Small is beautiful

And still it's hot, sweaty and rain free! Having had a meeting with the Agriculture College teachers today to discuss our plan for preparing our land and planting our seeds I am beginning to wonder if our Plan B option, (no rains), will have to swing into action. This is basically on the same time scale as Plan A, (ending on March 30th), but leaving the seed planting as late as possible to try and make sure there is sufficient rain to get germination off to a good start. Our neighbours must be tearing their hair out in frustration at the moment as many of them have already planted their crops.


As part of my preparation for our school inspection, (starting on March 26th), I have been on a 'back to college' research mission today. I want to make sure our teachers are equipped with some ideas and practical activities that will help them to be more adventurous in the classroom. I've been reading a book called “The Teacher's Toolkit” and have been struck by both the progress that has been made in educational research, (especial in understanding how the brain works), and how much the new research confirms observations and practises developed by the researchers that I studied in the late 70s. The more I read the more I am grateful for the opportunity that we have in our school and college to combine the best of the old and the new to design a school that we can believe in. 


I've always believed in the 'small is beautiful' principle. My experiences in teaching draws me to the conclusion that it is not possible to really educate large numbers of young people on one site. Too many of them fall through the cracks. Following a line of thought from today's research very large schools seem most likely to be emotionally unintelligent organisations. Putting theory into practise in our small school is both exciting and daunting. It's a fairly unique opportunity to create something very special but at the same time it's a huge responsibility. Too many children across the world have been the victims of well intentioned  school reforms. In the end we can only be guided by faith, a strong sense of purpose, an intelligent assessment of the research base for what we are doing and a commitment to excellence. I still can't believe that I'm doing this. It's like God has taken all the things I love doing and all the experiences I have ever had and is saying “This work is a gift for you. I want you to enjoy it. Be wise, be faithful and be fruitful.”