If you are anything like me, being asked to explain your "educational philosophy" for a job interview will bring you out in hives. Gosh, I think, I better make it sound like I "get" everything; is the person reading this job application "traditional" or "progressive"? What will they want? How can I know? For those of us who find it hard to completely identify with any particular ideological stance, this presents a conundrum.
Educational philosophy is the place where you use all those glittering educational buzzwords you like whilst leaving out all the ones you don't (or the ones you think the person reading will not like). The vast majority of such documents I have read recently from teachers say things like "facilitator of learning", "relationship builder", "engaging-real-life-authentic-projects", "differentiation". Every so often people will say something about being "evidence-informed" which is quite exciting until you realise that the evidence concerns Brain gym or Learning Styles.
Watching how education policy has played out in the UK has got me thinking. If I was to come back to the UK now and create a school from scratch, what would it be like? I am a reformed cliché progressive but am very far from a traditionalist. In truth, I don't really know what my actual position is. My religious and political inclination is towards a kind of centrist, spiritual, decentralising, socially liberal, pragmatism rooted in integrity and compassion. If that's virtue signalling, call me the fat controller. I come from a universe where virtue is a good thing. I want my own kids to be virtuous, I want to try and live a virtuous life and I want to encourage virtue in the children I teach. I am not trying to claim I *am* virtuous but I am not at the stage of saying that my hypocrisy, weakness and general wishy-washy approach is enough to stop me trying to be more virtuous.
Educational philosophy is the place where you use all those glittering educational buzzwords you like whilst leaving out all the ones you don't (or the ones you think the person reading will not like). The vast majority of such documents I have read recently from teachers say things like "facilitator of learning", "relationship builder", "engaging-real-life-authentic-projects", "differentiation". Every so often people will say something about being "evidence-informed" which is quite exciting until you realise that the evidence concerns Brain gym or Learning Styles.
Watching how education policy has played out in the UK has got me thinking. If I was to come back to the UK now and create a school from scratch, what would it be like? I am a reformed cliché progressive but am very far from a traditionalist. In truth, I don't really know what my actual position is. My religious and political inclination is towards a kind of centrist, spiritual, decentralising, socially liberal, pragmatism rooted in integrity and compassion. If that's virtue signalling, call me the fat controller. I come from a universe where virtue is a good thing. I want my own kids to be virtuous, I want to try and live a virtuous life and I want to encourage virtue in the children I teach. I am not trying to claim I *am* virtuous but I am not at the stage of saying that my hypocrisy, weakness and general wishy-washy approach is enough to stop me trying to be more virtuous.
Ultimately I don't know if I am trad or prog anymore, so to solve this problem I thought I'd write down all my ideas for what a truly wonderful school would be like and then judge each little section on the patented Tucker Prog-o-meter. If I do that, the reader can decide. There are LOADS of gaps here. Clearly, I've been out of the UK for a while so I don't know what's possible and the inevitable "what about the budget" will come into play. This isn't even a skeleton, it's a sketch, but you should get the idea...
How does prog-o-meter work? Well, basically I write down what I think it should be like, then think about twitter and what the Trads and Progs would say is a good education. Not very scientific!
How does prog-o-meter work? Well, basically I write down what I think it should be like, then think about twitter and what the Trads and Progs would say is a good education. Not very scientific!
It's really me thinking out loud about what my perfect school would be like... the mission would be completely stolen from a school I saw in the US - "knowledge and goodness". As with everything school-related, the devil is in the detail and context matters. These are very broad brush stroke ideas... as I have worked in an IB school, UK Curriculum and now common-core I would need to adjust it all for the contexts, especially as you get further up the school and external assessment and requirements for those specific subjects changes. But regardless, these are the ideas I have evaluated on the prog-o-meter.
Type of school: All through (in the US that's K-12) (all-through in the UK) Academy. Basically, teach them right from reception right the way through to a sixth-form.
Get 'em young and really form them. They walk in clear-eyed, bushy-tailed and knobbly kneed when they are little sprats and we send 'em out ready for the world. Ethos, culture and high expectations are easier to foment when you have them from a young age. You also get to know the kids a lot better so the school can maintain a clearer track record of intervention as they pass through, so improving safeguarding and interventions for SEMH students. You get to know families and the community and worry less about that difficult-to-get-right primary to secondary jump. The great thing about being K-12 (all through in the UK) is you can also have a say over all aspects of education. Instead of a kid getting to 6th grade/yr6 and the teachers blaming the younger aged group of teachers for why they didn't get explicit, systematic instruction in phonics, you just do it yourself. You have a consistent program and can structure the curriculum with high-quality materials right from the beginning.
The thinking behind being an academy is that I don't want to be tied up with political wrangling with local authorities. I prefer to be independent where-ever and whenever possible. Schools have limited flexibility but academy status at least maximises what there is (in the absence of a trust demanding consistency of course!). I don't work well with authority, I want to forge a very particular vision and I don't think being a part of a chain where everything has basically already been thought of would be very helpful.
Also, I want to work in the state sector. I've been too long in international schools, I love it, it's comfortable, but it's not where my passion lies.
Being K-12 is Trad/Prog neutral but I guess academy is more *Trad* so 60% Trad, 40% Prog.
No phones allowed on campus. They are not necessary for learning. Agree 100% with the more traditional view on this. We will teach them tech but we don't need the distraction of mobile phones to do that. Missing homework or incomplete classwork will result in academic detention at the teacher's request. The teacher simply emails a member of SLT with the name, an automatic email is sent out and the kid is asked to stay after school to complete the work. They'll be given one warning and then we'll ensure the work is completed, high expectations across the board.
Meditation
Everyone meditates twice a day for two minutes and the length of meditations increases as kids get older. Teachers and students meditate together. There could be of a spiritual flavour if that's your thing or it could be atheistic, simply being with yourself in silence or somewhere in between. No exceptions. Meditation works. I'm not going to say the research backs it up because the research is still being explored but, well, just google it.
20% Trad 80% prog. I can't go 100% prog because this is part of a rich spiritual tradition going back to the beginning of human history. It's not the new brain gym.
We will instill a culture of we all want to know more about how to teach well, to develop our craft and we should all be open to having people inside our classrooms. I think Dylan William describes this as being about a culture where all want to learn, where all teachers are striving to get better. Importantly, improvement in practice cannot happen through FIAT. If teachers don't really understand and believe in the *why* behind certain practices, no amount of *non-negotiableness¨ is going to solve that. We'll be very up-front in our recruitment material about what we do and why we do it and do everything we can to recruit for culture. Additionally, a lot of non-negotiables need to be different by subject. There is no point in demanding that all teacher use the same feedback structure when the nature of the way feedback is given in Maths and English is so different, for example.
The thinking behind being an academy is that I don't want to be tied up with political wrangling with local authorities. I prefer to be independent where-ever and whenever possible. Schools have limited flexibility but academy status at least maximises what there is (in the absence of a trust demanding consistency of course!). I don't work well with authority, I want to forge a very particular vision and I don't think being a part of a chain where everything has basically already been thought of would be very helpful.
Also, I want to work in the state sector. I've been too long in international schools, I love it, it's comfortable, but it's not where my passion lies.
Being K-12 is Trad/Prog neutral but I guess academy is more *Trad* so 60% Trad, 40% Prog.
No phones allowed on campus. They are not necessary for learning. Agree 100% with the more traditional view on this. We will teach them tech but we don't need the distraction of mobile phones to do that. Missing homework or incomplete classwork will result in academic detention at the teacher's request. The teacher simply emails a member of SLT with the name, an automatic email is sent out and the kid is asked to stay after school to complete the work. They'll be given one warning and then we'll ensure the work is completed, high expectations across the board.
Meditation
Everyone meditates twice a day for two minutes and the length of meditations increases as kids get older. Teachers and students meditate together. There could be of a spiritual flavour if that's your thing or it could be atheistic, simply being with yourself in silence or somewhere in between. No exceptions. Meditation works. I'm not going to say the research backs it up because the research is still being explored but, well, just google it.
20% Trad 80% prog. I can't go 100% prog because this is part of a rich spiritual tradition going back to the beginning of human history. It's not the new brain gym.
We will instill a culture of we all want to know more about how to teach well, to develop our craft and we should all be open to having people inside our classrooms. I think Dylan William describes this as being about a culture where all want to learn, where all teachers are striving to get better. Importantly, improvement in practice cannot happen through FIAT. If teachers don't really understand and believe in the *why* behind certain practices, no amount of *non-negotiableness¨ is going to solve that. We'll be very up-front in our recruitment material about what we do and why we do it and do everything we can to recruit for culture. Additionally, a lot of non-negotiables need to be different by subject. There is no point in demanding that all teacher use the same feedback structure when the nature of the way feedback is given in Maths and English is so different, for example.
Mission: "Knowledge and Goodness"
Knowledge is power is a mantra in common with both KIPP and Micaela so it would be hard to argue it's anything other than traditional. We would be all about" knowledge is power". Knowing more about the word is empowering, it generates the strength to go out and change it. Alongside knowledge, we have goodness. At this school, goodness is closely related to being happy. Our message on goodness will that being good to others and being good to yourself leads to increased flourishing and mental and physical wellbeing. When we are good to others and ourselves we are happier, more relaxed and life is rosier. That's classic prog talk right there. Mental health is important and we'll teach children everything we can about how to use what they know to flourish physically, mentally and spiritually. Goodness is about creating a culture where treating others well, serving the community and taking care of oneself, nourishing the soul and relationships, is all front and centre alongside the acquisition of knowledge.
Telling the truth, being respectful, and thinking of others are essential elements of human flourishing and contain benefits for the person doing them. This is a very Buddhist influenced idea and in many ways this is a very buddhist influenced school vision. I think I'd have to be very upfront with parents and the community about this. Unlike in western cultures, were being good is seen as a kind of sacrifice, a place where you really have to suffer for some unspecified reward later (heaven, or something), the idea that being good is good for you right away is a bit different. We'll make sure kids are well versed in positive psychology and the emerging science of wellbeing.
Of course, standing up for yourself is important, this is part of self'-respect. Goodness isn't about being a victim. We would NOT talk about self-esteem, we would talk about resilience and grit, not in any pseudo-scientific way and we wouldn't be developing any meaningless resilience scales. We'd build it into the culture through our language and reward systems. In essence, hard work is good for you, doing hard things is good for you, dealing with hard stuff is good for you. Your attitude to stress is just as important as the avoidance of a stressful situation. We want to build soulful soldiers, not spineless snowflakes. There is a move to somehow say that strictness or warm strictness is opposed to "wellbeing", this is nonsense. We'd have loads of warm strict and loads of wellbeing because everyone would feel safe in a predictable and consistently nurturing environment. Absence of structure and accountability is as damaging for mental health as an excess of it. Nutritious learning environments require respect and respect needs to be promoted, insisted upon and the consequences of a lack of it need to be emphasised at all levels.
Goodness leads into a comprehensive wellbeing program which includes martial arts or yoga, a gut-health friendly cafeteria, meditation, positive journalling, and a comprehensive service-learning program. Knowledge and goodness will also be linked through traditional philosophical debating classes in which students will be required to represent the classical views of various philosophers and debate with each other.
Telling the truth, being respectful, and thinking of others are essential elements of human flourishing and contain benefits for the person doing them. This is a very Buddhist influenced idea and in many ways this is a very buddhist influenced school vision. I think I'd have to be very upfront with parents and the community about this. Unlike in western cultures, were being good is seen as a kind of sacrifice, a place where you really have to suffer for some unspecified reward later (heaven, or something), the idea that being good is good for you right away is a bit different. We'll make sure kids are well versed in positive psychology and the emerging science of wellbeing.
Of course, standing up for yourself is important, this is part of self'-respect. Goodness isn't about being a victim. We would NOT talk about self-esteem, we would talk about resilience and grit, not in any pseudo-scientific way and we wouldn't be developing any meaningless resilience scales. We'd build it into the culture through our language and reward systems. In essence, hard work is good for you, doing hard things is good for you, dealing with hard stuff is good for you. Your attitude to stress is just as important as the avoidance of a stressful situation. We want to build soulful soldiers, not spineless snowflakes. There is a move to somehow say that strictness or warm strictness is opposed to "wellbeing", this is nonsense. We'd have loads of warm strict and loads of wellbeing because everyone would feel safe in a predictable and consistently nurturing environment. Absence of structure and accountability is as damaging for mental health as an excess of it. Nutritious learning environments require respect and respect needs to be promoted, insisted upon and the consequences of a lack of it need to be emphasised at all levels.
Goodness leads into a comprehensive wellbeing program which includes martial arts or yoga, a gut-health friendly cafeteria, meditation, positive journalling, and a comprehensive service-learning program. Knowledge and goodness will also be linked through traditional philosophical debating classes in which students will be required to represent the classical views of various philosophers and debate with each other.
Behaviour & Uniform
We'd have a fairly relaxed uniform policy. I really don't care about kids haircut or the exact right colour of trousers but we'd have a tracksuit that everyone uses, and regulations on expensive shoes to help parents avoid the trap of having to buy the latest fashion. Importantly, what the uniform SAYS is what we will enforce. There is also a lot of room for student voice in this school. I think we should encourage students to stick up for themselves and speak out, I've had a lot of good experiences with an empowered student council or a prefect system. But the message must be, whatever the rules are, that's what we respect and teachers are the authorities. Changes can be made and your voice will be listened to, but it must be part of a structured process. This includes parents. Giving parents the opportunity to speak into their child's education makes them allies. Often, parents have insights and suggestions that the school is just not able to see. Without a well-thought-out parent consultation and input structure, the loudest, shoutiest, angriest parents get their voice heard.
We'll have strong, well articulated centralised systems for managing behaviour, but not zero-tolerance. We sweat the small stuff but our aim is to reduce PEx. I don't believe that any school sets out to exclude kids, and I do think that when you take over a failing school sometimes exclusions are a necessary evil to get the school back on track. Not always, there are exceptions with people doing amazing work without exclusion, and I respect those. In our case, we'd be building the school from scratch so I think it's reasonable to want to reduce PEx not because we have to but because we want to. I think warm strict, well implemented consistent routines and expectations will enable us to achieve this.
If behaviour was out of control we would put 100% emphasis on rigorously enforced rules, if it's easier going we calm down and focus on other things. We never let out guard down and set the bar high, expecting kids to reach it. SLT will know that supporting teachers with discipline and behaviour takes priority above all else. We have the mantra not just that what we accept we expect but that what we accept we also accept on behalf of other teachers. Students must understand that the teacher is the authority and there should be consistency.
Again, this is very context dependent. If this was a school we were going into that had terrible behavior, ZT would be the way to go at the beginning. The major point is, the behaviour must be a priority, not an add on and students must know and understand the expectations, consequences and the why behind it all. It's not a sanction or restorative justice, it's both. A kid needs a consequence - missed break, lunchtime, losing privileges and they need to repair the damage done. One thing that is absolutely non-negotiable is respect for themselves and each other, nobody should ever feel afraid to make a comment in class or to do badly because they will be judged or insulted by others.
I'm going 85% Trad and 15% Prog on the prog-o-meter.
Pedagogy
Strong explicit instruction backed up by top-notch curricular materials using a mastery model. Think, whole class feedback with dedicated "take-up time". Personalization comes in this independent take-up time based on teacher feedback. Strong teacher CPD in findings from cognitive science. Some projects and authentic application to real-life contexts will be encouraged at the end of a teaching cycle. I want the kids to have a chance to apply what they have learned to authentic situations but really only after they have properly learned them. When we are sure that the learning has been mastered, only then might be doing an extended research project or exploratory activity. Master first, apply later. The emphasis is on simplicity, using technology only if and when it enhances student learning. Nothing wrong with doing the odd simulation or reenactment but don't expect to be praised for how engaging the class was. Learning is a slow and difficult process that requires effort and practice.
Complete respect for the disciplines will be afforded!
75% Trad and 25% Prog on our prog-tastic prog-o-meter.
Assessment & Data
We would report 4 times a year using a 1-4 scale. Teachers would not be expected to write written reports. Instead, we would identify 10 key standards or domains which we aim students to Master by the end of each grade level in each subject. We then specify the key pieces of evidence we would use to make the summative judgments for each standard and trust teachers to make that judgment. The teacher would express two numbers - the first number would be their expectation for the current marking period. If we are at the beginning of the year and it's a domain we will return to, we might expect kids to be getting a 1 or a 2. We then report the actual grade on a 1-4 scale so they could be below (expectation 2, kids grade 1) or on the ball (expectation 2, grade 2) or going above and beyond (expectation 2, grade 3) This last one should be hard to achieve. As the year goes on, for the standards that are being assessed all year the expectation will increase as we learn more material. By the time we have finished teaching each domain standard should be at a 4 - mastery.
No pressure will ever be applied to teachers to ensure their data is "better". We will dedicate time to getting consistency in the judgments but the important thing is not the "accuracy" of the grade but the ability of the summative inference to increase motivation. The idea of the expected grade increasing over time is that you can pull kids along and upwards with you go through the year. It's not a projection based on a fake idea of where you are guessing someone will end up, it's a statement of where they should be and where they really are.
We would use MAP testing to gauge progress. We will never practice for MAP or hold any individual teacher accountable for results (unless there is a real anomaly which we need to think about - but we should know about that). The idea of having an external test not done by teachers is we can look at our curriculum and ascertain whether it really is having the impact we think it is having. We can triangulate the data and thus prevent grade inflation. Data is a guide to action for the whole team and shouldn't be pinned onto individuals.
USA 25% Trad and 85% Prog in the UK 50% Trad & 50% Prog
SEMH and Pastoral Support
When kids slip through the net and aren't responding to the regular sanctions and culture of high expectations we will put alternative interventions in place. There are no quick fixes or easy solutions but working closely with parents matters and having alternative arrangements in school can help. I would have an organic garden and a mechanical workshop in my ideal school. We would also have skilled counselors and support staff who use a response to intervention model. What's great about RTI specifically is that the interventions are time-specific and temporary. We move kids in and out of the support program and resist at all points the temptation to label them or push them for external evaluation. We will believe always in every child's potential to change with the right consistent expectations, care, and support. We'll systematically use this data to evaluate the impact of our program.
Weekly pastoral meetings to discuss kids, monitor interventions and put further measures in place. This is a pretty typical model. I can't see any good reason for changing it as long as conversations are always focused on the right interventions.
I am going for 30% Trad and 70% prog on the prog-o-meter
...the mere mention of a garden helping kids who find school stressful and overwhelming will have some on the evidence-informed side of gnashing their teeth and asking me where my evidence is that such a thing could help... the answer, I don't have but I've been around middle school kids to know that they're easier to talk to when they are planting runner bean seeds.
...the mere mention of a garden helping kids who find school stressful and overwhelming will have some on the evidence-informed side of gnashing their teeth and asking me where my evidence is that such a thing could help... the answer, I don't have but I've been around middle school kids to know that they're easier to talk to when they are planting runner bean seeds.
Strong PSHE program, at least two periods a week
It's perfectly possible to have a wellbeing and meditation program as your PSHE program. It's called personal, social and health education. Health and wellbeing are what it is for. In my school, it would be strengthened. We would call it the science of happiness and it would include everything we have learned about how to keep mentally healthy including self-care and compassion. Each group would have a service learning project defined by them and which involves using the design thinking process to identify and solve a problem in their local community. We'd use a systematic approach to collecting data on kids overall wellbeing using something like this to help us monitor our progress against our aspirations to increase wellbeing.
10% trad % 90% prog on the prog-o-meter coz, well mindfulness, wellbeing etc. Right?
10% trad % 90% prog on the prog-o-meter coz, well mindfulness, wellbeing etc. Right?
The idea over time is to train your mind to better filter distractions.
Technology
Each kid would be given a Chromebook assigned by the school that their teachers would have access to. The advantage of the school giving these is the following 1) Install software to be able to monitor screens and prevent digital distraction 2) Easier to upkeep 3) Save money on paper 4) Communication teacher/student. Whether we like it or not, kids WILL be using computers in the future so we might as well get them used to it now. There will NOT be an expectation to use it every class but for logical things like google calendar, email, essays it obviously makes sense to write on a computer. Where we will be careful is not to over-rely on the spellchecking powers of the computer. One simple way around this would be to simply turn off auto-correct and get kids to change all of their underlined red-lines themselves.
30% Trad and 70% Prog on the prog-o-meter. If you think it should be more prog, I am not saying that tech will transform learning by getting students to create interesting products using whizzy programs. I am just saying computers are useful tools for writing. This is pretty self evidently true, nobody thinks we will all be writing long-hand in twenty years.
Before-School program
Twice a week martial arts or yoga at 7.30am for 45 minutes, depending on your preference. Taught by an outside expert. All kids need to complete at least 10 hours of training throughout the course of the year. Flexible mind and flexible body, this all comes under "goodness" and the importance of physical health and being good to yourself to feel good in yourself.
15% Trad and 85% Prog I went with this ratio because although the idea of teaching kids things in schools that aren't traditionally taught is by definition not traditional, teaching martial arts to kids is quite a traditional idea in a lot of cultures so as an international school educator it's not that weird to me. Also, both yoga and martial arts improve discipline which is a pretty traddy idea.
15% Trad and 85% Prog I went with this ratio because although the idea of teaching kids things in schools that aren't traditionally taught is by definition not traditional, teaching martial arts to kids is quite a traditional idea in a lot of cultures so as an international school educator it's not that weird to me. Also, both yoga and martial arts improve discipline which is a pretty traddy idea.
Accountability, professional development, management style, and a democratic workplace
Wellbeing is a priority. Teachers should have manageable teaching expectations, ideally no more than 25 teaching periods in a week. Permanent cover supervisors if we can afford it!
No graded lesson observations ever. No "grading" for teachers at all in fact. We create a culture of feedback where anyone and everyone is willing to share their ideas on your class in an open respectful way. Each year teachers will set some targets for themselves - something they want to improve - ask for support in achieving that and that forms the basis of ongoing observations. We will have an open door policy where anyone and everyone could walk into a class at any moment.
Importantly, I want to create a democratic workplace. This doesn't mean that teachers take all the decisions, but it does mean that teachers are consulted on matters and decisions that will impact them. Our aim will be for maximum transparency. Even if this comes at the cost of conflict, when people have the opportunity to speak into and debate decisions before they are taken, I believe they are more likely to be respected when they are implemented, even if you disagree. There are plenty of easy ways to get staff input and feedback on decisions, Tom Rees' excellent book on leadership details some of them.
50% Trad 50% Prog - workload reduction is a trad kind of idea but the democratic workplace is about participation and collaboration above authority.
Wellbeing is a priority. Teachers should have manageable teaching expectations, ideally no more than 25 teaching periods in a week. Permanent cover supervisors if we can afford it!
No graded lesson observations ever. No "grading" for teachers at all in fact. We create a culture of feedback where anyone and everyone is willing to share their ideas on your class in an open respectful way. Each year teachers will set some targets for themselves - something they want to improve - ask for support in achieving that and that forms the basis of ongoing observations. We will have an open door policy where anyone and everyone could walk into a class at any moment.
Importantly, I want to create a democratic workplace. This doesn't mean that teachers take all the decisions, but it does mean that teachers are consulted on matters and decisions that will impact them. Our aim will be for maximum transparency. Even if this comes at the cost of conflict, when people have the opportunity to speak into and debate decisions before they are taken, I believe they are more likely to be respected when they are implemented, even if you disagree. There are plenty of easy ways to get staff input and feedback on decisions, Tom Rees' excellent book on leadership details some of them.
50% Trad 50% Prog - workload reduction is a trad kind of idea but the democratic workplace is about participation and collaboration above authority.
Good nutritious food is eaten as a community
Vegan food that all religions can eat- good for the planet innit eaten together (Hats off to @misssnuffy for this idea) at lunchtime. Global topics are given to be discussed every day and kids sit with teachers who guide them through the ritual of eating.
25% Trad, 75% Prog on the prog-o-meter (if you are laughing at this being prog "because Micaela does it" I reckon this is the most progressive thing that they do!!!!)
Foreign languages
We won't have any. You know why? Because it's really rare for anyone to learn to speak a foreign language well without living in a country where they have to do it. I prefer to use that time to do other stuff. Instead, we'll learn how to program, dedicating lots of time to mastering the basics of computational logic.
100% Prog.
100% Prog.
History
A varied, post-colonial look at history. Colonial times should be something all schools study objectively, even if it's difficult. I really don't know how this is looked at now in the UK. Apologies if I am saying something that is already done. I think there is merit in arguments that some kids are alienated from the curriculum. The issue becomes when you get the post-modern "all narratives are equal" approach. Kids need to have an understanding of how and why we ended up where we are today and all of the difficult and challenging stuff that happened. Of course, it's not going to be a completely revisionist picture; there are many things that the UK can be proud of that should be celebrated. We should be aware that White British boys are amongst the lowest achieving groups in society and not teach a version of history that is either jingoistic flag-waving or deliberately antagonistic. Importantly, there is a role for early historiography here. I learned about historiography at A-Level but it seems like something that children in the earlier years should definitely be able to grasp.
40% Trad 60% Prog
40% Trad 60% Prog
Philosophy, Rhetoric and Debate
Essentially a mixture of a comparative Religion and philosophy class. Basically obligatory for everyone to study the history and beliefs of all major world religions without promoting anyone in particular. There will be a rigorous mix of the rigorous, factual grip of the positions of the major philosophical and spiritual positions on what it means to lead a "good" life. These will be debated and debates will be regularly showcased in assemblies. The class will also include a smattering of logic in order to strengthen student Oracy and powers of reasoning.
I genuinely don't know about this one for the prog-o-meter.
I genuinely don't know about this one for the prog-o-meter.
Homework
Retrieval practice, personal reading and IXL Maths (not English) for HW. No stress for teachers.
100% Trad here, right?
100% Trad here, right?
Overall "knowledge and goodness" is 55% Trad 45% Prog on the prog-o-meter ... by prioritizing knowledge, this tips us over to the traditional side of things but it's complicated because pretty much nobody on the prog side claims that knowledge is "traditional", so it's a toughie. Goodness - including obedience and respect - in order to obtain wellbeing, is a traditional approach with a progressive end. Having a garden and meditating is definitely progressive. Philosophy could be considered "progressive" because, you know, thinking and stuff, but I would definitely not want to go down the road of Philosophy for children where kids do "thunks" and sit around ruminating on questions without an answer. They need to learn philosophy so I am considering philosophy is probably one for the trads, even if they don't seem to like philosophy very much sometimes.
What are the final scores on the doors...
I'll let you decide.
I'll let you decide.
Comments
Post a Comment