The new teaching year will be here before you know it. That first day of term, with the squeaky shoes, fresh display boards, a pile of pristine, unsoiled jotters. Filling in your planner with a weird new timetable and class registers. There is nothing like it. Well rested, full of beans, ready to get stuck in and change the world, one lesson at a time.
Come August, when school starts back in Scotland, I’m always bursting with new ideas, initiative, projects that I’m desperate to launch. Sadly, they don’t always pan out. But there’s always next year!
My teacher new year’s resolutions
Here’s a list, in no particular order, of my teacher’s new year’s resolutions for 2021-22 - and how likely they are to get off the ground:
1. School newspaper or magazine
I have flirted with this initiative in the past, with one-off editions and anthologies, but never quite got it off the ground in a consistent way. My dream is for lunchtime meetings, chaired by motivated senior students acting as editors, with pupils writing news stories, analysis, opinion and everything in between. Best of all, it needn’t involve costly printing - a free online portal would work just as well! It’s a demanding venture, for teacher and pupil. But I think an energised, regularly published school publication would be brilliant.
Cost: ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Time: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Likelihood: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
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2. Departmental podcast
Hosted by my good self, of course. I have been half-heartedly planning this idea for a while. My dream was to have a monthly podcast chatting with various members of the school community - the headteacher, senior pupils, the chaplain, the janitor. All about books, reading, their careers and life choices. So far, there has been plenty of enthusiasm but little action - probably due to the cost and expertise needed for the techy gear that would be involved, not to mention tricky scheduling.
Cost: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Time: ★ ★☆ ☆
Likelihood: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
A diversified, decolonised curriculum
As an English teacher, I am becoming increasingly aware and concerned by the diversity and inclusiveness that I create with my curricular choices. Doesn’t it seem screamingly obvious that pupils of all backgrounds should engage with writing and literature that best represents their experience and culture? There is plenty of room for improvements, but I am pleased to have introduced writing from black poets, gay journalists, working-class Scottish novelists over the past few years - whilst retaining space for the classics.
Cost: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Time: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Likelihood: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Staff choir
What better initiative could there be to boost staff morale, camaraderie and giggles? I used to work at a school whose staff choir sung at assemblies, concerts and open days. An absolute blast. All welcome, regardless of ability - but in a world of heavy workloads, maybe a tough one to get off the runway.
Cost: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Time: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Likelihood: ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Slipper Fridays
I want to be allowed to come into school on Fridays and teach lessons wearing my comfy slippers. No further explanation or analysis required - suffice to say it’s not as daft an idea as it might sound.
Cost: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Time: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Likelihood: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
But what about you? Have you successfully launched similar initiatives in your school? What are your teacher new year resolutions for 2021-22?
Alan Gillespie is principal teacher of English at Fernhill School in Glasgow. He tweets @afjgillespie
