Lessons Learned in a Scottish High School (Miss Handsworth Goes to Edinburgh)

Ok. Pen. Pencils. Tissues. Phone. Keys. Purse. Professional shoes. Professional clothes. Professional face. I was born ready!

Yes, I’m ready. I’m more than ready. A year’s post-grad teacher-training after relevant experience in a Birmingham secondary. I really feel I’ve got this.

Miss H was excited. A new country – and boy was Scotland beautiful! A new job teaching

English in a Scottish secondary school, and a new life.

She was also more than excited: she was prepared, she was skilled, she was trained, she had supervision in place. She was anti-racist, anti-sexist, trauma-informed. She was LGBTQIA aware, emotionally-literate, knowledgeable about additional support needs. She was on fire!

So much to bear in mind. So many things to take on board: learning objectives, stretch targets, attainment gaps, curricular areas, digital literacy, outcomes, growth mindset, restorative justice, rights-respecting, improvement plans, SQA, GME, CPD, EAL, PSA… It’s a whole new world but I’m SO on it.

The kids are great – they’re always laughing in my class – but I can’t help but feel sad at all the hurdles they face in life, all the difficulties. All I can do is support them, and where appropriate, make suggestions about support outwith the classroom.

I’m really surprised at their resilience. They hint at their poor dietary choices, fears about war and conflict, poverty and having to take on jobs in the evening, gender issues, risk awareness. And yet they seem cheerful in the light of their problems.

I have supervision on Friday during my Planning and Preparation time, and I think this is something I’d like to reflect on. I think I’ll suggest offering support across cognitive and affective domains. Perhaps through multiple modalities in a bottom-up and blended process…

I’m sure it can be done. I’m sure I can help.

Friday. Mrs Robertson, Depute Head.

‘Come in, come in Miss Handsworth, sorry… Lori. Force of habit. Sorry Lori… eh you must get a lot of that?’ she chuckled. ‘Tea? Coffee? You can drink it hot as a new experience? No? Oh, no caffeine – not sure you’ll last long on the chalk-face. Okay.’

‘Tek a seat. Oh, I’ll move those papers – I’m drowning in them. Just put your bag on… well, aye, your knee is a good a place as any. Don’t mind your feet, I think that’s just the Development Plan.’

‘Now stop looking so feart. You’re doing fine. We’ll start with the positives, and then, em, the “Areas for Development”. Don’t worry, we all have them, even me an ahv bin doing this as long as Leith Walk.’

‘Well. The weans love you! They’d listen to you tae a band playing. They’re engaged and learning so that’s all barry. Attendance is up since you started – Mary Hegarty S3 has even shown up and she’s not been here since yon time. You should be proud because she must’ve given up her stall on the market. Your classroom management is learning-centred, and, em, aye – why not – synergistic. Get me!’

‘So. Development (looking at template). Let’s unpack, and triangulate, and optimise. Or, well, let’s just have a good wee blether, hen?’

‘The young folk do need support and, don’t get me wrong, I admire your enthusiasm for being caring and attentive – don’t ever change that. I see you know the system for raising concerns to be addressed in school and for referring on. But I think mebbe you’re spotting the problem and missing the child a wee bit?’

‘When Jamie said he was “waiting on a bus”, he was waiting for it. He wasnae on top of it so let’s cross off “Not Risk Aware” shall we?’

‘When wee Morag told you she “clapped her dug”, it wasn’t performing so I think we can scratch informing school of a wee job at the weekend.’

Same goes for Dougie when you didn’t let him leave the class for “a wee jobbie”. But let’s not go there. I think you know that already… ‘

‘Margaret does have a bunker in her house, but it’s no a bunker.’

‘When Ollie keeps calling his dad “a spanner”, he’s not a mechanic so dinnae keep asking the laddie aboot cars.’

‘And Lori, when all the kids keep telling you they love “Jam Tarts all day long”, it’s not a dietary issue.

And, Jings Help Ma Boab girl, dinnae think you’re responsible for everything! When you’re reading that 4th Year novel and “coitus interruptus” comes up, just tell them it’s when yer going intae Edinburgh on the train and you get aff at the Haymarket.

‘Welcome to Scotland, hen.’