Personal Teaching Statement

I have been looking for a while at personal teaching statement, and today I found one that is me...

It is called Avoid Passion to Porridge

I have always been impressed by those experiences teachers, educational leaders, school administrators and heads of department who nurture and encourage those teachers who enter with a passion for teaching and ensure that the flame of passion never dies. The same holds true for those teachers who ensure that their students maintain a love for learning. Conversely, I am highly unimpressed by people who use a relentless cynicism to affect some teachers so that their passion turns to a 'porridge-type' performance. Unfortunately we also find that many students have become cynical about learning and have lost that early quality learning and have lost that early quality of curiosity which characterises young children. I am impressed with schools where leaders and teachers are all pushing the same message of personal excellence, persistence and the benefits of a good education. Leadership is exactly that - it is letting everyone know that what we are doing is our schools is important.

If all teachers were to treat their classroom as if it were their own business, say a corner shop, then passion for what they are doing would be the least that their clients expect. We can no longer expect students to be docile Pavlovian learners. They expect to be impressed and motivated by teachers who believe absolutely in their business of education!