My philosophy of education is a simple one. Do what works. If it works once, it might work again. If it doesn't work, try again, differently, or abandon the idea. If it worked for one group or topic, but not another, work out why.
A lot of this is down to being a reflective practitioner. In essence, I think this is common sense. However, in the midst of a busy week at a busy time of year, common sense can, and I speak from experience, vanish into the ether. However, it is at times like these, when you're pushing through, that such reflection is most valuable.
It's most valuable at these times, even though it may be harder to do, because refining your practice under pressure is inherently more beneficial than playing about with strategies in July, just before the summer holidays, or in September when everything is fresh and new. It's easy then, when marking hasn't built up, and you're working hard to clinch your relationship with that tough class, or make a flying start with those high attaining pupils whose every lesson excites you. It's harder now, when you're well into the yearly cycle, when those niggling annoyances have had 7 months to build and when that tough class is still, well... tough.
So. What to do. Continually develop? Try this blog for starters - it may prove to be simply effective.
Grow some mindsets? Think that was overplayed? Should be more focused on what actually happens in the classroom? Try this blog. Develop the plasticity of your mind.
Wondering what learning even is? Read this, then maybe wander (or wonder) off on a more philosophical track. What is green? What is a word? Does Tuesday exist?
Regardless of my nonsense, keep it simple, keep it straightforward, and make it work, whatever it takes. Almost. These strategies might not be so effective, entertaining as they are. The relationships take a bit of a battering... and relationships are the key.
Friday, 27 March 2015
Sunday, 22 March 2015
A New Day Part 2
A year ago today, or tomorrow depending on how you perceive the non-existent gibberish which is human time, I wrote this blog . I couldn't remember when I had written it, but I knew I had.
This morning, when I woke to the sound of a leaping three year old hitting the ground running, it appeared to be sunny and spring like, and I felt like writing a blog called A New Day again. (Please note that the man in the video is bonkers and I do not endorse his views on anything.)
It is after all, the third day of spring (I do count spring as existing - it's based on our relative position and attitude towards the sun, unlike the ideas of Sunday and March which aren't based on anything, despite being named after two major objects in the space near us.) Friday was Nowruz, a Persian festival with ancient roots which, again, makes sense; if you like words and where they come from, the etymology section on the wikipedia page is pretty cool. Who would have thought such ancient ideas and languages could have common roots, understandable even now?
We also survived the eclipse. I only sustained minor retinal damage, which was a massive relief. They;ll be able to fix that soon, using google technology and implants from genetically engineered eyes.
Intro, finally, over. Now the meat and drink.
It's always a new day, if you want it to be. Make Monday a fresh start. If your year tens annoyed you at the end of the week, if that pupil isn't quite getting your message, if a coachee has caused frustration, forgive them. Make Tuesday a fresh start. Do the same again if needed.
Something not working? Change it. Switch it up. Drop it and do something different. The world will keep turning if we do things differently. As Dead Prez say in the link above, if something ain't working, don't be afraid to change. They say a lot more too - listen carefully to the genius of M-1 and Sticman, my two favourite living philosophers. (Not a joke.)
The best education is observation and participation - and that goes for us too. Observe yourself, imagine yourself in their shoes, and switch it up.
Time is precious, and what we do can make a person's time even more valuable, even more precious. What we do can change lives. Give them the chance of having their life changed, give them a chance of success.
Writing this has made me feel better; now I need to practice what I preach and make sure that what's nurdled away at me is dealt with in the way I've recommended above.
This morning, when I woke to the sound of a leaping three year old hitting the ground running, it appeared to be sunny and spring like, and I felt like writing a blog called A New Day again. (Please note that the man in the video is bonkers and I do not endorse his views on anything.)
It is after all, the third day of spring (I do count spring as existing - it's based on our relative position and attitude towards the sun, unlike the ideas of Sunday and March which aren't based on anything, despite being named after two major objects in the space near us.) Friday was Nowruz, a Persian festival with ancient roots which, again, makes sense; if you like words and where they come from, the etymology section on the wikipedia page is pretty cool. Who would have thought such ancient ideas and languages could have common roots, understandable even now?
We also survived the eclipse. I only sustained minor retinal damage, which was a massive relief. They;ll be able to fix that soon, using google technology and implants from genetically engineered eyes.
Intro, finally, over. Now the meat and drink.
It's always a new day, if you want it to be. Make Monday a fresh start. If your year tens annoyed you at the end of the week, if that pupil isn't quite getting your message, if a coachee has caused frustration, forgive them. Make Tuesday a fresh start. Do the same again if needed.
Something not working? Change it. Switch it up. Drop it and do something different. The world will keep turning if we do things differently. As Dead Prez say in the link above, if something ain't working, don't be afraid to change. They say a lot more too - listen carefully to the genius of M-1 and Sticman, my two favourite living philosophers. (Not a joke.)
The best education is observation and participation - and that goes for us too. Observe yourself, imagine yourself in their shoes, and switch it up.
Time is precious, and what we do can make a person's time even more valuable, even more precious. What we do can change lives. Give them the chance of having their life changed, give them a chance of success.
Writing this has made me feel better; now I need to practice what I preach and make sure that what's nurdled away at me is dealt with in the way I've recommended above.
Sunday, 15 March 2015
Most Certainly
Certainty could be seen as lacking in our profession, especially in the last five years. I'm sure those of you with longer term perspectives would tell me that it was ever thus.
I won't bore you by listing the million things that we cannot be certain of. That would take all Sunday and I am off swimming soon.
However, there are some wonderful aspects of this joyous profession that we can be certain of. In no particular order...
Being tested. Us, not them. Challenged and pushed. Whatever you think will happen, won't. The best laid plans on Of Mice and Men can go utterly wrong, whereas that lesson which pops into your head on the stairs between periods three and four can be amazing. I'm not saying don't plan - that would be daft - but I am saying never assume a corollary between depth and detail of planning and how a lesson will be received.
Changing. Us again, not them. There's always that aspect of our work as English teachers which we are not as strong at. When you see work produced by another pupil, who has been taught something you miss, try to add it in to your repertoire. The more strings you have to your bow, the more you can fire back at the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune. None of us could ever be the complete teacher of English, but we all need to try.
Marking. Assessing. Feed-backing. Love it! It's the best part of the job, and the one which can, arguably, make the biggest difference. So do it with joy in your heart and a spring in your step! Or else.
What can you be certain of this week?
I won't bore you by listing the million things that we cannot be certain of. That would take all Sunday and I am off swimming soon.
However, there are some wonderful aspects of this joyous profession that we can be certain of. In no particular order...
Being tested. Us, not them. Challenged and pushed. Whatever you think will happen, won't. The best laid plans on Of Mice and Men can go utterly wrong, whereas that lesson which pops into your head on the stairs between periods three and four can be amazing. I'm not saying don't plan - that would be daft - but I am saying never assume a corollary between depth and detail of planning and how a lesson will be received.
Changing. Us again, not them. There's always that aspect of our work as English teachers which we are not as strong at. When you see work produced by another pupil, who has been taught something you miss, try to add it in to your repertoire. The more strings you have to your bow, the more you can fire back at the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune. None of us could ever be the complete teacher of English, but we all need to try.
Marking. Assessing. Feed-backing. Love it! It's the best part of the job, and the one which can, arguably, make the biggest difference. So do it with joy in your heart and a spring in your step! Or else.
What can you be certain of this week?
Sunday, 8 March 2015
Resolution
I've said thank you many times in this blog. Today, I'm going to say it a few more times.
Thank you for your response to the disappointing results this week. From Wednesday on, you showed no trace of self-pity or defeatism. On Thursday you taught, stoically, pupils you knew would be disappointed the next day. Finally, on Friday, you showed moral courage and great empathy when delivering such mixed news to a wide range of young people.
This news was delivered extremely well, by and large. The tears were justified - I came the closest I've yet come to crying in front of pupils - and were managed by the fact that you got the right message to the right pupils in the right way.
Thank you for this.
Thank you in advance for the way you will meet the challenge of picking these people up, perhaps even picking yourself up, and defying any chance of a similar situation in the summer. This has to be the ultimate wake up call for some, the ultimate chance to push on further for those who may feel they're doing OK, and the final call for extra from those who think they're certain to reach the highest heights.
Thank you to those who have responded, in whatever way, to the call for staff on Saturdays and at Easter. There's no need to worry if you cannot make any of these sessions. They are one weapon in our extensive armoury.
We must provide a sense of security and of strength to the pupils from this point on. Their trust in the outcomes we say they will receive will be shaken, so encouraging them to access as much extra as we can is vital. Beyond the fact that they will learn more, the sense of confidence that will be developed at Flexible Learning and the other sessions will be of great importance come May.
Ultimately, we are fighting against a system which seeks to reduce us, and the young people we work with, to components in a machine, to statistical nothings fulfilling a role in a political picture. A century ago, the great Indian writer Rabindranath Tagore (his poetry is immense and his politics are revolutionary) wrote of the West and its obsessions with material, measurable outcomes that
Thank you for your response to the disappointing results this week. From Wednesday on, you showed no trace of self-pity or defeatism. On Thursday you taught, stoically, pupils you knew would be disappointed the next day. Finally, on Friday, you showed moral courage and great empathy when delivering such mixed news to a wide range of young people.
This news was delivered extremely well, by and large. The tears were justified - I came the closest I've yet come to crying in front of pupils - and were managed by the fact that you got the right message to the right pupils in the right way.
Thank you for this.
Thank you in advance for the way you will meet the challenge of picking these people up, perhaps even picking yourself up, and defying any chance of a similar situation in the summer. This has to be the ultimate wake up call for some, the ultimate chance to push on further for those who may feel they're doing OK, and the final call for extra from those who think they're certain to reach the highest heights.
Thank you to those who have responded, in whatever way, to the call for staff on Saturdays and at Easter. There's no need to worry if you cannot make any of these sessions. They are one weapon in our extensive armoury.
We must provide a sense of security and of strength to the pupils from this point on. Their trust in the outcomes we say they will receive will be shaken, so encouraging them to access as much extra as we can is vital. Beyond the fact that they will learn more, the sense of confidence that will be developed at Flexible Learning and the other sessions will be of great importance come May.
Ultimately, we are fighting against a system which seeks to reduce us, and the young people we work with, to components in a machine, to statistical nothings fulfilling a role in a political picture. A century ago, the great Indian writer Rabindranath Tagore (his poetry is immense and his politics are revolutionary) wrote of the West and its obsessions with material, measurable outcomes that
The sole fulfilment of a machine is in achievement of result, which in its pursuit of success despises moral compunctions as foolishly out of place.
Tagore hit that nail square on the head. The results are important for so many reasons which you already know; the way in which we achieve them is even more important. The moral components, the social justice, the need for our young people to be dealt with in a caring and thoughtful manner, not treated like cattle to be counted into a slaughterhouse, in an order of magnitude more important again.
Treat them like humans. Keep your stress and fear and nerves, which we all share, away from them. Radiate confidence and leadership. They need you.
To end, I refer you to this great song from a great human. Arm in arm, with arms, we'll fight this little struggle, so each of our pupils can decide their own future.
Sunday, 1 March 2015
Fundamentalism
This blog will put the fun back into fundamentalism. Or the mentalism. I'm not sure which. Don't worry, though, it isn't as sinister as it may appear...
It's actually about putting the fundamentals of teaching to the fore, especially at a time when pressure to deliver results steps up, when your marking load creeps up and when your key pupils may start to crack up. I apologise for the terrible lyrical content in one of those songs.
We spend a lot of time teaching our pupils about GAP, but we, perhaps, neglect audience purpose sometimes in our teaching. It may seem like a statement of the blindingly obvious, but you need to make sure that the purpose of each lesson is stunningly clear, and that it is achieved. It's especially important within the context of a 45 minute lesson; there's not as much room for hesitation, repetition or deviation.
Another basic is behaviour, or engagement within the lesson. Regardless of the importance of this for the pupils current and future attainment, it's also crucial for your own sanity. I like to think that standards are pretty consistent on our corridor, but we all have lessons where we struggle. As I've said a few hundred times, it's something you look back on and think 'can it all be so simple?'
Yes, it can. Clear, consistent expectations will be met, eventually, minimising stress and annoyance. We have a solid crew who will take the heat for us in the inclusion team. We know our pupils well, so can set appropriate standards of work. We know what we're doing and how to do it - so drop the heavyweight material from the start - grip them, grasp them, and keep them going. I seriously recommend that last video, if you usually ignore the links, as something that can be adapted to English teaching.
Finally for this week, we have the ultimate advantage of teaching the single most interesting and important subject of all. It's ultimately flexible and enjoyable, on so many levels. Use this to your advantage. Over five years, we should be able to make pupils love this subject fundamentally, and this is our trump card. this is why we can always come through strongly.
Cultivate that, develop that, love that. It's why pupils in our subject should always know that you must learn.
Finally finally finally, if you love language there's no reason why you wouldn't love this.
It's actually about putting the fundamentals of teaching to the fore, especially at a time when pressure to deliver results steps up, when your marking load creeps up and when your key pupils may start to crack up. I apologise for the terrible lyrical content in one of those songs.
We spend a lot of time teaching our pupils about GAP, but we, perhaps, neglect audience purpose sometimes in our teaching. It may seem like a statement of the blindingly obvious, but you need to make sure that the purpose of each lesson is stunningly clear, and that it is achieved. It's especially important within the context of a 45 minute lesson; there's not as much room for hesitation, repetition or deviation.
Another basic is behaviour, or engagement within the lesson. Regardless of the importance of this for the pupils current and future attainment, it's also crucial for your own sanity. I like to think that standards are pretty consistent on our corridor, but we all have lessons where we struggle. As I've said a few hundred times, it's something you look back on and think 'can it all be so simple?'
Yes, it can. Clear, consistent expectations will be met, eventually, minimising stress and annoyance. We have a solid crew who will take the heat for us in the inclusion team. We know our pupils well, so can set appropriate standards of work. We know what we're doing and how to do it - so drop the heavyweight material from the start - grip them, grasp them, and keep them going. I seriously recommend that last video, if you usually ignore the links, as something that can be adapted to English teaching.
Finally for this week, we have the ultimate advantage of teaching the single most interesting and important subject of all. It's ultimately flexible and enjoyable, on so many levels. Use this to your advantage. Over five years, we should be able to make pupils love this subject fundamentally, and this is our trump card. this is why we can always come through strongly.
Cultivate that, develop that, love that. It's why pupils in our subject should always know that you must learn.
Finally finally finally, if you love language there's no reason why you wouldn't love this.
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