As term two begins, the evenings are drawing in and there are already chocolate reindeer on sale in supermarkets. Perhaps due to the break, many of my favourite blogs didn’t release anything this week, but that gave me an opportunity to read some unfamiliar ones.
No hands up
Though this blog is new to me, the ‘no hands up’ strategies discussed within are not. This blogger goes by ‘I Teacher’ and, for context, is a secondary English teacher.
The arguments for having a no-hands-up classroom are clearly explained, and the mental image of hands ‘shooting in to the sky’ are ones which bring back memories of my own school days as well as when I’ve been on the teacher side of the desk.
My first reaction is that I could never advocate for the total banning of hands up (and I’m not suggesting the author is either) because, at least sometimes, the hand aiming for the sky is communicating an urgent need: to use the bathroom, to get a tissue, to check their own understanding.
I’ve used this approach in my own classes at times and seen some of the benefits described. I’ve also seen the fear of being called on acting as a barrier to focus for some children, often but not exclusively those with needs.
I think, as with many things, ‘know your class’ is what is needed to ascertain when, how and if this strategy is one which leaves all children emotionally safe.
Changing the game
Shirley Owen’s statement in this blog that ‘a supportive teacher can be a game changer’ is one which left me nodding and smiling. For children with a range of additional needs or none, being and feeling supported makes a huge difference.
Though the article focuses on the impact of feeling supported on student wellbeing and defines this clearly, it also acknowledges that feeling valued encourages children to engage in learning. Noting that teacher support is not limited to care and emotional support, it mentions additional academic support and the crafting of interesting lessons.
What this article leaves me wanting to shout from the rooftops, however, is that when children feel supported emotionally and know that adults in school demonstrate this caring in practical ways (such as knowing where they need additional explanation or opportunities to engage in deeper challenge) they feel like a capable learner.
This can have an impact for years to come, within and outside of academic pursuits and potentially also on their inclination to support others in their lives as they grow up.
Technophobia
This opinion piece shares a view that, initially, I expected to find myself entirely at odds with – namely that educators should embrace screen time, even with our youngest learners.
After reminding us that, throughout history, new innovations have been met with wariness and even fear, Richard Waite goes on to give examples of screen-free technology which can be used to engage and educate.
I was reminded of my class 5 teacher (in the previous millennium) saying that no one would carry a calculator in their pocket. Yet here we are with the ability to access more information than is contained in all the volumes of the biggest encyclopaedia imaginable.
The take-away for me was ‘activity first, technology second’, a handy mantra for keeping tools in the service of education, and not the other way round.
Fall and get back up
This time of year, long terms and shortening days can leave us flat. Here, Gary Armida takes on the ‘toxic positivity’ of platitudes from education-adjacent consultants to acknowledge that, while some days are indeed sunshine and rainbows, teachers have bad days too.
Reflecting on a bad day at the chalkface, Armida goes on to explain that a difficult day isn’t an indicator of losing our drive or our ‘why’. It’s just a normal part of anyone’s career. What matters is what we do next.
The takeaway messages – that connection is vital, that professional vulnerability brings humanity and that we must learn from the bad days and not let them stop us in our tracks – are ones I’m choosing to dwell on.
Your thoughts