I’ve heard many teachers bemoan that Term 1’s largest challenge is getting the students back into school shape. Many seem to have forgotten certain key knowledge pieces, fundamental skills, and behavioural traits.
But what about us? Is there any teaching slippage over the break that leaves you performing just below your optimum or the level you reached last year?
I’d contend that it’s easy for this phenomenon to occur. Perhaps:
- You’ve partially forgotten your restorative commitments to Affective Language for low-level behaviours and have lapsed into some good old telling-off.
- You’ve re-adorned yourself with your robe, wig and gavel and given conflict resolution from the role of judge a go rather than assuming the role of facilitator.
- You’ve gone full rockstar teacher and positioned yourself too often on the stage of the classroom (doing education to your students) rather than through some quick and easy Learning Circles (doing education with them).
If any of this is even a little true, know this … you’re completely forgiven.
What I’d find harder to forgive is now possessing this valuable insight and embedding practices as habit and ritual beneath your best stuff.
Imperfection as an educator is more than fine – it’s expected.
Losing your determination to improve isn’t.
Keep fighting that good fight,
PS. If you’re a School Leader and any of the language above is foreign, yet also aspirational, for you – then we should talk. Please know that you just need to reply to one of these emails with the request to chat about a Real Schools Partnership for your school and that can happen pronto.
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