Chris McDonnell, UK
christymac733@gmail.com

Previous articles by Chris   Comments welcome here

May 29, 2019

How did you do that?

There are many occasions in the Gospel narrative when Jesus is addressed as Rabbi or Teacher. It was a position of status within the community. It is worth while examining the status of the teacher within our own culture.

In recent years, teachers have had a bad press, blamed for so many of society's failures and mistakes. Yet the words of Basil Bernstein, writing in the 60s, are still pertinent 'Education cannot compensate for society'. Teachers work within the culture of the times, are moulded by its values, in spite of personal efforts to maintain integrity.

In the mid-90s I contributed a chapter to a book edited by Peter Mortimore, who at that time was Director of the Institute for Education in London. It was a time of great turbulence in schools, financial restraints, the introduction of the National Curriculum and Testing to name but three issues. In my few words I laid out the argument for recognising the pressure facing teachers in schools. The book was reviewed in the Times Educational Supplement by Ted Wragg, at that time professor of Education in the University of Exeter. His words focused in on my contribution. A few days later I wrote to him to thank him for his generous comments, explaining how low I felt personally trying to make some sense of it all. His reply contained this sentence 'Just remember that teaching is probably one of the most important jobs'. That lifted me considerably.

We all, adults and children, respond to encouragement and praise for our efforts. Walking into a teaching area and commenting on the work displayed or the activity in progress not only recognised children, but also the hard work of their teachers who had guided them in their achievement.

A good teacher works alongside their pupils, helping where necessary, supporting their own discovery, moving forward. One of the most satisfying comments to hear from a young child is 'Oh I see now!', that ownership of another stepping stone on a journey.

The one time head of OFSTED, the late Chris Woodhead, was being interviewed by Jeremy Paxman. He was asked by Paxman this question 'Well, Mr Woodhead, what makes a good teacher?' It received a stunningly simplistic answer 'Someone who tells you something' The teacher knows it all and proceeds to fill the next generation with facts, empty jars that need filling. Don't get me wrong, facts are important, it is the manner in which we acquire them which I question.

In recent years Education has been reduced to process whereby we teach that which can be tested and pupils become data on a statistical spread sheet of scores. On such a model we grade our schools, but at what cost? What is the value system that we are being encouraged to follow? How, in this frenzied world of results, are we to judge a good school?

I had these words framed in the entrance hall of our school, they are worth remembering. 'A good school is known by what it teaches, how it teaches and what kind of place it is' That's worth more than a passing reflection alongside SATs results and academic grades.

What is the cost of our present pattern of education for pupils?

In the early 80s, Neils Postman wrote "Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see." That opening sentence from his book 'The Disappearance of Childhood' has remained with me.

What is the cost of this high pressure model of education on family life when after a day at school yet further work is expected at home with parents unable to match expectations?

And what is the cost of this process pattern of education on those asked to deliver it, our teachers? The factory model of education is producing casualties. What kind of place the school is, has become determined by a results regime.

Reflect for a moment on the Christian model of the teacher. It should not be a list of do's and don'ts, a list with consequences if the grade isn't reached. A teacher of faith in the Risen Christ is someone who lives alongside others and shows, by their example, the truth by which they live.

The encouragement of faith is best experienced in this practical manner. The model for teaching we should share is a life experience, not raw fact delivery. In the early Church it is reported that Christians were recognised by the love they showed one another.

Generosity comes in many guises. Maybe one of the greatest acts of generosity is when we give our time and care to those who can benefit from our experience and life story, someone who stopped and listened, someone who taught us how to be ourselves, the good teacher.

END

===