I’ve been reconciling for a while now that our Australian teachers and school leaders have a fine line to walk in terms of self-determination.
On one hand, we’ve been beaten up by a pandemic and by years of systemic abuse from departments, politicians and bureaucracies determined to put their own agendas ahead of our nation’s educational prosperity.
On the other hand, I still think there’s much opportunity within our own school’s sphere of influence that we’re not grabbing.
I’ve had a rather nebulous metaphor brewing about waiting for somebody else to sing a tune we like … or deciding the be the singers ourselves.
And then I stumbled across this Bon Jovi inspired tweet.
Did you notice the excruciating seconds where everyone was too scared to join in? And did you also notice the joy, purpose and excitement that came when they did?
That’s how your school changes – through the actions of one isolated nutter who keeps singing. Could you be that nutter for your school ahead of 2023?
And this is also how our whole school system changes. If we can unite in singing our song, we’re so much harder to ignore. It’s hard to turn your back on joyous unity. Could your school be the nutter school who sings to have others join in, rather than to win the singing contest?
Let’s live on that prayer.
Woah-woah!
Keep fighting that good fight,
PS. My apologies for the late Home Truths. We usually send on a Friday, but I found myself blissfully off the grid late last week doing some Real Schools planning for 2023. I assume a slightly late message didn’t leave you in tears and fearing my untimely demise across the weekend! Have a great week.
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