From the Deputy Principal

Alignment

‘Education (the compliance-based system that all of us went through) is undergoing a massive shift, as big as the ones that have hit the other industries that have been rebuilt by the connection and leverage the internet brings. And yet, too much of the new work is simply coming up with a slightly more efficient way to deliver lectures plus tests.’ Seth Godin 

If you haven’t come across the way Seth Godin thinks, he’s worth looking up. A philosopher/ entrepreneur, he has a way of observing things from different perspectives and seeing truth. He is particularly bullish when it comes to the failure of education systems and yet a massive advocate for active learning. The quote above struck a nerve when I reread it recently after listening to an interview. It resonated with the work of teachers so far this year regarding their own first principles and the image of the child. Through this work, staff are solidifying their core fundamental values. It sounds simple enough but when we talk about fundamentals the clutter has to be removed first. 

These conversations provide starting points for conversations around alignment. Once we are sure of our own foundations and see how they complement/conflict with the community around us, constructive dialogue ensues. What’s more, it allows us to see our work, our actions and our teaching with fresh eyes. And the question to be asked is, ‘does my work align with my values?’

Schools/organisations are very good at answering this question quickly; ‘of course there is alignment’. But values that are developed for marketing or because everyone else is using similar stuff, are not values at all. They are squeezed into the work instead of the other way around or used to decorate short comings. This is much easier than the intensity of true self-reflection. 

Last week I visited some schools in Melbourne. One of these schools has had News Corp spruiking its approach recently during its ‘Education in Crisis’ series. To say the reality was a little underwhelming would be an understatement, despite what was very clearly a large budget. The promoted values and the reality were out of alignment. Another of the schools we visited had next to no money or resources and yet a striking, child-centred vision that was evident as soon as we walked through the door. Their values and first principles were alive. 

At St Paul we have our Image of the Child statement and for teachers, a series of belief statements about how learning comes to life across the curriculum. As the year progresses we will be discussing aspects of Lutheran theology and history with teachers to revisit the Lutheran values and ethos of the school also. This can be a challenging experience as it brings behaviours and attituded to the surface that do not align with values. But this is a challenge that that we must constantly revisit to ensure we are who we say we are.

NAPLAN

A reminder about the official NAPLAN testing period starting next week.

March 15: Writing Test, Reading Test 

March 17: Conventions of Language Test, Mathematics Test

Make up test sessions are scheduled for March 20, 22 and 24.

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please speak to your child’s teacher.