Mike

●An Uncharacteristically Personal Reflection

Mike September 14, 2023September 14, 2023school wellbeing 10 Comments

I am known for keeping personal and professional lives separate. Mike and Mr Glavin were separate. Even my wardrobe was segregated. Top rail Mike. Bottom rail Mr Glavin. In work, many didn’t know Mike. They were kept at a professional distance by Mr Glavin. Five years ago today, I left work and never returned. A highly successful career, excellent attendance and sustained resilience ended. Deep vein thrombosis, a complex irregular heartbeat, stomach ulcers and situational stress could no longer be … Continue reading “●An Uncharacteristically Personal Reflection”

Beyond My Relationship With A Phonic Fairy.

Mike June 19, 2023June 19, 2023Phonics, Reading, school improvement Leave a comment

I have visited the land of letters and been exceptionally jolly when teaching phonics. I have read and written, and even had a long-term relationship with a phonic fairy. Nevertheless I do not consider myself to be a phonics expert. In semi-retirement, I have had more time to compare and contrast the teaching of phonics in England and in Wales. I have two questions that haunt me: Throughout my career I’ve known of many occasions when Welsh educators have looked … Continue reading “Beyond My Relationship With A Phonic Fairy.“

Enabling The Enablers

Mike May 25, 2023May 25, 2023Assisting Teaching, Governors, Headteachers, HLTA, LSA, TA Leave a comment

Facilitating the work of those that assist teaching. It wasn’t a planned journey. It wasn’t even a journey I had anticipated. Nevertheless, I found myself journeying into the world of those that assist teaching. Having seen at first hand the impact of my school leadership development tool, a headteacher enquired if I had a similar tool to support the teaching assistants within her school. At the time I didn’t have such a tool but, over that summer, I created one … Continue reading “Enabling The Enablers“

●Lesson Observation: ‘Catch Them Out’ or ‘Catch Them Being Good’?

Mike September 28, 2021September 28, 2021leadership, lesson observation, school 1 Comment

In my work with schools, I increasingly see lesson observation used for accountability purposes in a way that leave teachers feeling as if the observer intent is to ‘catch them out’ as opposed to ‘catch them being good.’ Whilst sharing the focus of the lesson observation is routine, far less often do I see lesson observation being used as a mechanism through which to develop teaching. If the observation focus is both shared and explored with teachers ahead of the … Continue reading “●Lesson Observation: ‘Catch Them Out’ or ‘Catch Them Being Good’?”

●Can’t see beyond Covid and the curriculum?

Mike September 6, 2021September 6, 2021expectations of formal leadership practice, Headteachers, headteachers' standards, leadership standards, school, self-evaluation Leave a comment

Whilst politicians and others desperately try to convince everyone that schools are back to normal, the reality is very different. They are back to the new normal. One headteacher I know had planned a day of activities designed to lead to the creation of a school vision in which all staff felt fully engaged, only to be hit with a Covid ‘local decision-making framework’, the ‘hierarchy of controls’ and ‘updated operational guidance’ – resulting in the fact that she could … Continue reading “●Can’t see beyond Covid and the curriculum?”

●School Improvement With Head And Heart.

Mike June 27, 2021June 27, 2021school improvement 3 Comments

Despite increasing sophistication, washing machines have a limited number of washing cycles. Attempts have been made to ensure that there is a cycle suitable for all types of clothes but in truth, once a pile of washing has been categorised, placed in the machine and the program selected, all the clothes get the same treatment, regardless. It will be fine for some of the items but less so for others. So it is with some school improvement services. They sort … Continue reading “●School Improvement With Head And Heart.”

●(Expectations of Formal Leadership Practice) Wales v England (Headteachers’ Standards)

Mike March 6, 2021March 6, 2021English education, expectations of formal leadership practice, headteachers' standards, leadership standards, Welsh education 6 Comments

There is nothing quite like a rugby match against England to bring out the patriotism and ‘hwyl’ in the Welsh. Many of my good friends are English, I love many parts of England, my brother and my sister live in England, and nothing feels more exhilarating than beating the English. Beating them at anything, but especially beating them at rugby. I can’t help but wonder why. Those far more learned than I may refer to deep cultural issues relating to … Continue reading “●(Expectations of Formal Leadership Practice) Wales v England (Headteachers’ Standards)”

●‘My’ Oh ‘My’- Whose Learning Environment?

Mike February 17, 2021February 17, 2021 2 Comments

Perhaps everyone remembers the interview for their first job. I certainly remember mine from 1988. A formidable primary adviser of the time asked me how I would set up my classroom. I realise now that she suspected that as a student teacher, I had only ever taught in classrooms set up by others. She was keen to see what type of learning environment I would establish. The reason the memory remains so vivid is that my response included the fact … Continue reading “●‘My’ Oh ‘My’- Whose Learning Environment?”

●Vaccination for school staff: It would be ridiculous to consider protecting some parts and not others.

Mike February 1, 2021February 1, 2021school closure, school support staff, vaccination Leave a comment

As the last of snow thaws away, the craving for the light and warmth of the sun grows. The pandemic may mean that beach holidays are a long way off but hopefully sunbathing on the golden sands of a foreign beach will happen again. When it does, appropriate protection will be liberally applied to all parts of the body placed in direct sun light. It would be ridiculous to consider protecting some parts and not others. If one part of … Continue reading “●Vaccination for school staff: It would be ridiculous to consider protecting some parts and not others.”

●Education, Vaccination, Vaccination.

Mike January 19, 2021February 1, 2021blog, Covid 19, school, vaccination Leave a comment

Those of us that remember 2007 may recall the slogan that Tony Blair used as he stated his priorities: Education, Education, Education. My suggestion for current leaders is that they amend this to Education, Vaccination, Vaccination. As I recently watched David Attenborough’s Perfect Planet, I found myself marvelling at the extraordinary beauty and power of nature. Amongst the many things that struck me was the action of a colony of ants, as the rising flood waters threatened impeding doom for … Continue reading “●Education, Vaccination, Vaccination.”