
Apparently it is true that optimists live longer and are generally happier than pessimists. I’m working on being one of the former.
When an article starts with, “The world’s top performing organizations achieve their goals by offering a rich blend of culture, work, and engagement that deeply enrols employees in the mission and purpose of the organization, attracts highly motivated, committed individuals to join a rewarding social network, and infuses the journey to success with joy and passion. That results in innovation, creativity, and a personal desire to contribute to systematic improvement. Overall, employees become part of a ‘story’ that enrols them in a cause and brings out their best talents.” I’m going to be interested, especially when it’s about teachers and the narrative that is being told about us.
The short version of the article by Thom Markham, is that we, as teachers, should take ownership of own story. For too long our narrative has been dictated by politicians with an agenda that has more to do with winning elections than education, so instinctively I like this. I certainly don’t agree with everything he says but there is much which rings true. Of course I doubt that Mr Markham works day in day in a classroom so he has time to ponder such things.
It’s easy to get despondent about education especially reading the news, journals and blogs. But I see a lot that is good in the schools I work in, albeit from a substitute teachers view. Teachers have little time for ringing their own bells. Even if they did the sound of the ringing would be drowned out by politicians and newspapers declaring the end is neigh.
So it was a refreshing change to come across this article. You can read the whole piece here.