Four teachers from our school have travelled up from Hindhead in Surrey to support our older sister, Northern Rocks, #nrocks18, at Leeds Beckett University. Again, the turn out demonstrates the appetite for self directed professional development.
Why are we here? We are here to spend valuable time together, talking about teaching (and leading) to meet with the fantastic Pete Mills from Calls9 and to glean from those invested in education.The attendance here today reaffirming my heartfelt belief in teachers for teachers event.
Panel Discussion
From left to right, Ty Goddard, Rebecca Allen, Mark Lehain, Debra Kidd, Julian Critchley, Madeline Holt and Rt Hon Emma Hardy, the panel are taking questions from students. Think Education “Question Time.” Refreshingly, we start with a debate on pastoral, rather than academic success. There is, as with other teachers for teacher event, a warmth and an genuineness to the conversation that seeps down into the roots of education.
I feel like there is a word of the day at
#NRocks18
The first question focused on student well-being and the second on the over-emphasis on numeracy and literacy within the Primary curriculum and “Stupid Assessment Tests” – Louis Year 4.
Accountability driving curriculum decisions. Funding restraining the curriculum. The separation of leaders from teachers.
Five English teachers during my GCSE? Chronic teacher shortages. Workload. Over-emphasis on leadership? (Julian Critchley).
Right, off to find the first session.
Thought nuggets to hang onto. Lattice leadership – “not heroes but connected leaders,” responding to the “warp and waft of an organisation” and what are the “unintended consequences of policy.”