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Guard against judgements
It's the time of year when staff across the country are getting ready for students to return to Schools and Colleges. Amongst the many other thoughts that will be going through your heads at this time I just wanted to remind you of the importance of avoiding judgements. I can pretty much guarantee that, having looked at the class / tutorial lists for the coming term, the following conversation will take place...
Making a difference
Never underestimate the power we have as educators. We can all remember a specific teacher and the impact that they had on us. Sometimes, particularly with the more challenging students, it can feel like we're not making a difference. I remember a student called Dave. Every time he was praised or rewarded whether it was in public or private his response would be the same..."whatever" accompanied by a scornful glare and shrug of the shoulders. This was most evident in weekly assemblies where we would share successes and give out certificates. Dave would saunter up with an "I don't care attitude", snatch the certificate and then slump back down in his chair. One one occasion I can remember he tore the certificate up and threw it on the floor. Some staff at this point were saying we needed to stop giving him certificates as we were only reinforcing his negative behaviour and we clearly weren't making a difference to him were we? He didn't care about certificates or praise did he? So what was the point in giving the certificates to him?
Early Experiences
I vividly remember my first day at the second school I taught at. I had already spent a couple of years working in a school for students with Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties and had then moved on to another similar school. Looking back now I have to hold my hands up and admit that I was a little arrogant - I thought..."I've got this behaviour lark sussed". How wrong could i be! The day went something like this...
Advice for NQTs
If you are looking forward to September but could do with some practical advice on managing behaviour we have just published 10 Top Tips for NQTs in http://www.pivotaleducation.com/training-myself-and-managing-myself/
Obesity and School
I can understand the concern that has been expressed over a period of time about the number of children who are obese. The idea of taking all children commencing school, measuring their Body Mass Index and informing parents that their children are over-weight or obese does not seem to be the most appropriate way of doing that. Yes we want our children to adopt healthy life styles and appropriate dietary programmes. But we don’t want to do so at the cost of creating neurotically obsessed children who suffer depression and low self esteem and begin a cycle of yo-yo dieting. This is a period of their life in which they should be learning how to feel good about themselves and the world they live in. It seems the only thing adults are competent to do is to teach their children how to be as neurotic as they are, and let’s face it we are really good at that. Lets address this weight problem but not by creating even worse problems for our children. There must be another route.