When the Wind Keeps Changing Like so many of us, I have found the last few years overwhelming. The pace of change has been relentless, made all the more difficult by the fact that so much of it has happened without the voice of the sector. Rather than being driven by need, it has too often felt as though it has been driven by ego. We now have a curriculum we didn't ask for, assessments many of us don't need, and policies that seem to serve little purpose beyond existing on paper. The recent kerfuffle among National MPs following Chris Hipkins' announcement that Labour would remove the requirement for one hour a day of reading, writing and maths is just another example of how little some of those making decisions understand what life in a classroom is actually like. For most teachers, this policy has meant very little in practical terms. In fact, I'll be bold enough to say it has meant nothing. At most, it has amounted to an adjustment to a policy somewhere, destined to ...
I am passionate about play and structured explicit learning, finding the best of both worlds.