The beginning of a new academic year
Holidays are over, preparation has already taken place so now it’s time to get into teaching!
When the year comes to an end we think back and realise our work was done and a rest is deserved. Soon we start longing for the new groups, the new materials, the planning…
I believe students never realise the amount of work we face prior to the beginning of a new academic year. In good schools all must be planned beforehand in order to provide the best possible educational service. The learning process is taken into account matching it to the syllabus.
Quoting Aristotle: “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet”. Maybe he was referring to all the background work needed, all the planning, all the study, all the organisation… These all take a lot of time, but if properly done, the results, the learning, the rapport, are so rewarding to both students and teachers.
That’s the issue here, a lot of work and involving all the staff is imperative or you’ll end up staying awake 24/7 and will end up not being able to perform the job well.
Even though feeling we managed to comply with all the needs, regulations and all, we had just received a message from a student complaining about the changes he found at school. Complaining about new safety procedures and equipment, more staff at the reception, to say the least.
It’s funny how odd perceptions can be so different. Most students praising the school for being pro-active and aware of market demands and ONE, demonstrating a clear resistance to change.
Should we relate that to learning itself, one can analyse this particular student might have problems when studying as for each new content a whole lot of new challenges may appear and the person may not feel ready to dive into “a sea of new possibilities”.
Well, I might sound resentful, which I may be a little, after all the effort we all have put together, but it can also shed some light into a deeper analysis showing that it is impossible to please everyone, but as a school we need to cater for the majority, never forgetting individuals.
Now… I’ll reply to this student giving the reasons for the changes… So help me God!
