Take them out of the classroom

• Learning should be challenging
• Learning should be exciting
• Learning should be authentic

Learning has never stopped for me, I might have left school 22 years ago, but everyday brings new challenges for me to overcome or new concepts for me to understand and develop. I can not imagine a scenario when I have all the answers, only more questions. I am constantly evolving and finding out new things about myself and the world around me.As a teacher I question how much we allow pupils to travel down their own paths of self-discovery. Our time is often structured by exams and the pressure of report deadlines, grade boundaries and the pressure for pupils to achieve against set criteria. This has also been imprinted onto the pupils who are also driven by the grade they will achieve.I have just been on school trip to the Waddensea off the Dutch coast. We travelled on flat-bottomed sailing boats across this beautiful World Heritage site. It was a magical time. The pupils  were in charge. They cooked, cleaned, shop for supplies, crewed the boat, produced media creations all with limited input from staff. They had to step up to ensure that the tasks were completed and they did this with vigour - in fact they flourished!