Schools move through different phases of development. One such journey is from intervention and turnaround, to fragile recovery, to steady improvement, to excellent system leadership. Generally, it is realistic to predict that tolerance of different viewpoints will increase as that journey proceeds. Assuming the school can create spaces for staff to talk frankly and reflectively about their professional practice, what will enhance the conversation from “saloon bar” to “professional”?


Telling the story four times Professional reading (see below) goes a good way towards helping teachers to find a voice, and this can be developed further by “telling the story four times”. This technique addresses the four main questions of interest to the listener: n What took place? (the narrative) n What were the dynamics of the change? (the process) n Why should anyone believe you? (the “truth value”) n Would this change work in my situation? (transferability) This technique is most easily developed by a teacher volunteering to


talk about a project they have been working on involving a change or development, and another person taking the role of interviewer. The interviewer starts by asking the teacher to tell the story of what they have done, using prompts to cover the background, intended outcomes, strands of activity, actual outcomes, what has been learnt, and so on. In normal circumstances, that might be the end of the conversation. For the next level of analysis, the interviewer guides the ‘narrator’


through the story again, concentrating on the dynamics of change, using any of a range of possible theoretical frameworks. An example would be the Villa and Thousand (1995) model of five essential elements of change, and the consequences of the absence of each: n Vision (without which, confusion) n Skills (without which, anxiety) n Incentives (without which, resistance) n Resources (without which, frustration) n Action planning (without which, false starts) In the third telling of the story, the interviewer explores the truth value of the account, using the “new validities” of Anderson and Herr (1999):


n Outcome validity: were problems solved? n Process validity: was learning facilitated? n Democratic validity: were stakeholders involved? n Catalytic validity: were participants energised? n Dialogic validity: do others involved agree with the conclusions? The final analytical level of conversation concerns the applicability


of the narrative to other situations. Here, the probing questions will depend on the context and the nature of the development reported. They will need to explore the particular characteristics of the context,


“Two ways to support professional


reading are to provide a staff reference library, and to run a reading group.”


the individuals involved, the organisational dynamics, the supports and obstacles, and any other factors relevant to a listener evaluating what they can take from the story.


Professional reading Two ways to support professional reading are to provide a staff reference library, and to run a reading group. The latter simply involves inviting the participants to read a chosen chapter, article or report, and then to meet to discuss it. At first, teachers often find it hard not to regard the text reverently as expert words which must be absorbed, and to feel any mismatch with their own views as somehow their own shortcoming. Gradually the group will develop criticality, and enjoy a cut and thrust debate with the writer’s claims and standpoint, while clarifying their own.


Professional writing Professional writing most often takes place where teachers are producing assignments for a higher degree course; or where the school has been


Continued on page 24


Form lasting links with schools across Europe


eTwinning and Comenius offer support and funding to help you create links and carry out projects with schools in other European countries. Collaborating with schools across Europe motivates staff, engages pupils, supports the delivery of foreign languages and improves the quality of teaching and learning in your school.


eTwinning Be part of the free online community for schools in Europe. Teachers can register on www.etwinning.net at any time to find partners, start projects and collaborate online in a secure environment. Teachers who register by 31 January 2012 will be entered into our eTwinning Winter Prize Draw to win ICT prizes for your school. Find out more: www.britishcouncil.org/etwinning-winterdraw


Comenius School Partnerships Form projects and get funding for exchange visits to your European partner schools for staff and pupils. Apply by 21 February 2012: www.britishcouncil.org/comenius-school-partnerships


Comenius In-Service Training Job shadow a colleague or attend a course or conference in another European country. Apply by 30 April or 17 September 2012: www.britishcouncil.org/comenius-in-service-training


Comenius Assistants Host a future teacher from another European country, who can work across the curriculum. Apply to be a Host School by 31 January 2012: www.britishcouncil.org/comenius-hosting-an-assistant


Help with your Comenius application Attend a Comenius Application Surgery or Webinar and strengthen the quality of your application. Application Surgeries provide online and face-to-face support to help you complete your School Partnership or Comenius Assistant Host School application: www.britishcouncil.org/comenius-events


Comenius and eTwinning are funded by the European Union and managed in the UK by the British Council.


“Through Literacy, MFL, ICT, DT, PE, Music and personal and social skills, the project has formed a


part of the curriculum. Comenius work has not been an additional burden, but has been incorporated into what we already do.”


St Thomas More Catholic Primary School


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