Leadership and management

Monday period 5 – A simple and profound lesson to learn

/ Mr J Dexter / 1 Comment

If you are hoping for inspiration for teaching your Monday period 5 jump to the end. My Monday period 5 is my worst lesson. If you are an ex pupil reading this, I do apologise, I can explain. If you are a present student get off this blog and back to the work I set you. When preparing for my week, sorting assemblies, pastoral work for the teams I lead and critical admin or UCAS ref then marking and lesson prep etc invariably there was not enough time. I am a professional, so usually got Monday 1 and 2 and even 3 or 4 sorted but 5…it got left, drafted but left. After all I am SLT I have non contact and so that lesson could be polished in my free. What free? Why have I never ever learnt that my free on Monday got hijacked, maybe cover, maybe someone needing to talk – a sixth former wishing to quit, drop a subject, change subject, or a teacher…… with bothers, with worries….but I never learnt and end up with my meagre prep and the 10 m walk to the lab as I get to Monday period 5. Apologies all round. Thanks timetabler this year first ever no class Monday 5.

BUT one thing got me through, it was always on my mind, or in my mind, in fact in my soul and it goes back to my very first school and the end of my first year of teaching. However I recall it today because it is the school holiday.

Yesterday I arrived in Eastbourne or as my Dad would have said the seaside. As I took an evening stroll, I thought of my Dad and many happy seaside weeks as a kid and one profound ritual. As soon as we arrived we had to go to the beach. Whatever time of day, whatever needed doing, before any bag was unpacked, we all had to go to the beach and paddle in the sea. Just paddle in the brine, Dad thought it was good for us but it was a significant moment it meant the holiday had really started. I did that here in 2014 after arriving and I thought of my Dad, and his ritual is now mine and the holiday has started. Then as I strolled the sea front I though of other significant moments and rituals and I remembered a profound moment that still inspires me the teacher.

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Back in the early 1980’s I had just completed my NQT year, woop woop. I had survived, I could teach, pupils could learn and most pupils even behaved themselves, some enjoyed my lessons, and I quite enjoyed the job. More importantly I learnt from great staff. Many of us might think the pressure of change under Gove or other recent SoS is worse than any other teacher has had to face. I am no Historian but the people who I was learning from were awesome staff. Some had started work just after the war – so stop and think of the changes from 1940’s to 1980’s not just in Education (qualifications, comprehensivisation, secondary moderns, the 11+, ROSLA, graduate teaching, corporal punishment, expansion of primaries, free milk (ohps) etc etc) but think how a grey 1950’s society transmogrified into swinging 60’s and these were the people managing pupils, teaching and learning throughout. I learnt so much. Miss D my Head of house who kept order, not just pupils but staff. Mr H in charge of special needs pupils: every single special needs youngster stood out, their manners, their impeccable behaviour, their progress, their employability, their reliability and willingness to help out even me and I didn’t even teach them. Mr L, another Head of house, formidable – he would never have needed a ‘cane’ that would be an affront but no one ever refused to change when he spoke to them, teacher pupil, even SLT! None of these were PGCE graduates all were wonderful teachers who got the best of results (in the full sense of the word). In my tutor group parents would ring me , the NQT and ask me to get their children dropped several sets just to have Miss D teach them (she never taught O Level!) I wanted to be a teacher to make a difference, to help young people learn my subject and to help them aspire, aim high, and there in my school these wise sages were doing that day in day out, and I was privileged to live with them and learn a few tricks from them.

So my profound moment – the start of the summer term and endless invigilation, no lesson prep, no marking but walking the lanes of exam desks. My HoD and I had been busy deciding what to teach and how to teach ( sorry present generation, this was what the job used to be like) and he asked me a favour. Would I go to the Curriculum meeting for him, he was unable to attend – he had OK’d it but this was the meeting options were given out, we needed the list of those choosing (opting for) Chemistry. I went along scared, rightly so as the pastoral giants took their seats ( hey and they were their seats) and the departmental academics arrived, then deputies and the Head. Top of the agenda the lists: “take them away. let me know any major issues” said the deputy politely. Just a few minutes of silence and nodding heads as the lists were checked, a few sighs of relief from me as most had chosen a Science (only Maths and English were compulsory and that a school thing I recall). But then the moment I’ll never forget. The Head of PE Mr K was clearly sighing, tutting and not happy. The Heads of House never missed a detail.
“Whats up Tony?”
“Oh nothing really”.
“No go on what is it?” Mr L didnt understand ‘nothing really’.
“Well” said Mr K “you all know we are offering CSE PE for the first time and we have worked hard on the resources and curr plans but I look down this list and it’s ..well it’s just depressing.”
“Why is that?” came a curious response from the Head of House.
“Well, if you want an example, we have Jim Jarwood and he …….can’t even swim.”

So as I watched carefully for the reaction, I passed sympathy to Mr K. My HoD and I wouldn’t like anyone pitching in for Chemistry who hadn’t shown some competence in Y9, and someone cack handed, dangerous or unable to sit still.. so what was the reaction:

“Tony” said a smiling Head of House rather cutting the atmosphere
“Yes Bill”
“You’re a bloody PE teacher Tony, teach the lad to bloody well swim.
Next item…….”

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I can’t remember anything else of the meeting but that moment struck into my soul, like my Dad’s holiday ritual. So whenever I am a bit uncertain about my lesson, or facing a cover in French I just remember those words. “Mr Dexter you’re a teacher, teach them.”

Some questions to ponder;

Q1 We often reflect on our lessons and pedagogy but what are the profound moments in schools which have influenced you?

Q2 We might feel the political agenda hinders or even prevents the ambitions we had about being a teacher, does it really?

Q3 The school machine is oiled by the quality of relationships, which people do you seek out for sage advice, and wisdom? Oh and one day will others find you doing that for them?

For those like me working in a church school

Ephesians 1:16
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

James 3:13
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Daniel 1:20
In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

Tuesday Period 5 – Accountability, Responsiblity or Pressure?

/ Mr J Dexter / 2 Comments

“Accountability”

1. the state of being accountable, liable, or answerable.

2. a policy of holding public officials or other employees accountable for their actions and results: a need for greater accountability in the school system.

“Responsibility”

1 .the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone.

2 .the state or fact of being accountable or to blame for something.

3 .the opportunity or ability to act independently and make decisions without authorization.

 

I have been doing my round of department audits. These annual meetings are essentially a report from Heads of Department about what they have found in ‘checking’ on the work of their dept. An accountability measure, so it made me wonder again – just who are we teachers accountable to and responsible for? However after writing this I wasn’t so happy with the posting and was pleased when @Chemistrypoet tweeted me about responsibility and accountability and this made a bit more sense. Well you can see if it does so:

1. Pupils. First and most important I am responsible to my pupils. It’s why I took the job, I hoped to help them learn. I think about the class, the schemes of work, the way they learn, what might be interesting or exciting, difficult or straightforward. It’s these people I want to help succeed, to learn, to enjoy to be challenged and to grow. I worry about their exam results. There is some accountability too – depending on exactly what sort of pupils voice we use – smart ones methinks!

2. Parents. I am obviously accountable to parents. I send them reports, I talk to them at parents evening and expect their support if I need to call them over any ‘problems’. They occasionally remind me of my job – in the nicest way of course. There is a big responsibility here, whatever might be said we are in so many senses “in loco parentis”.

3. Myself. Maybe my conscience but accountability to my own aims and standards it sounds a bit grand, maybe pompous but it is true. I chose the job to spend my energy and effort and any talent I might have, delivering learning for pupils, trying to inspire, inspire in Chemistry but sometimes just inspire them to get stuck into life. I often ask myself if I am doing a good job and like most teachers wonder what I might do better. I prepare a lesson but then seem to dream endlessly about how I might improve it, and do much the same the next time I have to teach the lesson.

4. Colleagues. This is just staff in general. We talk about school, classes, pupils, education, Mr Gove, policy and yes about football or gossip. But my talking brings accountability. If I say I will do something in conversation about my classes or the school then I better do it, someone will for sure remind me. No escape (special phrase for Nottingham ppl). This also has its responsibilities because as I said after Friday period 1, much might rest with a class teacher, the world of learning is complex

5. My head of department. Even though I am an SLT member I still feel a loyalty to and expect scrutiny from, my head of department, I expect (and get) support too but I have no problem with my mark book being checked or asked where I am on a scheme of work, or being observed. In fact the conversations about my subject and our pupils is vital, enjoyable and even though occasionally we might disagree about a direction well hey that is the hod job. It’s often a fuel to the process of improving the work we all do. So this feels more like accountability.

6. My head of faculty. A bit like the above I expect to be answerable to my Head of Science. He is allowed to challenge me, and sometimes the boot is on the other foot as together we do a learning walk.

7. A head of year. Pastoral people are crucial people in a school and having been one I do expect tutors to be answerable for delivering the pastoral work, and helping create or maintain the ethos of the school. Let alone stuff like attendance, punctuality, discipline and uniform as well as mopping a good few tears. Whatever your job in school I bet you rely on good HoY, so we have responsibilities for communications with them and we have an accountability too.

8. Results. Exam results In fact not just examinations and assessment lots of other “results”. This includes ‘events’: the end result of planned concerts, sports games, outward bound. I feel responsible for doing my bit to help make the activity run smoothly and successfully and somewhat accountable for the result. Even for the unquantifiable such as morals, showing the pupils they matter, bringing hope. Oh have I lost track on accountability? – “actions and results”. However there is a great joy and reward here, it’s not all doom. Nothing better than seeing the Y7 pupil who dreamed about becoming a journalist given the envelope in mid August with those grades that got them off to Leeds University to start the next step of that journey……………. Really is nothing better

9. SLT. Well that’s me but I think most teachers understand SLT members can ask them questions, seek information about pupils, about work or maybe about things which go wrong or things which go very right. They expect me to take responsibility seriously and give support and challenge and sometimes just kindness. But for me, I do work closely with other SLT colleagues and frankly we are responsible or is it accountable for the decisions we make.

10. Head.  We all answer to the Headteacher. When the head asks us to jump, we just say, jump? Before or after all this teaching?

11. Governors. In many schools the governors are the employers so we expect to bump into them, to be answerable to them. We meet some at interview or informally and we know they are volunteers who help the running of the school, we might work with them in committee or maybe on exclusions, we understand the important role of governors and the systems they have to monitor and challenge, so yes we feel accountable to them.

12. The Press. I realised this was a bit odd but nevertheless the local press and media like to report what is happening in a school, they tell our stories both good and sometimes bad, they tell them straight and just occasionally exaggerate. They sometimes don’t seem to shout the story we tell them but there is an accountability of sorts to the media.

13 The good old DfE. I do just about feel accountable to the DfE, Ofqual etc because they keep sending out stuff, papers, documents, information, statutes, reminders of laws and responsibilities. Policies and in the case of our BSF cancelled policies. So just maybe if I don’t take some notice here I’ll end up in trouble. I have just ploughed through the document ‘the equality act in school’ thank you DfE. My school is accountable on that policy – these documents come fairly often from you. Thanks! You make it quite clear we are accountable. [Actually Ofqual is a different matter, in essence whatever they send me I’ll try to follow but I will try and do the best to make it work for my pupils…watch for another post there.]

14. Ofsted. They seem to want to bring accountability to my teaching or perhaps more subtly the teaching and learning going on in my school.( OK so some other areas too). They may or may not appear often, they may give no notice. They may only watch 40 lessons in a visit and may not watch me BUT they dominate my landscape. I feel acutely accountable to them. I think my own little performance that day might send my school in a downwards spiral. I worry more about what they might see than the 800 odd lessons I teach each year. I also worry because others worry me and even Ofsted themselves seem to change their mind on the ‘best” way to teach. As a professional teacher, can I choose? Or must I fit the bill? Or is it Ok as long as my teaching delivers great results? PS what are great results at the moment? 5A*toC; progress 8; Pupil premium …..

[And there is an argument that spotting a failing school by Ofsted does mean something happens (discuss…oh you have!)]

15. My community. ( A parish, a geographical locality) I do teach in a church school so we are answerable to the community of the parish, the church, the diocese, but I think most schools have a vital part to play in their community. Yes they have a responsibility too. We are the community, we raise money for it, we volunteer in it and we look for jobs and maybe opportunities in it. So we are answerable to local people. In fact we are all aware if we do a good job in our school, and a good job in our community we all benefit. (for example it might be better to persuade pupils to be this side of the law rather than that side.)

Our pupils have just finished a week of work experience, thanks to our local community, we sense we are accountable to you. Just occasionally a member of the local community moans to me, about a bus incident, I feel accountable and I will make sure it is dealt with. Interesting when I have a problem with Amazon I might moan and email and phone but I doubt I’ll bump into someone accountable to complain to.

16. Job description. I have one, I try to fulfil it, it changes and I still try to fulfil it. I earn my pay on the back of fulfilling it. It’s not a check list, it describes the expectations of me and someone will do Performance Management to check up on my meeting those standards (Oh yes talking paper there are the teacher standards out there too). My guess is I am responsible to develop and maintain those standards – we always have done, do we need them written and ticked off?

17. Union Yes I do think I am accountable to my Union. I have occasionally asked for advice and help and received it gratefully, they have fought for some rights for me, and take their responsibility for me very seriously. I recognise that and I owe them some loyalty but in some way I am accountable to them for the hard won ‘rights’. And if not accountable certainly grateful.

18.Law. Statutes. Heck yes now and again in my work I am reminded of a legal duty a statutory task. I am answerable to the Law.

Perhaps people in other jobs are also this accountable and sense this much responsibility, perhaps some of you read this and say no you aren’t really accountable to all that, because accountability in a sense implies we must get stuff right and we don’t always and it means we might change.. for the better ( but who decides what is “better”?

Imagine I am asked to cover a lesson and just don’t turn up, or turn up and sit allowing a fight to happen and say I do this every week – tell me, does: a) nothing happen b) the pupils say something c) a parent calls d) a senior leader asks me to see them e) we feel bad f) the governors get a complaint g) at the ‘school show’ someone else says something h) the colleague teaching this class their next Lesson goes bonkers at me i) a head of year wants to know how we let this happen?

Most or all of the above?

I think most teachers do sense they are answerable to all of these groups at one time or another, we take our responsibilities pretty seriously. They sometimes call this accountability sometimes stress. Or have I muddled accountability with responsibility muddled with professionalism, or is it all a bit of a muddle?

Teachers should be accountable – we are. School should be accountable – we are.

So my questions – can you get some of these accountabilities off my back so I can get on with the job? Some of the way you make me answerable takes time we might be able to use more effectively. Preparing lessons, delivering great lessons, marking work, creating opportunities in and outside the classroom, helping those more vulnerable pupils, those in need ( temporary or permanent). Working with my colleagues to deliver even better lessons, looking after my colleagues….. I am happy to be accountable, I think I am.

Some questions to ponder

Q1 Do those supposed great models of Education (Finland or Singapore) have such accountability? Q2 Does the accountability work? Have our schools got better? Q3 Maybe schools are just complex for a simple accountability?

When I have some clearer answers I’ll pop up a blog on how I think we could be accountable, but meanwhile take a look at this blog by of Stephen Tierney.

And for those of us in a church school

Hebrews 4:13

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 13:17

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

Romans 14:12

So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

 

Thursday Period 1- Overlooking the Ordinary. No they are Special.

/ Mr J Dexter / 3 Comments

I was at the gym last Wednesday, I should go more often, my wife thinks I should go a lot more often. My excuse for poor attendance is that I keep on bumping into pupils, ex pupils and parents, it’s all a bit like being at work! But that night I spotted a student I no longer teach who is now in the sixth form. I will be careful in case he read blogs, but I thought, gosh how is this student getting on. I know they aren’t in any trouble, no bad behaviour, no major issues of attitude. So back at school next day, conscience pricked, I did a quick check on sims and 4matrix: showed me “doing well”. Then to be more effective , I asked my colleagues. “Doing really well, doing really really well” – one teacher used my favourite phrase “he has blossomed and is making really fantastic progress, likely to become an excellent….Historian (subjects changed)

This reminded me of a mission I used to have but still too often overlook. The silent majority. doubt it’s just our school but most pupils most of the time are fine, and a Head of Year picks up on issues. Ours are very good : attendance, punctuality, behaviour, slipping effort, matters of special learning need, vulnerable pupils, emotional issues often from home bereavement, divorce, trouble. Heck you are a teacher you know all this. In a class or year group we know all these issues. We know the loud, the outstandingly good ( brilliant written work, great answers, reliable with tip top homework). but my blog is for the ‘ordinary’ the ‘no issues’ (at the moment) pupils. The ‘occasionally overlooked’.

We give prizes awards, praise etc to our best pupils, we watch out and act on our weaker brethren with issues and we call in help ( heads of year….SLT counselling, coaching, mentoring, one2one etc) but what about that silent majority. They come to school, sit and absorb, join in when pushed, do most homework. We talk to their parents at parents’ evening and find ourselves a little surprised when we review their marks. Hey “he’s doing well”

So my plea – don’t overlook the ordinary. Hang it this might be deep in me, wasn’t that me at school, just did my best, quietly got on, never in trouble, but never a glowing star. I enjoyed school, no one coached me etc Pupils who are like that, they deserve their fair share of our time, the interest in their progress, achievement, aspiration and ambition. Data tools are great for analysis, they show up all sorts : those pupils unlikely to get 5 grades and English but not Maths , etc etc But we need to see beyond that data, always for the individual person, I am so glad 4 matrix has a little dot or a x for a pupil but it has their name, theor photo and hence can have a “story” too.

One of my daughters friends many years ago, aged about 13, told me it was their school prize night.

“I’m invited but might not go” she said.

“Why ever not?” I asked.

“Well we know who will get the prizes, the best in the class for achievement (fair, John, very fair but always the same people) and then those naughty pupils who have turned it around in the last few weeks. Those in trouble, bad trouble but who have responded a bit just recently and are now just in a bit of bother.” (Sort of moved from inadequate to requires improvement). We saw her again at the weekend. “Guess what John, I was dead right about who won awards”.

“Have you ever won an award R?”

“No John. I just turn up every day and do my work, not always very well, sometimes I don’t get it but I do generally try – no rewards for me.”

Teachers, Heads of Year, SLT never forget those ordinary pupils who do that, attend, try, work, sit quietly, are a bit reserved, never give you bother, but can be overlooked. Never forget because they are special and need special treatment, they might not get an award but they can still be loved, recognised, noticed, and never overlooked.

You wont be surprised I’ve gone out of my way to congratulate the sixth former for the great things I’ve heard about him. He smiled, and thanked me, as we used to say in the recent past every child matters – make sure those middle roaders really do. It should mark out the true comprehensive.

 

Some questions to thinks about:

Q1 How do we teachers and perhaps especially SLT make sure we look after the majority , hen the minority can sap time and energy?

Q2 How to reward the ordinary who are really extra ordinary

Q3 Remember those gifted and talented debates? Who is gifted? Answer = Everyone!

 

For those working in a faith school

Ephesians 4:7

Each one of us has received a special gift in proportion to what Christ has given.

Acts 4:13

The members of the Council were amazed to see how bold Peter and John were and to learn that they were ordinary men of no education. They realized then that they had been companions of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 7:7

I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.

Wednesday Period 6 – Teachmeet Virgin

/ Mr J Dexter / 1 Comment

So my first ever teachmeet, 25th June 2014 – sorry to those old hand teachmeet -ers. Tempted as I am to compare it with my blog about meetings, and give a score, this is a very different sort of meeting. No one is compelled to go and it seems only enthusiasts do the presentations, and teaching is blessed with many enthusiasts, truly! Note that carefully any readers who are not teachers!

So what happens is you sign up then turn up – I did so with about 100 others in Nottingham attending the National College. What a great place to meet on a sunny summer evening! I am so jealous, there are many new buildings around the Nottingham City area for education thanks to the investment of two great Universities, and our local FE colleges and lots of bsf investment in many schools. I am deeply jealous as my school lost its £16m BSF as we were deciding the colour of paint at the end of 18 months planning, despite a judicial review Mr Gove took the money back. (So still crossing a road between sites in the rain and loving those 60’s corridors!) Hey but that’s not what my blogpost was about and neither is it what a teachmeet is for, except the building, the room, the hospitality, food and drinks are pretty important when the show runs 5.30 to 9.00. So well done organisers, that was all as it should be. The technology needs to be up to it too, there is swift movement between presentations for laptops/screens etc and twitter seemed compulsory, so accessing wifi and clear screens to read and watch video etc is vital to success.

There were some ‘goody bags’ give aways; some fliers from sponsors, some advertising materials. We sat on tables of up to about 10 people and the most enthusiastic discussions came undoubtedly from tables where there were a number of staff from a school or maybe two schools. Murmurs of excitement during a presentation and enthusiastic chatter afterwards.

Once the show kicks off, if you haven’t been to one, there are presentations lasting 2 minutes, 5 minutes or 7 minutes and some people did keep spot on with time, and there were others! We started with @Hywel_Roberts who was fantastic, definitely stimulating and every point was well made with great (northern) humour, great imagination and creativity. Secondary classrooms might benefit from a good dose of that. I couldn’t help be carried along, drawn in and excited by his challenges. fast moving but uplifting – hey there is the word in my blog about meetings. I was a bit frustrated because there was no overall theme or topic and the evening covered items across all sorts of sectors, however I reminded myself that I am an educator, albeit in secondary and we build on stuff from primary or early years etc [Thank you Primary ppl; Thank you EY ppl]. There were some great ideas shown off, really great – could I use them all, not really in a secondary classroom but seeing beyond that was interesting.

There is also the spin off of the network, I was very pleased to see a number of colleagues and some ex pupils now teachers. Networking isn’t easy though if everyone stays on their own table. Not quite true of course because there is the old twitter hashtag #tmm14 and thanks to @paulyb37 a running commentary and some good work from @MarcWithersey and @PeteBevington. There were supportive tweets when their school colleagues presented (difficult to cheer or whoop but anything goes on twitter!) and commendable comments for good presentations and the usual humorous banter, and I saw nothing critical or nasty- that’s teachers for you. If you wish check out the twitter feeds.

So I am now wondering and pondering where teachmeets fit into the CPD spectre:

Q1 Are themed teachmeets effective CPD ?
Q2 Are they more effective in say a primary sector where a meeting brings together lots of schools and their staff?
Q3 Is the model that is “teachmeet” something we should try within say a big secondary school? A model for a twilight, for an INSET; a way to bring different groups of staff or even different school staff who teach e.g. Science together? [I shall investigate this with my next teachmeet]
Q4 Is there any research about the success of a teachmeet, save the attendance numbers?
Q5 Why do you go?

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Thursday Period 6 – Purposefulness or just a meeting

/ Mr J Dexter / 5 Comments

Dictionary definitions ->

“The meeting” = The act of coming together; an assembly or conference of persons for a specific purpose; the body of persons present at an assembly or conference
; a hostile encounter; an assembly for religious worship, especially of Quakers.

Meetings. Do they happen in all work places or are they just a huge part of the mystery of how schools work? I have sat in so many over 30 years and I have even contributed to some, yawned in many, played EduAcronym ( hey and won!) and led some. I can recall teaching many great lessons and frankly a few poor ones but can I remember any meetings…not really. Does it matter? I think it might.

Staff meetings, dept meetings, pastoral meetings, SLT meetings, governor meetings, Ofsted prep meetings, Ofsted feedback meetings. All those initiatives I have long forgotten TVEI, Diplomas,GNVQ Exam Board in fact just writing this I wonder how much time was spent there…….oh its exhausting just thinking of my life and energy ebbing away. I recall an “Excellence in Cities” meeting locally with every school given an extra INSET day whilst the project was launched with “At least you don’t have to teach today”. Just how uninspiring was that to be? No wonder that died a deserved death. After all I am a teacher and I love teaching, school might be different when empty but it’s not what the job is truly about.

I propose two things which I am going to look closely at in my school

Do we have too many? and What quality and impact do they have?

1) Perhaps we can all get rid of as many meetings as possible. It is 2014 and we don’t need to meet as much as we used to in 2004 or 1994 because information can be accessed so many other way and it is! There is email, learning platforms ( meeting platforms), conversation and of course bits of paper. In fact if we are not careful we tell each other the same information in every conceivable way via notices, email, platforms and of course the message in a pigeon hole and then in case people might miss we tell them too. Actually we do this because some colleagues don’t seem to listen or hear or follow the plot. But I am yet to be conviced a plethora of meeetings gets the message through as these people often don’t listen to any forum. In fact, maybe, there is a lot of meeting noise in their lives. We need some meetings, we have profession duties to do so, we share about children, we share what works in our subject. WE have training, its a vital lifeblood : child protection, sims, first aid etc But do we need a meeting about assessment or appraisal or levels or no levels? Did a committee design a camel? Can we find better ways? Evolve stuff, not just bringing in more stuff. Get someone good to design say assessment, talk with other colleagues, maybe pupils, maybe governors and then test those ideas with respected staff, talk informally to people, pilot with a well chosen group, not just the keen staff but representative of all of our views. It’s harder work, has a greater impact but avoids wasting precious time.

We all have busy lives, just becuase someone rushes home at 3.30 does not mean they are not interested, they have other responsibilities and tasks and are under pressure. They fit in work when children are in bed or elderly parents checked up on. hang it we are professionals and as twitter often reminds us: “some people have complicated lives….be nice”

2) Make sure as far as possible we aim for those attending our meetings to leave most of them uplifted, something to encourage us, challenge us, something to think about, something to help us improve. Or having listened to someone who passed on a great idea. Even boring planning can be like that! Many teachers ( at least many of those who are effective in the classroom) worry and bother about their work so the encouragement is pretty vital, and distraction by tedious time wasting meetings is little help. Realistically there is occasionally a meeting with bad news at its heart so we cannot always be uplifting, the meeting is called perhaps with sad news about pupils or colleagues or families or redundancy but lets overlook those exceptional meetings and consider those planned ones. I think even training sessions can bring a lift….”we are going to be able to do  (this) better”

Staff meetings- why? Once per term, 15 mins a week? Check your meetings schedules and ask why? Middle leader meetings, senior leader meetings, are they training sessions and sharing sessions, do people come along vaguely excited or watching their clock ready to leave? How much work goes into agendas and minutes or action points compared to some serious thinking about purpose and impact. Let’s look for a clear reason to meet, and tackle that wholeheartedly. Choose the topic, lets have some of the research on the topic, maybe even read up beforehand. Some briefing from those in the know, those with some wisdom and then a hearty discussion. Pertinent questions asked or raised and some solutions or suggestions created. Some simple actions which we can all trial or pilot and come back and report on – or just blog about or just post a summary on the learning platform. It’s then somewhere we can find it to go back to when we have time or need or both. Much of the recent twitter noise on research ed just shows we are good with endless ideas of what might, should, or ought to work but we just struggle with feedback, lets work that feedback into our school structure if it is important. In fact we might start with some feedback about our meeting’s effectiveness.

We also need to encourage better contributions and show everyone’s views or ideas are valued, from the most experienced to the new colleague, then mash that up and take away something which positively helps. This might help to move us all forward, confirming what we thought was the right direction. I am conscious some of you will think it’s your job to lead, you are HoD etc I am paid to lead, yes you are paid to lead, not to waste time, not to talk all the time, to have impact. So it might be your leadership job to gather the ideas and bring the policy to birth

My favourite meetings aren’t even on the calendar [which I spend so long planning for at our school] they happen spontaneously, often with unlikely combinations of colleagues. They focus on children, often certain individuals, they pick up on general themes but concern a given situation, they end up bringing clarity and thoughtfulness. They drop out of something which happened in a classroom and so bring an added interest. They help me see what sort of teacher, with what sort of philosophy other staff are and help me think what sort I am. They are conversations which usually lift , inspire and show much humour. They make me think. I love this time of the year (summer) when this happens a little more. I love overhearing those conversations, before school lunch or after school or in a free. I love zipping through the staffroom and observing these conversations, or hearing my science colleagues sort out “how to teach this better”. I know many a reader is thinking hey ho typical SLT with their light timetables and time to chat – sure agreed, the job is delivered by you ( well and me) in a classroom. We do need the occasional whinge, the job has many challenges not helped by the beloved SoS or Ofsted or Ofqual or the decision to go to progress 8 or ditch levels, that useless parent..hey this could be a long list….. but we are in the job because for better or worse we all #loveteaching. Establish a culture where these spontaneous chats happen more and more. Maybe I should ask Ofsted to “observe” meetings and grade them? Then count those vital golden nuggets of staff chat.

Classroom teachers do not have a lot of time, there are endless blogs about work/life balance and stress. Can we aim to help with our meeting programme and not worsen that workload? Let’s not waste each other’s time in meetings with endless agenda points which depress but instead clear the decks and get something inspiring, uplifting, purposeful – hang it we are intelligent people. Science meetings could ditch the agenda and in 45 mins do three “classic’ inspiring demonstrations that others might use; English can share new ways to introduce Shakespeare to the weakest learners; Design can show off what pupils have done and look at how they can be pushed to be even better…..there are lots more ideas, I’ll call a meeting to tell you.

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Some questions to ponder:

Q1 What are the most effective meetings in your school and why?
Q2 How might meetings help in the workload stakes and work life balance for the conscientious teacher?
Q3 What ways can you find to encourage and capture those intimate uplifitng good humoured conversations?

For those (like me) in a faith community
The importance of Christian fellowship for growing th faith and the warning about meeting for a purpose (the Eucharist) without abusing the true reason for the meetings

Hebrews 10:25
do not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more……
1 Corinthians 11:17
In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.