The School Corridor Tatler

Schools that do not protect teaching time have the most problems. This is a fact.  There are many contextual issues that play a role, but class teaching time is the teacher's domain.  Before we look at the external issues, we need to ensure that the classroom environment is structured in favour of good, solid teaching and learning. There are certain fundamentals that must be in place when we talk about protecting teaching time.  Firstly, teachers must be in their classes on time.  If teachers are habitually late or absent from their classes, children will take over the space. This is not rocket science. There will be a breakdown in discipline because the children have been allowed to  run wild.  If this situation happens, then the teacher must take responsibility for the chaos and the waste of teaching and learning time. Secondly, there must be a deliberate intention to devote the lesson time to  disciplined teaching and learning...

Generally, every school has a vision statement.  The problem is that the vision statement is exactly that; a well-written document only. Sadly, in many cases, the SMT and the teachers themselves do not know the vision of the school. Why would schools disregard their own dream for their organization? What then, is a vision? What is a vision. A vision is what gives an organization purpose. A vision statement captures what your school wants to be and where the school sees itself in the future.  Your core values will be the foundation on which your vision is built.  Your vision is your BIG dream, the destination that you want to reach. Your vision is there to guide you and to inspire you to work towards the future that you see for all the learners at the school. Think of President Nelson Mandela's closing lines  of his speech in 1964: "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have carried the ideal of a democratic...

School calendars have to accommodate multiple stakeholders It is time to design the school calendar 2015 and I can almost hear the sighs of the Heads and their teams.Schools have a tough time when they have to plan their school calendar suite. Our provincial school calendar is already available and soon, district officials will despatch their individual calendars to schools.   There is far too much information to be placed on one calendar. Like businesses, schools have multiple secondary calendars as well as their master calendar. There is light at the end of the tunnel: Google's online calendar! Google calendar is the next best thing to school holidays.   How to set up your Google calendar - the short version Google calendar is a free web-based application. You only need a gmail account and access to the internet. Create a gmail account for your school if you do not have one. Next, create a google calendar.   There are many good blogs and Youtube resources on how to cr...