A little lacking in pace and direction ...

Stephen Smith's picture
 12
I don't think Ofsted would rate this particular session at Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College as outstanding somehow!

 

 

http://youtu.be/1qQL5L31-1E
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Comments

Leonard James's picture
Sun, 08/01/2012 - 22:00

Are you in favour of Ofsted judging teachers on their ability to entertain?


Allan Beavis's picture
Sun, 08/01/2012 - 22:36

The definitions of "entertain" are quite broad and include "amuse, interest, please, delight, occupy, charm, enthral, cheer, divert, regale." Good teachers are able to communicate in this way and inspire the children they teach, so I think Ofsted need to assess teachers with this in mind. On the evidence of this clip, Michael Gove has no rapport with children but plenty of ill-judged condescension and a mind-numbing mission to read out Academy statistics not for the kids assembled to pay homage to him but for the photo opportunity. A shameful disconnect between the Education Secretary and the generation his government is obliterating.


Leonard James's picture
Sun, 08/01/2012 - 23:58

I'd sooner Ofsted concentrated on the words 'teach' and 'learn' - teachers are not clowns nor is Gove although I would agree that politics is best kept out of schools.


Allan Beavis's picture
Mon, 09/01/2012 - 00:10

The best teachers are those who communicate and inspire. This does not mean they have to "clown" around and "entertaining" isn't just red noses and falling over shoelaces.


Leonard James's picture
Mon, 09/01/2012 - 00:18

No the best teachers are ones that make children smarter. They may inspire they may not but if you start making inspiration a specific goal for teachers then you risk sacrificing learning for entertaining or any of the words you are using to define it.


Allan Beavis's picture
Mon, 09/01/2012 - 00:25

Nonsense. Good teachers inspire children to want to learn and to keep on learning throughout their entire lives. A bad teacher makes them switch off. This is hardly going to make them "smarter" is it?


Rosemary Mann's picture
Sun, 08/01/2012 - 23:36

When I clicked on the link I got an interview with Arsene Wenger. Was he there too?


Leonard James's picture
Mon, 09/01/2012 - 00:38

Allan you can't get smarter if you are 'switched off' but 'switched off' and 'not entertained' are not the same thing. Can you also clarify what you expect from teachers as we seem to have moved from 'entertaining communicators' and 'inspiring' to 'inspiring students into lifelong learning'.


Allan Beavis's picture
Mon, 09/01/2012 - 09:41

No, they are not the same Leonard but there is an obvious link so I am astonished that you are unable to recognise this without it being pointed out to you. If a student is not engaged or inspired by his teacher then there is every risk that he will switch off and not learn, so a good teacher is one that communicates in a way that makes the subject interesting and relevant to the student. You missed the point by stating learning would be sacrificed if inspiration were a specific goal, as if the two were not in any way related. You also seem to have a very narrow understanding of "entertain" as if this can only be reduced to "clowning around". As Head of Year at a State School, I do hope you are bringing a broader outlook as well as some skills in engaging with the children under your care otherwise they will find school and learning a very dull experience, even if they do achieve good grades.


Leonard James's picture
Tue, 10/01/2012 - 00:19

Allan every time you mention good teaching you introduce new words to describe it. Before we continue can you clarify what it is you think a good teacher does.


Leonard James's picture
Wed, 25/01/2012 - 17:31

I guess we're not continuing then.


Rosemary Mann's picture
Mon, 09/01/2012 - 13:25

I feel annoyed that these poor kids were made to sit through a piece of government propaganda and to be made to be part of the show.
This school became an academy under Labour. Most of us who live in the area however consider this to be state school first and foremost even more of a reason for Tories not to sing its praises for their own purposes. Its a great school with a great following in what is a fairly deprived part of south London and I rarely hear anyone complain about it. I am pleased to see that its students have the keenness of mind not to be overimpressed by a load of rubbish.

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