When the students arrive at school they are randomly assigned to one of two classes – class A and class B. The students in class A and the students in class B are the same year level and in socio-economic terms, from the same catchment. The students in class A and B have equal access to school resources and funding. Both classes have a selection of children who have ‘behavioural issues’ and are disengaged with their learning. At the beginning of the year all the students are assessed. They are assessed again in the middle of the year and at the end of the year. These assessments reveal that, by the end of the year, the students in class A have made significantly greater improvement in their learning than the students in class B. The conclusion can be drawn, being that the teacher is the only variable, that students in class A have been the benefactors of more effective teaching inputs. ie. their teacher is more effective.

The next step of course is to find out what the teacher in class A is doing, bottle it and share it. Problem solved! Every child ends up getting a great education. As if it was that simple, eh. In an ideal world…

In an ideal world every teacher would be open to changing their practice, based on the best data and evidence available to them. Only then will there be any hope of solving the problems that face education. All the problems that teachers like to use as an excuse for the failure of their students are external and beyond a teacher’s control. That is not to suggest that campaigning to address society’s inequities is not a worthy goal. But the reality is that teachers adjusting their practice and beliefs is the only thing they can do to make a difference to their students’ achievements. In the words of John Hattie, “know thy impact”.

The measure of a good day in the classroom needs to be more than the absence of a bad day. Measure, reflect, repeat!

Ease Education: Teaching at a human scale.

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