As I go over the expectations and watch the frustration of students who have done it all before; their eyes eager for the opportunity to 'just get on with it', their school-ready personalities honed in on what all the teachers before myself have expected of them and their stationery and mindsets at the ready. A few of them try not to but I notice the eye rolls and the placid expressions that belie the 'brakes only barely held on' beneath the surface. And I can't blame them. I remember what that felt like.
My eyes lift from theirs and roam the fringes... And then I am reminded why I do this. The students that are hanging back, dubious. The ones who are already distracted... Poking their neighbour in the ribs. I think about the importance of this. And then I try to find a middle ground.
How can I get the classroom agreement done, the expectations set, the team building done... While maintaining the focus on the ground-rules for those that need that constant reminder... And still allow the brakes to come off a little for the others... So that they CAN get on with the business of learning and experience the exhilaration and success they are capable of. So that I'm not holding them back... And the ones who need the constant reminders are not holding them back... So that everyone gets what they need?
This, I feel sure... Is the most important part of personalising learning. Research suggests that children are born with the instinct to learn... Every day, all day. Inherent ability. So the first thing I must do is not squash that by holding them back or letting them go too soon. To create a programme where the balance is in favour of each individual. This, I feel, will not be an easy task.. But one I need to master to feel successful as an educator. How to? This will be next.
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