Skip to main content

Wandering the school



One of the privileges of SLT is the ability to walk around the school to see what's going on. I don't do this to catch people out; to find bright spots or to find students.  I try, once a week, just to wander the school mainly to find out what cool stuff is going on.  Before you shout 'it's alight if you've got the time you dosser Rogers!' I would argue that walking the school is powerful CPD.  Here are some questions to consider:
- How is learning celebrated across the school?
- Are the ethos and main messages of the school consistently communicated through the fabric of the school and actions of its community?
- How are different groups of students encouraged in different parts of the school?
- Are the messages from notices representative of the school community and positive?
This week I found:
- Year 8s exploring the South Downs National Park, local coastline and the hydrological cycle using Minecraft - more on this to come. 
- Some very funky science experiments.
- A fantastic way to positively mange the behaviour of some tricky characters.
- Found out about our upcoming dance show and Patcham's Got Talent.
- Spoke to a governor about setting up an education business partnership link.
- Found out about creating storybook Apps.
- Spoke to a student about their coding controlled assessment and how Python works.
- Saw some truly stunning Graphic Illustration work from Year 11 as they worked diligently and determinedly toward their exam
I also managed to speak to some staff and ask how they were getting on - always a bonus and a useful barometer of what's going on.
One of the interesting things about SLT is that I get through a lot of shoes.  Leadership needs to be visible in my view, and that means walking.  I walk around 3-5km a day just around the buildings and on duty.  Great to keep my legs loose during ultra marathon training, my buns and for getting to know the community.
When I'm walking around,  I try to find the time to stop and observe for a short time.  This is something I picked up through Ewan and being a Google Teacher Academy Mentor.  It's amazing what you can pick up.  I also try to ensure I've at least emailed each member of staff whose classroom I may have wandered in to.
So, head off for a wander.  Call it a learning walk if you will, but do take some time to get out of your class / department / phase.  Speak to some people you don't normally say much to and make new connections. 
Right, time for the third rugby match of the weekend.....

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