New visions

We have this odd habit in education of discarding the nuggets of value in the old whenever we embark on the new.  My great nan, who had some first class sayings, would have called it 'throwing out the baby out with the bathwater.'

National Professional Qualification for Headship ran for around 15 years and was the first 'formal training' there has ever been for Headteachers.  There were a lot of pros: the discussion and role play, the networking with others from all areas, the chance to practice interview skills for an interview like no other, the mind gamey stuff (make all these tables into diamonds) the analysis of how we handled tough stuff.  It eventually evolved into something that was brilliant and effected such amazing growth.  The coaching element to it's final reinvention was fantastic and, alongside my nagging, completely changed AHT as a leader.  Headship has changed completely, there has been literally an exponential change.  It's one of those rare moments that I find myself admiring the visionaries at DfE,

Then there was new visions.  A chance to reflect and grow a year into the job.  All of us dealing with our stuff together.  Sharing ideas, across counties.  The rich diversity of views is still something that myself and my colleagues talk about.  Only the other day I found an envelope in which, in my first new visions session, I had written what I wanted to achieve in my school.  I dreamed big as ever, but 3 years on I have achieved every one of those aims.  That made my week better I can tell you! If we don't think big we only ever get small.

Then came the 'end of NPQH' press.  The damning figures on those who didn't become heads.  I have to wonder whether any of that was to do with NCSL, I suspect it was more to do with the very real chance of being out of a job associated with headship.  The criticism that it created 'text book' heads.  Only from 'text book' people.  And I would argue that those people will always be like that.  Not many text book people fancy this job anyway as a rule!

During the week I attended a meeting to talk about collaboration ideas.  As part of that a colleague reminded me about the tools provided by NCSL.  I have to confess to having had a bit of a sulk with NCSL.  When it became perceived as a government organisation and NPQH went by the by I put it on the back burner.  I wonder how many colleagues did the same.  However I went back onto the website that afternoon and renewed my membership (he is a very respected colleague!) Since then I am almost as fond of NCSL as Twitter!  There is such a lot of interest, and such a chance to shape change.

In my experience those in education that say, at most levels, that they have no voice tend to be the type that lack the proactivity to have one.  Or the positivity that make the voice one for the improvement of learning for children.  Well the NCSL is your voice.  Membership is free, there is a wealth of useful and inspiring information.  There is a circle of colleagues, always my favourite thing about NPQH. In fact I still see some of my learning circle.  There is the facility to use NCSL to set up a group for your academy, collaboration or federation.  So that we still stay linked together somehow.  I am very grateful for the vision of the colleague that reminded me of this.

Sometimes new research and initiative makes us as leaders feel we have to act. Group reading and APP reading have really affected reading in some very positive ways.  But they have also caused the end of class stories and fun reading in some cases.

We read at our school, I mean for fun.  Like a class story that the teacher reads or we spend a chunk of an afternoon pairing kids up to read together.  Look at the excitement on the faces of a yr R and yr 6 child as they they start the mr man book they have chosen together.

Same idea as NCSL, reading is brilliant, especially together.  Leadership is brilliant, especially together. 

Mirror mirror on the wall....

I have always been rather afflicted with my own reflection.  I can hear husband laughing at this first sentence when he reads it! I don't actually mean the one in the mirror every morning.  Having said that there are mornings, after sleepless nights with children or school worries, that I could probably turn faint hearted individuals to stone!  I mean self evaluation, reflection, appraisal.  Deciding which bits of you are rubbish and what to do about them, and even harder which bits are fabulous and ought to be shouted about.

This comes to mind for two reasons, the fact that I am working on school self evaluation this evening and the reception class fairytale topic.  Our youngest are immersed in fairytales at the moment.  There is a large pair of giant's legs dangling from a beanstalk on the ceiling. This is literally terrifying if I pop in at the weekend and forget they are there whilst unlocking!  It's ok, no giants were harmed in the making of this learning environment! It's actually a pair of AHT's son's tracksuit trousers stuffed with newspaper with wellies on the end.  As well as the beanstalk there are gingerbread men, woodcutters happy woodland creatures and best of all a huge 'mirror mirror' on the wall. 

I find writing reflectively quite hard, one of the reasons I started this blog.  With it being a small school I always seem to be too busy doing the work to write about it.  I am not naturally a folder keeper and am stunningly bad at filing.  AHT has steadfastly trained me into some systems she put into place while I was on maternity leave. I have to say they have been lifechanging.  This sounds a grand statement but no longer do I waste hours looking for important documents in folders labelled 'stuff...2009,  stuff 2010' etc.  So although I don't find reflection itself hard, I am naturally almost too reflective, I do find making it useful, showing impact and making a paper trail very hard indeed.

We have spent several years in education completing a huge self evaluation document with seven sections that wrote the script for any impending inspection.  When that disappeared I decided to combine self evaluation with the school plan.  The idea being that I reflect, decide what to do next and then plan to do it.  Sounds simple doesn't it....

The trouble is, I have a tendency like many teachers to focus too much on the items on my to do list that are not ticked.  That alongside the constant barrage of media charging us with the responsibility to 'improve, attain more, aim higher' can make positive reflection hard.  As school leaders our 'mirror mirror' has a tendency to give messages that douse our positivity, sometimes even filling us with dread.

Reception class are so positive about themselves within their play and their learning.  Two of them arrived at my office door with a slightly singed gingerbread man a couple of weeks ago and were so proud that they had made it for me themselves.  They often happily tell me as I walk past them what their fairytale character has done that is fantastic in the game they are playing  'I'm the woodcutter Mrs Moore and I just saved EVERYONE!' 'I'm Cinderella and I'm going to the ball to dance and have a lovely time.' It's not just enjoyment, they believe in the magic.  The fairy godmother can make everything ok and those who are good will prevail.  In some ways the naivity of childhood but maybe we lose a little too much of that in the very profession that should keep some of it.

I suppose the point is that we need in this profession to believe in good and to take time to be proud.  To feel really happy with what we achieved, even if it is a little singed around the edges.  To admit sometimes that, like the woodcutter, we saved the day.  What we want to do next will then build on what we feel proud of, which is a solid foundation for future success.

Being proud of what we have done well isn't complacency it's positive reflection.  Alongside challenging next steps and honest evaluation will lead to improvements and excellence.  Hey, maybe we will even have some fun! 

Welcome to Term 4, pick up your flippers at the door...

Our new teacher started today.  It is fantastic to welcome her into the school family and I can already see how well she is going to fit in.  Given that she is my first teacher appointment in four years in the job I have decided that her induction needs to be a priority.  She represents a third of the teaching staff and I'm also really aware that we tend to just rely on one another to do things.  Well, that's all very well if you know it's to be done!  I have managed the part where we attract someone fantastic, now I need to make sure she is welcome, included and (most of all) happy.  Happy, invigorated teachers make for exciting learning experiences and happy achieving children after all.

She is joining quite some team.  A brilliant AHT who can construct just about anything out of card and polystyrene, among her many skills.  A job share partnership that fulfill the promise of the Beatles song in the days they work between them.  And a team of support staff that literally lift us to heights that we couldn't imagine.  Never has the term support staff been so well used.  Years of work has ensured that everyone knows the difference they make to learning.  We're not perfect, of course, but if Carling made staff teams...

The induction to our village school began in a way that I hadn't quite envisaged.  However, reflecting on my day, quite appropriately.  As we unlocked bright and early this morning it transpired that part of her classroom floor was under several inches of water.  My brilliant secretary and I did what we usually do in such situations.  Panic wildly for several seconds before consulting the list of plumbers.  We then spent a few minutes balancing their average speed of response to a call out with how much we like to see them.  All of this was an education to our new teacher and probably not entirely as PC as it ought to be!  Anyway we decided on speed of response due to the quickly developing water feature.  As relaxing as the sound of running water is, her classroom is the furthest from the comfort facilities. 

Ken from across the road was with us within five minutes.  His wife ousted him from the shower as soon as she got the call!  The first assembly of term was then spent on a combination of school values and 'oooh what's Ken the plumber doing now?!' We have assembly in that room due to our lack of hall on site.  An hour, a nice cuppa and some top work from Ken completely solved the problem.  Burst pipes in the water heater as it turned out. 

The time spent in loving our neighbours pays off always.  Local meetings and groups are often on evenings and weekends but effort made for them means they love us too.  To the point where their morning shower and cuppa means less than helping us.  That is invaluable with no caretaker and a tight budget.

Our new addition to the team will have to be content with a view of the duck pond from her window rather than her own personal water feature!

Creativity

I had a great chat with one of our TAs last week.  It was the snowy day and we had all gone up to the village field to make snowmen and throw snowballs, the kids came too.  She is doing a foundation degree and aspires to be a teacher.  'What do you think about what creativity is?' She said as we sat down after school.  When I related this tale to my husband that evening he expressed surprise that we were not still sitting there with me talking and her having glazed over several hours before!  Anyway, it turns out they are 'doing' creativity at uni at the moment and she has been hearing a lot from other students about 'off the shelf' creative curriculums.  The sort that became popular after the excellence and enjoyment document and cost megabucks to buy in.  She said that it had occured to her that buying in a scheme to follow isn't all that creative.  I congratulated her on that insight and then reminded her of some of the games the children had played in the snow at the field that day.

A group of year 5 and 6 children had built two snow forts to hurl snowballs from.  But then they had made thrones, crowned a king and queen of each and the game had gone up a level.  The back stories for the dynasty of the snow kingdom could have inspired a Sky 1 drama!  I then reminded her that several years ago, when those children were in her class, they had done a fabulous creative project on castles. Part of that had involved them role playing outside.  She immediately remembered how much she had enjoyed playing with them and developing their language.  I explained that this was the hook onto which they then hung learning, and even better than that they will have those skills forever.

Ken Robinson gives a fantastic talk on creativity in which he talks about the aesthetic aspects of the arts. He then goes on to say that children need aesthetics, rather than the anaesthetic of calming medication or an overprescriptive curriculum.  We all hang memories and learning onto music, art, drama and above all fun. 

My favourite creative moment in the snow that day was a year 6 boy who was walking across a fresh, untouched patch of snow hitting it with a stick.  When asked what he was doing he replied 'I'm making dinosaur footprints Mrs Moore, if you looked down from a helicopter later you would think there had been a velociraptor here.' Now, that's creativity!

As ever though, our AHT cut through my eulogy on creativity with brilliant simplicity.  'All you have to do is work out what the kids need to do, find out what they love, put the two together and use your noddle!' Amen to that!