False Sanctuary

Teachers operate in a space in which they might shield themselves from outside influences. Although it may be a generalisation, a traditional path for a teacher goes something like; success as a student in the primary years translates to success at secondary school, followed by entry to university where a teaching teaching degree is completed. Then comes a return to the classroom. It is a cycle in which the successful Compliant Learner develops a world view that not recognise a changing world.

It maybe a professionally disrespectful that teaching has been labelled the second most private of human activity. It is done behind closed doors, away from the scrutiny of others and traditionally without judgement or evaluation. The closed door nature of the classroom can be a false sanctuary where little needs to change.

One of the concerning discoveries made when I worked in the Initial Teacher Education (teacher training) field was research that suggested when the pressure was on teachers often reverted to the practices learned in the twelve year apprenticeship undertaken as school students, rather than the professional training done at university! This closed loop contributes to the maintenance of the status quo in schooling.

Even within the profession beliefs and practices live on way past their 'use by date'. An example is the frustrating longevity of the folklore about 'learning styles'. This is the idea we have preferred ways of learning and outcomes would improve if teaching methods match an individual's preferred style. The idea prevails despite there being no compelling evidence that learning styles exist, let alone should be considered by teachers.

At a more fundamental level the use of the term ‘grades’ to describe the cohorts we organize students in is a small but powerful example of the power of the status quo. It conjures up the idea of ‘making the grade’, or 'not making the grade', and of somehow being 'sorted' by the type of hierarchical curriculum and standardisation many countries have put in place. It is in the DNA of schooling and yet many recognise we are entering A New Era and the rhetoric about catering for the 'whole child', valuing individual differences and equitable outcomes for all students is pressing for new thinking. How children are grouped when they enter school for the first time may be just as validly undertaken if we did it by shoe size as there age.

This is not surprising, but it is evidence of the power of our existing mindsets when thinking about reimagining schooling. To achieve the Deeper Learning our children deserve changing the world views that contribute to this false sanctuary are necessary.