Sassoon Infant | Diary of an Adventurous Retiree

Get with the programme is an expression that I am often heard to utter. My children and grandchildren raise their eyes to the ceiling and I know what they’re thinking. But I don’t say it lightly – it is something I have in my life I have learned to do! In my chequered teaching career of 30+ years I have had to get with a new programme so often that I’ve lost count. It was group teaching versus chalk and talk, look and say versus phonics, the old maths, the new maths and the even newer maths. Then there was Outcome Based Education and now it something called CAPS. And when I was young I would grouse and complain or rant and rave against those in their Crystal Towers who had lost the plot and exclaim things like fix it when it isn’t broken – and don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. And then in the end knuckle down of follow the programme! Now I believe that if you don’t want to follow a certain programme then don’t teach at the school that offers it. And if you have doubts about what a school offers your child – don’t send your child there either! You see I believe that every ‘programme’ has its merits and if it is followed correctly it will work and the children will learn. If, however, a teacher has no faith in it, there is no doubt that it will not work.

At my school we certainly do things differently. The thing these days that we have to understand is that we are dealing with a fast growing technological world. Our children are into it and we as teachers cannot afford to lag behind. So a teacher who is still relying on the good old tried and tested programmes of old is going to have trouble getting the 21st century child get interested. Sorry – but what worked even 10 years ago is not going to cut it now! I started off saying that I have learned to get with the programme and I want to get with it even more with an interactive board in the classroom – but as yet my school can’t afford it. So I have made a plan and compromised with a flat screen HD Television and laptop computer. It’s not perfect but it does make an enormous difference.

Another programme that was brand new to me when I started teaching how was the THRASS. Teaching Handwriting, Reading and Spelling Skills. Well! Literacy is my thing. I have a special diploma in speech, hearing and language difficulties. At my previous school I followed a programme of teaching phonics and reading that I was well trained in by the principal and I believed in it. It was hugely successful too. So changing to THRASS was a challenge. Horrors of horrors even the font was different! But if I wanted to teach at this school – I HAD TO GET WITH THE PROGRAMME. Now that I’ve got to grips with it and made it work for me I am loving it. This year we are using a set of stunning work books that have been developed to fit in with the CAPS requirements; we have a set of tracing boards for the new font and I have created some PowerPoint presentation to teach the phonemes and graphemes and the kids too, are getting with the programme, having fun and learning at a rate that makes their teacher proud!