From School Delusion to Design by Barnard Peter A.;

Author:Barnard, Peter A.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2012-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Inspection

I still work with many schools on systems thinking and vertical tutoring. Six months ago, the headteacher of a school I had trained emailed me. He is the principal of a large, purpose-built secondary school, and following intensive training in systems application and VT (max), the school introduced mixed-age tutor groups for twenty minutes before morning break. In that time, the mixed-age tutees meet with their two tutors, people chosen from all school employees regardless of status.

During that time many productive things happen. Older students support younger ones, discussions take place, there are private conversations between tutors and tutees, work is monitored, there is group activity, and even laughter. Friendships transcend age, responsibility grows, behavior is better, and everyone learns to lead and be a good citizen.

There is no program to follow, but there is an academic calendar that guides the way, and leadership and support are there for all to see. It is an important time in the day. His school is in an area where standards have been in serious decline for decades and this school was built to replace the ones falling apart to exemplify a change to better things. That being the case, the district inspectors adopted a very proactive approach with constant surveillance and ongoing evaluations.

When the district inspection team saw VT in action during March 2014, they were aghast. There was no written program being followed and to them this meant only one thing: no measurable learning. In their mental model etched deep from their own experience of schooling, this meant precious time being wasted. They did not see what they expected to see—program delivery—and this caused their System 1 to go haywire and their System 2 to shut down.

They were unable to see learning relationships building, confidence increasing, leadership developing, aspiration being nurtured, self-esteem rising, mutual respect being shown, improved parent participation, mature learning relationships, and the seeds of better learning and teaching being sown and nourished. They did not see joy and friendship because these were not things they were there to measure.

They did not see that these improved learning relationships extended into the classroom and formed the basis for improved parent partnership and more complete feedback loops. They did not understand flow; it was not in their lexicon of management experience. Neither did they see the variety of value demand being absorbed and students able to draw down the things they most needed to make progress. They saw only what they saw. WYSIATI.

They were clear on what they expected to see—a teacher-led class listening and working—and it was missing. They could not see how there could be a system of learning without a set program. They could see no order, little in the way of preparation, students mixed by age breaking with convention, and to them this meant that nothing was being achieved. It was all too complex for the inspection team, but was completely understood by the staff and the students.

They were hard at work using systems thinking to understand complexity and embrace it.

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