Well that was an overwhelming response to my first blog. Hundreds of page views and lots of supportive feedback. It has also surprised me that so many people relate to things in it in very different ways, from very different circumstances. It has given me a focus for the moment but I am unsure where to go with it now. Suggestions would be welcome.
Surprisingly no-one has offered to pray for me, a fact I am glad about because as an atheist it really doesn't help. I would prefer people shared the blog and talk about it, rather than waste time praying. From a selfish point of view it would make me feel better if I thought it was helping others.
A few people have focused their comments (mainly through Facebook) around teaching. Although I do feel somewhat disenchanted with teaching at the moment, one particular comment I had from a parent of a child I used to teach, has given me a real boost and reminded me what teaching is about. It isn't about statistics and league tables, it is about children and young adults. If I feel nothing is ever good enough, how do they feel? The results of such pressure on some of our young people is catastrophic, as I have seen at first hand in my family. My school has a good view on the bigger picture but its hands are tied by the "results at all costs" culture that successive governments have forced upon us. Industry has a concept of "fit for purpose", why doesn't the education system? Why is "good" not good enough?
Anyway onwards and upwards I hope. I am seeing my counsellor later on today and hoping she will continue to help move towards the future with some sort of vision of what to do next. All I know currently is that I am really enjoying doing this blog and as I said it has given me a focus and some sort of peace at the moment.
Anyway onwards and upwards I hope. I am seeing my counsellor later on today and hoping she will continue to help move towards the future with some sort of vision of what to do next. All I know currently is that I am really enjoying doing this blog and as I said it has given me a focus and some sort of peace at the moment.
1 comment:
We don't just live in a 'results at all costs' culture, but a culture that only values results in very narrowly circumscribed areas. This is ludicrous, as I suspect very few of us feel that our lives have been made better by the heroes of these successes. There was a lovely video that did the rounds on Facebook some years ago, telling people to do things like name the most successful Olympic medallist, name the latest winner of the Nobel prize for Medicine, list all the short listed Booker authors. Most people struggled to do this. When they were then asked to name a teacher who had really helped them or who had kindled within them a real love for a subject, hardly anyone struggled at all. Our a Education ministers might profitably reflect on that video, says she darkly.
Thank you for another thought- provoking post. Hope today's session went well. FC
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