thrupp@waikato.ac.nz
As I write, the Waikato has just joined Auckland in Level 3 general throws you a curveball which is common enough in lockdown and it seems things are about to get messier as Covid these Covid times. travels widely through the country. For the time being, I’m so I know there are numerous discussions amongst principals pleased the school holidays are here as I and teachers about everyday ways to know how demanding it is for schools to keep pressure down, the importance of There were gales of manage Level 3 with both face to face and taking time out and getting enough sleep online teaching. Such developments, on laughter when I came and exercise and all the rest of it. But in top of everything else Covid or otherwise, such extraordinary times if you are still create enormous pressures on tumuaki through the door and struggling there is nothing wrong with and kaiako and we are all so aware of that. careful medication. A low dose of an they got ‘sprung’ by With Mike Bottery, England’s wellanti-anxiety drug might make a profound known educational leadership academic, Professor Thrupp. difference to daily life. Sleeping pills I’ve always thought it important that could help too although you tend to lose school leaders not just ‘lower their heads to pull the cart’ but your dream-world which is such a precious thing. rather ‘raise their heads to look at the road’. But lately I’ve also Mental health is not a topic people in my generation discuss been thinking a lot about how you have to cut your cloth (or easily. But times are changing and during the recent Mental ‘cut your coat according to your cloth’) if you want to take a Health Awareness Week, our university brought in Jehan wider view. Certainly I’ve found myself having to do this in my university role. A few years ago I finished up an administration position and went back to doing more teaching, including leading the teaching team for a huge first-year class which has four face to face versions and two online ones, this year catering for nearly POPULAR MATHS SERIES 500 students. It’s extremely complicated, and because academic teaching has become increasingly DIY in recent years – and first year students tend to need a lot of support – it’s also very time-consuming. It doesn’t help that in recent times the University often has to go into online teaching mode and sometimes face to face and online together. So I’ve had to cut back on other things. I used to do a lot of reviewing of articles, book proposals and PhD examining, but not anymore, now I mostly turn it down. I also used to follow the detail of education policy but no longer (more on that later). Indeed there are a host of things I have just had to say ‘no’ to these days. Unless I want to work 24/7 I simply no longer have the time. It has been difficult to see my wider academic roles shut down by teaching workload but there are compensations. I like the enthusiastic and thoughtful discussions with my students and they regularly make me chuckle. I walked in to take a tutorial Give your students the best advantage to group recently and a couple of students were at the front of the excel at maths. They use our textbooks, while class doing elaborate dance moves to music: they were recording you have all our free online teacher support. a TikTok! There were gales of laughter when I came through the YOUR STUDENTS DESERVE THIS! door and they got ‘sprung’ by Professor Thrupp. I digress, my main point is that unless you accept there’s only so much that can be done in a day it is easy to commit to doing too much. At best you will then take your eye off the road, at mel@caxed.co.nz www.caxed.co.nz worst you will go under. This is also true when work or life in
ONE STOP SHOP! TWO
Casinader, the well-known journalist, to ‘share his own mental need to understand. And the developments that are truly going health journey in a vulnerable way’. And certainly many of my to make a difference to our world in the future. students are quite open about being depressed or anxious, it A good example of the last of these is denial of climate change. happens such a lot these days. As discussed by Jonathan Freedland in The Guardian, we are Related to this, being able to provide steady support for increasingly moving past the kind of scepticism that climate students and teaching team colleagues is another compensation change is happening but there is now the denial mindset that for cutting my cloth more carefully at the moment. I can see ‘accepts the science . . . – it hears the alarm bell ringing – but the prospect of valuable succession in our still does not change its behaviour’. This education sector if I can help the younger Nevertheless there are is due to reasons such as self-interest or ones get a good start in these difficult fear. Unfortunately such denial happens times. As I wrote earlier in the year, I don’t many truly important both at the personal level and at the think we are tough enough with the entry things to focus on in level of governments. By the time this requirements for teacher education. But magazine issue gets published all eyes many of our students are really impressive education. The deep will be on COP 26, the 2021 United and so – TikToks and all – I think our Nations Climate Change Conference, to schools will be in generally good hands wellbeing of people see what international climate pledges in the future. in our school community. can be achieved now that it has become Another reason for cutting one’s cloth is so abundantly clear that the planet is in so that we can better focus on what matters. Here I would like trouble. to reengage with a whakatauki that many of you will recognise: Finally, I have decided that from next year I am going to change Rurea, taitea, kia toitu, ko taikaka anake. Strip away the bark. the name of my column away from Kia Hiwa Rā – Be alert, be Expose the heartwood. Get to the heart of the matter. It used watchful – because as mentioned above I can’t promise to be to be ERO’s motto but they brought a terribly managerialist keeping up and warning you about educational developments agenda to these powerful words. Their processes were more as was the original intention. So I’m going to keep doing more about jumping through hoops than genuine engagement with general columns along the lines that most of them have been educational concerns. already. Of course, I’m conscious that there is already such a lot Nevertheless there are many truly important things to focus of opinion about – Covid has spurred more ‘reckons’ than anyone on in education. The deep wellbeing of people in our school could keep up with. But let’s see how it goes and I wish you all community. Those things that the tamariki in our care really the best for Term 4 and the summer break in the meantime.
PERMA NENT MARKE RS
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