Number Agents

The Quiet Art of Teacher Sense The best school improvement rarely makes headlines. It happens quietly, one thoughtful decision at a time. An article about a school choosing to remove devices from its junior classrooms sparked a huge amount of interest recently. As I read through the responses, it got me thinking about the importance of what I call teacher sense —that ability to draw on our deep understanding of children, learning, and our craft to make decisions that not only feel right, but are right. It also got me thinking that, much like common sense, teacher sense is becoming something of a dying art. So much of what is happening in education right now is being done in the name of "research". Changes are being rolled out at pace, often to us rather than with us. Despite the fact that many educators are deeply sceptical of some of these sweeping reforms, there seems to be very little pushback. Where are the stories about the schools that never jumped on the bandwagon in t...

The Present We Didn't Ask For Non-contact time allows my mind to wander—to seek new understandings, refine current ones, and, most importantly, reflect. Lately, my mind keeps circling back to one thing: the state of our education system here in Aotearoa. Have you ever had a birthday or Christmas where you receive a pile of presents, but not one resembles what you actually asked for? Of course, you're grateful. The people giving the gifts have clearly put thought into them. But you're still left wondering whether they actually know you—whether they understand what you need or whether maybe, they were actually buying something they themselves wanted.  Or perhaps it's that present, you didn't know you needed, but others obviously wanted to give you a great big hint, like that cake of fancy soup, or that gym membership. That's what education feels like right now: the present we didn't ask for. And I use the word present deliberately. It refers both to the endle...

The Importance of Teacher Understanding Over the past few years, I have continued to advocate for the importance of teacher understanding. In my view, it is the single most significant factor affecting the achievement of our learners. Unfortunately, in the current pressure cooker of curriculum development, building genuine teacher understanding—which takes time—has too often been replaced by reliance on scripted programmes. Scripted programmes are not inherently negative. In fact, they can serve as training wheels, providing structure and support until teachers gain confidence. The real risk, however, is that those training wheels never come off. In a climate where teachers are overwhelmed by constant change, there is a danger that these programmes become the only way we teach, rather than a temporary scaffold. Teacher Understanding: More Than Just Academics Teacher understanding should not be limited to academic content. Don’t get me wrong—I absolutely believe teachers must understand...