Our Blind Sides

blind side

I have been reading the book Blind Side by Michael Lewis and thinking about the parallels here in life and education.

Now I do like watching American football on TV and confess besides the quarterback passing down field to receivers or a running back making a short run I’m  a little short on the finer tactical points of this game. Reading the book has given me an appreciation for natural athletes like Lawrence Taylor and now Michael Oher and how they changed the game .

I cannot help wondering if we all have a blind side and need people looking out for us. It seems to me that classroom teachers and principals are no exception and have blind sides as well.

As a teacher in a classroom or a principal with their staff who is protecting them from their blind side?

As a principal my task is to support teachers perhaps by amongst other things observing, coaching and helping them to become reflective practitioners in classrooms. I see this building of reflective practitioners in some ways like protecting a teacher so they perceive their own blind side.

But who protects the principal from their blind side?

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4 Responses to Our Blind Sides

  1. Nina says:

    Hi Mark,
    Fantastic blog post and all new to me (once again). I’m really learning from this blog. I’m going to read more about this once I’ve finished my reports.
    Thanks & Cheers Nina

  2. luke Sumich says:

    I have been working on my own personal blindside in school (principal) as well as with my DP’s and also as us as a team. there are a number of ways which are really useful to help us with our blindside. I have blogged about a couple which have been very successful for us. http://wedontknowhowluckyweare.blogspot.com/2010/05/1-in-5.html
    and also a similar post for blindside http://wedontknowhowluckyweare.blogspot.com/2009/08/cognitive-psychological-tool.html

    recently I challenged principals in sydney to give it a go, several have taken back the tools to try and make it work with much success.

    I am stoked other people are interested in the blindside in schools

Interested in your thoughts