Three little birds pitch by my doorstep singin sweet songs of melodies pure and true (Bob Marley)

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Three Way Conferences are underway this week.

Three-way conferences involve a conversation between the student, their parents and their teacher. This approach gives students an opportunity to share with their parents their growth as a learner; an opportunity to accept accountability and responsibility for their progress and achievement, and an opportunity to demonstrate a growing understanding of their development as independent learners.

They are exhausting, but I love them.

They reduce me to the essentials that I feel as a teacher: a key worker; a servant leader; a crucial part of a crucial team; a self-evaluator; a reflector; an encourager!

They're always a demanding, draining experience which leave me wired for hours after wards as I go over conversations in my head.

What I love about them is they put me in my place: responsible to parents for the development and growth of my students.

That's a heavy load.

If you look for problems you will find problems; if you look for solutions you will find solutions (Andy Gilbert)

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Recently, I've twice used the "Everyone has 83 problems" line to staff at school, so it's time to revisit an old post from my Wozza's Place blog to explain it further.

Here it is:

There is an old story about a man who came to see the Buddha because he had heard that the Buddha was a great teacher. He told the Buddha that he was a farmer. "I like farming," he said, "but sometimes it doesn't rain enough, and my crops fail. Last year we nearly starved. And sometimes it rains too much, so my yields aren't what I'd like them to be." The Buddha patiently listened to the man.

"I'm married too," said the man. "She's a good wife...I love her, in fact. But sometimes she nags me too much. And sometimes I get tired of her." The Buddha listened quietly.

"I have kids," said the man. "Good kids, too...but sometimes they don't show me enough respect. And sometimes..."

The man went on like this, laying out all his difficulties and worries. Finally he wound down and waited for the Buddha to say the words that would put everything right for him.

Instead the Buddha said, "I can't help you."

"What do you mean?" said the astonished man.

"Everybody's got problems," said the Buddha. "In fact, we've all got 83 problems, each one of us. Eighty-three problems, and there's nothing you can do about it. If you work really hard on one of them, maybe you can fix it - but if you do, another one will pop right into its place. For example you're going to lose your loved ones eventually. And you're going to die some day. Now there's a problem, and there's nothing you, or I, or anyone else can do about it."

The man became furious. "I thought you were a great teacher!" he shouted. "I thought you could help me! What good is your teaching then?"

The Buddha said, "Well, maybe it will help you with the eighty-fourth problem."

"The eighty-fourth problem," said the man. "What's the eighty-fourth problem?"

Said the Buddha, "You want to not have any problems."

The bliss of solitude (William Wordsworth)

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While gearing up for Daffodil Day this week at school, I thought I'd do some daffodil themed positive closes during our morning LEAN meetings. 

Yes, Daffodil Day is actually August 30 in NZ, but our seniors have been on exam leave since then, so we decided to wait.

Today's close: Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and everything you do - Coldplay.

Then: As we live a life of ease, Everyone of us has all we need (has all we need), Sky of blue (sky of blue) and sea of green (and sea of green) - The Fab Four

After the yellow theme filters through, a brace from WW:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance - William Wordsworth

And some of the best few lines ever written:

In vacant or in pensive mood, they flash upon that inward eye, Which is the bliss of solitude - WW

When I lie on my pillow at night I dream I could fight like David Watts, and lead the school team to victory; take my exams and pass the lot (The Kinks)

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Kudos to young Toni Dunstan for alerting me to these back in our Woodford House days.

Thanks Toni! These skits are forever going through my head during invigilations!

Walked out this morning, don't believe what I saw - a hundred billion bottles (The Police)

Back in the day (1973)...

...er...and now (2019)

It's examination time.

As I did a recent exam invigilation I thought about what had changed since my days of sitting school exams.

• Pens writing on exam papers? check
• Times written on a board? tick
• Rows of desks? you bet
• Quiet students? check

As I did this mental tick box, I realised that only one thing had changed.

Water.

Every student had a water bottle on their desk from which they took a slurp every so often.

Luxury.

Apart from that though...

The tragedy of the last hundred or so years of education in NZ has been THAT NOTHING HAS CHANGED.

It's crazy. Crazy, I tell you!

Follow your bliss and don't be afraid (Joseph Campbell)

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Follow your bliss. 

If you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in the field of your bliss, and they open the doors to you. 

Follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be.

If you follow your bliss, doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.

Joseph Campbell

Simply the best (Tina Turner)

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Apparently, teaching is the best job in the world (it's official).

Here's why, according to Paul Moss in an article in Teachthought:

1. The potential to transform lives - we never know, really, the effect we have, but the ripples reach out into infinity and beyond!

2. It gives you the chance to be continuously creative - creativity is celebrated and we have some wonderfully creative staff and students at my two campuses. As an English teacher I join in and write poems, stories, read, watch films, discuss motivations and meanings and on and on.

3. It offers you a chance to continuously get better - in a lot of jobs the learning slows or even ceases after a while - you get good at the widgets, but teaching is all about steep slope continuous improvement. At least it is in my experience. It's a work in progress, always.

4. It is a grounding, humbling profession - every day is 'Start Again' in the teaching world! My students, and staff certainly ground me. I still remember my first Teacher/Parent meeting  at New Plymouth Boys' High back in 1983 and the huge sense of responsibility that suddenly dawned on me - I was responsible for their son's learning in English. That's big!!

5. There is always satisfaction somewhere - it comes in funny ways, often when you least expect it! My intrinsic motivation is to serve, in my own small way, and as Joseph Campbell says, "Through sacrifice - bliss".

6. It’s a chance to truly lead the world in the 21st century - all of those bright minds thirsting for a way forward in their learning. Magic!

7. The children - being around youngsters (especially teenagers) on a daily basis is a joy that I truly love. I love going to work. Keeps me young at heart!