What I’ve learnt is that the word
outstanding, often associated to OFSTED, is a misnomer; and unobtainable
expectation which constantly demands perfection, often to the detriment of the
individual teacher (and his/her family)! The paradox is that to be ‘the best’
requires constant reflection and an acceptance that there is no such thing as a
perfect lesson...there is something always to be done, refined or improved.
Teaching is not the profession for perfectionists, especially those who strive
to be outstanding.
I want to put forward the idea
that to be outstanding is not something to strive for. OFSTED ‘Outstanding’ is not an accolade, as ‘outstanding’
often results in a one-off lesson which create a false sense of learning and
cannot sustainably be delivered day in day out. As the government does away with ASTs, in my
opinion it should also do away with the term 'Outstanding', and instead encourage teachers
to be great by simplifying the criteria for judging lessons.
I wrote a post a number of months
ago which was laden with outstanding lexicon: hinge questions, objectives,
outcomes, progress checkers – all the bells and whistles of the ‘learning
fetish’, which purports that students are learners; skills over knowledge;
themes over subjects...blah blah blah!
However, since attending the GA conference, the Berkhamsted Teaching and
Learning Conference and my first TeachMeet, I would like to get back to basics
to what I think are the fundamental building blocks of what makes a great
lesson (and teacher).
Simply put a great Geography
lesson/teacher will: MAKE TEACHING THE FOCUS by...
i)
Considering
the pace of learning, so that it gives time for discussion/extended writing.
ii)
Considering
the type of task set, so that it is challenging & geographical.
iii)
Being
flexible
iv)
Being
Personal (through feedback, relation to local place, sharing pupil best
practice)
Therefore, great Geography
teachers put ‘Geography to work’ (Digby, 2013) through great teaching, by
focusing on place, space, changes over time and interconnectedness (Lambert,
2013). Of course, skills such as critical thinking, map work, source
interpretation will be drip-fed into the teaching as appropriate (and as
needed!).
Furthermore, teachers no longer
have to reinvent the wheel and be great all on their own. Encouragingly, the teaching practice is
finally starting to catch up with business by sharing best practice online
through an creative commons approach – nings, googledocs, blogs, twitter,
teachmeets – are all mediums through which teachers, new and experienced, can
reflect and improve their pedagogical practice in order to be great. PLNs
(Personalised Learning Networks) or self-organised communities of practice
(Rogers) are becoming crucial in helping teachers adjust to new specifications
and share ideas about teaching content and exam technique. It is unsurprising that Geography teachers are
arguably the most connected or have the most extensive PLNs due to the
inter-disciplinary nature of our subject – if you’re not connected have a look
online for a ning for your subject specification and start sharing.
So, as the summer officially
starts I wonder how practical and true the above will be when I start to teach
35minute lessons in September!
