Running to stand still...

Over the last couple of weeks I have noticed how the more I try and make something happen the more it doesn't. Its the old picture of the duck on the lake - calm on the surface and kicking frantically underneath!

I would compare some of the things I have tried to achieve as being as successful as attempting to row with one oar...round and round in circles and the only thing that happens when you add more effort is you go round faster!

What you need is the other oar! The journey wont happen without it and it will become more and more frustrating as you can see where you are aiming for but as you spin round it goes out of sight. A glimpse of success with no way of getting there is more frustrating than no potential for success at all.

This also rings true of some of the students in class. They are the ones who are reluctant to work with others...due to many reasons. I have worked hard to encourage all students to value each others opinion and work and be able to critically comment on others work - in a constructive way. This is building in them the ability to trust others and be open about what they and others need to do to improve.

Its about TRUST really. Who do you trust to hand over your work to and let them 'pull it apart' but in a way that will benefit you in the long term.

Until we can trust people (which relies on their honesty and willingness to have their work assessed) we will always be the spinning oarsman...running to stand still.

Watch and Learn...

So question for you this sunny Friday! How much do you watch what is going on in your classroom? 'Oh but I am always watching my students and checking they are on task'. Not what I meant.

How much do you WATCH what they are doing? Their interactions with each other, the promotion of students into team leaders roles, the way they react to situations, the response to an unknown element to the task etc...

You can learn so much about how your class works by really watching them in action. It gives an insight into how they are coping with tasks and where their strengths and weaknesses lie as a group.

From this you can then structure what you do in the future to address these weaknesses and continue to build on their strengths.

Watch and learn...!

Deep thoughts...

Descartes said 'I think therefore I am' and Popeye said 'I ams what I ams'.

Hmmmm.... most of my students dont think so does that mean they dont exist and are just a figment of my imagination?

When the dust settles...

So what happens when an enforced change is dropped upon you from a great height with no clear guidance or respect for what is happening/being achieved right now?

Think I know the answer to this one...you run!

By placing constraints on the teacher in the classroom, and removing the 'get out of jail' card they may wish to play if things get a little ropey with some of their students, the only outcome is removal of risk.

Its risk that keeps the interest in the lesson, that allows students to be released and try, that removes the cobwebs of conditioning and habit from teachers and allows the class to experience something that all parties will remember.

Remove the ability to take risks and when the dust settles the textbook is king...