In this video of the 2012 London Festival of Education John Hattie, author of Visible Learning, explores what the international research shows in relation to the panel’s question “What makes great teaching? The global view.” The second panelist Pasi Sahlberg, author of Finnish Lessons, then provides an insider’s look at one of the world’s most successful education systems. In the end John and Pasi answer the question from teachers and head teachers in the audience.
I was very engaged and enjoyed listening to the questions that were put forward in this debate and particularly interested in the Finnish view of teachers and education. However, this was totally ruined for me as a teacher by John’s comment at the end that “high impact, passionate teachers have the same time as the rest of you”. A. Not true, it depends on the demands that are put upon them by the school they are working in, and B. This does not recognise the personal commitments and constraints that a teacher may have in their lives at any particular moment in time. A very short-sighted and ignorant view of teachers commitment to their pupils, I feel.
There are constraints put before each teacher in various forms. Nevertheless, the teacher strives from one class period to the next to be the best he can be while engaging all students, if possible. All the while his desire is to raise the achievement of each student far about expectation, and because he must teach all of them. In my view, I found that “blended learning” has enriched teaching and learning. Quite often the formative and summative assessment, from students and peers has been rewarding. I am indebted to all and grateful for them.