posted on 09 November 2009 09:26
Feedback from a reader of this blog:
Nice to see others thinking the same. We are awaiting the OFSTED visit and if I could try and explain the fear that has been drilled into staff and much more importantly students it is frightening and all really due to 2% points in data! I look at the beautiful kids I enjoy teaching every day and feel so upset by the focus on assessment for assessments sake, mentoring is really target setting , too little space to continue here and far too negative!!!
Before I go for a lovely walk to get the brain going for the day... I read somewhere that a lot of our lessons in school are like giving a child a really shiny new yellow ball with a smile on it and asking them to take it around school.... I can see the face of one of my students light up now.... but... this is school.... you need a plastic pass to be out of lessons and do not forget you can on no account bounce that ball...that would be fun!!! It is lessons ...Just carry that ball do not bounce it!! All the smile goes and all the imagination and creativity is diverted into thinking how to bounce the ball without being seen!!! What a waste, I use this analogy with two others in lessons and include a real fruit machine to try to explain motivation beyond the teacher!!! I call it the 3Fs….
Thanks N