I reckon we can tell that an old, adversarial mindset is creeping back into our practice by listening to the voice in our heads.
When students do the wrong thing, and I’ve deemed it worth chatting about, my restorative commitment is to the student winning in that conversation.
For this reason, it’s right at the top of my Consistent Conversation Compass. If I don’t have that mindset in place, the strategy I deploy will almost certainly reflect the wrong thinking.
Unfortunately, I’m human. Humans get tired and offended on occasion and the mindset of a weary, emotional teacher frays easily. As I approach the student, I can find myself hearing those little internal voices saying:
- “It’s time you learned a lesson the hard way, kid.”
- “This time you’re not getting away with this.”
- “I’ve got you this time. I saw it with my own eyes”
However, the great part about my restorative commitment is that it’s 100%. There aren’t any exceptions or variables. And that’s a lot easier than being 99% committed to something.
And so, with my mind set (that’s why they call it a mindset, folks) I always approach the student with the decision pre-made that the kid should win from that conversation, not lose.
If that win is being thanked and congratulated for an act of personal responsibility, we both win.
And I like that.
Keep fighting that good fight,
PS. Next week’s podcast is an interesting one!
I sat down with Zoe McKenzie, my local MP and Shadow Assistant Minister for Education and Early Learning. And while we may not always be on the same side of the political divide, I always enjoy the opportunity to listen and learn from people who challenge my thinking.
Raised by a hard-working single mum, Zoe shares her perspective on what really matters to her in our chat about education, AI and the future of work.
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