The Hero’s Journey : 3 Destinations That All Teachers Must Visit.
Henrietta Curwen
Assistant Principal & Head of Performing Arts.
The Hero’s Journey – 3 Destinations That All Teachers Must Visit.
Sitting in a coffee shop in a tiny Welsh village, I found myself engaging in polite conversation with a retired couple. After a recommendation of the tea and bara brith mid-day offer, the conversation soon turned into them questioning me about my life:
“What do you do for a living dear?”
“I’m a teacher.”
A large gulp of their tea and an inquisitive look, “Primary?”
“No, secondary.”
A look of horror, “Even worse! I couldn’t be a teacher. Not with the youth of today. Why do you do it?”
It was from this that I finished my slice of bara brith and spent the rest of the afternoon reflecting on this exchange. Thumbing my way through one of the thirty bookshops in Hay-On-Wye, I came across a book titled, “The Hero’s Journey”. Flicking through the worn pages I thought that, perhaps, this book might shed some light on the question:
Why do we teach?
From looking at this book in more detail, I soon began to resonate with it. After finishing the final chapter, I wanted to return to the café and inform the retired couple of my detailed response to their query. Perhaps if they stumble across this post, that will suffice.
Joseph Campbell, the creator of the hero’s journey paradigm, encompasses the quest that we, as teachers, embark upon. Like Campbell’s cycle illustrates: we, as individuals, leave the known, to enter an unfamiliar world. The hero then faces difficulties in the process but it is these that make the hero stronger; learning from their mistakes to help them become more aware of both the ordinary world, and the unfamiliar world, in the quest for self-discovery. Whilst Campbell states that it is ‘the hero’s journey’, I actually think it would be better titled: ‘the hero’s adventure’.
The first stage in our adventure is labelled by Campbell as ‘the calling’.
As busy teachers, we are constantly called upon by colleagues, team members, senior leaders, parents, outside agencies, and ultimately, our students. It is easy to lose sight of our priorities and our vision. I have often fallen short of being swallowed up by a busy day which has prevented me from stopping and pausing for thought.
Take Away 1:
“At the still point, there the dance is”
- T S Elliot
Taking time out of a busy day to reflect is key in the quest for self-discovery. I often find the actions of silent reflection and mapping out my thoughts on paper are beneficial to help me problem-solve and arrive at conclusions. At BCA, we promote reflective practice to enhance teaching and learning. To support this, each member of staff is equipped with a reflective journal to do so. I believe that through making time for reflective thinking, and taking time out to remember ‘why it is that I have been called’ has maintained not only my sanity, but most importantly, reminded me of the most important job of a teacher: do the right things for the children, and the rest will follow.
To continue with Campbell’s paradigm, we arrive at the next destination of the teacher’s adventure: the transformation.
From leaving a safe teacher training course and securing a first teaching post, it is no wonder that those new to the profession either fly or fall. Having recently read ‘Putting Staff First’ by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley, I am comforted by the fact that our CPD programme at BCA coincides with their recommendation of putting teacher development at the centre of all things.
Take Away 2:
Make time for staff development.
Data informs us that those new to the profession often leave within the first four years of joining. Whilst this is not the case in all schools, it is certainly true in some. Perhaps this is due to the neglect of Campbell’s transformation phase?
To support this transformation, at BCA we have 54 hours (plus two inset days) of professional development (see the BCA CPD calendar). School starts one hour later on a Friday morning and this time is used to enable staff to reflect, share and develop their practice. We also have a bespoke CPD programme for our RQTs to ensure that their needs are being met. Through doing so, we have been able to embed and sustain a teaching and learning community and provide all teachers with a professional development programme built on collaboration.
As Dylan Wiliam, Institute of Education, University of London once said:
“If we create a culture where every teacher believes they need to improve, not because they are not good enough but because they can be even better, there is no limit to what we can achieve.”
Wise words.
And now, the final stage of the adventure is the return. As hero’s, it is our moral purpose and our duty to return to each lesson, each day, each new term and each school year.
Take Away 3:
Be like a boomerang.
I would be lying if I said that each day I have in school is perfect. In fact, if it was, I would be worried. There are times when I wish I would have taught something differently or responded to a situation in different way. In moments like these, it is easy to look straight ahead and move forward towards the finish line at the end of the day. However, this shouldn’t be the case. When I find myself in the ‘I wish I would have’ moments, I am reminded of the importance of Campbell’s ‘return’ phase. In order to develop and learn from our mistakes, it is important to return to them so that we can revisit them. As teachers, we should celebrate student mistakes, because it is when mistakes happen and are identified, that the real learning can take place. Likewise, we should celebrate our mistakes. Instead of running from them, we should be like a boomerang. Keep returning to those mistakes, and learn from them.
There are, of course, many more destinations that Campbell references throughout his hero’s journey. Seventeen to be exact.
I hope that if ever you find yourself in the same café in Wales, sipping on tea and eating a slice of bara brith, that you are now more prepared than I was, if the retired couple happen to engage in conversation with you.