A New Way Of Thinking About Teaching And Learning In Primary School
With the greatest intentions, each consecutive government has devalued the true values of primary school.
The target of making society more equal has resulted in the teaching of predetermined amounts of knowledge with rigid syllabuses and assessment by examinations which are made publicly competitive through league tables.
The target of making the economy a lot more productive has lowered the intellectual content of the curriculum and has made us question the position and significance of certain elements of learning, those that can be easily quantified through test results and that is not necessarily the most important.
The ways in which we learn (educate) our children have evolved dramatically over the last 100 years or so. These changes are reflected in the school curriculum and the curriculum is now focused upon specific skills and mastered behaviors.
The necessity to make children able to learn has increased to a level where specific learning requirements have virtually disappeared.
The content of what is labeled ‘schooling’ is gradually losing its value in the school curriculum and the value of learning has moved from precise skills to a more general idea of how students learn.
Where once a learner was engaged by learning a set curriculum of clearly defined elements and applications, they are now confined to learning a set number of skills or mastered behaviors.
The perceived priority of the school curriculum essentially depends on the learner’s readiness to accept the limitations and possible extensions of already learned skills. Ready to accept the possible compromises in the pursuit of further knowledge. Ready to accept that the skills they have are not as strategically vital as they once were.
Those who object to the emphasis on exacting technical skills as a consequence of learning more about the world are quick to point out that the world is run by computer and keyboard, not by people.
If we are to speak of a proactive view of problem-solving, we must examine our own attitudes and the way we think about problem-solving.
The way we organize, emphasize and drive our learning decisions is directly related to the tools and techniques we adopt.
The tools and techniques that we use may be geared towards addressing the immediate needs of our students, families, and work colleagues.
At the same time, we must be aware that the way we solve problems is much more important than the technique used.
While I’ve always loved the traditional Christmas concerts, I had never before conceived that I would one day play to an audience of teenagers.
Those school evenings were life-changing for me, and those school rehearsals became life lessons. I had to learn how to play by ear and my confidence was built as I worked through my confidence.
I had always been a very good reader and that new freedom of choice helped me to become a reader person.
That first year at university was a huge learning curve too. I had to take notes and learn the host of skills that were required in order to play university music.
I had been playing in and attended many concerts by other orchestras in and around London. During this time I formed a friendship with a fellow musician and together we started Road Orches. We lived together in Spitalfields, London, and rehearsed every Tuesday evening.
I have played in schools from primary to sixth form band. After that, I had the opportunity to join up with the London Youth Orchestra. When I was around 17 I got a job teaching primary school music at the Young Capital School of Music and Drama.
My belief is that teachers need to have a well-balanced approach to both education and life. I was lucky enough to be given access to LondonUKBroadband… It meant that I could continue my studies, have a practice office, and purposeful life at home. It was a far cry from the life I’d known previously, most notably due to my mother’s suicide.