Luke's account of the call of the disciples sets out a test of faith for the disciples followed by the yielding of a great result. Jesus encounters the disciples, tired, dishevelled and in need of what sounds like a well-earned rest. Yet he challenged them more, asking them to push their boats out further, into the "deep water". This is met by a sense of despondency from Simon Peter who retorts, "we worked hard all night and caught nothing".
Last week, primary school teachers in the UK returned to their classrooms and next week secondary school teachers will do the same. The past three months for the teaching profession have felt like a very long night, much like the disciples' own endeavours on the night in question. Students have been provided with online teaching, had books and learning materials sent home and there has been continuous efforts to try and support and work with them in order to help them through these times. It has been a dark night of the soul with much time and effort being spent trying to do what is best for our nation's students. Every school is different, and therefore every school has decided to take a slightly different approach, but needless to say, the majority of Headteachers and teachers I have spoken to, have done their very best to provide a quality education in such uncertain times. The toil is akin to that of the disciples; it has been a long night of fishing.
On the eve of the reopening of schools there has been, understandably, a deep sense of panic and concern about what to do. Teachers' intentions are born out of a desire to do what is best for the students in their care. What we are not sure of is, how much has been learnt or just how much needs to be re-taught or caught up on. At present, we are making plans and formulating risk assessments about what to do next, but by next week these may not be worth the paper they are written on, given the fluidity with which decisions are currently being made. We are talking about "recovery curriculums" and how we catch children up with their "lost learning". Until we see the children and speak to them, ask them questions and talk to them about their learning, we won't fully know the extent and impact of our collective efforts. Will the nets be filled?
My fear is that when we return to school fully, potentially in September, that the rat-race to make up for lost time with students will have a detrimental impact. I can envisage school-based parlance becoming almost solely centred on "interventions" and "additional" classes. Such language has the potential to reinforce a negative pressure on students and the unintended view that all hope is lost. We don't want students believing that no matter how deep we fish together, the waters are empty.
Throughout Luke's account of the calling of the disciples, Jesus's demeanour is one of calm whilst being completely in command. He also strikes a reassuring tone, "Push your boats out further to the deep water." The disciples don't even know Jesus at this point, but his presence and reassurance strike a chord that resonates deep within them. At a time where information regarding education is changing so rapidly, (the DfE published 42 amendments to the schools reopening guidance in the first week alone), the need to emulate Jesus' actions is more pressing than ever.
As Jesus motions towards Simon Peter in this passage, Luke uses a textual device which he does on a number of occasions in his Gospel account. He writes, "When he finished speaking, he said to Simon". This is not an accident. Luke is essentially saying, when he finished speaking to those people, he turned to Simon and had a personal encounter; he gave him his full and undivided attention. When both our children and staff return, the need for personal encounters such as this are essential. Everyone will have been on their own tumultuous journey over these past few months. As leaders, it will become time to listen and invoke our personal humanity in a way that we have never necessarily had to before. We need to listen carefully to our students to fully appreciate what they have learned, understood and what they truly need from us. We also need to listen carefully to our staff, many of whom will have been juggling home-schooling their own children whilst teaching. We need to listen to what capacity and reserves they have and what they think is best for their specific subject and classes. Next year will certainly be a challenge and will require all of us to push our boats further into the deep water.
For many of the greatest leaders, absolute clarity is provided during times of crisis, as well as a sense of seizing new opportunities. For leaders in schools, next academic year may be a chance to re-think the way in which schools currently operate. Will we have learnt from new ways of teaching and assessing students, or utilise improved and more time-efficient ways of collaborating and meeting with other school leaders, teachers or external agencies? Whatever school leaders decide upon next year, communicating this to their staff and school community will need to be done in such a way that it provides reassurance that they are in safe and confident hands. Similarly, Jesus provides crystal clear clarity to the disciples in this situation, he knows where they need to go, the result of this is a group of unknown fishermen leaving everything to follow his path.
When it comes time for us to put out into the deep, let's not panic. We're all in the same boat.
Andrew O'Neill is the headteacher of All Saints' Catholic College in North Kensington. Follow the college on Twitter.
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