Scaling the Heights

“Now all you will feel is an adrenaline rush when you start to climb,” enthuses my Head of PE as I stand, trussed up like a prize turkey in a climbing harness and ready to scale the Sports Hall heights. The climbing wall was installed a year ago. During the first school assembly last September, I foolishly bragged that my challenge this year was to climb it. It seemed a good way of symbolising the need to set personal targets, try new activities and go beyond the normal and everyday routine. The message was: “Come on students. Break out and go for it!”

That was all a year ago. Now reality dawns. I’ve let the year go by without even trying to climb the wall- I don’t even know what it involves. The only climbing I’ve ever done is into bed at night. I thought they would have all forgotten about it. But the talk is about will he or won’t he? The truth is he will- but only if he is able.

It’s the day before the final assembly and here’s my last chance to practise unobserved. Another member of the Department acts as belay and with the expert tuition of the Head of PE, off I go. Amazingly, the footholds work and the yellow and green route gets me to the ceiling lights in no time.

But I hadn’t thought about how climbers descend. Only when I reach the top, do I receive the instruction to let out the rope, keep the legs firm and adopt a horizontal posture! Now I’m all for lying down- but there are times and places.

Fortunately the ground is behind me so I can’t see how high I am. Like Spider Man, I let out the rope and step backwards on the slow and careful descent, toppling indecorously on the mat at the bottom like a turkey falling off a conveyor belt.

As I start the climb in front of 900 students and all the staff the next afternoon, one of the PE Department wishes me luck: “I’ve climbed this wall dozens of times but I couldn’t do it in front of all these people. What an exhibitionist!”

“Thanks for the confidence boost,” I think to myself and I’m off for a second time, attempting to prove that ‘resilience’, one of the Building Learning Power four Rs can be learnt and demonstrated. I reach the top, expecting the by now over-running presentation on Sports Results to finish as I get there. But the list of victories to applaud (yes I know we’re a Sports College) seems endless. So I wait amongst the cobwebs and the fluorescent lights, above the clouds, for my cue to descend in triumph.

Ten minutes later, despite the nudges and kicks, the Director of Sport is still ploughing through his awards. Sports team after sports team stand up and captains come forward to receive cups. Now it’s hockey. Then it’s rowing. Next comes chess. Chess? Does he know I’m here? Will I ever be able to descend? My belay looks as if he’s fallen asleep! Help! Does no one care! How long can the human body endure? I may have to let go.

The tenth: “and finally” is a report about the television coverage of the forthcoming Swedish Sports Tour taking place this week. If they don’t hurry up, there will be another television item about College Principal’s death-defying leap to safety.

With only minutes to go, the presentation is over, the students realise where I am, and I do my sliding backwards crab impression down the wall and return to reality and applause.

Safe on land again, I quickly scramble out of the harness and rush over to the microphone for an even bigger challenge than the climb. I have to say goodbye to all the staff who are leaving in the remaining three minutes of time. Three are Assistant Principals: Arthur and Denise Morley, have given total joint service to the school of 79 years, gold standards of professionalism. Graham Allen has a mere 16 years of extraordinary commitment. That truly is a scaling of heights. And I realise that the biggest challenges still come from the day job and not the forced and artificial tasks we set ourselves. As I take the microphone the real adrenaline rush begins.

Calling all Portuguese speakers

More news from Brazil - but I need a translator. If there are any Portuguese speakers out there, please let me know what the article tells you!

CORREIOBRAZILIENSE • Brasília, domingo, 1º de julho de 2007 • 13 BRASIL

UM COLÉGIO PREMIADO

Asaída para ser uma escola diferente, mesmo diante das deficiências, está na união. Funcionários dedicados, alunos engajados e comunidade envolvida são fatores comuns aos 25 colégios públicos escolhidos para participar do projeto Liderança nas Escolas. Parceria do Conselho Britânico com o governo federal, o programa visa estimular a troca de experiências entre profissionais de educação do Reino Unido e do Brasil. Os educadores britânicos que visitaram mês passado os colégios brasileiros saíram entusiasmados com o papel da escola em contextos socialmente difíceis. Presidente da Associação de Diretores de Escolas da Escócia, Charles Macteer lembra que muitos problemas sociais e familiars dos alunos brasileiros e escoceses são semelhantes. A forma de a escola lidar com eles é que diferencia as duas nações. “Dificuldades como drogas ou gravidez na adolescência também

existem lá. Mas o envolvimento, essa aproximação entre comunidade e escola, é praticamente zero no meu país. Isso éum desafio para nós, temos que aprender com o Brasil a fomenter essa articulação”, diz Macteer, que dirige uma escola pública na Escócia, com 800 alunos com idade entre 12 e 18 anos. Das 25 escolas selecionadas em todo país, cinco estão em Pernambuco. A criatividade é o ponto alto dos brasileiros, Segundo os ingleses. “É impressionante como eles conseguiram criar uma irrigação alternative com uma garrafa de plástico. Prova que o importante é ter vontade. E isso independe de dinheiro”, avalia Raymond Tarleton, diretor de uma escola na cidade inglesa de Devon, durante visita feita em Tacaimbó, cidade a 130km de Recife. “Estamos aqui muito mais para ouvir do que para falar. Queremos conhecer como funcionam essas escolas. A liderança é um instrumento que transforma a vida”, afirma Susan Douglas, atual conselheira de liderança do British Council. A dupla também ficou

The Gorilla and the MP10 Player

We’re celebrating the ‘graduation’ of those teachers that we train directly at the Learning Institute (South Dartmoor, Ivybridge and Callington Community Colleges) at Cotehele this evening and so I’m thinking about what is like to be a new teacher. Can I put myself in their shoes after all this time? What do I say to colleagues about what the future holds?

They are going to be dealing with the two most complex and demanding organisms on the planet: the human brain- and the human teenager. A recent cartoon showed a gorilla being interviewed for a teaching post. The caption underneath read: ‘He doesn’t know much about the National Curriculum, but he’s great on discipline.’ If you can’t control the class, you can’t teach- end of story.

Today’s new teachers will see a transformation in practice and approach. I recently bought an MP3- and discovered on Amazon that there now exists an MP4. It will only be a matter of a few short years before the- let’s call it the MP10- is used by every school student: a small box that contains textbooks in its data memory, educational video, has internet access, offers voice-activated recording for student writing and can print out whatever is needed in whatever format. The creative potential is mind-blowing but for real. And, of course, it will play music and send texts as every normal teenager expects. Like the gorilla, it will ensure motivation.

So here they are at last – qualified teachers, without the L plates. The months of training, of being observed, mentored, coached and guided as a trainee are over. At last they are real teachers with the freedom to fly.

But it’s not so simple. Most heads these days view the NQT year as a preparation and not an end. Learning to teach is not like learning to ride a bicycle – once achieved you carry on in the same way. Wobble–free riding comes naturally but few of us improve our cycling skills once we have got the basic balance and can move on two wheels. Teaching, on the other hand, is a career-long process of development.

So I will be stressing tonight the need to keep learning. Just as I want children in my school to become independent learners, so I expect my new teachers to take charge of their professional development and make this a central focus of their work. This is not selfish or self-centred on their part: investment in learning to teach will not only help them score that grade 1 or 2 with OFSTED and propel them through the Threshold in years to come, but it will also bring the greatest benefit to students.

And if they are looking for help, then the gorilla and the MP10 are not far away!

Whole lot of huggin' going on

Those of us who are old enough can remember when Armstrong walked on the moon; most people heard Tony Blair declare a new dawn in 1997 and everyone has heard the new Prime Minister recite his school motto. But I am intrigued by those things that are new and surprising which seem to come from nowhere.

When, for example, did the male hug become acceptable? And hugging head teachers? This I have to do my research on.

Year 11 appeared at their celebration dinner last week, looking like Oscar nominees at a Hollywood ceremony. They would not have looked out of place at Buckingham Palace. Nelson Mandela once said that individually we sparkle, but together we shine. Well, they didn’t only shine, they dazzled.

After the opening welcomes, the cameras flashed, the music played, glasses of Pimms flowed and we sampled the delicious food produced for us by the excellent Scoffers. All normal so far.

Now I’m relaxed about male bonding but I’m of the generation where I don’t actively go out to seek it. Perhaps it’s a lack of rugby playing in my early youth. So I was touched (literally) by the requests for hugs from some of the Year 11 lads. It makes a great statement and I got to feel the cut of those sharp suits close up.

But my question is when did the hugging start? Why didn’t I notice and shouldn’t somebody have told me? After all- if the hug is the new hand shake, I’d better get some practice in.

To all the Year 11s out there- it was a great evening. Staff were delighted to have an evening with you rather than doing their marking or watching Teachers’ TV. (No, we don’t ever watch ‘Desperate Housewives’). And next time I think of memorable events- men on the moon or new prime ministers, I’ll also remember the Year 11 Celebration dinner.…..when the hugging began.