Rachel Mears (Lofthouse)
@DrRLofthouse
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Recently retired from a professorial role in education. Now a Humanist funeral celebrant. ‘Coaching with Purpose’ book in the wings awaiting publication.
Yorkshire
Joined January 2010
Can I just drop this bombshell while English edutweeters sleep. I’ve visited secondary schools in Canada this week with no uniforms, no silent corridors, teachers in relaxed clothes, where there is much talk to relationships & pedagogy & where teachers say school is their family.
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Please remember that some of the people who actually wanted to keep you and your family safe were headteachers. They tried and were blocked from taking considerate action on your behalf. They were blocked by legal threats from this government.
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Just a shout out to teachers and leaders on Twitter who haven’t written a book and don’t intend to.
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Imagine where we would be in schools if Gove and his acolytes had never happened. We were building curriculum & pedagogy based on thinking skills, oracy, innovation & creativity. We had teachers funded to do masters & action research. We had extended schools. So many wasted years.
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Walk out of Ofsted. Please, school leaders. Just don’t contribute. Don’t inspect.
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I don’t think I’ve ever felt such hatred for the government as I do today.
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Schools should be for children. Not for adult egos.
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If you care about education in England today and you’re not deeply upset about the inequalities in the A level grades you’re either protecting friends in high places, scared to raise your voice or you’ve forgotten that education isn’t just about supporting the already privileged.
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My sister sent me this. ‘A priest, a pastor and a rabbit walked in to a blood donation clinic. The nursed asked the rabbit: "What is your blood type?"."I am probably a type O" said the rabbit.’.
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Vaccinating school staff would not significantly reduce community spread if schools go back but would mean staff are less likely to fall ill. This helps maintain teaching & learning (in person & remote) which would help reduce future ‘lost learning’ the DfE is so worried about.
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Perhaps you need to have worked in education since (or before) the early 90s to get it? The relative optimism, investment & forward thinking of the Labour education years contrasted with the before & after of the Tory years. If you didn’t it’s hard to feel it. Change is embodied.
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If children and staff have to be resilient and tough to succeed at school and if it’s something they come to endure then I think we’ve got schools wrong. Schools should be places in which all can flourish and are communities which are compelling to belong to.
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Some in education seem to be determined that schooling needs to happen in social isolation. No group work. No talking in corridors. Eyes only on teacher. Immediately remove a child who distracts another. I disagree. Learning should develop social skills & understanding of others.
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Can I just double check. Schools with kids in next week. You are doing everything you can to maintain 2m social distancing now that you’ve got fewer kids in the same space aren’t you? I know it seems difficult & alien but it’s essential. Teachers’ & school leaders’ lives matter.
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Cognitive dissonance. The DfE have invested heavily in Oak who’ve produced 1000s of online lessons and yet when school leaders decide for the health and safety of their communities to go to online learning for a week they’re threatened with legal action by the DfE. I’m baffled.
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Another year older. A hell of a lot greyer than this time last year. Edging further into the category of annoying woman of a certain age with inconvenient values, experience and expertise who will just keep saying them out loud. Proud to take an activist stance. Who’s with me?.
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Do you know what? I’m in lockdown. I’m an adult. I’m struggling to prioritise too. Let’s just get over ourselves. If we are lucky this a once in a lifetime episode. Let the kids and families kick back and enjoy the days’ offerings. Learning will follow.
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Many teachers & school leaders have worked through their holidays keeping children safe & fed, creating holiday activity sessions and getting ready for teaching online, prepping learning packs & pastoral support this new term will demand. If that’s you THANKYOU. Take the weekend.
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Wanted: former teachers who don’t mind risking their lives. Brilliant letter.
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Claim him as your edu saviour if you like but there is no doubt in my mind that Gove created rifts where bridges were needed, prioritised teaching discipline over enabling discernment, engineered empires not empathy & shattered the love of learning for many adults & children.
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Might just be worth saying. Group work doesn’t mean creating a shared poster where one pupil monopolises the thinking, another one wastes time on bubble writing and two just drift away into gossip.
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It’s not a great look to belittle or deliberately ignore the work of those who were a step ahead of you. Today’s teachers can learn lots from those who taught, researched and wrote about teaching in previous decades. Our knowledge is not disposable. It’s part of your foundation.
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‘Few state schools have classrooms large enough to “merge classes”, but since five of the current six ministers in the DfE went to independent schools, they may not realise this.’
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How about this … Ofsted school inspections are paused for 3 yrs. Inspectors are seconded into schools for teaching roles. DfE uses funding to employ building safety inspectors. Every school guaranteed a full structural survey instead.
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Surely now is the time to plan extensive summer play and social activities for children & young people. Outdoor spaces. Youth workers, sports coaches and art practitioners working alongside educators and family support. Enable and encourage engagement. Make it free and local.
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Genuinely think these tweets should stop. They are helping no-one. They are guilt-tripping many parents, school leaders and teachers. They are suggesting a normality which is unattainable.
The first few years of learning are essential to the wellbeing of children. Welcoming more children back to school will give them the chance to grow and develop, and be with their teachers and friends again.
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Can anyone explain why schools need to recruit unpaid volunteers for Covid testing? The government has paid the private sector billions for test and track.
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Today I’ve been sharing my news. This summer I retire from the uni. I’m 55 and I am choosing a decade of difference. Sadly I won’t be alone. The government has overseen a budgetary crisis in higher education. I’m lucky to be able to go voluntarily and with a new path opening up.
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When did relentlessly raising standards become more important than building great communities, developing a love of learning, creating educational niches and landscapes in which everyone thrives?.
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Woken up to discover the DfE has lost the plot.
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So the @educationgovuk is happy to pump millions into @OakNational but won’t fund the devices disadvantaged children need to access the lessons. So the original investment yet again benefits the relatively well off and can make no difference what so ever for many most in need.
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‘The truth is that if you say you want more children from deprived areas to be able to go to university, then don’t faff around with entry tariffs: invest in Sure Start centres, preschool groups, subsidised childcare and properly resourced primary schools’
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Starting to feel like this might be beginning of the end of our exams-driven school education system.
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It seems it’s another huge day of teachers & school leaders attending Saturday conferences. I’m sure they’re all enjoying them & learning lots. Let’s remember that most will have only a one- day weekend as a result. And let’s push the case for CPD being part of the working week.
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My definition of a great teacher? Stop this endless expectation of ‘better’. A great teacher works well enough to ensure each lesson & class they teach over time learns well. That each individual they teach feels valued. That each colleague they have is glad they work with them.
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Let me explain. 19 yrs ago I we adopted 3 siblings. We saw them through a total of >30yrs in school. Every one of those years could have been more positive for them, their teachers, their peers & our family if more of their teachers had gained a greater understanding of trauma.
In #NationalAdoptionWeek I’d rather stand up for children whose lives are impacted by trauma or attachment disorder than put up with the behaviour of a small group of teachers trolling me for doing so including several who I blocked a long time ago. I’m sick of their abusive acts.
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Nottingham school criticised after pupils slam PM in lesson. This is not ok. The DfE cannot be allowed to create a dictatorship. This is learning for democracy and citizenship in action.
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On BBC Tom Bennett is accusing ‘people’ of brushing bad behaviour in schools under the carpet for decades. It’s a relief to know he’s taken hundreds of thousands of pounds out of DfE budgets to sort it out over the last decade. What a hero.
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Just popping back in this betwixt time to mark a date. 20 years ago this week my three adopted children came to live with us. 20 years of living, learning and struggling. They are all grown up now and it’s not how I imagined. But sharing their childhoods was a unique experience.
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Looks certain that the DfE has been manoeuvring the unions into a place they cannot rest easy in. Now they’re having to push back the DfE can say unions caused the breakdown of the plans. So be it. Tories have history of this. Unlike coal mining they can’t mothball education.
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It’s a morbid thought but do the Tories believe that if 500 people die unnecessarily each week because they cannot access emergency care their names can be crossed off waiting lists for the other care they were entitled to? Is that how they promise to reduce waiting lists?.
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Just wondering whether it’s common for a middle leader in a school to talk / tweet about “my staff”. I’d have thought defining them as colleagues rather than staff would be more appropriate.
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So many many concerns about this. And it starts with the label. Matt Hood is NOT a headteacher. He runs an online learning platform. He does not represent headteachers in any capacity. He has no authority here.
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I’d like to read an education column in the schools press written by a current ‘on trend’ teacher or leader which starts with appreciation of what’s gone before rather than an assumption that a past practice or culture is best derided & replaced with their unique wisdom.
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I’m calling this out. No tender.
.@OakNational will create around 10,000 lessons – including a version of the entire national curriculum – after being handed £4.34 million by the government to expand next year
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I have a feeling that Geoff and Margaret @RetirementTales are infiltrating teachers psyche in a more positive way than any edu tsars or gurus have.
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If you became a teacher in the 90s did you (like me) see learn about differentiation 3 ways … by task, by outcome, by support? And differentiation in planning & during teaching? If so how has it become badly associated in teachers’ minds with ‘different coloured worksheets’?.
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As soon as Ofsted declared their intent to reduce the number of ‘outstanding’ schools they tipped the balance to an overtly punitive process. The results are toxic. And staff and pupils are paying the cost. Lives, learning and wellbeing are at risk. #OfstedOut.
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A practical suggestion from a medic. If you’re working in schools or in any other kind of social interactive space take your RINGS, WATCHES, BRACELETS off. Remove false NAILS. Trim nails short. This will help you when keep infection at bay and mean you can wash hands properly.
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I wonder the way forward for schools is for the DfE to commit to smaller class sizes for all, to invest heavily in additional space in schools & in teacher retention through enhanced working conditions, to encourage those who’ve left to return to teach in these better conditions.
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A little advice for new teachers. It’s not a competition. You don’t need to read all the books. It’s ok to ask questions. You don’t need to Instagram your teaching life. Take your sense of self and your sense of humour to work. Find humility and be collaborative. It takes time.
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Once again I’ve been mulling over what feels like a contradiction. Can the DfE really claim that grades should never get better (what they call grade inflation) and at the same time claim that under their policy influence education standards are improving?.
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Friday afternoon reminder. To be a brilliant teacher next week. You DON’T NEED TO use the weekend to .1. Read education books.2. Listen to education podcasts .3. Attend an education conference .4. Write an education blogpost .You MIGHT NEED TO chill, laugh, rest and reconnect.
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Schools are the care homes of this phase of the pandemic. Children and teachers and their families are being out at deliberate risk by this government.
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It’s a pretty simple truth that children and young people cannot learn to self-regulate if their every move is governed by rules.
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Can this old shire horse be put out to grass please?.
Former Ofsted Chief Inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw says teachers may have to work weekends and evenings to remedy the impact of school closures. He says “if that doesn’t happen, I can see no alternative but to repeat a year” for some pupils. #Newsnight
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I’ve just reinserted Professor in my twitter name. Solidarity to all women whose qualifications and roles remain under-recognised in the media and in the workplace in comparison to their male peers.
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This is one of the most unprofessional and inaccurate slurs I’ve come across. I don’t believe this of teachers and school leaders. We are better than this.
If you stand against silent corridors, hate behaviour systems imposed consistently, and instinctively reject order. You support THIS. You are the problem. You are ruining children’s lives.🤨
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We all know what the NHS & schools are capable of when insufficiently financed - we see it everyday. Just imagine what they could achieve if they were seen as the the cornerstones of civic society and truly invested in. Add social care to that and we’d be a much better nation.
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If edutwitter can flood twitter with images of actual classrooms next week I think that might at least balance out the hard fantasy graphics being touted by the Tory press outlets. No kids. Just desks. Chairs etc.
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Our current school system has driven teachers and leaders to be absorbed by testing, target-setting, interventions, progress tracking, flight paths, red/amber/yellow reporting etc etc. But when it most mattered ofqual and DfE disregarded this. No wonder so many are so furious.
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A headteacher taking a strong stance. Can you help Flora?.
I've just had the call. I've refused entry. This is an interesting phone call. Doing this for everyone for our school staff everywhere!. @Ofstednews.@Headteacherchat. #ShineOn.#BurnBrighter.
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‘I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a united roar of disapproval and contempt hit a secretary of state for education.’ Spot on from @MichaelRosenYes
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Coining a new phrase ‘A pedagogy of professional decline’. It describes both classroom practices and CPD which reduce agency, neglect expertise, drive conformity, narrow opportunities for unique contributions, damage relationships. It is the opposite to helping learners flourish.
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To explain… the DfE DO NOT follow me. But they have stored 100s of my tweets including personal ones. Why?
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The fury about this tweet from teachers and other school staff who were not prioritised for vaccinations and have tested positive in the last week is wholly justified. The @educationgovuk has not kept them or schools kids safe. Don’t patronise them now.
England’s top family doctor, Dr Nikki Kanani, calls on teachers and school staff to get their Covid booster vaccine during the Christmas break before the schools return next year. Book now or find your nearest walk-in centre: #GetBoostedNow @NHSEngland
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Ofsted is not neutral. Even if the inspection process was fair it’s intricately linked with so many socio-economic and political purposes. Think about house prices, parental anxieties, staff recruitment challenges , academisation pressures, impact on teachers’/leaders’ families.
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Preparing children for the rules and expectations of the workplace is a) reductive b) impossible. Workplaces are more diverse now than ever. Schools should offer an holistic education not be an employment bootcamp.
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Would it have been impossible for DfE to say to HTs that before a date was set for increasing school opening the DfE would gather available evidence to produce comprehensive guidance in a single document & publish this with 2 weeks for schools to work on prior to implementing?.
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I have a PhD in education. I have 33 years of professional experience working in education. I’m a professor of teacher education. But you want to disqualify all of that?
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In olden days (yes I know they weren’t inevitably better) most LAs ran strong subject networks where teachers had time to discuss, plan, reflect on & share curriculum ideas & materials. It was good CPD, good for creating resources & great for making sure teachers weren’t isolated.
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When a male edutweeter is clearly saving screenshots of female educators’ tweets from several months or years ago to post in current argumentative and accusatory threads you really have to question the online behaviour on display. It should raise red flags. It does for me anyway.
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We teach history & should know the warning signs. We teach science & should be more confident in its implications. We teach English but fail to communicate for understanding. What is missing in our curriculum & pedagogies which have led us to current societal & political state?.
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Some teachers say they cannot take advice from people who haven’t taught for as long as they have, & decry educational researchers’ advice. Research is about providing insight, developing principles, extending our knowledge base. It needs translating across practice boundaries.
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Can you imagine quite how much time for teaching and learning might be created in some schools if teachers weren’t obliged to micro-police fingernails, hairstyles, skirts touching knees, logos on trousers, ties in perfect alignment and ear-rings.
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Don't worry about cancelled exams – research shows we should switch to teacher assessment permanently
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Sarcastic nasty.DM from one of the ‘gurus’. I don’t follow him. I’m not going to start. It’s people like him dominating education discourse, practice & profit making who make retiring a whole lot of easier. I’ve had a decade of shit from men who cannot engage like professionals.
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Discussion about teachers leaving unions. Please think twice. The act of solidarity with fellow professionals matters. Your votes in their policy-making count. Your fee may pay for the advice or protection you need or perhaps be a life- or career- saver for a colleague.
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Stop talking about ‘training’. Teachers, leaders, coaches and students are not dogs. They are not trying to learn how to perform on a trapeze. They are people with complex motivations, diverse personalities, life skills, unique curiosities & endless potential. Enable education.
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I agree with Gary.
Gary Neville: "I have a different belief around exams. I don't believe you should work for 16 years at school & college & then it all depends on a 2 hour assessment. I think that's prehistoric. it needs ripping up & you should be judged over your body of work.". #BBCBreakfast
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DfE announces new fast track teacher production line routes.
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Headteachers used to have LA advisors and neighbouring colleagues for support and mentorship (before schools had to compete for status). Teachers used to have networks and teacher centres to support growth and development. Now it’s off the shelf CPD, platforms & costly coaching.
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Solidarity to school leaders handing in their Ofsted badges. Let a trickle become a torrent. On this occasion there really is clear blue water between staying in and getting out. Being part of the Ofsted machine only muddies the water.
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I have a PhD in education. I have 33 years of professional experience working in education. I’m a professor of teacher education. But you want to disqualify all of that?.
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Our teaching profession is one of the youngest in the world. That means the many of the leaders are too. Youth brings benefits. But it can’t bring lived experience of earlier professional working lives. So the profession is collectively forgetting what was once deemed important.
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Congrats to anyone out there who has dug deep for a professional qualification for education this year. QTS, ECF, NPQ, Chartered Teacher, MA, M.Ed, PGCert, PGDip, EdD, PhD, and others. Learning is our professional backbone. Qualifications are well deserved.
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The DfE. It’ll give you targets but no funding. It’ll give you Ofsted but no support. It’ll give you a retention crisis and no response.
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Perhaps if there was less focus less on zero tolerance, non-negotiables, compliant & convergent teaching approaches and attempting behavioural conditioning we could pay more attention to healthy relationships, building confidence through diversity and dynamic learning and growth.
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Don’t let @educationgovuk, who’ve failed many teachers and children through the pandemic, use the pandemic to fail them once again by barging through long-lasting reforms. Beware their catch-up and transformation narrative. Emergency law means they can avoid democratic scrutiny.
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Is it too bold to say that if schools close for a few weeks & a miracle in online learning for all is not heaven-sent we might actually learn to be less anxious about progression flight paths & fixed date tests. Education is so much more than this. Our system has been captured.
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Rethinking education? I’d love to hear your views. I’m starting with this principle. “Stop building hierarchies. Start creating communities.” What’s your #ReThinkEd suggestion?.
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Schools should be places of enjoyment AND learning. Pass it on.
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‘Children are being set up to fail, as teachers quit and school buildings crumble. Gove set the tone – blame him for this rot’. Not my words. But certainly my belief.
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Don’t take this the wrong way but why do teachers need reminding to take a break, eat lunch & to use Sunday eve to wind down rather than wind up. Has the compliance system & excessive workload so guilt-tripped them & taken away their independent capacity to do that anyway?.
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