A Culture of Freedom & Responsibility
For many people in education, the two words that we’d used to describe our system may well be control and accountability.
The problem with those words is that they create a model that it is labour-intensive, demoralising and often, riddled with fear, blame & shame. This has been around for many years — and has manifested itself in behaviour ‘management’, school league tables, stifling OfSTED-readiness and its sidekick: lesson observations. This, along with many of the other pressures facing educators today, has led to multiple crises.
Look at these numbers if you don’t believe me:
- 91% of teachers say that the job has adversely affected their mental health
- 25% of UK teachers work more than 60 hours per week
- In February 2022, the number of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) applications was 23% lower than in February 2021
- By 2024, England will need 47,000 extra secondary teachers yet 71% of school employers are finding it hard to recruit staff
We could perhaps learn something from Netflix.
I’m not talking about creating online lessons that students can pick and choose from, with an algorithm determining what they study next based on preference and performance (that could be cool though!)
Instead, I am suggesting that we could look at some of their cultural values and behaviours.
Here are just a few ideas from the great book, No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention from their co-founder, Reed Hastings and INSEAD Business School professor, Erin Meyer
Always Act in Netflix’s Best Interests
If we give freedom to educators, that will always be a risk. But if we give them freedom AND responsibility, we could see real innovation.
If educators were free to take risks and try new ideas, without fear of reprisals, we could reverse the trends of those leaving the profession. This freedom, coupled with no hiding/blaming/covering up but taking responsibility and owning mistakes with a chance to pivot and grow, could create a culture where both teachers and students could thrive.
Acting in the school/student/college’s best interests could mean that decisions could be made without committees and approvals, in-the-moment learning could happen more regularly and staff morale would soar as they are trusted and supported.
Don’t Seek to Please the Boss
There is too much brown-nosing to the top and it’s often not what you know but who you know that matters.
Schools need brave mavericks who will challenge leadership, positively disrupt and offer creative solutions to the landscape. Imagine what would happen if staff didn’t feel the need to walk on eggshells when the principal came past or spoke what they really thought in a staff meeting without any worry of being blacklisted.
Honesty Always
Nothing should come as a surprise to the teams we work with.
In education, transparency is vital with student progress, outstanding work or challenges, and financial positions — if we keep things hidden, it’s harder to fix if it goes wrong. Let’s focus on radical honesty that cares for each other and takes collective responsibility rather than pointing the finger.
Read this post and more on my Typeshare Social Blog
