I went on a Street Wisdom walk just before the summer break. It was facilitated by Claire who is a coach and trains and supervises other coaches. She’s based near me and I think she is a brilliant facilitator and coach. The process of the Street Wisdom session was to allow the place where you wander to spark your own thoughts and to help you answer your own questions creatively. I found this really inspiring and it definitely sparked my creativity and helped me to think in a new way about a problem. Everyone who participated brought their own question, there was no pressure to share and after we had wandered and felt inspired, we sat in a coffee shop for a debrief.
– Borders
I was inspired by the borders that I saw on my walk. The cut grass against the wild and unmown long grass. The edge of the skate park tarmac clean and (hu)manmade against the grass and soil. The different types of paving that linked together – small block paving next to large heavy slabs.
The August to September transition feels like a significant border to me. Maybe it is like the longer grass allowed a bit more space and room before September restarts with its clarity and purpose. So I allowed myself more room this August and also recognising that I will be creating a new pattern in September.
Schools absolutely reflect this pattern. I hope, for the most part, teachers are in the main relaxing and giving themselves the space and room in August before the calendars fill and the pace is set as soon as September starts.
– Never live the same year twice
I listened to this podcast by Amazing If over the summer and it inspired me that we can practically change things and look for new opportunities within our work. I will be doing that this September too! But as we sit in September, I can tell you a few things that I believe *really* matter and that I hope I will carry forward into the new academic year despite the routines and pace.
Drop the things that don’t work. Ask why you are doing things in a particular way and who is it for. Don’t sideline the youiness that you bring to teaching – protect it. Keep the children the main thing. Focus on growth, content, and relationships, and less on style. Be more intentional about your positive teacher-learner relationships and be your learners’ very best coach. Know that you need a variety of depth and fun and joy in all your classes. Find your team. (If they are inside your school then know that you are really lucky.) Be open to change and reflection and balance this by not putting yourself down. Remember, anyone telling you that they have found a magic wand isn’t correct. And last but not least, you turning up and doing the stuff, being consistent, day in and day out, is you doing the best job you can do.
I hope the newness of September brings good things for you. Embrace the borders.
Heather
