Inspiration Matters: Life is a balance so be yourself. Dr Patricia Gibbons - PRS department

Have you ever tried standing on one leg?  If you are Rob helping me marshal the House Cross-Country course, or part of my Upper Sixth Philosophy class, you have!  It is a bit of T’ai Chi, or preparation to be a karate kid, or practice to help walk the tight-rope at the Climbing Centre.  Physical balance, so I have found is something that needs practice.

In the outer world, so in the inner world.  What do I mean?  To be totally present in one’s body, focussing fully in order to balance, is a great exercise.  And so too, is finding balance in one’s inner world – in your thoughts and self-understanding.  What does this mean?  Well, I’m reading a lot about Carl Gustav Jung, an early psychologist at the beginning of the twentieth century.  His psychology is all about balance – about getting in touch with the various aspects on oneself, giving them each their due and finding balance.  He was the one who coined the terms ‘introvert’ and ‘extrovert’ to refer to inward looking/quiet aspects of people, and vivacious/outward-looking aspects of people.

We might think of ourselves as one or the other – a bubbly party person being an extrovert and a quiet, reflective person being an introvert.  But what Jung demonstrates is that we each have both aspects in ourselves, and we need to honour both in our lives.  We need to give ourselves times to be quiet – unplugged and solitary, as well as giving ourselves time to be with people, in company, buzzing and energetic.

I saw a book whose title was Silence: In the Age of Noise – by a Norwegian explorer, Erling Kagge who writes of his adventures in the Antarctic and of the richness of solitude – being by himself, in harmony with himself and fully attentive to his surroundings.  The bookseller recommended it, and said he thought we could all do with a bit more silence and solitude.

In my experience it takes practice to be comfortable with silence and solitude and alone-time.  We are mostly out of practice because our lives are always surrounded by people and noise and connection.  I also know, however, that there is much inner freedom to be had in silence and solitude and connection to yourself – especially in walking or hiking.  And it’s also great to connect with others – a real joy to chat with others and share life’s stories.

It's all a matter of balance.  So, happy T’ai Chi balancing on one leg, and happy finding that inner balance.  Learning to be who you are.  And you are great.

This piece was originally written to support our pupils in sport, emphasising character being essential for success, but it applies equally to all young people as they develop along the sometimes difficult road to adulthood.

The Importance of Good Tutoring

Energetic and effective tutoring can change a pupil’s educational experience and life as much as high quality classroom teaching or co-curricular coaching. The needs of each individual pupil will be different, as will the needs of pupils at varying stages during their school career.  The tutor is a critical figure in helping your child to reflect on their educational journey and their learning in a frequent and focused way.  The tutoring system is also fundamental in improving communications in the parent/child/school pastoral triangle.

While it is impossible to be too prescriptive about the role, good tutoring is characterised by excellent individual knowledge of each tutee and a genuine concern for his or her wellbeing and success. Tutors need to get to know their tutees well and be fully aware of what they are doing, how and why, and also what they are not doing and why. Such awareness is essential to facilitate effective tutoring.

In part, the tutor's role is to acknowledge, praise and positively reinforce when pupils achieve both personally and, as so many do at Canford, at a school-wide, regional or national level.  But it is also crucial that pupils are encouraged to seek guidance and support when things seem to have gone off track – as will almost certainly happen on occasion throughout their school careers.  Through building a relationship based on productive and measured communication tutor and pupil can work together to identify the real extent of an issue – whether that be in terms of swiftly resolving a passing anxiety or perhaps identifying something deeper.

Time is pressured in our schools and teachers very often have many different hats to wear.  However I believe the role of the tutor should be a major priority in order to offer pupils that individual support within a broader educational context.  At Canford, it is the glue that binds together all of those key elements that constitute the education we offer.