Activity – Telling Your Story
Identify people and
events that have influenced my education journey
·
In the last year of Primary school we had to take a test to
decide our secondary schooling. If we
passed we went to Grammar School and if we failed we went to Secondary Modern. I knew I had to pass if I wanted my life to
be good basically. I heard stories about
our Secondary Modern school and I did not want to go. It did not align at all to my future
goals. We were all handed out the envelopes
– I got a fat one which meant that I passed.
Thank goodness was all I could think.
I remember that feeling of fear even now very vividly.
This was a strange trigger.
Positive because I knew how much education can enhance or hinder your
life chances at 11 and I went to a really good school with generally nice
people who wanted to learn. However, from
a societal point of view it is very negative as why should your whole future
(to some extent) be based on a couple of tests you do when you are 11? This is definitely a Social Justice issue and
whatever anyone else tries to say I know that it was based on class. At the Grammar school there were loads more
middle class kids than working class kids – some schools taught to the exams
and parents paid for tutors. I went to a
very mixed Primary school where not many people passed and there was no extra
coaching there.
·
Miss Searle
She was my first form teacher and my History teacher. She was mad as a box of frogs but she loved
teaching! She was definitely before her
time (and after her time in some ways as for example she always wore her academic
gown to teach) but she enthused us all – well maybe not all of us but me definitely! She was great!
This was a positive trigger as I love learning and I love
teaching. I don’t mind making a fool of
myself (within reason) in the classroom and hope I enthuse my students with a
sense of loving learning. She inspired
me to visit (in the future) lots different places and historical sites which is fab. However, she must have really
made Knossos into this amazing place in my mind as when I went there I was
very disappointed!
·
Going to
Long Bay College
Not all teachers at my Grammar school were as great as Miss
Searle. Once we hit 4th form
(year 10) and started preparing for exams – oh my goodness the teaching methods
went from pretty good most of the time to sooo boring. They knew how to get you to pass exams at a
high level – but where were all the thinking skills and enthusiasm for
learning? In History all we did was
dictation and in English we just read a line and analysed it.
Luckily for me I moved to NZ with my family and went to Long
Bay College for my 6th and 7th form. I actually had interesting teachers again –
all be it for 6th form certificate – a weird system. My History teacher, really got me excited for
History again and there were lots of different teaching activities, it was fun
and we had to think. English was
brilliant and very thought provoking. I really
loved it. The teachers built respectful relationships
as well with the students, although some tried to court us too much and I didn't
like it which has made me aware of this in my own teaching.
It was a positive trigger for me because I was just going
through the motions at my school in England.
Maybe it was my age – I am not sure but if me, someone who loves to
learn, was turned off, what would happen to others? I knew that university was where I had to go if
I wanted to live the life I wanted but all this rote learning was driving me crazy. It was a great move! Plus there were boys there – a definite
positive trigger!
Are there
commonalities across stories?
The commonalities across the stories are they are all about
education. I have a very strong sense that
education is very important and great public education for all is vital. How I am taught has a real impact on me (even
today – maybe especially today) and I think this (coupled with my short
attention span) is why I try to make my lessons hopefully interesting, hopefully fun and hopefully full of critical thinking. I believe that
my job as a teacher is to make students think and to help grow them as people. Great relationships are important but you don’t
need to get too close to the students – a professional respectful relationship is
what we should aim for.
What does your story
tell you about the type of educational leader/ Coach & Mentor you are?
My story tells me that as a leader I am very focused on
education which is a good job as I am a teacher! I think all teachers should be thinking about
their own professional journey and engaging with academic thinking all of the
time (well maybe not all of the time but a great deal of the time!) and reflection
and critical thinking should be part of who we are. It tells me that I am also child centred
and that the student should be first and their experiences in the classroom and
outside in the real world should encourage them to love learning. All children should be given the opportunity
to have a fantastic time in school. It
also shows me that I have very strong beliefs about Social Justice issues and
that equity is vital. We shouldn't pigeon
hole people and tell them that “this is all we expect of you” - one of the reasons I am slightly hesitant
about Vocational Pathways and in general just doing what the Ministry says to
do without a good think first. I am a
pragmatist and believe we have to work in the system and do the best we can but
I think we need to think deeply about ideas so we know exactly what they are
about – not automatically accepting.
I do find it hard if people aren't so keen on their own
professional learning as I am and I actually think it is unprofessional. I need to think how I work with people on
this – or does my mindset need to change?
I also need to be aware (and I am) that traditional educational settings
are not for everyone – it is not some peoples’ cup of tea. However, we need to try and find what makes
that student tick and it may be outside of the classroom. As I believe in taking personal responsibility
for your own learning/ own classroom/own behaviour management I need to be
aware that I might not be as supportive as I should be and I have to make sure myself
and my coachee/mentee work together to come up with not only the solutions but
also the implementation.
