Are you an Evolving Teacher? Are you an Evolving Leader? If not, why?

Welcome to the blog: The Evolving Teacher. 

Good teachers are often seen to be evolving in their practice - developing their craft and skill to enable others to learn from them - the evolving teacher. The reason I stated ‘good teachers’ is because there are teachers out there that are content in not evolving as teachers. These teachers are stuck in their ways. These teachers have lost their passion. Perhaps it is self-sabotage. Life isn’t great outside of the classroom and this impacts their life inside the classroom. The view that teaching is ‘just a job’ - it is not a ‘lifestyle’ - a ‘vocation’ or calling for a better word, if you will, can also linger in a persons mind. Whatever the reason may be, there are teachers out there that do not want to be teachers. It may be a fleeting concern or thought and it may also be a deeply rooted concern, that in turn, may leave a person to saying farewell to the profession. They do not want to teach. In other words: they do not wish to evolve. They do not wish to change. They do not wish to adapt. But most importantly, they do not wish to grow. 

I would like to argue that all teachers can be good if they are prepared to evolve as teachers. Just in the same way that all schools can be good (Ofsted approved or not), if they are prepared to evolve as a school. I would also argue that schools that are below the threshold of good (Ofsted approved or not), will most likely have teacher(s) that are not fully accepted and committed to evolve. It could be one of many reasons. Example: the synergy is off between staff and other staff members. I am talking mainly between teachers and those in leadership positions. As such, the school culture is off and the school mission is not shared and embraced by all. 

Rapidly improving schools are made of evolving teachers and evolving leaders. It is worth mentioning here that evolving leaders have an important role in the development of their staff - the evolving teacher. The ripple down effect is very much in play here. Rapidly improving schools have strong leadership. Whereas, strong(er) teachers and weak(er) leaders cannot align in a school that is wishing to be understood as rapidly improving. 

The message for this first blog is simple. We are teachers. We must be willing to evolve in our practice. Here is how I wish to steer your thinking to close this blog. Our search for improvement in our teaching is to be viewed as a pursuit. The word ‘pursuit’ offers a depth beyond the word 'practice'. As such, I would like teachers and educators that value growth in their craft and skill to enable others to learn, to embrace the term ‘pursuit’ over the term ‘practice’. We do not improve our teaching practice. We improve in our pursuit to teach well because we are evolving teachers. The same can be said for leaders. Evolve. Grow. If you don't, well, you may find yourself saying farewell at some point to the 'job'. 

@TheEvolvingTchr (Twitter)