Creating a Classroom Culture for Learning: Avoid the Autumn Rut

"The more often we see the things around us - even the beautiful and wonderful things - the more they become invisible to us. That is why we often take for granted the beauty of this world: the flowers, the trees, the birds, the clouds - even those we love. Because we see things so often, we see them less and less."

Joseph B. Wirthlin

The academic year begins with the best intentions: lessons are creative, engaging and purposeful.  The summer vacation has rested the brain, and teachers return to school with renewed vigor.  The energy and enthusiasm generated is infectious, and a culture for learning is being formed.  But looming on the horizon is the Autumn Rut. The Autumn Rut has many causes but the major culprit is complacency. When we begin to take our students for granted.  

It is easy to become complacent after months of effective pedagogy.  Students will, for a short while, be supportive of lessons that are below par.  Working their cotton socks off despite the lessons becoming stale and repetitive. But for how long?  And at what expense?  

It is therefore important to remind and prepare oneself of the potential threat that looms ahead, and self-regulate. Self-regulation is a term we often ascribe to the development of our students. It is often a key part of the Learning to Learn curriculum developed in many schools and the International Baccalaureate's Approaches to Learning framework. However, we must not forget to engage in this process ourselves, and manage our own motivation towards teaching.

With this in mind, below are some approaches I recommend you consider to avoid the Autumn Rut.

1. Write a warning note in your diary at the start of the academic year, and at the same time follow this up by actively looking to attend inspirational CPD  around mid-October.   Hopefully the training will leave you inspired and eager to try out new ideas in the classroom, and share with colleagues.  
2. Alternatively engage in self induced CPD, such as reading some blogs: coolcatteacher, learningspy, huntingenglish, headguruteacher, Bruce Ferrington.  
3. Engage in some quick reads: The Creative Classroom (Sue Cowley), Teach now! English: Becoming a Great English teacher (Alex Quigley).  Amazon regularly reduce the price of books for a day only.  I managed to buy seven educational books for less than 30 NOK or 3 pounds each in September with the intention of reading them before January.  Two down, five to go.
4. Watch some Ted Talks:

• Finding the story inside the painting
• What fear can teach us
• Do schools kill creativity
• Your body language shapes who you are
• How great leaders inspire action

1. Recommend to your subject leader to have a focus on sharing new ideas/taking a risk ideas at the next departmental meeting.
2. Track the diet you are giving your students.  It is easy to overlook the diet being offered to individual classes when we reflect on the learning opportunities over the course of a day, week or even month, especially as a secondary/MYP practitioner.  Therefore, take some time to reflect on which classes are receiving the best of you and how do you know? You may wish to complete a self audit of the learning opportunities you are offering.

* I will share my audit once completed.  Draft audit at bottom of the blog.

Many teachers (myself included) do not wish to be faced with evidence that our teaching has become drab, uncreative and boring.  As such, updating this document may act as an incentive to maintain the standards set at the start of the term. The audit also acts as a refresher for teaching ideas that have been collecting cobwebs at the bottom of the teacher's toolkit.   

       7. What teacher reflection process would be complete without student voice? Use this to check the present satisfaction of your students with the learning opportunities.  Whilst, the feedback can sometimes be tough to handle, their opinion matters.               

To summarise,  “learn to appreciate what you have, before time makes you appreciate what you had.”  Don’t rest on your laurels, don’t take your initial success for granted.  Find a way to heed the Autumn Rut, and continue to develop the effective habits that ensure a culture for learning continues to grow in your classroom.

Grade 7 English (Language and Literature)
Activity	How many times week 1?	How many times week 2?	How many times week 3?
Snowballing
See think wonder	/
Brainstorming	/
Emotions graph  - Character from a book	/
North, South, East, West
Youtube/media clip	/
Question and answer
Redraft Work
Cocktail party	/
Self assessment
Peer assessment
De Bono’s thinking hats
Comprehension exercise	/
Picture - what questions?
True or false
Do something with this….
Think pair share	/
Hot seating	/
Flipped Classroom
School library - Quiet Reading	/
One to one reading	/
Student voice - feedback	/
Comparison Alley	/
Padlet
Visible learning group task - no verbal language
Thunks
Drama
Social Media
Apps
Extended Writing/Creative Writing
Music Inspiration
Ted Talk	/