Ones facial expressions can be extremely vocal to the point where it can set the tone for an entire lesson. Our students often take the temperature of the mood in the classroom by examining the teachers face. I remember past comments. “He’s on one today” or “He’s switched again” despite not having said a single word to the students. Their comments were in relation to how I looked when they entered the classroom. I am not preaching that all teachers should join the trend of meeting and greeting with special handshakes or a dance. This does happen in the school I teach but it’s the teachers choice:
Courtesy of Miss Carley
What I appreciate about such a strategy is that the child often feels welcome and safe on arrival. What I recognised about my own facial expressions regardless of intent is that the it has the power to project both a welcoming and unwelcoming atmosphere.
While delivering teacher training seminars I have heard back from teachers that they are not the smiling type. Strange that some teachers dismiss smiling because it is apparently unnatural to them. Since when was waiting 10 seconds for an answer to a question or using multiple choice questions to determine the thinking of students natural? They are pedagogical approaches along with the simple act of smiling. The fact a smile has the power to disarm, the power to promote a safe environment, the power to be contagious, and the ability to help set a positive tone for a lesson should make it one of our daily habits.
In the words of REM: Throw your love around, love me, love me Take it into town, happy, happy
Such statements appear regularly both in our personal and professional lives. Language which has been with us since our early childhood. Language which has become habitual and to some degree helps frame our perceptions of the world. But our language also communicates both intended and unintended messages to those around us. In particular the pronouns You or Your can potentially create a sense of segregation - an us and them mentality. We should not underestimate the power of a single word or phrase. As Ron Ritchhart states in Creating Cultures of Thinking:
“And that is the thing about language, it is at once ubiquitous, surrounding us constantly, yet we hardly take note of its subtleties and power. And due to its constant presence, it is shaping our behaviour, interactions, thinking, attention, and feelings in ways that we might not be consciously aware of."
In any given classroom at any given time of the day how many times will the word you be spoken by a teacher? And what does this say about the relationship between the teacher and students? Don’t get me wrong there are situations where perhaps the use of you and your are necessary, but there are many other times when we would be better served using inclusive pronouns: We and Our. Over time they will hopefully help create a climate of safety and trust between teacher and student. So in the spirit of creating a sense of community and togetherness in our classrooms below are some possible alternative statements:
We need to ensure that our classroom is left tidy after each lesson.
We have high expectations regarding our conduct. Can you remind us how we should enter the classroom?
Today we are reading the prologue to Romeo & Juliet.
I know it is a struggle but using our collective minds I am confident we can do this.
Sometimes the simplest educational strategies are the hardest to implement. The classic example - wait time. It’s not simply a case of knowing that as teachers we should allow wait time to occur; we know that thinking does not have to be fast and it is not a prerequisite for intelligence; we know that not all students have quick processing speeds and that allowing longer processing time is an inclusive strategy; we know that our students can be shrewd, and quickly realise they can avoid thinking if they don’t put up their hands immediately; and we know as teachers it is part of our role to deal with the uncomfortable pause and the inevitable slowing down of time - yet try as we might employing wait time consistently is notoriously difficult to master.
How many of us regularly remind ourselves of the importance of waiting up to 10 seconds before asking for an answer to a question - yet despite our best intentions this strategy falls down by the wayside. Simply put - minimal wait time is a bad habit and habits are ridiculously tough to break because they usually happen without any thought, much like a reflex.
One possible solution is to employ an ‘if-then-plan’ such as the following:
After asking a question have two or three follow up statements to build the idea that hands up it not an option unless a student really does not know:
So there are only 4 students who think they have an answer hmm (tick tock)
I am therefore assuming the if you don’t have your hand up you don’t know (tick tock)
Fear of providing an incorrect answer should not stop you (tick tock)
Some practitioners avoid hands up and instead employ alternative approaches such as lollipop sticks or no hands up which come with their own benefits and pitfalls. Personally I prefer the hands up approach as it provides glimpses of additional information: Who are my slower thinkers? Who doesn’t understand? Which students don’t spend time pausing to think and leap to conclusions? Who worries about making mistakes?
Q&A is visible daily in all types of schools on the educational spectrum. Due to its frequency of use it is important that we try and get it right.
First and foremost this is not a post arguing against school sanctions for student misbehaviour. I am a strong proponent of sanctions as an additional strategy to support its much more powerful cousins: student-teacher relationships and positive reinforcement. What I am proposing is that such a strategy should perhaps come with a health warning, or terms and conditions to be considered prior to enforcing.
I have rarely met a student who has a problem with sanctions; I have met plenty of parents who struggle to come to terms with another human disciplining their child - but rarely a student who thinks that sanctions are a breach of their human rights. What I have often come across is the emotional outcry brought on by a sense of injustice, or a feeling of being picked on, or the belief that teachers are incapable of understanding the incident through the eyes of the student. As such, it is perhaps important that teachers view themselves in such situations as not just a judge, jury and executioner, but also an empathetic, caring significant other.
Issues often arise when students perceive a punishment to be unjust. More often than not this a misperception. Whatever the reasons for such a misperception, it can be damaging to the student-teacher relationship. It is therefore important that a shared common understanding is sought to ensure trust is maintained between both parties. Listening to a student does not equate to agreeing with a student. It shows respect, and also allows for the teacher to attempt to clarify the purpose for the sanction. It may also allow the teacher to reconsider whether the sanction is just. We are human after all!
Nine times out of ten, additional time spent seeking a shared common understanding is not required. With regards to the other 10%, teachers are often quickly made aware how unfair a sanction is; You will more often then not know when to seek further dialogue. *
Furthermore, subsequent misdemeanours (however small) involving the same student & teacher can sometimes lead to the student thinking he/she is being picked on. A simple strategy to tackle this is to show the student the issue is in the past. Look for opportunities in lesson to praise, but only if deserved; Alternatively, engage in small talk with the student during break or lunch duty, or wish them a lovely evening at the end of school.
Finally, one study suggests that employing an empathetic mindset towards sanctions can positively impact on students subsequent behaviour in school. Worth considering!
* There will be always be some students who place themselves in the position of victim. No amount of dialogue is likely to change their perspective. Stand by your decision.
Is the death of the teacher (in Norway) inevitable?
Over the last few years I have come to the realisation that the Norwegian education system is potentially one of the last remaining bastions of safety for teachers. Its system still places teacher autonomy and professionalism at its core. In this post apocalyptic (or neoliberalism) educational world we live in, Norway’s education system is the educational equivalent of Helm’s Deep in Lord of the Rings, Zion in the Matrix, or even Narva in the year 1700 as the Swedes defended against the Russians with odds of 4-1. Many of Norway’s neighbours have fallen to the allure of neoliberalism, even Norway’s eternal ally Storbritannia has succumbed to the rise of this ideology, with its education system on its knees. The impact of such an approach to education is best summed up by Evers and Kneyber in their book Flip the System:
“It is clear that the neoliberal shift in reform has led, in a more postmodern sense, to the death of the teacher (Biesta 2013): the death of the very idea that a teacher has something to contribute, the very idea that the teacher has a meaningful voice in regard to his work, to what he wants to achieve through his work, and by which means he achieves it. Although it is a common and oft-cited belief that the quality of a system is determined by its teachers, that particular belief is of no benefit to teachers. In the neoliberal perspective, the teacher is viewed as a trained monkey, and it is simply a question finding the right stick to beat him with, or the right brand of peanuts, to make him do the desired dance in front of the audience. The teacher is no longer viewed as a professional...So clearly the old days where teachers decide on matters of curriculum, and delivery without any kind of accountability, are over. By and large, through neoliberal reform teachers’ professional identities have been monopolized in many countries by aspects of managerial professionalism.”
My worry is that in some quarters of the Norwegian education system there is an attitude of why fix it if it ain’t broken; such carelessness and complacency will ultimately lead to the downfall of a system that should be nurtured and improved. Let’s assume that the system has its flaws and requires reviewing and improving, who should be responsible for this? Again, my worry is that rather than lead this improvement, some teachers will employ a protectionism mentality underlined by an air of stubbornness: “You can’t make us!” Such a mindset will (in my opinion) only undermine the professional standing of teachers, and deepen the resolve and determination of politicians and administrators to change to a top down profession rather than a bottom up profession leading to the demise of teacher autonomy.
Having autonomy means having a responsibility to take ownership of the profession so that teachers can call it so. Teachers need to challenge the rise of government involvement and administration expertise by continuing to upskill and develop teacher expertise. This needs to be self motivated, purposeful, with a renewed mindset about what it means to be a professional. Professionals in such professions as medicine, engineering, architecture and law seek to constantly improve their knowledge, and the application of such knowledge. If teachers are not viewed in such regard by politicians, and the public, then the future is bleak. But if teachers do not hold this view of themselves then the future is inevitable; the death of the teacher.
For further information on neoliberalism and its impact on education I suggest you read Flip the System. Furthermore, a number of the contributors to the book are presenting at the researchEd Conference in Oslo on the 22nd April, further information can be found here.
"Daddy, can we go over the jumps so that you can see me jump and I can see you fall?"
The words of a six year old called Cai Fredrick on Christmas day to his father as they walked to the ski slopes. Cai's father had wanted to learn to snowboard since moving to Norway. He was desperate not to fit the stereotype that Norwegians have about people who can't ski or snowboard: Han må være engelsk eller dansk. Translated: He must be either English or Danish. Cai's father wanted to become a master of the slopes, but first he had to start at the beginning - as a novice. It had been a long time since Cai's father had been a complete novice at anything. So he began his journey as a learner. It turned out that Cai's father learnt more than just the ability to snowboard but also what it felt like to be a novice again. The constant wrestling of emotions: fear, anger, embarrassment, frustration, sadness, occasional joy, bruised pride, a deflated ego - not to mention a sore backside. All the ingredients needed to help him maintain his empathy (as a teacher) with his students in his classes. Why is such teacher empathy important to Cai's father? Because there is a strong possibility that it may help develop positive relationships with students, since students recognise that the teacher understands their struggles. It is the teacher's ability to see the school experience through the eyes of the student, which according to Kohut (2001) triggers an authentic response, leading to a positive impact on learning. Yet such an important connection may be in jeopardy from the curse of knowledge. The idea that the more expert a teacher becomes the less empathy they may be able to show towards their students.
Is it then a case of you can't have your cake and eat it? Let's hope not - teachers should strive to become experts in both subject knowledge and pedagogy, and endeavour to remain empathetic. Perhaps timely life reminders, where teachers experience the trials and tribulations of being a novice over a sustained period, might just be a suitable defence against such a curse. My suggestion, if you haven't already learnt to ski or snowboard, is to give it a go. The slopes are one humongous mixed ability classroom.
Diary of a Novice Snowboarder December 7th 2016
Dear diary, it's only two weeks away and I have been excitingly telling friends and family about how much I am looking forward to my first skiing holiday. I can't wait to feel the brisk wind sweep across my face as I weave my way down the slopes; a playground for adults. Yeeha! December 22nd 2016
Dear diary, I woke up today full of excitement. I was so confident and of course foolish when I kept asking myself how hard can it be? I looked good in all the gear and for a short time I even felt like a competent snowboarder despite my novice status. Helping the kids suit and boot took my mind of the impending playground of fun and thrills. When we walked out of the apartment I was suddenly face to face with the mountain. I have to say diary that I was momentarily giddy as I walked to its base. Adults and children were gracefully zig zagging their way down the slope. As I arrived at the T bar queue my confidence began to wane. I attempted to reassure myself by remembering my moves as a teenage skateboarder. The line was long but it was soon my turn. I was told how to grasp the T bar by the blonde Nordic attendant. I smiled and said to myself you can do it. And I did do it .............. for exactly 3 meters before I was eating Scandinavian snow. It was so embarrassing diary. The attendant even ran to my aid with a sympathetic smile, whilst the kids in the queue were rolling their eyes and whispering. The next time I managed 10 meters, after that I managed 15, and after that I only managed 3 again - what an idiot! I'm 41 for #####sake. Step forward my brother-in-law; 6ft 3in muscular frame, fair hair, chiseled face, and beard. Some say Norwegians are born with skis on their feet, in his case he snow jumped out of his mother womb on Telemark skis. What's worse diary is he is a lovely guy, everyone's best friend, with man crushes a frequent occurrence. It was baby bambi on ice next to an adult Simba in his natural habitat. I have to tell you diary - I felt pretty inadequate. So with the class pin up and jock by my side I hung onto him for my dear life as he took hold of the T bar - It was reminiscent of the scene from the original Superman movie when Superman catches Lois Lane as she falls from a helicopter.
Coming down the hill was fraught with danger as I negotiated how to stand up on a snowboard from a sitting position, and how to deal with a bruised cox bone. I only coped with a couple of hours of instruction, fear, frustration and pain before I had had enough. It was not the day I had hoped for, and not one I readily want to experience again. On the upside, my wife tells me that my 3 year old son Ketan can independently go up the T bar on skis and come down unaided. Great! December 23rd 2016
Dear diary, I was a wreck this morning. The image of people laughing at me as I attempt to snowboard was plastered across my mind. My son Cai asked me this morning at breakfast why I was grumpy. I told him my snowboard wasn't working properly. What a pathetic excuse. I did manage to take the T bar unaided to the top once. It must have been luck as I failed to replicate this success for the rest of the day. Luckily the God of Thunder (Thor), my Brother-in-Law, was on hand to help. Diary I feel like giving up.
Christmas Eve
Dear diary, I am still trying to come to terms with the Norwegian tradition of giving presents on Christmas Eve but Father Christmas was good to me. I mastered the T bar today and came down the mountain a few times without falling over. Tomorrow I will accomplish mastery of the baby slope.
Kohut, H. (2001). On empathy. The search for the self, selected writings of Heinz Kohut 1978-1981. New York: International Universities Press.
Grit has been lauded as the potential holy grail for academic success. If you have grit it is argued you a more than likely to be successfully academically and professionally.
Such ideas send Senior Leadership Teams into overdrive in an attempt to give their students additionally weaponry to succeed academically; the term Grit suddenly appears on curriculum models. SLT brainstorming sessions occur to identify what is already in place to develop grit and what else could be done. The school vision for the year adopts a grit theme to take its pride and place next to previous award winners: Accelerated Learning, No Child Left Behind, Moral Purpose. Headteachers have a new catch phrase to give backbone to support the classic statement ‘rapid and sustained improvement will be achieved by…..’ And governors can sleep at night knowing their General has a plan. All this despite no clear evidence to date that grit can be taught, learnt or developed. And of course such leaps in faith send panic through the teaching ranks at the thought of another ‘great idea’ to be implemented with a potentially short life span until the next great education eureka moment.
Whether Grit can be taught, learnt or developed, the International Baccalaureate’s curriculum model appears to be in an advantageous position due to its focus on promoting a change agent mindset in young people as opposed to grit mindset. The IB’s focus on Action as a compulsory element of the IB curriculum endeavours to help foster such a mindset. According to Asker International School:
“Action is a part of who we are. If we want to change the world we need to start with changing ourselves. If we want children to make a difference in the world we need to help them personalise the action they take, and understand that it is not just a mandate from their teachers and parents, but a life long mindset they develop. Taking action can happen at any age and may be inspired by a learning experience in the curriculum; from a homeroom project; from a student’s own initiative or from someone/an organisation outside of AIS. It’s all about how we as parents, educators, and the community, support children and youth as they begin the learning journey towards becoming adults that are change agents!”
It is this type of mindset that has been linked to students who display Grit:
