A New Train Set

One part of my new Personal Development role is being involved in the CCF Air Cadets. When I first heard that our school were embarking on this project I knew I had to be involved.

At the time I now see how over committed I had become. I almost completely ignored my ‘Remit’ and never knew the word ‘no’. So, for me, this was a shiny new thing that I felt passionate about and wanted to bring to our school.

I was thrown into a uniformed world of retired military. All with the same purpose, to bring a sense of belonging and order to young lives. There was no thought that we were attempting to recruit; just that we wanted to create opportunities that have become lost. With the increasingly squeezed curriculum and pressures on the time, staff knew that students should be given the opportunity to do other things, but couldn’t spare any extra time away from intervention. This fits perfectly.

So I read, learned and talked to people who knew more than I did. We ‘piggy backed’ another unit in order to get started, and through that I started to see the time commitment required to do it well. We also started to think about the professional staff instructor that would fit our ethos and share our values to help us deliver this amazing new venture.

We have the best SSI. She has taken the reins and is doing amazing things already. This excites me and I became a little overwhelmed to be addressed as Acting Pilot Officer at our virtual New Recruit evening. Yes, we have challenges that we didn’t expect, but we are in an organisation of problem solvers.

In a year where things haven’t gone to anyone’s plan, I’m feeling optimistic in this one area. I honestly feel as if we have been given a new train set, I can’t wait to construct it and play.

Rowing your boat

Sometimes in order to get somewhere you have to look behind you. ‘Row, row, row your boat’ style.

We have to build on what we have achieved, or not, and then move with it. One of the biggest problems for people is trying to cut themselves away from their past rather than owning it.

I commented on a post from a colleague about making stumbling blocks become stepping stones; and although I’m at risk of grounding my rowing boat on a stony metaphor, I think you grasp the intended message.

At the start of term we were privileged to welcome the Hemraj Goyal Foundation to work with our year 12 and GCSE students. One thing that struck me from the many things given to us was that it’s never too late. To study, to train, to live, to love. It may take a massive effort and nerve but just because we haven’t done something doesn’t mean we never will.

My rowing boat has started its journey. Sometimes, I’m looking back to move forward sometimes I’m dodging stones.

Failure is always an option

I think the thing that strikes me most about starting a new school year is the number of staff who believe that they have lost the Super power of teaching. This year has been particularly unusual, and I really did feel as if I hadn’t done any ‘proper’ classroom teaching for 5 1/2 months. However, the students were in exactly the same position. So we balanced each other out.

We started our year with the Reset, Renew and Refocus drop down days. Personal Development has received a massive boost and we worked alongside the Hemraj Goyal Foundation. They delivered some amazing workshops for our year 10, 11 and 12 students; helping to bring the focus back to the students’ wellbeing and their aspirations. I learned a lot. Especially about the nature of failure.

Failure is an everyday occurrence. We are expected to fail, from our first faltering steps to our driving test(s). It helped me to remember when I failed my driving test. I walked from the bus stop and deliberately told myself that in 3 years I would not be doing that. It was a big moment for me, telling myself exactly how I would make it happen. I passed within a month or so. But the failure could have stopped me. Instead it became a stepping stone.

Failure is always an option, but it’s just a place to visit, not to live. I start teaching my new subjects this week, I need to remember all the lessons I’ve learned in order to teach my new ones.