Clear, consistent rules

I had a lovely day yesterday. The children were back in school and it was fantastic. Anyone who was worried that children would struggle with the new Coronavirus rules needn’t have. At school, they have to follow a whole set of new rules anyway. It doesn’t make sense to them that they have to walk in a line to get to another room. They have no idea that they have to put their hand up to speak, they don’t know that there is a separate bin for tissues or that there are zones in the classroom (the building things stay in the building zone). A good teacher will have communicated all of these rules, clearly and consistently, so that by the end of the first morning 28 out of 30 children know exactly what is expected of them. By the end of the year, the teacher will aim to have all 30 obeying the rules but the truth is they will all be clear on what the rules are but one or two won’t think they apply to them. Maybe we should nickname these kids the Dominics.

It was an absolute privilege for me to watch an amazing teacher at work, while I hung around with the four year olds. Teaching is all about brilliant, calm and kind communication with no mixed messages. 

I was thinking that the government could learn a lot about communication from watching a brilliant teacher with a class of four year olds. 

When I got home the news confirmed my thoughts.

Children back to school. The government says that they aren’t at risk of Coronavirus. Parents given a new list of COVID-19 symptoms in children.which include diarrhoea and vomiting, headache, being a bit listless or off their food. If they are sick phone up to get a test. People who have done that have been sent over 100miles . The government has said that is wrong and they should only have to go 75miles. (They really haven’t understood the idea of keeping a virus in place have they?). Go back to work. Don’t go back to work. Eat Pret. Laugh at adverts on the underground if you aren’t lucky enough to like the people you work with. Buy disinfectant but don’t use too much because picking up the odd bug is good for your immune system, just make sure it’s not COVID-19.

What we wouldn’t give for clear consistent messaging being delivered in the happy, kind, sing-song voice of a reception teacher.