Wednesday 4 September 2013

Attitude and approach

New term, new start........any changes?
Many.

How do you respond?

We know the world is changing quickly all the time. Have you seen shift happens?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1gwCvcINdQ
A good reminder of the opportunities that exist....which is why change is not only necessary but also that we need to be able to role model positive attitudes and approaches to deal with it effectively.
Is our curriculum fit for purpose?

Is the hidden curriculum of school ethos and the development of personal traits and aptitudes getting enough air time? We agree that getting the curriculum right is key. We also know that timing the change right and being able to prepare students effectively for the assessment they will face is essential. They get one chance at a year in school, and whilst they may be able to retake if it hasn't gone well, this is not the philosophy or approach any teacher takes whilst bearing the responsibility for pupils memories of this key stage of their life. But, the opportunity for change in the curriculum gives us time to reflect.
As a school, you best know your pupils and will be responding to the changes in a way that takes account of this. Teachers as individuals and subject areas, will hopefully have had input curriculum design/amendment as well. But that's not all. We realise the pace of change is so quick that we need to respond equally quickly. Therefore we don't always get the 20% google creativity time or in depth thorough planning time. We also have different year groups studying for different exams.

It's tempting to want to stop the change, stick to what we know...especially when we're getting quite good at it. But it's happening. The global goalposts are shifting and so must ours.

So is change still good? It can be, because the real beauty of teaching is in our classroom. We, the teacher, have ultimate control of what happens in a lesson. How we develop the person as well as their knowledge, understanding and skills. How the personal interaction is what we know they remember as well as the inspiration and enthusiasm that we provide. The way we respond to change is down to attitude and approach. We can use this as teachers to get the best from our pupils....whatever the circumstances.

So, lets ask the question again, how do you respond? Positively and embracing the opportunities that arise? Or perhaps despondently with some cynicism, haven't we seen/done this before? I hope you can be a change maker rather than a change breaker. And if you see a change for the better that needs igniting, go for it!

No comments:

Post a Comment