Before he became a high-profile Sydney-based radio personality, I remember watching Ben Fordham cut his teeth on current affairs programs like … well … A Current Affair.
The way I saw it, Fordham’s job description was to hide in the bushes and dive out with a lighting, sound and camera technician to catch a frazzled <insert any profession you like, including School Leader> as they get to their car after a day ruined by a critical incident.
Fordham’s schtick was to ensure you were so surprised by his sudden, confrontational appearance that you’d lose composure and say something controversial. Media types call it a ‘soundbite’.
It worked spectacularly on school leaders too. All Ben needed was for us to blabber nervously while we panic scroll through the mental rolodex of school protocols for the right words, which are seldom found easily or quickly.
And to this effect, Fordham has a point.
Behaviour, conflict and cultural issues are often implicit and inconsistent practices in our schools, and this makes it hard for us to have a quick response to questions about them.
I’d encourage you to consider how you’d answer questions like:
- What’s the rationale for the way your staff have agreed to practice in your school?
- What brain science and social psychology is evident in the practices your staff consistently use?
- What elements of your practice would be evident to your students? (Because, believe me, Ben has casually asked the students gathered out the front of the school this question on the way in)
- How does your staff embody the values listed on the fancy electronic sign out front of your school?
My guess is that, given a few moments to think, you’d probably come up with a half decent answer to each of these questions.
But my suggestion is that you should also have clear, ‘Ben Fordham ready’ answers for each of them.
And it isn’t because I think Ben is waiting for you in the car park today.
It’s because having explicit answers to those questions is your core business.
Keep fighting that good fight,
P.S. I’m proud to let you know that our work at Real Schools is listed on Beyond Blue’s Be You Programs Directory. The Directory is a searchable database of evidence-based mental health and wellbeing programs for schools, designed to make it easier for you to decide which program suits your learning community. Check it out here.
Want to subscribe to Adam’s Home Truths? Simply subscribe here.