While there is currently so much discussion about the fact that the shift needed in education is about the pedagogy rather than the buildings, there is something very unique about the beginnings of a brand new school. When you sign up for a new school, you sign up to a blank canvas. There is no manual to guide you and there is no one leading the team forward other than the team itself. Each team member comes from a different threshold on every level of practice. They have their individual expectations and vision. It really is a chance to innovate education and lead our kids towards the '22nd Century'.
It is this blank canvas that totally drives me. Sometimes, it is all a bit overwhelming but most of the time it is exciting and challenging. You see, I have been teaching for (more than) twenty years. I began just at the time that the 'new' curriculum draft was being rolled out and when Tomorrow's Schools became today's with their own governance in the form of Boards of Trustees. In my second year of teaching I was lucky enough to get my own classroom computer that sat in the corner and took 25 minutes to start up each morning.
In the time that I have been fortunate enough to be in teaching, change has been constant and it has been my driver. The reality though is that the change happened by osmosis and in most cases, we were self-taught, self-driven, making lots of mistakes and either learning from them or disappearing into the pit.
I think that is exactly why Sir Ken's talk about the climate of possibilities resonates for me. We can go into this journey with a blank canvas and bring with us a wisdom and an awareness of all of the possibilities. We need to remember what to leave behind and what to bring. We also need to remember that we can do things better than ever....
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| Honoured to have had Sir Ken himself read this post! |
I am really loving the possibilities of this journey.... but it can be exhausting at times!
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