The morning that I turned to Mum and Dad as a 13 year old and said, “I am going to swim at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games,” was the morning I made the most sure, concise, and driven decision of my life. My entire life. In that moment, as a freshly-minted teen, I knew what my purpose was going to be for the next several year, the confidence I had in this decision was overwhelming, and the determination I had to work hard for it inspiring. Yes, my teen self inspires me now, because that confidence and determination is special, and most people struggle to cultivate it, not least teenagers.

All around the country, Secondary classrooms are peaceful and schools are going about their work as usual. Teachers are talking and students are (mostly) sitting politely, appearing to listen. Most teachers know that lecturing isn’t the most effective method of learning, so why do they default so readily to this tactic? What makes it so appealing, and what hidden messages does it give out?

So, if you’re a Middle Leader, what motivated you to move to that role? It may be that after spending some time as a classroom teacher you felt ready for a freshchallenge, and wanted the opportunity to extend your sphere of influence into other classrooms in your subject or pastoral area. It may be that the chance to work with and through other people, to support and challenge, encourage and inspire other staff, in addition to trying to get the best from students, constituted an appealing new area of responsibility. I’ve previously written about why you might want to move to a Middle Leadership role and how you might start to prepare yourself.