Growing up in the North East of England in an era long before the internet and multiple TV channels (or even colour TV channels for that matter…) outdoor ‘entertainment’ in my youth consisted of impromptu cricket and football games (depending on the season…) in the street with anyone or everyone who was happy to join in. When it got too dark to stay outside and homework was done for the evening, my focus turned to reading about my fictional heroes in the popular boys comics of the day. The promise of a conclusion to a cliff-hanging story in ‘The Rover’ or ‘The Victor’ often had me waiting in great anticipation for my weekly subscription to plop through the letterbox and nestle briefly on the carpet, before it was whisked away and devoured immediately or saved for a special moment later in the day.
‘The Rover’ in particular offered sporting heroes a-plenty including the seemingly ageless ‘Roy of the Rovers’ and the magical ‘Billy’s Boots’ with schoolboy footballing superstar Billy also benefitting from the same Peter Pan-like qualities as Roy, enabling them both to stand still in time, whilst my own childhood was disappearing in a blaze seventies glam rock and bell-bottomed trousers.
Of all the fictional characters I came to avidly follow, the legendary Alf Tupper was probably the one that proved to be the biggest inspiration to me both then and later in life as I tried to emulate his feats immortalised in his weekly adventures as the ‘Tough of the Track’. Alf’s appeal lay in his never-say-die persona which saw him as the eternal underdog, often at his athletic-best the day after a late night shift as a welder, lifting heavy objects and getting little sleep. Regarded as a 'guttersnipe' by the ‘posh’ blokes administering athletics meetings and often the victim of skulduggery by jealous and ‘stuck-up’ rich boys from the local university, Alf nevertheless went on to win all his races and even break world records, before inevitably uttering his famous catchphrase “I ran ‘em all!”
The races may have been different each week but there was a pleasing familiarity to the context of each storyline. Alf prospered on of a diet which appeared to consist solely of fish and chips wrapped in newspaper and arrived at all his races in the nick of time - usually because he could not stop himself from rescuing people in distress during his journey, performing selfless acts of kindness that stood as a wonderful model to his readers.
Alf Tupper was 18 years of age when he first appeared in Rover in 1949 and appeared for the last time in the early 1990’s whilst he was training for the Barcelona Olympics at the age of 60. He was a favourite fictional character to many and a life-long motivation for some. I’ll leave the reader to judge where I stand on this one!
The last twenty years has seen significant progress in global education in relation to the identification and support of students with specific learning difficulties. Most schools now have policies and procedures in place to ensure that students who in generations gone by may have been lost to the learning process are now given the support they need to make the most of their potential. Initial teacher training and continuing professional development mean that teachers are more aware than ever about the latest research and how best to meet the needs of their less able or challenged students both inside and outside classroom. However, there has long been an argument that there are another group of students in each school that require equally specific support, but help for the ‘Gifted and Talented’ has not as yet had the same impact in general terms, although things are beginning to change, aided in particular by an increasing amount of interesting and focused research.
The Department for Education in the UK defines a gifted and talented student as one who is significantly ahead of his or her year group in one or more key areas. It goes on to stipulate that within each school setting, additional provision should be made for the top 5% of students in any class, deeming these students to be ‘gifted and talented’ Mensa, the largest and oldesthigh-IQ society in the world, provides some helpful tips as to how spot ‘bright sparks’ in the classroom, advising teachers to look out for a combination of some the following attributes;
·A strong sense of fairness
·A quest for perfection
·The need to question everything
·Intensive feelings and sensitivity
·Extreme curiosity about the world
The list goes on of course as there is no definitive template to follow and this is compounded by the generally held view that giftedness is dynamic, not static and may even be subject-specific rather than general across the curriculum. A gifted mathematician for example will be able to grasp new concepts and mathematical ideas very quickly; think logically, readily identify patterns, apply previously gained knowledge to new or unfamiliar contexts and exhibit creative approaches to solving mathematical questions. It is easy to assume that a student is gifted if they are achieving very highly in appropriately challenging situations, however, with very young children in particular, the issue can sometimes be clouded by a child’s immaturity. High ability in early childhood can often be the result of greater access to educational opportunities rather than an indication of giftedness.For example, being able to read at an early age is not conclusive evidence of high ability in literacy, any more than slow progress is an indication of lack of ability.
Nonetheless, parents and teachers of pre-school children may be aware of other indicators that suggest rapid skills development: Children who begin to speak earlier than their peers, use a wide vocabulary, have more advanced social skills and are able to achieve far more than usual for their age may be exhibiting early signs of giftedness. However, it is not uncommon for many young children who are literally years ahead of their peers in some areas of cognitive development to remain on a parallel in terms of social development.
Where research does come together it quickly dispels the notion that gifted students will be self-propelled achievers, needing only words of encouragement and some extra tasks to be kept happily and productively occupied! Moreover, the most successful programmes in the UK in recent years have placed an emphasis on intellectual and imaginative risk-taking, challenging students with team-building and collaboration, negotiation and the need to be inventive – all supported with a wide variety of differentiated resources designed to excite and extend all students. Rather than concentrating solely on the acquisition of knowledge and skills, those working with gifted students are being encouraged to strive to create opportunities to foster higher levels of thinking incorporating analysis, synthesis and evaluation.A respected member of the UK schools inspection service, Mr David Bell, recently commented: “What separates the very good from the merely good, for gifted pupils, is the willingness to ‘let go’ of prescribing outcomes. Promoting independent learning skills and creativity are defining features of very effective teaching for able pupils.”Most programs also stress the benefits of close monitoring and regular evaluation to ensure continuity and progression across classes and year groups.
In recent years, educationalists have debated the benefits of ‘accelerated learning’ i.e. placing a child within a higher-grade class, as opposed to clearly ‘differentiated learning’ within their peer group. The balance of opinion would seem to suggest that that gifted children are best served by staying with their own peer group, not least because of the fact that cognitive and social skills do not always develop at the same rate. Nonetheless, exceptions are sometimes made for students who have a complete mastery of a specific subject area, are working within a carefully planned progression that ensures work is not repeated and are able to cope emotionally and socially with such a move.
Researchers are also united in their conclusion that provision is a shared responsibility that extends to the students themselves as a well as their teachers, the school in general and of course parents. For example, individual education plans for gifted children are being pioneered in some schools and are seen as a vital tool for bringing together teachers, students and parents to regularly discuss contents, aims and targets.
Gifted students have historically been poorly catered for, but, just as awareness of learning disabilities has improved dramatically in recent years, then so has the understanding of children who are exceptionally able. Providing the right education for such children requires imagination as well as a structure, but can be liberating for both the child and the school alike. The presence of gifted children raises many questions – fortunately more and more schools are seeking the answers. Watch this space!
I recently read a book by the former England cricketer Ed Smith about what sport can teach us about life in general and there is no doubt that sport can open the door to many different aspects of our world beyond the activity itself. Recent sporting events and competitions involving our KIS students have encouraged me to reflect on the benefits of sport, not just in relation to a healthy lifestyle, but also to look at the potential wider impact on our lives as those encouraging early interests in school turn into life-time habits and even passions as we get older. Just as we encourage our students at KIS to participate in physical activity and try different sports, I too benefitted from an enthusiastic approach in my own far off school days. It is an interest that remains with me to this day and I’ve been fortunate to reap the rewards of my involvement in a wide range of sporting activities. Sport and life do sometimes come together to produce challenges and generate emotions that can provide life-long memories too. Below I’ve reproduced an article I wrote for a running magazine about my first ultra-marathon experience a couple of years ago that I trained for whilst living and working in El Salvador in Central America. For me it was an experience that went beyond sport.........
“When you sign-up for a trail race that is double the length of a traditional marathon, (54 miles) over a course that is generally acceptedas one of the toughest in the United States, albeit through the stunning autumn scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the obvious question is ‘Why?’ In my case, the potential of such a challenge was sown when browsing in a bookshop and happening upon the best-selling book by Dean Karnazes entitled ‘Ultramarathon Man’ The book tells the story of a directionless executive whose life is forever changed by his decision to rekindle a youthful passion to run and run……and run. At first it is a means of mental and physical release, but in time it becomes an obsession that sees him compete in and regularly triumph in major long distance foot races and adventure races across America and beyond. Karnazes remains to this day an iconic figure in the ultra running community for his achievements and dedication, but for me the appeal was the opportunity to do something new, to push beyond previous physical and mental boundaries – to basically see how far I could go within and potentially beyond my own assumed capabilities.
Six months later I had an entry for ‘The Mountain Masochist 54 Mile Trail Run’ in Virginia, in the United States. The race website described a course that was anything but easy –conditions underfoot could be difficult because of the rocky nature of the trails and the route would ascend a combined total of over 9000 feet, with over 7000 feet of descents. I had a focused 8 week build-up in El Salvador, during which time I averaged 105 miles a week and built my long run up to a maximum of 31 miles, which I completed some three weeks before heading off to the States for the race. I was running twice a day most days, beginning with a 4am start on the roads before work, followed by laps of the 320m school field in the early evening.
We arrived in the US a few days before the race that was to take place on the Saturday morning. On the Friday evening we attended the Pre-Race briefing and pasta buffet and needless to say with thoughts of the run ahead, most people were taking on board a fair amount of carbohydrates. Runners were also picking up their race numbers and ‘goody-bags’ Race numbers coincided with your seeding and my number - 274 out of a likely 300 runners – was no doubt a reflection of my novice status and a clear message that expectations were low! I can’t pretend it was the best nights’ sleep I’ve ever had, especially as I had to get up at 3am to have a couple of bagels for breakfast, before we drove the 30 miles to the James River Visitor Centre for the start of the race. The Visitor Centre also marks the lowest point in the Blue Ridge Mountains, so it was always likely to be uphill thereafter! Apart from the last half a mile, the only part of the race on roads is the first 6 miles and this is not necessarily a bad thing as at the race start time of 6.30am it is still very dark! After a rendition of the National Anthem around 280 runners started the race in temperatures that were close to freezing.
It was definitely hat and gloves weather for the first few hours – putting these on basically constituted my ‘warm-up’ as with such a long distance to run, anything else may have eaten into my much needed energy stores! About half the field had head torches for the first bit, so I was able to follow their lights and just focus on trying to run well within myself. Saving energy and taking on board ‘fuel’ are key parts of long distance running and I was working on a strategy of drinking water over the first few miles, before switching to an electrolyte mixture, together with raisins and jelly beans for the rest of the race. Trial and error in the lead up to the race had suggested that my stomach wasn’t really capable of coping with much more, nonetheless, everyone is different in this respect and many of the runners took on board a variety of liquids and solid foods during the course of the run.
As we left the road and headed for the trails, dawn was just breaking and at this early stage I calculated that I was well outside the top 50 runners after my necessarily conservative start. Because of the underfoot conditions, you really have to be careful and as a novice I stumbled many times and actually fell twice during the second half of the race, fortunately only picking up cuts and bruises – in retrospect I was probably lucky to get away with nothing more serious than I did – sadly each year injuries from falls do account for some of the runners who have to drop out from the race. Many of the paths were covered in fallen leaves and it was not always easy to see the rocks and consequently I was very glad I had bought some proper trail shoes in the UK in the summer which allowed a better grip on the terrain, otherwise I would have really struggled in ordinary running shoes. The route is literally mountainous and some of the uphill stretches were incredibly long and steep – many runners ‘power-walked’ them including some of the leaders, as on occasions I’m told it’s actually quicker to do so – my inexperience meant of course that I tried to run them all…..
Aid Stations dotted the route every few miles. They are all manned by volunteers, most have music, strategically place placards with messages designed to inspire and what I can only describe as long benches of buffet-style food featuring just about everything a runner could want or desire – water, sodas, electrolyte beverages, fruit, cookies, jelly beans, sandwiches, soup etc, The aid stations themselves quickly become real ‘highlights’ when you are on your feet for such a long time. Running for the most part on my own, I quickly began to look forward to each and the promise of some fleeting company and encouragement. You can often hear the music and the cheers for each runner in the distance as you approach and as you get there yourself, the noise and support are a real boost.
Approaching Mile 25
During the first part of the race I gradually worked my way through the field – I was doing well on the up hill stretches, but struggling on the down hills as the more experienced trail runners were skipping past me whilst I tip-toed between the rocks – consequently I passed and was then passed myself by a few familiar faces as the race went on. Whenever runners went past there were always encouraging words spoken, which I think is very much a part of the camaraderie of ultra running and not something that you find too often in the road and track races I run in other parts of the world.
When I went through an aid station at around 18 miles, Denise was able to tell me that I was in 18th position, which was really encouraging as up to that point I had no real idea as to where I was. Feeling a little more confident, the next few miles passed by relatively smoothly, but by the time I got to the half way point at around 27 miles (in just under four hours….) my legs were starting to feel the strains of running over the rough terrain and the constant ascents and descents and I knew the major peaks were still to come in the second half of the race…..I think this is where the mental side of things comes in, as you physically begin to deteriorate – you really have to focus and stay positive, as limbs start to ache under the strain. In any race of this distance you also have to accept you will have ‘bad’ patches and I certainly had those over the second half, but you have to have the confidence in your own physical abilities that you will come through these and be alright on the other side. Just as importantly from my point of view, my stomach held together remarkably well, although I did begin to cut back a little on both the liquids and solids, as I started to feel a little nauseous over the last twenty miles.
I saw Denise for the last time at an aid station at 39 miles after a really rough 6-7 mile ‘loop’ around the base of one of the mountains. I had fallen once and got lost a couple of times in a densely wooded area that is recognised as one of the toughest sections of the race. (The trail was marked by white streamers in the trees, but there were alternative paths and sometimes you focus so much on where your feet are going you lose track of the streamers and suddenly find yourself off the course. Fortunately on the occasions it happened to me, I realised pretty quickly, re-traced my steps and found the course again, although you do have that momentary instant of panic….)
‘The Loop’ – Mile 35
At the race briefing on Friday night the race director had explained that the first 10 runners to finish would receive a specially-embroidered woollen jacket that Denise and I had both quite liked the idea of, but at 39 miles I was just thinking about hopefully finishing the race. Nonetheless, with 15 miles to go it seemed an outside possibility, as Denise had some encouraging words for me in that a jacket was in sight, with the news that I was up to 12th. I should admit however, that having been on my feet for around 6 hours at that point (far beyond my longest run in training, so I was really into the unknown by this stage….) there was still a big part of me that would have happily accepted 12th and a lift to the finish if it had been offered
I had another really bad patch just before 50 miles when most of my limbs seemed to be in a state of near shut down and it was a real effort to maintain my focus, picking my way through the trail, which remained technically quite difficult at this point with lots of rocks and boulders to negotiate. Still, there were others who were struggling just as much as me and by the time I went through the final aid station I was up to 10th and the jacket was becoming a real possibility if I could keep body, mind and soul together for a little longer……I knew from the contour map that I had been given before the race that the final four miles were downhill and that knowledge allowed me to dredge up some energy to push on over this final stretch – it is amazing what the body will withstand and how the mind can conquer pain and negative emotions in these situations. Consequently, confident in the fact that I was now likely to finish, come what may, my final four miles proved to be my quickest of the race. (This is of course a relative comparison having already clocked up 50 miles, but I think I was probably running sub 7-minute miles over the final part of the course.) I was surprised to go past someone with two miles to go and then with one mile to go I caught the runner in 8th. Thereafter, the route brought us out of the woods to the final stretch on tarmac and the finish which was outside a small community store in a tiny village.
There was still time for a final twist as I made the possibly understandable error of mentally relaxing at this point, which was a big mistake as I was so unsteady on my feet that I caught the kerb and fell over again on the road! Fortunately, I managed to quickly get back to my feet and to the finish line a few seconds before the runner behind. (I finished in 8 hours and 6 minutes – sub 9 minute miles for the 54 miles.
It’s difficult to put into words how I felt thereafter, but I managed to stay upright for long enough to have a few photos taken with the Race Director and other early finishers before I lay down on the grass behind the finish – although after a few minutes I realised that if didn’t get up soon, there was possibility that I might never get up! So, I did the sensible thing and had an ice cream and hobbled to the car and the long drive back to the hotel and a very welcome hot shower. I found out afterwards that 15% of the runners voluntarily dropped out during finish the race and a further 5% were ‘pulled’ for failing to make the aid station cut off times as they were running outside the 12 hour time limit.
I was very proud to receive my jacket for my 8th place at the award ceremony on the Saturday night – as you can imagine there were several strong candidates for the ‘Ministry of Silly Walks’ on view, not the least of which was my own stiff-legged effort to get on to the stage. During the course of the run I lost two toenails, a few pounds in weight and a bit of blood after my falls, but I think I gained much more in creating a sense of achievement within myself, whilst realising just how far you push things under pressure. I certainly wouldn’t rule out another one in the future!”
By way of a postscript, a won a 100 mile race six months later, but I’m sticking to the shorter stuff these days!
The reward of seeing students grow and develop in every sense and the chance to play a part in that exciting journey is what attracts many of us to the teaching profession. Many things can be said about the teaching profession but one thing is for sure and that is it is never boring. Every day is different even though the overall goals and the vision may be the same. My day last Thursday will perhaps give you an insight into the role of the Principal at KIS and perhaps explain why and I and many others do what we do......
My day in school started at 5.30am when I took the chance afforded by my quiet surroundings to catch up with paperwork, prepare lessons, mark books, read reports and review and respond to a myriad of e-mail communications that are a reflection, not just on the role of the modern Principal, but of the changes in education management and society since I began my teaching career. (In those days of course e-mail had not been invented and floppy discs were just that!) Last Thursday was a quiet start to the day, but sometimes my early morning routine can be broken by unexpected events – one morning earlier this term I arrived to find the school entrance blocked by a fallen tree after a heavy storm which had to be cleared by myself and our grounds staff before staff, parents and students started arriving to begin their day!
At 7.30am I left my office and stood by the gate to welcome students and parents at the beginning of their school day. A cheery ‘Good Morning’ and a reciprocal smile always ensures a positive start to the day and for me it is always twenty minutes well spent until the bell at 7.50am signals the formal start of the school day. The next hour of my day thereafter was spent observing a Year 11 Chemistry lesson in one of our Science Labs. For this small group of KIS students every lesson is another step towards their IGCSE exams in six months time that will conclude the first part of their schooling that started in many cases some twelve or thirteen years ago. It is always refreshing to see not just their understanding of what may appear to some to be complex scientific theory, but also their focus on the tasks in hand. As the teacher made her way individually from student to student during the lesson, acting as a catalyst for discussion and offering words of guidance and reassurance where necessary, it struck me that whilst there are advantages and disadvantages to small class sizes, here was a case where the students were benefitting enormously from a significant amount of individual attention that simply would not be possible in other circumstances with larger classes.
Moving on from Year 11, I just had time to collect my camera from my office before I was heading to the school field for the opening events of our Primary Sports Day. The day itself is the culmination of a lot of hard work and preparation that goes into such an event beforehand to ensure that we create the right environment for our younger students to demonstrate the skills, techniques, effort and enthusiasm that is central to the PE curriculum throughout the school. The huge satisfaction I gained from being a part of this event came mainly from seeing our Primary students enjoy a couple of hours of friendly competition and fun in a genuine community atmosphere. It was fantastic to see teachers, teaching assistants, office staff, grounds staff, parents, PTA members and Secondary School Sports Leaders combining to ensure a successful event. The role of our Secondary Sports Leaders is one that gave me particular satisfaction as I witnessed their mature and supportive attitude – their presence being another positive reflection of having our Primary and Secondary sections on the same site. With over sixty individual events taking place and with as many as three taking place concurrently, it required all our helpers and coordinators to be on top of their games, but the winning smiles of everyone involved convinced me that we had succeeded in our aims.
Whilst Primary students made their way home with some well-deserved ice creams, I returned to my office for a meeting with some overseas ‘volunteers’ who were staying briefly here in Borneo and were keen to offer their skills and experience to help the school. I always take it as a compliment to the school when visitors to Kota Kinabalu ask to come into school or volunteer some help – I am constantly reminded that there are so many skills and so much experience in our parent community and indeed beyond and it is always a pleasure to try to utilise these skills for the benefits of our students. Only a few days earlier I had spoken to a local artist about the potential of a residency for a week at KIS next term – this incredible lady was approaching her 90th birthday having been ’posted’ to Borneo by the Colonial Office in London in the late1940’s and had enjoyed her new surroundings so much that she has never left! As well as being an accomplished artist she was a fascinating piece of living history who I hope to introduce to our community in the none-too-distant future.
My school day concluded with another meeting – this time with a potential sponsor for our forthcoming Primary FOIBISSEA Games which we are proud to be hosting next May in Kota Kinabalu. I should add that this was a meeting with a difference as it was conducted on the run whilst doing multiple laps of Likas Lake. Conducting meetings on the run was something I started doing in my previous school when I discovered one of my senior colleagues was also a runner. Running and keeping an agenda in your head is a challenge but maintaining a reasonable degree of fitness makes concluding business deals a little easier if you can run your partner into submission!
As I said, every day is different........and every day has its own rewards!
