I enjoy success and, even more so, I enjoy recognition for my achievements.

I’m going to share a secret with you. I enjoy success and, even more so, I enjoy recognition for my achievements. In today’s climate of political correctness and the massaging of profiles on social media, it feels almost shameful to state that I enjoy my name occasionally being ‘in the lights’. Is this wrong?

As a pupil many (and many more) years ago, I achieved a shield for my achievement in the school cross country. It was my last year at the school and I had waited, quite literally, the entirety of my school career to receive any sporting accolade. And what happened next? The shield was awarded at an assembly in which I was absent; in the end I had to collect from the staff room door, later that week. It was rather an anticlimax. The county cross country, for which I had qualified, was also later cancelled (and never rescheduled) so that moment also slipped past. Despite other awards for one academic subject or another, the one achievement that I can still easily find is this shield (it sits, somewhat out of view, on a dusty shelf in the office at home). I was recently successful in reapplying for Fellowship of the Royal Geographical Society. Having earlier been a Fellow and Chartered Geographer, I was rather hoping and optimistically looking forward to my application being assessed, processed and the achievement being formally acknowledged. I remember the A4 hardback envelope of ten years ago in which my earlier Fellowship had been sent – a letter (on that lovely heavyweight paper) that was hand signed by the President and the pack of Fellowship ‘goodies’. My reapplication has just been approved and I am once again a Fellow, but the experience has been rather different. I had to chase the application three times (it had been lost), there was nothing in the post and a generic PDF to my Inbox was my ‘congratulatory’ welcome. What a disappointment! We all should be unashamedly proud when we enjoy success; I don’t mean in an ostentatious and gratuitous manner, but nevertheless it should still be celebrated. One role of schools is to allow opportunities for all to enjoy success and achievement at whatever level. This does not necessarily mean, standing up and receiving an award at assembly or prize giving (although, of course, these very much have their place); it may just mean that quiet word in the classroom for commendable work or effort. Written feedback, when presented appropriately and time allowed for self review, might be equally as powerful. Expecting every student to enjoy success all of the time is both unrealistic as it is unhelpful – platitudes (‘good effort’, ‘well done’) are less likely to allow progress when compared to constructive feedback that targets areas of improvement. I spend time marking work, particularly extended pieces of homework, because I want the students to understand that in spending time on marking their work, I am recognising their efforts and achievements. It is important. I would hope the students understand that I appreciate their work, that I acknowledge areas of achievement and that I show how they might make incremental steps to improve next time. Think back to your school days. What achievements do you remember most? Perhaps, you were a regular sports award winner or maybe it was the annual prize in debating? Or perhaps, it was that special teacher who made the difference and, through recognition of your talents, inspired you to achieve the next steps? It doesn’t really matter, as long as you can remember at least some achievements. Schools have a very important part in nurturing the talents of all children and recognising their achievements, big and small, frequent and occasional. Let’s never miss an opportunity to shout about success and, when that moment arrives, ensure that it is a lasting and positive memory (and not necessarily resting on that dusty and hard to reach shelf).

1st March 2020