Being Judged
For many in the school, this week’s big event has been the inspection from Education Scotland; but for Grade 10s, it was probably the interviews they were having with our high school counsellor about possible pathways to the future; for Grade 5s, it was the renditions of their own poems in front of teachers, parents and classmates in the poetry cafe. In a diverse community we don’t always share the same priorities.
In March, I always have sympathy for the Grade 12s as they submit the last of the course work, and have their final few lessons before exam leave. This year, the inspection gave me some added insight into what they go through. They can feel that years of work might be summed up by a single letter grade for each of their subjects; that their exams are less of acknowledgement of attainment and more a one-off judgement subject to the vagaries of a particular day or week.
Being judged comes with a very particular pressure - even if the outcome is positive (as it has been with our inspection visit). Sometimes this is necessary - the Scottish government should check the schools operating in their country, universities need a streamlined way of discovering attainment - but often it isn’t.
The inspectors commented on how engaged students were across the school and that our classrooms were safe places to make mistakes: children felt confident in offering answers; they were not judged for being ‘wrong’, instead teachers built upon their ideas. This is not some woolly ‘niceness’ which encourages students to develop a false sense of their abilities. In fact, inspectors praised our students for their levels of accurate self awareness. It is about encouraging students to explore, to develop - to get things wrong - free from judgement. An environment where they focus on learning, not seeking approval.
The inspection has been important for the school, but the most important thing will always be the students in our care, and their priorities.
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