Cut-down Summer Holidays = A Better Future For Britain?

So the Education Minister, the Right Honourable Mr Gove has announced that Schools will soon be able to set their own term and holiday dates.  The main focus being that perhaps the summer holidays are too long.  He even stated that the current system was based on an antiquated one in which young people were required to work on the farms.  I'm afraid this historical argument based on children being available to work is not accurate.  It seems that Mr Gove can't get the facts right . . . Which is a concern in itself.

There also seems to be an unhealthy fixation on longer hours spent in school for pupils.  Britons are traditional at knee-jerk reactions when there is a national-social issue.  E.g. Other countries are out performing the UK economically so let's make our school pupils work for longer (including weekends) and that will help us produce more intelligent and productive market leaders.  Nonsense!  We have men and women up and down this country working so many hours that they are like absent parents - and we are still not leading the world in productivity and progress.

There is an almost poisonous obsession with work (or over-working) in this country.  As a teacher I put a heck of a lot of hours into my job.  I enjoy my work.  However, I have many friends who work so much that their family time is almost nil.  This has led to major relationship issues in the household.  It seems that the length of time a man (or a woman) works in this country is seen as some sort of badge to be proud of.  

Now this mentality seems to be filtering down to the education system.  This is a major concern of mine.  

We need to realise that a major re-thinking of the traditional work ethic is required.  We need to learn to work smarter, multi-task a little less often and not be blinkered into putting in more hours.  This just doesn't solve the problem. 

Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote: 'Extreme busyness, whether at school or college, kirk or market, is a symptom of deficient vitality.'

Why the Egyptians were Concerned about Farting

Making students laugh during a lesson is integral to my methodology as a teacher.  Humour may not be the natural ingredient for others but it works on several levels.  The title of this Blog refers to a theme in one of the History of Medicine lessons taught in the S3 History class.  Students were learning the several ideas the ancient Egyptians had regarding the functions of the human body.  The lesson required 'Personal Selective Note-taking' or 'Taking your own notes'.  Humour becomes a very useful mnemonic tool when gathering facts  There is a physiological process at play when students and teachers engage in a bit of a laugh.  Dopamine is produced which acts as a natural de-stressing agent.  I wonder why any educator would not want to have this affect upon students.  It really works, and the proof is in pedagogical and scientific articles.

There have been several studies which propose the necessity of humour in teaching contexts.  They often refer to teacher driven approaches, however there are opportunities to bring the students into the joke also.  Young people say the strangest and funniest things.  They often say or do things which can be unintentional.  If the students are able to take it then use sarcasm to lighten the mood in the classroom.  There is always a caution in using this kind of humour.  Be careful that no-one becomes upset or embarrassed by its use and gauge the mood.  Off course there is a time to bring out the jokes  and under certain circumstances when the lesson material is more sensitive humour can be left to another time.

How to Get Blood From a Stone

The origin of the phrase above is most attributed to Giovanni Torriano the 17th century writer.  His intention was to simplify the idea that we cannot extract a substance which isn't there in the first place.  When trying to encourage discussion amongst teenagers perhaps the same applies.  We often hear that children are naturally inquisitive, however when they approach the borderlands of adolescence this often changes to apathy.  Again this is a generalisation which may not describe all young people but it is a common trend.

The complaint often aired by teachers in any context is that discussion is often difficult.  To approach the problem it might be wise to consider the importance of student led education.  The truth of the matter is that students benefit more from interaction and discussion than from the teacher lecturing them to oblivion.  If we see this type of 'lesson' then we can be confident that those sitting listening aren't actually 'learning'.  The usual exceptions are the methods used on the University campus where the students are expected to be of a certain level of academic maturity to benefit from being talked to.

In any context it is quite apparent that language interaction is essential to the development of intellect.  After all, children learn language acquisition skills before they are born.  It is through the hearing of conversation that infants begin to adopt their speech and language.  Why should this change when they begin formal education?  As children mature they need to be encouraged to engage with their immediate carers and other people in their social environment.  The sharing of thoughts, ideas and knowledge is essential to their own mental development:

'The building and exchange of thoughts and ideas which takes place in the

course of a discussion, in any context at all, is likely for at least one of the

participants, and often for both or all of them, to lead to a greater understanding

of, or insight into, the topic of the conversation.'

- Alan Pritchard, Ways of Learning, 2005

So in the classroom we should try to hear many different voices instead of one or two.  Yet this might be an upward struggle.  If we have a class of new students in front of us, or if the subject matter is unfamiliar then we may have an upward struggle when promoting dialogue.  The key is to show the students that we are not more important than them.  Some of their reluctance may stem from preconceived ideas about the teacher.  Humans tend to open up more if they are in a relaxed environment.  By making them aware of the level playing field between us and them then we make ourselves more trustworthy and, dare I say it, even normal (however, I believe that educators should develop dual characteristics of normality and originality).

Once we have developed an atmosphere of trust then much of the groundwork is complete.  The quality of our questions and topic starters comes next.  This is where we should take advantage of our awareness of prior knowledge.  However, if the topic of the lesson is completely knew to the students then start with the most thought-provoking questions you can think of.  Thinking time is essential!  Never get into the habit of asking a question and offering the answer five seconds later.  This is completely at odds with the role of a teacher.  Ask the same question again.  Give the students time to 'think'.  At this point the question can be re-phrased.  In most cases the answer will come from someone in the class.  This may not be correct or even detailed, but whatever the student says may just begin a conversation.

Whilst these factors help to encourage discussion it is also possible to use a little bit of performance.  Many teachers behave in very predictable ways with common teaching habits.  This includes the manner in which they talk.  Perhaps bringing some appropriate humour and fun into the mix might encourage students to open up.  Not at any time should our dialogue become inappropriate or digress from the main thrust of the discussion, but a more relaxed approach can go a long way in getting blood from a stone.  As teachers we need to know our pupils and prepare accordingly.  As long as we are keen for them to learn we have to reduce the amount that we speak and listen carefully to the opinions of those that matter most.

Using Photography to Record the Good Times!

In education teachers become really paranoid about taking pictures with pupils included.  On our History trips to Belgium and France we break all the records for photographs taken.  The reason for this is the pupils want it and appreciate it.  Here is a very small selection of the pictures taken on our last trip this March (minus the pupils of course).

Promoting Respect in the Real World Classroom

How many teachers would have the mindset that being an adult equals automatic respect?  At least two generations ago the authority of an educated, professional adult was enough to keep students in line (despite the odd, courageous individual lad who had no fear of authority).  Now it seems that the exception has almost become the rule.  In teaching practice within the modern classroom, there appears to be a dearth of respect shown to teachers.  Undoubtedly there would be many practitioners who would argue against such an assertion, but this would be more of an indication of personal experience rather than firm evidence.  For example, some teach in affluent private schools in which pupil behaviour and attitudes tend to be less highly charged than in public schools located in areas of high deprivation (the author does acknowledge that disrespect can be found in all schools).
All of this seems quite negative but my experience has shown that the challenge of creating a respectful ethos is a positive one.  The constant media focus on the negative aspects of young people needs to be turned on its head.  There is, of course, the uncontrollable factor of home environment influence.  However, working with young people from deprived communities allows adults to deal with barriers and try to instil respect where virtually none has existed at home before.  There are some extremely useful approaches to encourage respect in these circumstances.
First of all, students can tell when teachers are genuine or not.  The key to gaining respect is to show real concern for welfare.  Token gestures are an example of doing the job more than trying to help.  If an approach is not genuine, or if the teacher struggles to be so then this has to change.  Secondly, make full use of colloquialisms.  Culturally Responsive Classroom Management encourages meeting points between the student and educator.  Linguistic differences naturally exist when educated adults engage with students who possess limited vocabulary skills.  Some educators come from backgrounds in which slang speech was the norm and this has remained an integral part of their communication.  For those who struggle to relate linguistically with young people, there are certain phrases and ways of speaking which can be adopted without lowering ones own vocabulary.  I have used a few examples which get attention and allow students to open up.  Since there are so many cultural variances across the globe, to give examples would be virtually impossible.
Perhaps an overarching principle is the importance of consistency.  My own children tend to improve in their general attitudes when the rules are upheld regularly.  In the context of school the same applies.  In fact many pupils with little or no social structure often react well to constant patterns of leadership.
These practices are certainly not full-proof and have to be adapted depending on the circumstances.  There is so much more to positive engagement and respect, some of which cannot even be written in a prescriptive manner.  The key is to have real concerns and care for the students.

THE BENEFITS OF SILENCE

After 60 seconds I have exceeded the maximum limit of waiting time for an answer.  There is a feeling of slight awkwardness amongst some of the students, almost like that tense moment when the stranger walks into the saloon and everyone stops what they're doing to stare at him.  Yet I love the silence!  For me it's the perfect tool for thinking and being funnelled into a process of thinking.  Even when students aren't very engaged with the lesson content, this sudden gap in the conversation can force them into a micro thought.  Silence can be Golden in these moments.  I find that it works best when the build-up to the question prepares the class for some deep contemplation.  Therefore the quality of the question is quite important.  Don't be put off by the silence, but make sure that it's not due to any confusion caused by a complex remark on you part.  Students have to be given something to think about which allows them to quickly process what is being asked.

Sometimes the silence can be taken to another level.  As part of a Greek Philosophy lesson I encouraged all the students to do what Socrates would do . . . Sit and think . . . In silence.  They had to choose something that was important to them.  About 70 percent of them explained that they thought about cars or computer games (no surprises there).  However, 2 or 3 spoke about higher order concepts such as the existence of God or their place in the Universe.  This then led to the most fascinating discussion on Gods and eternity.  This lesson was certainly successful, which can be mainly attributed to the benefits of silence.

Responding to Cultural Variations in the Classroom

Managing the behaviour of a whole class of teenagers from mixed backgrounds, different genders and levels of intelligence is a task that many people would consider beyond them . . . And then you have teachers.  There is absolutely no doubt that some in the profession find it difficult to harness classroom management skills but others seem to do it naturally, as if they had been born in a house full of teenagers.
It would seem that a certain amount of Life experience can be the core element to any level of confidence in controlling young people in the school environment.  However, being able to teach, encourage, manage, satisfy and progress pupils requires a wee bit more than a mature approach.
Culture is such an important meeting point between pupil and teacher.  Managing behaviour is as much about reaching the level of the individual as it is about consistency and a stern voice.  I wonder how many teaching staff would consider their commitment to their students in terms of caring for them.  In some situations it would seem that being sympathetic to pupil circumstances is frowned upon.  From personal experience, getting them to stay in the classroom, never mind get on with the work is best achieved when authority figures 'show' that they respect and care for them.  This is one element of Culturally Responsive Classroom Management:

Students are more likely to succeed if they feel connected to school and a positive, respectful relationship with teachers helps create such an environment. Poor classroom management threatens school connectedness because a poorly managed classroom cannot provide a stable environment for respectful and meaningful student learning (Blum, 2005.) Marzano (2003) concluded that good teacher-student relationships are important to effective classroom management and there is much research to support the belief that good student-teacher relationships enhance learning (Rodriguez, 2005; Tomlinson and Doubet, 2005; Brown, 2003).  
- Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.