The teacher simply wants the best for their student. By Year 12, we would expect that the student recognises their role in changing the narrative, to take responsibility, submit the work and of course the next lesson is a new beginning.
I have been delighting in the Paralympic Games, perhaps even more that I was in the Olympic Games. The competition realises the foundational vision of the Olympics as an amateur event that brings different cultures together to celebrate unity.
As our students step out into the world as young women, we are interested not just in what they can do, but who they will become. Together with our families, we work to shape the character of future generations to ensure they are equipped and motivated to make a difference in the world. For that reason, the School values remain at the heart of our mission.
We are conscious that, alongside the young people, parents and staff are dealing with significant challenges, as they juggle work commitments, childcare, lesson supervision and a whole range of COVID complications affecting our professional and personal lives. Supporting the wellbeing of the community is therefore at the front of our minds.
Every school has rituals, ceremonies and stories that reflect underlying values and contribute to culture. Rituals are habits that provide clarity and structure while ceremonies tend to be singular events that provide points of celebration, recognition, or symbolise important change.
Wellbeing is at the forefront of our minds. Teachers across the School are planning group activities and working with the girls individually to help the whole community stay active, focused and positive.
When I arrived at Queenwood Junior School at the beginning of this term, I informed the girls in my first morning video announcement that one of the many things I was looking forward to at Queenwood was forming a clear understanding about what it really means to be a Queenwood girl.
Assessments and homework expectations are adjusted, Just Read is more important than ever and we are emphasising with the girls the things that underpin their own wellbeing: exercise, healthy sleep patterns, good food, well structured days and so on.
Broad and deep knowledge is the basis of critical thinking. Those who already know a lot about the subject have easier access to concepts or ways of thinking that might prove useful in solving the current problem. They can also direct all their thinking capacity (which experts call ‘working memory’) to more complex aspects of the problem because they’re not struggling to remember the basics.
​Good mental health, Dr Damour argues, is ‘when you have the right feeling at the right time and you are able to manage it effectively’. As we all know, tension, stress, worry, sadness and anxiety can be the proper response to difficult circumstances, and adults often best help young people by helping them reframing these feelings as ‘the right feeling’ in response to that particular challenge – and therefore a sign of emotional maturity and mental strength.
It has been noted by researchers that the purpose of education is not to sort students – it is to grow students. Teachers are there to coach and mentor, but with ranks and grades only, teachers turn into judges. We can show the unique abilities of students in many ways, without just stratifying them.