We move through the world in a narrow groove, preoccupied with the petty things we see and hear...Steve Hagen, Buddhism Plain and Simple If there is a difference between the expert and he who is merely experienced, that difference is what is remembered as each passes through the world. Those destined to be an eternal … Continue reading Expert memories
Category: Leadership
To wish impossible things
I have been enjoying #classicblogsweek on Twitter over this half term break. The democratic free-for-all selection process has resulted in an eclectic mix of pivotal polemics, personal favourites, and anti-orthodox rhetoric. What is noticeable is that so many either critique existing school practices or set out how things should be. They are of the critical … Continue reading To wish impossible things
Every conversation is an opportunity to find out we’re wrong
Reading research papers has become somewhat of a pastime for me since I wrote my first book in 2019. Throughout the previous decade, I had become increasingly interested in educational research, progressing from the gateway drug of John Hattie, through to engaging with bloggers who were into 'evidence-based practice', and ending up getting my kicks … Continue reading Every conversation is an opportunity to find out we’re wrong
A short post about rules-of-thumb
One of the best pieces of advice I have received within any particular domain of practice relates to chess. The advice was to 'dominate the centre of the board'. This advice immediately changed my game and success rate. As a rule-of-thumb, it is neither profound, perfect, optimal, or universally helpful. But it is a heuristic … Continue reading A short post about rules-of-thumb
Change one thing, change everything
At this time of year, there is no shortage of advice about making resolutions. The New Year is sold to us as a moment of renewal - a chance to become a slightly better version of ourselves. Most of these resolutions don't stick because habits, particularly bad ones like not exercising, are hard to break. … Continue reading Change one thing, change everything
From description to prescription
It is inevitable that waves will rise and fall. What is not known is the form each will take, at least until they begin to take shape. There is an emerging narrative that a switch from teacher evaluation to teacher development is required. The backlash against teacher evaluation began some years ago with calls to … Continue reading From description to prescription
Getting the measure of a school
In a humble cafe, at the corner of a street, sat a young man and his young lady. In front of the young man sat a pile of papers which contained year's of carefully collected data. The young man's task was to determine the best restaurant in the country. He had set about this task … Continue reading Getting the measure of a school
Can we make our schools anti-fragile?
Over the last 18 months, I have been co-authoring a new book with Becky Allen and Ben White. It is about educational fads. More broadly, it is about why it is so difficult to improve the school system. The time we spent researching and developing our ideas generated far too much content to fit in … Continue reading Can we make our schools anti-fragile?
How to argue with a genericist
Most people won't be the slightest bit interested in the debate about generic skills in school leadership which has played out (mostly on social media) in recent years. And why should they? I'm not sure their daily lives will be enhanced by wading into a sometimes murky, often polarised, debate about how leaders become better … Continue reading How to argue with a genericist
Virtuous leaders
The question of virtue in leadership was playing on my mind this morning. I reached for my go-to book on moral philosophy: Being Good by Simon Blackburn. It is a pithy introduction to ethics which I hoped would help me ponder the question. Some time later I remembered that I should be doing jobs around … Continue reading Virtuous leaders
Matthew Evans 