher.) I get stuck in and they learn as we go along. Every teacher does things differently. There's a lot to cover and you are expected to be independent learners. What is the play for? Coursework? Wider reading? For the exam? If the first, you'll be spending some more time writing on it. If the second, that's quite enough time. If it's the third, you'll be revisiting it as revision. If this is about your not feeling confident about the text, you should have this conversation with the teacher.

With the skills, I mean looking at books that aren't your set texts and practicing on them? Or do you only cover the set texts?
The play is for the exam. I understand it, but on a superficial level, and my teacher has just said really obvious things when teaching us.

Unseen texts are necessary for the exam and you aren't going to have reached peak performance after two weeks. You will keep going back and practising the skills as the course goes on. It sounds like your teacher has gone through the play quickly at first so that everyone knows what's happening and will revisit it so as to keep it fresh for the exam later on. Ask these questions in school. We don't know quite how they have planned it, but rest assured, they will have planned it.

I don't know if I really trust her. I mean, she doesn't seem that great a teacher and we've got her for both AS and A2, and she's told us she's never taught A2 Literature before.

Interesting situation. You mean you are doing both AS and A2 at the same time? Or that you will have her for 2 years? She won't be your only teacher, though, will she? I don't know of anywhere that doesn't usually split A levels between two teachers. Speak to the other one.

I'm afraid it's a fact that all teachers have to start teaching sometime, so somebody is going to be the first group. There is usually an experienced teacher paired with the newbie. If you are that worried, see the head of department.

No, I mean we will have her for both AS and A2, but we are only doing AS now - A2 next year.
She is our only teacher. Is it because the play is short? It's Streetcar Named Desire.

Streetcar isn't a difficult play, tbh. You can rattle through it pretty quickly. Unusual to have only one teacher. Well, she will have learnt a few things by A2. Speak to the head of department.

Am I right to be worried though? Should I just move sixth form? I did ask Hod about short book, and he said it's about the challenge not the number of pages.
Is it a bad sign that all the set texts she picked are very short?

I really don't know if you are right to be worried. I haven't seen the woman teach. It's unfair of me to judge. I think moving sixth form would be an extreme move, and cause you a few problems at this late stage, but that's entirely your choice. As for picking a short book, well, literature texts aren't judged by the metre and it's entirely sensible of her to pick a short text in her first year of teaching (or indeed any year) so as to free up lots of time to do lots of work on it.

Thanks; I think I'll see how it goes. I know it's not about the length of the book, but I did expect to be reading at least a few meaty books - not just mostly 80 pagers.
I understand what you are saying about her picking a short book, but it's not exactly best for us.
Do you think that the new A level in English Literature will be an improvement on the current one?

Plays are by their nature short and Streetcar is not difficult but it is entirely suitable as an A level text. I have taught it myself. There is no reason why it should not give even A* students more than enough scope to show what they can do. Tennessee Williams is the subject of academic study at university, so I hardly think he's beneath you.

I am not looking at the new syllabuses. I am retiring this year and don't need to.

Why did you take what I said completely out of context, and twist what I meant? I never said it was beneath me, just that all our other books are really really short.
I enjoyed studying it, but we finished studying it in 2 weeks. Our next book is the yellow wallpaper.

Tone is not well conveyed on the internet. Short doesn't mean unworthy of study.