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Shaping moral character: What stories are our boys living?

8/2/2022

 
In his landmark 1981 book, After Virtue, philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre describes two people, separated by centuries, looking up at the night sky: 

‘The twentieth-century observer looks into the night sky and sees stars and planets; some earlier observers saw instead chinks in a sphere through which the light beyond could be observed. What each observer takes himself or herself to perceive is identified and has to be identified by theory-laden concepts.’

This is not a comment on advances in science or the merits of the empirical method. Rather, MacIntyre’s point is that the way we perceive the world and act in it is inextricably bound up in the theories we have about how the world works. Or to put it another way, how we think and what we do depends on the ‘big story’ we carry around in our heads.

And this really matters. For, as MacIntyre argues, “I can only answer the question ‘What am I to do?’ if I can answer the prior question ‘Of what story or stories do I find myself a part?’” 

That was the question put to our staff as we began 2022 with our Term 1 All-Staff Professional learning Day on Thursday 27 January. We continued in our journey over the last few years to see how we might put our Brave Hearts Bold Minds philosophy of education into practice and become experts in ‘teaching for character’. This year year we focus on the ‘moral character’ qualities we aim to form in our boys: Our Faith and Tradition which inspire truth, honour, loyalty and commitment. Helping boys reflect on their understanding of right and wrong, of their place in the world, and their calling within it, starts with surfacing the stories that they (and we) believe about the world.
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To help us do that, we were joined by Dr Justine Toh, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity and author of the new book Achievement Addiction. Dr Toh engaged staff in a crash course in cultural criticism, sketching out four powerful stories that shape our culture and considering their appeal and their shortcomings. First, there’s ‘the meritocratic story’, which says that you are what you achieve — so be sure to try harder. There’s the ‘infinite browsing story’, where as in Netflix, so in life, we keep our options open but are plagued by FOMO — the fear of missing out. Then there’s ‘the technocratic story’, where everything can be 'solved', except, of course, it can’t! And last, there’s the Christian story of people created in the image of God with infinite dignity and special purpose, a story which challenges the reductive view of the human condition so often presented to us. 
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Dr Toh challenged our staff to consider the ways in which we reinforce various stories about the world as we talk with our students. Making a high ATAR the de facto goal of learning in the senior years can teach boys that success is about hard work, and not also a result of the blessings of their birth and opportunities, leading them to look down on those who ‘didn’t make it’. In undertaking group work, we can spell out how to relate well to those who we don’t necessarily like, and so tell a story about how relationships across differences are more valuable than tribalism. In encouraging boys to immerse themselves in the humanities and creative arts (even if they tend to be more drawn to mathematics and the sciences), we can help them see that life is more about asking good questions than trying to find neat solutions. 

Opportunities to teach character are everywhere. The great challenge that lies before us as teachers, and much more as parents, is to get beneath the surface of boys’ behaviours to the beliefs that drive them. And it starts with asking that question of ourselves. What story am I living?

In coming weeks I look forward to sharing more about how we are helping our staff understand and practice expert character education at Scots, that our boys will go on to live ‘a better story’.


Dr Hugh Chilton
Director of Research and Professional Learning

Scots hosts IBSC Australasia Teachers New to Boys' Schools Conference

24/4/2017

 
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The Scots Research Office had the privilege of hosting the 2nd Australasian International Boys' Schools Coalition Conference for Teachers New to Boys' Schools, Tuesday 11th - Thursday 13th April. Over thirty teachers from around Australia and New Zealand attended, spanning a range of teaching areas and levels of experience, but sharing a common commitment to excellence in educating boys. Keynote addresses were given by the likes of Dr John Best, former Wallabies physician, Professor John Fischetti, Dean of Education at the University of Newcastle, Dr Phil Cummins and our own Dr Tom Cerni. From the nature of transformational learning in the 21st century, to character development and formation, these addresses proffered the challenge not only know our boys but to also know the world that they are in.

Reflecting upon his experience of the Conference, Science teacher Nick Little commented “All of the keynote speakers were excellent but two stood out to me in particular. Dr Best talked about caring for boys in three areas: mind, body and spirit. In this way we should aim to teach boys holistically. Similarly, Dr Cummins spoke about the need to quantify and measure character development in children and adolescents. I had only imagined this as an abstract concept, but now am convicted of its value and importance for implementing holistic care programs in schools like ours, both now and in the future”.

Attendees also found plenty of time to discuss shared practice in stage-specific groups and participate in elective workshops on a range of issues, from classroom management to differentiation. You can access the keynote addresses and read more about the conference here.
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Research Bite: Harvard's Dr Ron Ritchhart visits Scots to discuss cultures of thinking

11/9/2015

 

Research Bite: Harvard's Dr Ron Ritchhart on Creating Cultures of Thinking from tscdigitalmedia on Vimeo.

This week the Preparatory School enjoyed hosting Dr Ron Ritchhart, Senior Research Associate at Harvard Graduate School of Education and Principal Investigator of the Cultures of Thinking Project. A well-known educational researcher, Dr Ritchhart has been working with various teachers across the College over the past two years to help us think harder about developing the ‘intellectual character’ of our boys. Dr Ritchhart works with schools and universities around the world to create ‘cultures of thinking’, where the thinking of a group is ‘valued, visible and actively promoted’, and where students are equipped with the meta-cognitive tools to articulate not just what they have been taught but what they have learnt and understood. You can watch footage of Dr Ritchhart’s presentation to Preparatory School parents here and find more of his resources at www.ronritchhart.com.

ScotsResearch also conducted an interview with Dr Ritchhart about his work on the Cultures of Thinking Project, his understanding of the place of thinking routines in experiential education, and his views on the relationship between thinking in schools, universities and industry. You can watch the full video above, as well as other Research Bites here. 

Leading researchers, authors and teachers discuss boys and motivation at the first ScotsIdeas event for 2015

21/3/2015

 
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How can we motivate our young men to achieve their best?
Over 100 parents, staff and members of the community enjoyed a stimulating evening at the Motivating Boys: A ScotsIdeas Symposium. Our panel of guest speakers offered thoughtful, honest and entertaining answers to the audience's questions about such topics as:
  • Components of motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic
  • Differences between boys and girls
  • Myths around the need for more male teachers
  • Technology and distractions
  • Boys and reading
  • Feedback and goal-setting in sporting and academic settings
  • The pros and cons of homework

Guest panelists included:

Professor Herb Marsh, Australian Catholic University
Recognised as one of the world's most productive educational psychologists and the 11th most productive researcher across all disciplines of psychology, he is an expert in measuring motivation and teaching effectiveness.

Dr Helen Proctor, Senior Lecturer in Education at The University of Sydney
Author of several books in education history and policy, including Controversies in Education (2015), A History of Australian Schooling (2014), and School Choice: How parents negotiate the new school market in Australia (2009).

Mr Scott Monk, novelist and editor at The Australian
Author of acclaimed novel Raw (an HSC set text), Beyond the Knock Knock Door and other books that have ‘got boys into reading’, now an editor at The Australian newspaper.

Mr Lee Morley, The Scots College
A former professional rugby player in the UK, now a Scots Business Studies and Economics teacher and winner of the College’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2014.

Video of the symposium can be viewed here.

Stay tuned for information about our next event, on Thursday 14 May 2015: Sports Science: A ScotsIdeas Demonstration and Discussion. This evening will bring together leading sportspeople, psychologists and sports scientists exploring the relationship between sport and academic performance.

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