tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438349.post5115342394497007031..comments2024-03-28T00:28:06.035+13:00Comments on leading and learning: Leadership for what?Bruce Hammondshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07031065790535111400noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438349.post-75974733702899355992008-12-11T14:10:00.000+13:002008-12-11T14:10:00.000+13:00Kia ora Bruce.Yes, but, I'm a teacher - of 35 year...Kia ora Bruce.<BR/><BR/>Yes, but, I'm a teacher - of 35 years now - and I tend to agree with my daughter. What I've found is that the standards content is neither interesting to teach nor is it interesting to learn. I don't teach my daughter. Most of the time, she teaches herself - isn't that what most excellent secondary school students do these days. They have to, for their peers are mostly going after achieved and to a lesser extent merit.<BR/><BR/>The point I put forward here (on behalf of my daughter in actual fact) is that for an excellent student there is no real incentive to get into the subject - no fire that lights the scholarship.<BR/><BR/>If I ever wnted to find out if anything I taught to my classes was genuinely interesting (for whatever reason) I always asked my top scholars. They usually let me have it if they were not being extended.<BR/><BR/>Catchya laterBlogger In Middle-earthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08722634477041121797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438349.post-38982642972643838422008-12-10T17:14:00.000+13:002008-12-10T17:14:00.000+13:00On reflection I might have been a bit hard on the ...On reflection I might have been a bit hard on the Ministry leadership courses for principals - they probably make them 'better' principals but nothing really will change. Better is not good enough!<BR/><BR/>Real leadership is about implementing transformational ( often 'dangerous' to those in power) ideas. They should call their courses 'Better Principals Courses'! What about Educational Revolutionary Courses!!<BR/><BR/>As for students' views, Middle Earth, see my previous blog about tapping students' ideas.<BR/><BR/>NCEA is better than the 'half have to fail' School Certificate but somehow teachers need to imbed standards and units into realistic and relevant challenges for their students. This would mean breaking their lock step subject devisions and restrictive timetables.<BR/><BR/>Now that would take real leadership. Some schools have done this - mainly new schools with no restrictive traditions.<BR/><BR/>'Boring' is a word that sums up most traditional teaching (even for academic students) - except for extra mural activities.Bruce Hammondshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07031065790535111400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438349.post-2874313801784196892008-12-10T16:09:00.000+13:002008-12-10T16:09:00.000+13:00Kia ora Bruce.I concur with all you say here. I'd ...Kia ora Bruce.<BR/><BR/>I concur with all you say here. I'd like to give you something 'out of the mouths of babes and little children':<BR/><BR/>My older daughter has finished her year 13 this year. She is smart. She has been accepted for 2 universities and is choosing which to accept, right now.<BR/><BR/>She and I had a conversation about NCEA recently. I had to winkle her opinion out of her, for she thinks little of NCEA.<BR/><BR/>She said, "<B>Y'know the standards, like, that we have to work for getting? They're, like, boring. All the interesting stuff that you want to learn about isn't, like, in the standard? It's, like, boring.</B>"<BR/><BR/>For me, she said it all.<BR/><BR/>Catchya laterBlogger In Middle-earthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08722634477041121797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8438349.post-86248336152157167582008-12-10T00:21:00.000+13:002008-12-10T00:21:00.000+13:00Are there any real leaders in our schools out ther...Are there any real leaders in our schools out there - principals with principles doing more than simply complying to what is expected of them well? Doing the 'right thing' not 'things right'. We have been 'overmanaged and underled' since the imposed 'reforms' of the 90s.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com