Skip to main content

My Best Teacher

Apologies if, like me, you're offended by bullshit.  You see it all the time in education.  Eavesdrop in on a conversation, and it will be there.  And idle flick through my twitter feed throws up more, especially if I focus in on something with a hashtag.  It may be because I'm a simple bloke from the Welsh valleys, but I like a simple, clear message.  Indeed, I've been told off for ignoring shades of grey (although that's really difficult with all of those posters lately). 
Which brings me to my best teacher.  To be honest, I endured school. I didn't enjoy it but saw the point of qualifications (luckily) and found that I didn't have to put that much effort in to scrape by.  Yes, I'm that boy that will try to get away with the minimum possible. I did loads outside of school like teaching adults how to safely fire rifles and a bit of flying and mountain stuff. However, Mr Carter the geography teacher from Cornwall (or God's own country as he liked to refer to it).
You see, I'd taken a little time off (3 weeks of school) to learn how to fly with a cadet flying scholarship from the Royal Air Force.  I'd catch up with GCSEs later.  I missed my physics practical and my Welsh oral GCSEs (final result B Physics, E Welsh. I knoooow).  I didn't think this was a problem until I returned to my Geography class. Mr Carter asked to to stand before a rapid fire barrage of questions, that I couldn't answer.  Turned out that three weeks worth of work was a lot.  
It taught me this: accept the consequences of your decisions. Don't blame anyone else and realise that you are the only one that can shape your life. He taught me that swagger not converted does not count.
The intervention came just in time and I worked hard to get the grades and through A'Level. I appreciated the honesty. The message wasn't dressed up. Sometimes it shouldn't be. Of course, Carter knew me fairly well. 
Sometimes clarity is more important. Sometimes the difficult conversation is the best option. Sometimes we just have to say what we mean. 
Thing is, all I can remember is the trip to a river and sheep farming. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What makes a learning experience profound? Personal reflections and possible implications for classroom practice.

I have recently begun a Leadership Pathways journey.  As part of the first core day, we were asked to reflect on a profound learning experience. This got me thinking about how many profound learning experiences I have both been involved in, and how many I have been able to give to others.  Our group came up with a huge long list, but these are my five. Emotional Connected Demanding Reflective Collaborative As always, these are personal thoughts and quite mixed up.  I put them here so that I can look back on them (plus they’d get lost inside my world-cup-free brain) 1. Emotional I can’t think of a time where deep learning hasn’t engaged my emotions.  From being awe inspired to that tingle feeling when a student gets a light bulb moment.  From this-is-the-happiest-day-ever, to I-think-I’m-about-to die.  How often do we engage the emotions of those we teach?  Here, I would argue that having a safe learning environment is not always conducive to profound

The danger of Teaching and Twitter conversations: poorly formed bipolar arguments.

Sometimes in life, there really are only two options.  Get the wrong one and you can look like a muppet.  Take this useful sign for the toilets in Morocco.  I successfully navigated it, choosing the right option.  The result? No egg on my face.  As a mountain leader, there are many right or wrong decisions that I’ve faced, as there are all over life.  It’s not a good idea to let inexperienced young people walk themselves down Snowdon.  They may die or be seriously injured.  If someone is showing the signs and symptoms of hyperthermia, you need to treat it fast in a specified way.  There is no real arguing with this sign: Other options are less obvious.  Take this sign recently spotted near to where I live: Now, I wouldn’t consider sleeping in a bin.  However, faced with a sub-zero night, I could see the appeal.  The danger? Being tipped into one of those huge lorries with a compactor. (by the way, I only really considered all of this thanks to questions from my four year old boy).

Banned Word Board

Today I want to share some simple ideas that I have found to be very effective in the classroom. I can't say that they are my own original ideas, although I have played around with them. The first is the Banned word Board. This is a simple display in the classroom that lists a number of words that are not allowed to be used by pupils in their written or oral answers. The effect has been an increase in the quality of written work, and I have almost made comments such as 'Sir it's simple, the stuff just affects the thing and causes people problems'. Pupils are now more able to use specific language, something that is vital especially at GCSE. I have had to make a few modifications, such as the introduction of 'Heavenly Words' This is an additional display placed on the ceiling. I found this necessary as pupils needed some stimulus in finding replacement words. After advice received after posting the idea on the SLN forum , I have also introduced semi-banned words