Hitch your wagon to a star (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Photo by Prado on Unsplash

This term I have the fantastic opportunity to visit all of my teachers and observe their unique classroom magic.

It is such a delight to visit them all because to a person they are an extraordinary bunch of educators. The visits are highlights of my week and I am very grateful to them.

That may sound a bit gushy and OTT but it's the truth. I've written before about how blessed I am to be surrounded by these teachers and support staff.

As chance would have it, George Couros had this on his recent post:

I'm very lucky !

My staff certainly inspire me, elevate me, and bring out the very best in me.

Thank you team!

I went down to the crossroads (Robert Johnson)

Engage, enable, expect, empower.

No, not the new scrum instructions from the referee. No indeed, these are what Ken Robinson says in Creative Schools are the roles teachers need to fulfil.

Engage needs little commentary.

Enable, though, does. 

Sir Ken explains it (brilliantly) thus: Expert teachers constantly adapt their strategies to the needs and opportunities of the moment. effective teaching is a constant process of adjustment, judgment, and responding to the energy and engagement of the students. 

So...expert teachers enable engagement and learning to happen.

Expect - Sir Ken: The key to raising achievement is to recognise that teaching and learning is a relationship.

We are lucky if we have teachers who believe in us. I've told you before about my teachers at MAGS who never stopped believing in me. It's REALLY important!

Empower - having mentors and guides who believe in us and give us confidence is a valuable commodity for students (junior learners) and teachers (senior learners).