allsorts

Don’s latest blog post prompted this train of thought. Thanks Don.

Let’s imagine 2 teachers, generally thought of as “excellent”. Jane and Mary, let’s say, have very different teaching styles.

A fly on the wall in Jane’s class would find a thorough and well -documented approach. She can motivate pupils to work conscientiously and has evidence aplenty in jotters and on the walls of the achievements of her class. The classroom is usually quiet. The pupils know what they have to do and why, because it is written on 2 boards called “Targets for this block” and “Success Criteria”. The walls have neat displays of children’s work in each curricular area.
The fly in Mary’s classroom would get no peace. Mary’s pupils are enthusiastic and excited about learning, When you talk to them they know what they are doing and why and might show you an experiment they are doing. Some of them occasionally interrupt with apparently tangential questions and Mary and the whole class sometimes become diverted, Mary’s classroom is hardly ever quiet. Some of her displays are a bit haphazard and have a “work in progress” look. The same is true of some of the children’s jotters. The children love being in Mary’s class.

When both of these teachers are promoted, they have to observe other teachers’ lessons. They both think they are open-minded and accepting of different styles of teaching. However, when Jane has to observe lessons of teachers who are like Mary, she finds it difficult, often impossible, to see what she is looking for. She knows how to be an excellent teacher and she can’t find the evidence she needs to reassure her of the quality of Mary’s teaching. For example, there is a box on the observation feedback form that says “Pupils are hardworking” She can’t tick it because they did no writing during the observation.

By contrast when Mary observes other teachers she finds easily the places where excellent teaching is going on, When she sees teachers like Jane, she can happily can tick lots of the boxes provided on the feedback form. When she observes other teachers who are like her, she can also recognise excellent practice because she knows how to look for it, perhaps by talking to the teacher and the children and listening to their conversations, by finding out the process that’s going on with the “work in progress” stuff.

Back in the HT’s office though, where ticks in boxes are counted, Jane appears the better teacher. She and the teachers who are like her get ticks from her and from Mary. On the other hand, Mary doesn’t get ticks and teachers like her get ticks only if they were observed by Mary. Consequently, Mary and her peers might be asked to provide more jotter work, tidier displays and quieter children.

Senior Management concludes on this evidence, that perhaps Mary’s promotion was a mistake, while Jane’s was clearly a good choice. Jane will perhaps go on to become a QIO, whereas Mary will be given dinner duty and other “very important” management tasks. She may give up her promoted post to become a Chartered Teacher.

Amongst the teaching staff however, because of her more open approach, Mary is thought to be the better manager. Her observations are non-stressful and her feedback sessions are constructive and positive. She has the respect of many colleagues. Jane has no idea why. And she never asks.