I remembered.
I had an epiphany this week. A moment of clarity, a realisation that suddenly brought lots of things surrounding my job into focus. That I had it in the week Ofsted in came as something of a blessing really, as it took my focus away from the piles of stress.
I remembered that I am there to teach. Sure I need to show what I’ve done and that I need to be accountable in some regards but ultimately I am there to teach the children and if I can do that and do it well, then I’ll be happy with that.
It came during the questionnaire the children were given as part of the Ofsted inspection this week and in particular two questions.
I know how well I am doing at school.
Adults explain to me how to improve my work.
The children had to say whether they agreed or disagreed with these statement. I could see some of them pause, the more astute ones were unsure. They wanted to put a cross but felt like they had to put a tick. I said they should put whatever they felt was right and if they didn’t want me to read it, then I would collect them in and not look at them (they were unnamed). That I would rather they were honest about it then put what they thought I might want to see.
Something in my head said to me, yeah these two things are important. Do I do them already? Sure, you can’t teach and not. Could I be doing them better? Absolutely. I think because it seemed like such a simple thing, that the children should know what they are doing well, what they should do next. That it’s my job to ensure that. That we are always having to show lots of other people what the children are doing and how well they’re doing it but that I should never forget the children too.
(I would add that I imagine that lots of things that teachers will do to help children, they won’t notice. It’s not that I’m saying I don’t do these things! Honest! It was just I think I had lost sight of the most important thing. It’s back now!)
So anyway, Ofsted came. People stayed at school too late. Everyone got stressed. We huddled in groups and discussed what the inspectors said about our lessons. We got tired. We got through it.
November 18, 2011