Thought for the day.

I gave lesson today where I talked for the entire hour. Pupils did a couple of preparatory questions periodically to make sense of the next phase of exposition.

Looking around the room catching sight of enrapt expressions, focussed concentrated stares.

Silence. Not a single whisper of off task talk or even peer support. The visual feedback I get as I look about has a potent effect on my enthusiasm. Years of practice allowing me to make constant adjustments to my exposition, supplementing or moving on as appropriate.

I don’t need to cold call, use whiteboards to check understanding, I can see/feel it. A moment of doubt may prompt me to “any questions?” or “does that make sense” etc. Anything else would break the flow of the developing discovery of concept.

Animated exposition intimately connected to sketches, diagrams and short pieces of maths to accompany the spoken word. But fuelled, fed, even rejuvenated by the audience expressions and body language.

This wouldn’t work in the same way with a recorded presentation. When I record it’s a distinctly different ‘feel’ and requires a shift in my attention to exposition. But that’s another story.

I talked for the whole hour.

Without planning it other than a glance occasionally at the analogue clock on the wall, the ‘power point free’ presentation timed perfectly to the minute.

With a minute to go before packing up time I exclaim “I’m done, we’ll apply this tomorrow”.

So what’s the point of this ramble.

This lesson being watched by the ‘wrong’ observer back in the dark days of lesson observation would have been inadequate.

A failed lesson labelling the teacher a failure and in some toxic schools a step towards “support”.

The failing teacher that can teach children few others can. The failure that gets results, sometimes astounding results. The failure that can teach a bottom set the same as a top set such that an observer can’t discern the difference.

Teaching is a lifelong development.

It takes years to master teaching but mastery will never come. Teaching is a living lifelong path.

You can’t improve it by observing it.

What’s more, we have observation the wrong way around.

The goal should be to visit another colleague and be informed by reflection on another’s practice.

In a sense judging oneself against another, not judging another against oneself or some generic policy.

We have to be brave and let teachers develop their craft. Stop trying to mandate “good practice” like some cargo cult effect.

This doesn’t mean in isolation. There still needs to be a rich diet of CPD but more importantly teaching communities.

And back to my lesson. I talked for the entire hour.

My kids learnt loads.

I’m not a failure and neither will they be failed by me.

Thanks for listening