Chance to change

Nicki Smith, teacher and OLEVI professional coach and lead facilitator, reflects on the remarkable events of the past week in education and asks: What Are We Learning Here?

“Wow what a week”… It seems like I have overused that phrase so inappropriately in the past in comparison to what we are all experiencing at the moment. They say that 99% of what we worry about never happens and that it’s the things you don’t which really turn life upside down. To give you some context I split my working week between two wonderful roles; one as a teacher in a secondary school and one as a coach and facilitator at OLEVI, which provides opportunities for professional development for teachers and leaders and whole school culture change through a coaching ethos. Richard, our CEO at the OLEVI Alliance frequently asks us ‘So what are we learning here?’ I felt compelled to share my own reflections and also find out what others are feeling and thinking at the moment and in particular to ask you ‘What are we learning here?’

What am I Learning about Myself as an Educator?

  • ‘Teacher Guilt’ is still a thing. The vehicle by which it travels has changed but the journey is the same. I have felt guilt about not being on the rota for this week whilst other colleagues are in, guilt about my lack of attendance to voluntary sessions over the last few years about how to use technology more effectively and guilt about how my last lesson with each class was spent during the time when we didn’t know that we may not see them again for a while.
  • Many of us are creatures of habit and routine. I have found myself eating a breaktime snack at 10.35, constantly fidgeting when having to sit at a desk and seeing some of my students upload their work at the exact time their lesson would have been. As I grapple with trying to find a new normal I’ve realised that I quite like predictability.
  • I love human connection and its value in teaching. The thing I seem to be struggling with the most is not being able to assess the emotional response and human element of my students in their learning. I genuinely miss my students, from being able to see their expression when they are finding something challenging, or having their eureka moment to overhearing their excitement about prom on the way in, or asking them what the real reason they haven’t done their homework is and opening up an unexpected avenue of conversation. Online there has been an immense outpouring and sharing of resources and support by teachers getting into collaboration with one another and going to exceptional lengths to support their students and one another, craving this connection too.

What questions am I asking myself?  Where can I forgive myself and replace guilt or regret with a change in future behaviour? Where have I done the best that I could, given the current situation? What works for me to embed into a new normal? How can I be creative about how to connect with colleagues and students at a time when we can’t be together physically?

What are we Learning about School Leadership?

  • They are more adaptive than chameleons. I am not sure if and how my headteacher has slept over the last fortnight but what I do know is that the necessity to adapt, shift and accommodate rapidly changing expectations and moving goalposts has been phenomenal. I have always agreed with the concept that with great power comes great responsibility and this week has been an interesting dynamic where leaders have had very little power or control over circumstances, yet are on the ‘front line’ with huge accountability to students, staff and parents to make the ‘right’ decisions, whatever that means. This changes by the hour as this crisis unfolds and their flexibility and grace has been inspiring.
  • The Show Must Go On. There was an interesting discussion in our staffroom one breaktime last week where teachers were being incredibly honest and open about their own fears, concerns, anxieties and worries. Yet a few minutes before the bell went it was ‘game face on’ and a group of calm, measured, reassuring and warm professionals left to provide an anchor for students. This same week I saw my school leadership team modelling being decisive, clear and solution focused in the face of incredibly adversity.
  • ‘Staff Wellbeing’ is not about ticking a box. The level of care and protection shown between colleagues in our profession has been a genuine way to measure the focus on wellbeing this week. After receiving a phone call from my headteacher, and having a discussion about how to use coaching to support staff, I was left thinking about the tireless humility that will be needed in the times ahead and how much of an impact our school community will have even if we can’t be together physically for a while. It also indicated the lengths that many school leaders are going to in making time to reach out to their teams to support them amidst the range of demands that they face.

What questions am I asking myself?  In what ways has this unparalleled time evoked unpredictable responses? When does fear drive our behaviour, feelings and thoughts and mean that we require a need to feel comforted? What things can we do to protect the wellbeing and mental health of ourselves and others? How will the quote from Maya Angelou that ‘At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” relate to students, staff and parents?

What are we Learning about how Education is Valued?

  • Even the assessment and qualification system does not have immunity. An exceptional circumstance will raise so many questions around what it means when students en- mass can’t physically sit in a room to take these standardised tests and to the meaning that is placed on this. This has already had a significant impact on my own thinking around so many elements of education and the way that we assess, mark, feedback and record data. Also about how students, teachers and society define success and achievement and perception of which ‘results’ matter.
  • The role of education is complex and widely underestimated and misunderstood. Any expectation that parents will take on the role of educators, a profession which takes years of training and experience, is an interesting one. It was fascinating to listen to society unpick the many different hats that those in education wear when the decisions around whether to close schools were being made. Our students, parents, teachers and leaders are experiencing extraordinary circumstances during this pandemic crisis; coping with a range of emotional reactions, physical illnesses and changes to working, as well as social and economic implications. This is not just ‘distance learning’.
  • Compassion goes a long way. During such frightening times, it is easy to slip into a default of stress, blame and resentment. The reality is that many of us are in survival mode, where at the moment what we need to do most is to look after ourselves and one another and ensure that we are well physically, mentally and emotionally.

What questions am I asking myself? When will it help me to remember that we are all in this together? How can I be compassionate towards the many people who are making decisions in unprecedented conditions, with no rule book or real answer to what is right and wrong? How far am I being non-judgemental and assuming that people want the best for others and are doing the best they can? Is there a gateway for change here with a greater empathy and respect for the roles that everyone plays in society and the contributions they make?

I heard on the radio this morning that ‘with crisis comes opportunity’ and I am looking forward to a time when we can share more about the kind things that people are doing and have time to ask ourselves ‘What are we learning here?’