This incredibly inspiring book shows that in education, nothing is impossible. Wendy tells several success stories of “transformational” teachers, who, even in the most difficult environments, succeed to get ALL their kids to college.
My first reaction was shame that I have let myself think that the kids whom I don’t reach to are the problem. Who am I?! Procrustes? My job is to try to help ALL kids, whatever their defaults and qualities. If we could pick out just the ones that “want to learn”, then anyone could be a teacher. Unfortunately, I hear all the time from my colleagues that “if they don’t want to learn, it’s not your fault”. Whoever fault it is, our job as teachers is to have faith in ALL kids and constantly try and push the right buttons.
This doesn’t mean I should expect to succeed with all my kids. I should, however, never give up trying.
Realising that, has transformed me. I have come to think that this level of respect of the kids should be expected of ANY educator.
Wendy tells the story not only of transformational teachers, but of transformational schools. She analyses what kind of leader such schools need. A good leader is not an administrator sitting in an office doing paperwork, but a motivator who is setting goals for the teachers, evaluating how well they perform, and inspiring them to perform better. She has to follow teachers up, for example by observing them in the classroom or by having regular one-on-one meetings.
She should also know what it takes to be a transformational teacher. Wendy’s message all the way through the book is that it takes the same qualities to lead a transformational school as it takes to lead any kind of successful organisation.
Reading the book, I could feel that I was completely surrendering to Wendys argumentation and I disliked almost not finding any flaw in it.
One point where I’m not sure I follow her, is when she explains how it may be necessary to fire some teachers in order to create a transformational school. One of the things that struck me while reading the book, is the parallell between leading a class of kids and leading a group of teachers. Firing a teacher is then the equivalent of thinking that a kid is hopeless. I think it sets a bad precedence. I mind less that teachers choose themselves to quit, typically because the effort required to teach in a transformational school is too big.
My second critical point is that I miss directions for how to create a transformational school with teachers who have a life outside of their job. In Norway, this means working from 8 to 16. Is it realistic?
