The pursuit of perfection
Perfect? I’m just trying to do the very best I can
As a mother of two young girls I’ve become a seasoned expert on the show Bluey. For many reasons I much prefer it to Peppa Pig, especially as the Philosophy teacher in me loves their take on many ethical and moral problems.
Struggling with the question of why we suffer? Try the Buddhist tale of Kisagotami through Season 1 Episode 32 ‘Bumpy and the Wise Old Wolfhound’. Want to know about talents and passions and how to develop these? Try Season 3 Episode 9 ‘Curry Quest’. I could go on…
This holiday whilst, yes, familiarising myself with the Heeler family’s egg hunt (see Season 2 Episode 52 as to why none of us are ever ‘unforgettable’) I was struck by one line which I heard in the show. Upon Bluey struggling to create a perfect card for her father, her mother calmed her down with a line of reassurance that perfection was tough and that, as a mother, she was just trying to do the very best she could. This has stuck with me for three reasons this holiday.
- Knowledge of the people around you. As a teacher I frequently report back to parents and carers. At various points in an academic year I may find myself attending a virtual Parents Evening, drafting a written statement or allocating a grade to a student. I adore teaching and when I ventured into the classroom as a fresh faced 22 year old I’m not sure I ever envisaged where it would take me – I was more interested in trying to encourage the students in front of me to see the power that education could have over their life chances.Could I help to turn the student selling tuck from his bag in the playground into an entrepreneur? How could I ensure my most talented scholars had a chance to visit university cities when their entire world was a one-mile radius from their home?
And with the joy of teaching (and the wider questions which it naturally threw my way) came lesson planning. I’d often find myself tinkering with a scheme of work, trying to craft a stimulating and enriching pathway through each unit. But no one really explained to me that with this would come a need to write reports. To this day I could teach and plan lessons until the cows come home but I have to really set my mind to report writing.
This year, with my youngest now in Reception, I have found myself on the receiving end of a report and, upon reflection, found myself joyfully reading every word of her teacher’s summary. Yes, I am *that* proud mother but the knowledge of my daughter, her joys and quirks, has been both heart warming and reassuring. The depth of the relationship is clear and has reminded me of how much we, as parents, value, admire and sometimes, need, the contents of a report.
So, with this in mind, I’ve set myself a challenge to continue to do the very best I can with report writing, even if perfection may be hard or impossible to achieve with something so subjective
- Character development. There’s a lot to be said for Virtue Ethics. My L5 Philosophy and Ethics group will (I hope!) be able to explain to you why I’m a fan of Virtue Ethics. The idea that there are certain characters that we should all aim to develop within our lives has a wide reach, I find it tickles the moral conscience of even the most hardened atheist in a class.
Finding the golden mean between two vices is tough. In fact you can see how perfection within one’s own character development is pretty much never a guarantee (or even attainable) but with so many schools now focusing on character development within their core values, it’s a challenge we’re all going to continue to focus on.
Headington’s own 6 C’s adds to this picture – in class we often discuss how challenging it can be to show and be compassionate but how vital this is for a society to work. It’s far more than just being kind, and often demands the very best of you.
- High expectations. I recently had the pleasure of meeting some new Teach First teachers. They were embarking on the first steps of the teaching journey and we discussed the idea of ‘high expectations’ within the classroom.
There’s so much (good stuff) to be said for this and it’s served me well in my own teaching practice. But I wonder how often we see this as also a means to seek perfection in terms of the lesson, the outcome and the overall qualification? Surely our classrooms should be a means in themselves and not just a means to an end (a Level 9 or A*)?
During my time on the Future Leaders programme (now Ambition Institute) I met a remarkable school leader called Jay Altman. He spoke passionately about his drive to improve academics but also life chances for the young people of New Orleans. Part of that was through educational opportunities but what stood out was the culture which he sought to create within his school (and now network of schools). The words ‘Focus’ And ‘No shortcuts’ were written across corridors and even worn on branded T-shirts. So as much as the knowledge of those around him (1) was important as well as developing the characters (2) they only worked if we sought to gain the very best (3).
But is this perfection? Well, for now, I’m going to satisfy myself with another gem of a line from my favourite canine cartoon friends
‘There’s something you need to know. You’re doing great’ (Season 2, episode 50).
And sometimes that’s all we need to do or say to those around us.
