teaching Scout

Funny how education really is one of the most normal things in the world. Sometimes when you speak to teachers you get the impression that we should all be due some sort of royalty at the end of it. Over the past few weeks the normality of my job really has hit me. I’m not here to waltz into a classroom, produce some kind of fantastic all singing all dancing lesson that makes use of every technology under the sun and to be then congratulated by myself or others for my splendid efforts. Nope. I’ve realised that educating kids should be a largely normal process. I think the more that culture changes over the coming decades, where educators become used to the notion of simply trying new things and that change is just a natural process and shouldn’t be resisted, that there will be less people from the “I cannae dae that” camp. In the same respect, there will then be less kids from the “I cannae dae that” camp.

What I’ve learnt over the past couple of weeks is the truely humbling nature of my job. I’ve learnt that I thouroughly enjoy it! Often I am frustrated and really wish that I could manage that class better. Often, I find myself repeating discipline procedures and wondering if my actions are making a blind bit of difference to the kid who refuses to look at me when I’m talking to them A good few times I’ve thought despairingly “Oh God: This is it. Can I really do this for the rest of my life?”

But that is the point. It’s normal. And it is a reflection on the fact that education is as ordinary and essential as breathing. When I think of it this way, I feel grateful to be in a country where we have such an opportunity to make innovation  commonplace.

I hope that I can play my part!