Mrs Cook taught me to read. Ms Powell held dictionary competitions (I remember this, of course, because I remember winning!) Mr Dibben was the best teacher I ever had. Mr Booth expected more of me than I did (though I mostly remember him for demoting me from pen to pencil, a judgement on the quality […]
It’s the first day of school for lots of people in the Southern Hemisphere this week, if they haven’t already headed back. I am among the hundreds of thousands of people who read and were moved by Glennon Doyle Melton’s yearly talk to her son about what’s important at school: Chase – When I was […]
Ta-da! Welcome to our new series on education and schooling, covering pretty much anything you’re interested in (so keep the suggestions coming). Here’s my big question. Education is awesome, but does schooling have anything to do with it? Do you remember third form maths and all the time you spent on set theory? It was […]
There’s a special treat at the bottom of this post. To be able to watch it, all you need to do is either a) leave a comment responding to one of the questions below or b) ignore that invitation and scroll down and press play (I’m not nearly committed enough to enforce the rules with […]
I’ve never had a December like this one. Impressed with a friend’s insightful comment on Facebook about a school prizegiving ceremony, I asked her if she would be interested in doing a guest blog post about it. She was gracious in turning me down, just pointing out that being a pastor, it was a busy […]
A guest post by Sam Kilpatrick. My wife is awesome. Of course I have to say that because I’m married to her, and she is sitting across from me in the lounge! We’ve been talking about some of the ways in which I’ve made a difference in ministry or teaching or work and then it […]
In 1900, American psychologist William James (brother of the novelist Henry) wrote the following in a letter to his daughter, upset at school in England. Now, my dear little girl, you have come to an age when the inward life develops and when some people (and on the whole those who have most of a […]
I don’t think I was a perfectionist at kindergarten, but certainly by my first year or two of primary school I had begun the fear-based behaviours associated with the word. I was afraid of trying new things in case I couldn’t do them. I never learnt to play elastics or skipping or handstands at lunchtime, […]
In beautiful language and with trembling intensity, Susan Cain tells us in this TED talk why the world needs introverts, and why we’re in danger of missing out on what they offer. How’s this for ouchily insightful? There’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas. Her bio and introduction to the talk […]
My baby is pretty flipping lucky. Born in a well-funded hospital with well-trained staff. Immunised to keep him safe from dangerous diseases. Lots of friends and family able to support him and his parents. Clean, warm clothes, a well-nourished mother to feed him, laundry and sanitation facilities to keep his bottom dry and his gut […]