heart of heartlands lessons

Summer Holidays. Long, bright, sunny days with no get-ups. No lessons to plan, no books to mark. We teachers escape the classroom and head off to visit family, tan on a beach or simply stay at home to get that DIY done. My highlights of summer holidays? A long car journey to the coast. That August pay-cheque. The eternal waft of family barbecues.

Above all: reading. A delicious book and a warm spot - and I am content.

I’m not actually that picky. I’ll read anything and enjoy devouring it. Novels, newspapers, non-fiction… we just don’t get the time during the term to read in the depths of November - our time of literary famine. Summer Holidays provide a time of plenty, a feast for our eyes and minds. Although there are many suggestions I could make, my main recommendations are: any quality fiction; Teacher - Mastering the Art and Craft of Teaching by Tom Bennett; and Creative Schools: Revolutionizing Education from the Ground Up by Ken Robinson.

Firstly, please just read some fiction this summer. Deny your television and refuse thy phone - then pick up a novel. We tell our students to read and we should model this. Plus, fiction feeds our souls. It’s escapism. It’s a journey into the unknown or a trip back to the past. If you don’t read any more of this blog (or if I have somehow motivated you enough already!) do challenge yourself to tackle a literary classic from this list. For many teachers, I have recommended A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines. It paints a graphic view of 1960s England and schools from young lad’s perspective. It still makes me reflect on my teaching. Read this, then watch the best British film of all time.

Secondly, a book which has powerfully made me think about my professionalism and teaching is one by Tom Bennett: Teacher - Mastering the Art and Craft of Teaching. It is full of ideas for the classroom and beyond - but what is particularly unique is Bennett’s use of Aristotelian virtue ethics in outlining how teachers can develop. He picks characteristics, or “virtues” (such as courage) and then suggests things you can do to grow that virtue (running a whole-school assembly). Laced with humour, an enjoyable summer read too.

Finally, another humorous voice is that of Ken Robinson. One TED talk he gave attracted millions of views and his views about education and creativity have been espoused in several books. This one, Creative School: Revolutionizing Education from the Ground Up, is clearly structured so you can dip into topics of interest from testing/assessment to leadership. While at times examples in the book are overly anecdotal, Robinson (and Lou Aronica - poor him getting second billing) does refer to peer-reviewed research to give his suggestions rigour. What I particularly like is his approach being “bottom up”. Currently in education top-down pressures (specification changes, Progress 8, PISA) direct a lot of what teachers deliver in the classroom, whereas social and educational inequality can be more genuinely addressed through parents, communities, teachers - and students - leading on more creative solutions. An inspiring and thoughtful read.

On the other hand, you could spend the summer simply recharging and having a total break from education - including not reading about schools and teaching. Perhaps resting those weary eyes will help you be refreshed come September. However - imagine - you came back to school not just rested but restored, with new ideas, with things about you, your classroom and your learners you want to change. A change is as good as a rest. Books will help you do that.

So while you travel, sunbathe or barbecue - rest and relax. But do so with a book in hand.