Essentially we've franchised this out to 'curriculum', which is nothing but efficient at stripping out spontaneity, individuality and teacher themselves (no deviation, and scripts for delivery?!). But it doesn't work. Enchantment is forged in relationship not in PowerPoint

The curriculum over-focus has not (and can not) achieve its stated aim of improvement. It can't because it doesn't even know how to measure that. However, it has (and will) achieve its aims of consistency of input. Which means it was and is always in tension with teacher autonomy

And that's the explicit milieu out of which it arose - desire for chalkface-consistency (read uniformity), and the desire for wide access to expertise. There's nothing wrong with that in itself, and the tension with autonomy is a necessary pendulum in every organisation.

However, the impact has been the reinforcing of a precious error, which is thinking that absolute consistency of input ensures consistent output. It was/is a factory line model of thinking, and whilst there are certain wins to come from it, there are losses to be charted too

Which takes us back to that first tweet - the awe and wonder teacher, lead by interest and excitement, embracing spontaneity, getting to an end point by a squiggly line not a straight one. Neither sequential nor maximally efficient, but one heck of a teacher.

I think we should mourn that loss. I even think (whisper it) we should try and reverse it, that there needs to be a correction on curriculum thinking that recognises what a monumental workload drain it's become for precious little impact. That it is about enchantment, not control

@michael_merrick Was mulling this over too this week - in the context of current recruitment challenges. The teachers who inspired us to want to teach were rarely mechanistic. Without some spontaneity will new teachers stay in the profession?

@EldonPrincipal Exactly - how much leeway is it ok to give and you-know-what the-kids-will-be-alright

@michael_merrick Do you remember when Wilshaw said we needed more mavericks in the classroom?

@sputniksteve I don't think so but I'd be interested to know if we'd mean the same thing!

@michael_merrick There’s still room!

@sezl #TeamLedger

@michael_merrick I use to insist the timetable was collapsed when it snowed or done other event was happening. So much incidental learning that can’t be replicated

@TheHeadsOffice Funnily enough it was the memory of it snowing heavily in a Yr8 English lesson - and the teacher's response - that got me thinking of this

@michael_merrick Joy, awe and wonder are the first things i listed in my Learning Rainforest model.. otherwise, well where’s the soul in it all?

@teacherhead I remember it well! Joy, love, wonder, gift, enchantment - I know they make for difficult policy but they seem absolutely vital to any sense of education

@michael_merrick Michael, you are so right with this thread.

@cherrylkd Thank you!

@michael_merrick I think it's also part of the recruitment/retention issue. Where is the time/space for a new teacher to build a relationship with their class, to have fun with them and to enjoy themselves. It's very easy to feel like you're failing if all you do is motor through the curriculum

@MichaelT1979 Yes perhaps something in that - the space to breathe, learn, make mistakes, take it slows, build relationships - if you feel behind from Day One that's a grind