“That’s what we do here”

Today, I’ve remembered ‘Fierce Conversations’, Susan Scott’s book; and, not because I had any difficult conversations, but because I had an interesting chat about challenging the status quo in schools. The conversation has come as a result of my appraisal meeting where I’ve been praised for my questioning and for challenging practices during staff meetings – which I deliberately do, in order to gain insights into what we do, and also to promote critical thinking among my colleagues. Being in a five form-entry school means I’m part of a large team; a team with members who have a variety of experience in educational settings, and members who have served in the school for many years. This is why it’s not surprising that when I ask about some of the practices and the cultural behaviours of the team, the answer that I usually get is: ‘That’s what we do here.’

I usually ask questions to… Well, to find answers, I guess. Often, to help others find answers themselves and reflect on their own practice. When you’ve been doing something for a long time, you may forget the reason why you started doing it. Sometimes, you even get used to doing things you never believed in for starters, so it is good practice to always reflect on what you do as an educator.

Education is not an exact science but rather an organic field that changes over time, alongside societies. Changes in our paradigms bring changes in education, and we are in the middle of one of the biggest changes of paradigms in human history, the birth of the digital era.

Anyway, having frequent conversations with colleagues and other educators is always a good practice. When you’re actively involved in discussions about pedagogies, data analysis, behaviou

r management, etc., you often reflect on your practice and compare this with what’s being discussed. As a teacher, you probably think of specific children when you hold these conversations, and this is a good thing. When you think of specific children during these discussions, you likely consider potential solutions, changes in your practice, or new applications of certain pedagogies; and that’s precisely what teachers must do — constantly think of new strategies to improve their practice. This is what we expect from our students, for them to be the best they can be and persist in their trial-and-error strategies. We praise them when they fail because we know failure feeds success.

In conclusion, always challenge practices when you’re unsure about how they’re going to work. You might feel you’re being annoying or patronising others, but in reality, you’re prompting critical thinking and fostering team reflection, which is essential for all teams.