As we reach the end of Term 1, we reflect on our first full term back without remote teaching and learning and the resumption of face-to-face classes. It has been a wonderful term where we have come together again as a school, onsite, for continued quality teaching and learning, as it is meant to be – that is, as a whole-school community and a group of teachers and students working together to experience the joy of learning, in one another’s physical presence. Of course, all of this has been supported by parents and the wider school community, who complement the learning journey.

What is apparent, I feel, is that we have all learnt to be more present – in our lives and hopefully, as students and teachers, in our learning. The last two years have been a trying time for everybody and we are now acutely aware that the new norm is living with Covid-19. In a time of unpredictability, we have learnt to be more present, even if we are not always consciously aware of this fact. So, what does it mean to be more present? Here I would like to focus on being present or mindful with our learning, seeing that, after all, we are a school and a thriving teaching and learning community.

It is no secret that we are always learning, even if we are not consciously aware that we are perpetually doing so. Recently, I read a book called “The Untethered Soul” by writer and spiritual teacher, Michael A Singer. He writes of mindfulness, our relationship with ourselves and the world around us, and the power of the human mind. He claims that most of what is going on around us is obviously beyond our control. He says that in reality, very little of what is going on around us can be controlled. What he emphasises, though, is what we can control is what it is that we are thinking, where our mind is focused, our attitude towards such things and how we choose to react to what is going on around us. For me, if we apply this analogy to teaching and learning, it means that as learners, we can choose to be present, - fully present, fully engaged in the moment and thinking deeply about what is happening around us in the teaching and learning experience, by taking agency and autonomy over the learning process.

Being receptive to learning new things and being open to deep learning is ultimately being ‘’conscious, [with] a focus….of awareness’’ (Singer, p 36) on what we are learning in the moment. So, like with anything, if we are fully attentive, curious and inquisitive about a topic, a learning experience, a lesson or a class, then we are being present and mindful and ideally fully reaping the fruits of that learning experience. According to Singer, it is this mindful approach to what is going on around us that not only helps us focus deeply, but also alleviates angst, stress and worry, because when we are fully present – say during a learning experience for example – what we are doing in that moment is our priority. Awareness of and immersion in the moment, Singer claims, is the key to being present, and being present is important because “life is always happening in the present” (p 52). So, if we acknowledge that we are constantly learning (whether or not we are always conscious of this fact), then, as learners, let us try to fully immerse ourselves in the teaching and learning experiences of the now, in order to experience them deeply.

Kirk Thomas - Director of Teaching and Learning