10 minute read
Teacher’s pet & letters
Teaching as an art
THANK you so much for the chilling warning in Warwick Mansell’s article (Educate, November/December, page 35).
Over the last 20 years, I have seen the value of teachers’ professional judgement eroded to nearly zero. Oak-style ‘off the peg’ lessons are already being developed and promoted by the academy my school is joining.
We are taken out of the classroom to attend leadership or curriculum meetings run in a manner similar to a commercial company. Indeed, one training course leader spent a meeting that I attended promoting a conference organised by a company of which she was a director.
Is this because we are trying to promote evidenced-based teaching? I think that most of the evidence cited to promote new strategies (including Ofsted’s phonics drive) is so biased it would make a pharmaceutical company blush… and I used to work for one so have some insight there.
We need to value teaching as an art. Experience, gut instinct and sheer love of teaching should drive what we do to improve our students’ education. We have a national curriculum so surely that should cover the ‘must do’?
How we, professional teachers, deliver that curriculum should look different each and every time we teach a lesson. Our changing experience, the dynamics in our classroom, the available resources, even the weather (yes, I’m one of those teachers who wants to take their science lessons outside when it’s snowing) should influence our real-time, in-class decisions. We need a rough plan, but one that is flexible to allow adjustment to changing situations and adaptation to individual children’s needs. We need freedom, not prescription, to be the best teachers we can.
Professionally, I’m feeling frustrated and rather sad at the way things are developing. Any advice? Sally Bone
Simple solutions
Final word Final word
Hands Up! to improve deaf awareness
Fact file
Polly Button, 17, is a severelyprofoundly deaf student who uses two hearing aids. She sits on the National Deaf Children’s Society Young People’s Advisory Board. Visit ndcs.org.uk
The NDCS Roadshow at the Guildhall in London PHOTO by Amit Lennon Photography
I AM writing to thank Polly Button for her brilliant article (Educate, September/October, page 50).
She clearly articulates not only the problems that deaf children face, but also offers simple solutions that would
enable a huge number of children a better quality of education and lifelong benefits. Having grown up as a partially deaf child, I spent many wasted and uncomfortable hours at school unable to access conversations with my peers and teachers. The majority of my teachers had no idea how to make their lessons more inclusive and did not understand my needs. It saddens me greatly that 40 years later little has changed in terms STUDENTS everywhere are battling to catch up on what they missed of teachers’ training, and children during the pandemic. They’re also getting ready for some of the biggest educational milestones they’ll face. As a deaf student, this can be even harder. Two thirds found online lessons difficult to understand during lockdown. When we returned to school, face masks made lip reading impossible and facial are still facing similar barriers.expressions so much harder to read. Deaf children were already at a disadvantage. Did you know deaf children achieve less than hearing children at every stage of school? It’s because there’s a real My experience of several lack of support. I’m part of the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) Young People’s Advisory Board –18 deaf young people campaigning for the UK’s 50,000 deaf years working in the classroom, children and young people. We’ve chosen “improving deaf awareness in education” as our priority and called the campaign Hands Up! – this was because we’d all experienced poor deaf awareness in the classroom. If it’s common in a small group, how many are suffering where I regularly came up against across the UK? Too many. Education is a right, not a privilege, yet the lack of deaf awareness training in schools means deaf students miss out. Meeting pupils’ communication needs Deaf awareness is understanding how to include a deaf person and meet school leaders and colleagues who, their communication needs in any situation. Poor deaf awareness in the classroom – like not facing the class when speaking or showing videos without subtitles – can be catastrophic. Yet with the right knowledge, it’s easily prevented. It’s important to remember, however, that no two deaf people are the same and what works for one might not work for another. aware of my hearing loss, did not 50 educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU) even show basic deaf awareness, also brings me to the conclusion that much more needs to be done. Only by speaking out will the needs of deaf children be heard.
Through seemingly small actions in the classroom (such as moving around when speaking), poor deaf awareness accumulates, impacting academic success. In 2021, England’s deaf pupils achieved a whole GCSE grade lower than hearing children on average, for the sixth year running. There are similar gaps in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In a survey we conducted, one in three deaf students (31 per cent) said most or all of their teachers showed poor deaf awareness. This isn’t surprising though – research also shows two “Poor deaf awareness thirds of teachers don’t know how to teach a deaf pupil. in the classroom can This hits deaf students beyond the education system, as there isn’t equal access be catastrophic, but to career opportunities. The isolation can also affect their mental health.
it is easily prevented.” Compulsory training for teachers
We’re calling for compulsory deaf awareness training for teachers; a step towards closing the gap between deaf and hearing pupils. In March, our online petition asked the then School Standards Minister Robin Walker for this and it’s already passed 80,000 signatures. We’d like to see compulsory deaf awareness training in initial teacher training and regular follow-up training sessions. This can ensure all deaf pupils are included in the classroom, helping them achieve their full potential. Currently only three per cent of teachers feel their teacher training gave them the information they need to meet deaf pupils’ needs. Deafness isn’t a learning disability, so improving access to lessons can help deaf pupils thrive in class. This will be a significant step in breaking down the barriers deaf children and young people are currently facing in schools, improving the lives of 50,000 across the UK.
L James, Worcestershire
Teacher’s petsPebbles, BamBam and Maverick
This trio of guinea pigs are the pets of Chloe Gerstenmayer, a nursery teacher from Cheltenham. Chloe says: “My fabulous three amigos became YouTube sensations during lockdown 2020, helping me to teach
children around the world as Furry phonics with Mrs G. They are always so pleased to see me, running over and squeaking loudly with delight.”
If you have a treasured pet you’d like to show off, email a high-resolution photo with 50 words about what makes them so special to educate@neu.org.uk
Please writeThe editor welcomes your letters but reserves the right to edit them. Write to Letters, Educate, NEU, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD or email educate@neu.org.uk
Please note we cannot print letters sent in without a name and postal address (or NEU membership number), although we can withhold details from publication if you wish.
Star letter ‘We can all help to save the planet’
I’M a retired NEU member and also a governor at Coppull Primary School and Nursery, in Lancashire. I’ve been interested in global heating issues and sustainability for a long time and have been keen to see the curriculum in the school address them. I’ve been pushing at an open door.
Some years ago, we bought an automatic weather station for the school, part-funded by myself with a contribution from school funds. The weather is continuously monitored with the data available for children to use in science and maths. We have a feed to the school website so that the current weather in the village can be seen widely.
A couple of years ago, I felt we should address the urgent need to tackle the net zero issue. It was 2020, with 30 years to go until 2050 (the year by which the UK has resolved to end its contribution to global warming), so I gave the school a donation of £3,000, so that each year for the next 30 years, a prize of £100 could be awarded for the best idea.
Along with the winnings, we award a sustainability and carbon zero award (pictured above) showing an image of Earth taken from space as part of the NASA series of photographs – Coppull is at the centre of this particular photograph.
We can all have our ways of helping to save the planet. This is my personal way, involving children, families, teachers, governors and all those working in school. It will work.
Richard Toon, Lancashire
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Tackling barriers for girls in sport
THE Big Sister project aims to tackle the barriers to girls’ participation in sport by creating a supportive network of ‘big sisters’ – peer leaders and supporters from schools and sports organisations.
The project, set up by Women in Sport in collaboration with Hey Girls, Places Foundation and Places Leisure, also offers a wealth of free information, online resources and practical support to help girls navigate their journey through puberty and exercise, and reclaim the joy of sport and exercise.
They would love to hear from young women aged 14 to 25 years old who are happy to share their experience, and who can act as a big sister for other girls facing similar challenges.
n Visit big-sister.co.uk
Meaningful connections for mental health
CHILDREN’S Mental Health Week takes place from 6-12 February. The theme – Let’s Connect – is about the importance of making meaningful and rewarding connections with others as a way of supporting mental wellbeing.
Educators can download free resources suitable for primary and secondary school settings, including assembly guides, slides and group activities.
n Visit childrensmentalhealth
week.org.uk Take your learning outside
OUTDOOR education charity the Field Studies Council (FSC) has launched a new digital hub to help educators support students with outdoor learning and fieldwork skills.
Resources include Geographic Information System (GIS) story maps, videos presented by FSC’s experienced tutors, worksheets and CPD materials suitable for students taking GCSE geography and GCSE and A-level biology. The hub resources are designed to complement the FSC’s existing free teaching materials.
n Visit bit.ly/3X4JG2U
Scribblers on tour in Wales
THE Hay Festival Scribblers Tour takes place from 6-17 February in universities across Wales. Best-selling authors and poets, including Femi Fadugba, Matt Goodfellow and Jenny Valentine, will deliver free, interactive workshops for key stage 3 and 4 students to help inspire a passion for storytelling, reading and writing.
There are free teaching resources, produced in collaboration with authors and publishers, which are designed to complement the festival workshops.
