Excellence group inspired by passion, commitment and expertise of teachers
When I was asked to Chair the English Excellence Group in mid 2010, I was both delighted and a bit daunted. Delighted because helping to achieve excellence in the teaching and learning of English is something very close to my heart; daunted because I do not have a professional background in pedagogy. I was therefore most relieved when I saw the strong mix of educational experts and practicing teachers I would be working with!
Throughout the process their input, and the quality of their commitment, understanding and thought, has been exceptional. From the beginning we recognised too that our deliberations would need to be informed by seeking the views of teachers and pupils around Scotland.
In the event, a quite remarkable one hundred and seventy-eight teachers responded to our survey, while pupils from the Port Glasgow cluster, who had been working with Space Unlimited in exploring what good teaching felt like to them, also fed in their views. What teachers and pupils said is intensely fascinating, hugely valuable, and – on the part of teachers – very revealing of the passion, commitment and expertise they bring to their daily practice.
The result is a report which is highly informed, and which we hope will be of inspirational value to all teachers delivering under the new curriculum guidelines.
The essential question we were asked to consider was: what characterises excellence in the teaching and learning of English? And thus – what part might Local Authorities and communities, statutory bodies, arts organisations, parents, and schools and teachers themselves, have to play in ensuring that excellence is achieved?
You’ll have to read the report to find out how we began to answer those questions. But what became abundantly clear, throughout the five months of the group’s investigations, is that while the new curriculum does present some challenges to educators, these are far outweighed by the opportunity for innovative and effective teaching that it offers, supports and licences.
Marc Lambert, CEO, Scottish Book Trust
Marc would also like to share this brilliant short video taken from a speech on ‘Changing Education Paradigms’ given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education expert and recipient of the RSA Benjamin Franklin award.