Correcting

Currently reading Mr John Le Carré’s second George Smiley novel ‘A Murder of Quality’ and struck by the language of teaching used by some of the characters. The book was written (and by assumption set) in 1962 but it is suffused very much with a pre-(Second World)war feel. This is partly because the book is very much in the spirit of a Golden Age detective story and partly because it helps reinforce the notion of the private school in question being Terribly Old Fashioned and desperate to hang on to pre-(Great)war class structures and sentiments. As an aside, this resonates strongly with two other novels I have just finished, ‘The Village’ and ‘Tory Heaven’, both by Marghanita Laski and both of which I cannot recommend highly enough. (As additional aside, remind self to prepare rigorous riposte to challenges from colleagues wondering Where You Find The Time to read so many novels and therefore unspoken Why Are You Not Working All Waking Hours Like Me?).

As an ageing Provincial Teacher however the main point from Mr Le Carré’s story that strikes me as interesting is when the teachers at the Old Fashioned Private School refer to doing “exam corrections” and to “correcting work”. Immediately I read those words I am myself transported back to own childhood and vividly recall teachers talking in same language (this despite own school hardly being Illustrious or Celebrated Private School but Bog Standard Secondary in Scotland).

It strikes me that many teachers of the Traditionalist Persuasion might appreciate a subtle shift back to using the term ‘corrections’ when perusing students’ books and work. Indeed, on reflection am somewhat startled to think that Mr Gove did not propose this when he was Ultimate Leader of Education in England and Wales. What is our role, after all, if not to correct misconceptions and to highlight Where It’s Gone Wrong?

Immediately determine to start using ‘corrections’ in place of ‘marking’ and/or ‘feedback’ in all Leadership meetings if only to see horrified reactions of colleagues around table. Simple pleasures and all that, what?

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On Resilience

Alerted today to an online survey that proclaims an ability to determine a ‘resilience score’ through the completion of a range of questions. Feel certain that wording of questions arrived at through studied Scientific Approach yet cannot bring self (or find time within Busy Schedule) to proceed further than number 20 of 180. Strongly suspect that survey has been devised by people with Too Much Time On Their Hands and therefore most emphatically not employed within the Public Sector. Convinced also that on completing question 180 result would simply be ‘Congratulations! By completing this survey you have proven yourself to be 100% resilient to mind-numbing tedium! Detailed feedback from your responses has already been sold to Google, Facebook and The Russians and will be used to send you individualised advertising.’

Immediately forward link to J and suggest online survey as activity for next PSHE day. It would certainly fill a hefty amount of lesson time, encourage students to work independently and thereby significantly lower planning time for colleagues and contribute magnificently to Lessening Workload. Job done.