14 September 2012

School pride

School pride - what is it? what does it look like? how do we know when we have it? These are all illusive questions, the answers to which are pursued by schools all over the world.

You know school pride when you see it, but it's hard to describe. It's something you can feel, and it probably can be heard too.

Last Thursday 7/6D went whale watching (courtesy of one of the student's parents). What a fantastic experience on a brilliant Spring day. After they arrived back at school, I received a call from a member of the public who wanted to talk to me about what she observed after being on the same boat with the class. Since these calls are usually bad news I answered with dread in my heart.

The woman explained that she had been on the boat with her elderly mother and she admitted to being annoyed when she saw they would be sharing their trip with a large group of school children. She had pushed her way to the front and demanded that Justin (7/6D's teacher) let them on first as she didn't want her mother 'pushed over'. She then went on to tell me what an amazing group of children they were - their manners were impeccable, they looked fantastic in their uniforms, she didn't hear the teacher raise his voice once, one of the boys gave his seat up for her mother and so it went on. She concluded by telling me they are a credit to 'that young man' - I think she meant Justin - and a credit to the school. Her mother, at the end of the trip, commented how nice it was to spend the day with young people.

I'm sure you can imagine the pride I felt - whammy, straight in the chest. When I told the story on Assembly the next morning you could see 7/6D swelling up as I spoke. And when the whole school congratulated them and Justin - well, it was wonderful!

It's important to teach children the value of pride - not in a 'I'm big noting myself' kind of way - but as an internal feeling of personal power and competence - that is, a motivating kind of way. Being proud of your school and proud of the people in it enhances a willingness to learn and do your best. And this fosters a personal competence that will carry kids through their future lives and will impact on the ways they view the world.

Well done, 7/6D - we're all so proud of you for showing the world and the whales what Peregian Springs State School does best!

09 September 2012

Rough Play

What to do about rough play? It's a question we grapple with continuously as many parents question why we stop boys from engaging in what we call 'rough play'. 'It's normal', many of you say, or 'It's just what boys do'. And you are right when you say this.

All young animals engage in playing roughly and testing out their strength... or lack of ... on each other - just watch a group of puppies or kittens for half an hour. They are jumping on each other, biting and scratching and pulling each other to the ground. Occasionally when one gets too rough there is a hiss or yelp warning the stronger one off. This usually results in a short reprieve while everyone cools down before leaping into it again. The rough play of young animals serves a socialising purpose. It's also about 'survival of the fittest' and gaining strength to be the stand out in the litter. And perhaps 'rough play' for young boys is the same.

It can be alarming to see boys engaging in this behaviour at school - there are usually over a hundred boys on the oval at play times (far more than a litter of kittens), and if you can imagine a hundred puppies on the oval you have some idea of the magnitude of the play and some of the potential problems that could occur!

Many boys love to play like this - there's nothing more fun than jumping all over your friends, pulling them to the ground, tripping them as they run by or grabbing someone's hat and keeping it aloft in the air while the poor owner tries to get it back. Really? There's nothing more fun than this? We have just as many boys at school who dislike this kind of play intensely and who are even afraid of it. You see, unlike puppies and kittens who back off when it gets too rough, human animals don't. The 'play' tends to escalate and someone gets hurt - sometimes seriously.

If parents think rough play is important for their child's development then it can be encouraged in small groups (like a litter) under a parent's supervision. It just can't happen at school where we have to consider the risks, both physical and emotional, for ALL boys, of allowing them to play like this.

We believe it's far better to teach cooperative or team games and encourage children to play these as much as possible. They serve the same purpose as rough play - socialising and strength building are inherent in these activities. But they have the added bonus of encouraging the development of quality relationships and connectedness with others.

Rough play separates kids through fear and competition. Cooperative or team games connects kids together through fun and team spirit. I know the outcome I prefer for our boys.

02 September 2012

Student of the Week - what to do about awards and recognition...


Sometimes parents ask us why we don’t 'do' Student of the Week on Assembly every Friday to recognise those students in each class who are performing and achieving well. Our decision not to do this was made before we opened and was influenced by our philosophy about providing an environment where all children will choose to work towards their potential in academic and social endeavours.

Strategies such as Student of the Week rarely motivate children to achieve more or behave appropriately – in fact they can often have to opposite effect of creating resentment amongst students who have not been awarded a Student of the Week award, despite achieving well and behaving well all the time. Student of the Week often turns into a turn-taking event in which students are picked based on some nebulous criteria because ‘they haven’t had one all year’. Children are very quick to see through these sorts of strategies.

At Peregian Springs SS we want to recognise all students for doing well at the times they are doing it. All students can aspire to this. Each class has their own way of recognising the great work kids are doing and we use assembly to congratulate those students (all those students) who are achieving above and beyond expectations in their academic, sporting and social endeavours.

I love to see our kids proudly standing for the whole group with smiles on their faces – and equally I love to see the rest of the school rejoicing in each individual’s achievement. Student of the Week becomes a routine activity that looses meaning in this context.