I’ve been reading Tribes by Seth Godin. It’s great to be pushed a little to think about leading, especially in a culture that he beautifully describes as “sheep-walking”. That culture is especially prevalent in schools, in my experience, and one that is dangerously easy to slip into without realising – the clock your hours, do just enough, us-vs-them attitude that keeps the status quo. And by the way, as Dr. Horrible said “the Status is not Quo” – it’s not hard to see from inside or out that education is not working as we want it. (tanget: Joss Wheedon is totally a leader in the Tribes sense of the word!)
Education isn’t working right nationally, locally, in my school, in my classroom. There are flashes of it going well, but I’m sure a whole week can pass, even longer, when a pupil at my school is not a learner, is not engaged in the process, is not led to grow in their skill, understanding and excitement in any single lesson. The buzz from a crazy day like our video on Red Nose Day was palpable. Only a few people were cynical enough to really believe it wasn’t a great day. How can I change things so that experience happens on a daily basis in my room?
Taking a moment to think about leading is giving me a chance to explore some ideas. How can I lead that in school, at a classroom level and with my colleagues? I think L2 has given me a lot of answers for the classroom side of things. Using the accelerated learning cycle or another active learning model puts the emphasis on students to understand and get on board with real objectives. Using that approach and the pace it almost generates works across the board – IT, L2, RE, wherever. How can I lead that change in the school (paid responsibility or not…)? Suddenly a Teaching and Learning newsletter seems like a useful and valid idea to do. Not on paper, that’s backward looking; an email newsletter that I can track. That will help me to connect with the tribe that will emerge and craw them in closer to the aim.
First task – write a manifesto: what do I want to lead at school?