Transcript Introduction to Invitational Education

An Introduction to the Invitational
school
If pupils don’t learn the way we teach we should teach the way they learn. Howard Gardner
1991 St. Mark’s Learning and Teaching Policy
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Introductions
• A neighbour who
knows you work at
St Mark’s asks
you what is
special about the
school?
• How would you
respond?
An Introduction to Invitational
“Education
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Invitational Education provides an
overarching framework for making
schools a more exciting, welcoming,
caring and enriching experience for
everyone-all staff, all children, their
parents and all visitors.
Its goal is transform the fundamental
character of the school
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Education
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A basic ingredient of invitational theory is a
recognition of the interdependence of
human beings. This interdependence is
based on mutual trust. Trust is established
by recognising the rights and self directing
power of others. Given an optimally inviting
environment each person will find his or her
best ways of being and becoming.
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Education
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A second assumption of invitational
education is that people are able, valuable
and responsible and should be treated
accordingly. An indispensable element of any
democratic encounter is shared responsibility
based on mutual respect. It is also seen in
establishing positions of equality and shared
influence where everyone’s contribution is
valued.
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Education
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A third assumption of invitational education is that
people possess untapped potential in all areas of
human endeavour. The uniqueness of human beings
is such that no clear limits to potential have been
discovered. It is not enough to be inviting; it is
essential to be optimistic. From the viewpoint of
invitational theory, seeing people as possessing
untapped potential in all areas determines the
policies established, the programmes supported, the
processes encouraged, the environments created and
the relationships established.
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Education
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The final assumption of invitational theory is the
realisation of human potential can best be
accomplished by places, policies, processes, and
programmes intentionally designed to invite
development by people who are inviting with
themselves and others. Intentionality enables
people to create and maintain total environments
that consistently invite the realisation of human
potential.
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Education
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Inviting Schools Award
Is your school the most “Inviting Place in Town?”
Is everyone associated with your school able, valuable
and responsible?
Is education in your school a cooperative and
collaborative activity where process is as important as
product?
Is there a belief in your school that all children and
staff alike possess untapped potential?
Does your school create and maintain places, policies,
processes and programmes designed to invite
development, and by people who are intentionally
inviting?
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Education
People assesses respect, caring and
the honouring of diversity and refers
to the positive or “inviting” influence
of the teachers and support staff in the
school.
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Education
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Places relates to the physical
aspects of the school.
Policies relates to the procedures,
codes, rules, written and
unwritten, used to regulate
behaviour or actions.
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Education
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Programmes refers to the curriculum for
the pupil to develop academically,
physically, and socially in an inviting
environment.
Processes refers to such issues as
cooperative spirit, democratic activities,
values and attitudes of children teachers
and support staff.
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Education
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Four Types of Inviting Stances
Intentionally
Intentionally
Disinviting
Inviting
•A negative and toxic •Seeking to
attitude designed to consistently to enact
demean, defeat,
the principles of IE,
dishearten
helping with respect
Unintentionally
Unintentionally
Disinviting
Inviting
•Accidental
•Accidental
discouragement and
encouragement and
undermining of Anothers
Introduction support
to Invitational
Education
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Four Levels
• Intentionally Disinviting
• Deliberately discouraging; Busy with other
obligations; focussed on children’s
shortcomings, those whose behaviour
makes others feel worthless and use put
downs.
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Education
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Unintentionally Disinviting
• Well meaning but condescending;
unaware of pupil’s feelings. Those whose
hearts are in the right place but whose
methods contradict their good intentions
by discouraging messages conveyed
through labelling or stereotyping, non
verbal or other messages.
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Education
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Unintentionally Inviting
• Well liked and reasonably effective;
unaware of the positive impact their
contact with children creates; intervention
with children often lack the consistent
pattern of behaviour many pupils need in
order to formulate their own identities.
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Education
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Intentionally Inviting
• Optimistic, respectful and trustworthy; Able
to affirm yet guide students. Teachers who
explicitly invite all with whom they come
into contact. Teachers who understand the
power of the invite and can adjust and
evaluate their invitations as necessary.
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Education
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William Purkey –Blue Card
Orange Card
‘Education with a new Heart’
‘My experience with magic-weavers has confirmed my belief
that children will forget what teachers and learning assistants
made them think but will never forget how they made them
Change Goes Through Four Steps:
1. Awareness: Knowing
that a new idea
exists and is not
part of current
knowledge
2. Understanding: How
the new idea
operates and what is
gained by using it
3. Application: How to
employ new idea
4. Adoption: New idea
used daily An Introduction to Invitational
Education
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Self-Concept
Theory…
• Why should we get involved in IE?
• Who am I? How do I fit in the world?
• Self concept is a complex and dynamic system of
learned beliefs that each person holds to be true
regarding his or her personal existence
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Education
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