Teacher Training Part Two: 10 more lessons at the coalface
Ανήρ γαρ όστις ήδεται λέγων αεί,
λέληθεν αυτόν τοις ξυνούσιν ων βαρύς
Someone who loves to speak endlessly
knows not how much he bores his listeners
– Sophocles
#11 – I find ‘characters’ in the classroom really tedious. Attention seeking. I don’t find them engaging or fascinating. But I don’t dislike them. I don’t know the root causes of this ‘charisma’, or the troubles at home. All I know is what I see and hear. All I ever ask is for students to try. To “fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run.” Special Educational Needs and hyperactivity and attention deficit are genuine and need to be handled carefully. Children on the spectrum can work well, with the right encouragement. All pupils matter. There’s no favouritism. Just appreciation, when earned.
#12 – I reckon (and this is a hunch) a lot of marks (maybe a quarter) are dropped and lost by students in Maths assessments, because of LITERACY, not because of Maths. Not understanding the question. “Measure the radius” means get a ruler out, not draw another radius. The words ‘ascending’ or ‘descending’ order, when arranging numbers, are often confused.
#13 – Silent corridors? Oh yes, please. Line-ups? Yes, please. Calmness and transition from the jostling and energy release of the playground into the respectful environment of the classroom. There is a time for speaking and a time for silence. At our school, every couple of weeks we have “DEAR” time. An announcement is made and everyone must “Drop Everything and Read.” For 20 minutes, in total silence. I join them. It’s the root of, and the route to, soundness of mind, calmness of spirit and a positive learning atmosphere. I’m currently reading ‘The Divine Comedy’ by Dante – in a verse translation by Clive James.
#14 – Good teachers ask a lot of questions. But I do believe in instruction. In modelling examples and showing methods. I walk around the room a lot. Checking, assessing, guiding, listening. Plus, it helps me gets to my 8,000 Fitbit target steps.
#15 – It will take me a couple of years to get the hang of this. It is such a demanding job. Instinct gives you 70%. Planning and preparation the remaining 30%. Then you can have impact and confidence.
#16 – “You never, ever need to turn around in class.” I’ve found myself saying this to students. Over and over. I believe it. I’ve yet to hear an argument to convince me otherwise.
#17 – All lessons run at three speeds. (i) – The leading students who crack on and need differentiated extension work. (ii) – The ones who find it challenging and need most attention. I love it when they ask questions and put their hands up. And (iii) the majority who try and get on with things.
#18 – I have given more e-Praises for wrong answers and for questions, than for achievement and correct responses. I want to hear queries and common misconceptions so we can tackle them. I want vocal, confident people in the room – unafraid to make mistakes.
#19 – Non uniform day: Two mini thoughts – (i) I couldn’t tell the students apart from some of the teachers; (ii) If you add up the value of all the trainers worn, they’d add up to the GDP of a small nation.
#20 – Half term breaks and holidays are essential for recovery and refuelling. It’s like the gap days in a running schedule. If you break the rule – that’s when you get injured. I’ve done that – ankle and knee pains; meaning weeks without running to recover.
James Neophytou