Lou Mycroft's blog

The Identities Programme at The Northern College 2015

Lou Mycroft — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 14:27:23 +0000

Last year, as The EDIF2013-14 Diversity Programme drew to a close, we knew it wasn't over. Our thinking continued over the summer, and we were delighted to be able to continue the work into 2015. Here is what we learned from The Identities Project:

IDENTITIES FINAL REPORT

“I’m a different teacher now. I resist the labels; the pigeon-holing; the merging of ‘equality and
diversity’ into something meaningless, about ticking a box. As Audre Lorde said ‘There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle, because we do not live single-issue lives.’”

Identities Programme participant

A Bientot

Lou Mycroft — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 20:14:13 +0000

Well my page is done and as long as Catina is happy with it, that will be my last action for this phase of TeachDifferent: The Diversity Programme. Who knows where this work will take us?

I came back to work in September last year after three years jugging caring, grieving, working, running a charity and being a single parent. I needed some focus but I was jaded and a bit bored, didn't want the graft without the excitement. Thanks to EDIF^definition (and Catina, and all of you) this has been my most exciting year at work, I have loved it.

What the funding has done is given me a voice and a platform, to develop ideas that were forming during all those years sitting at the bedside of poorly parents. I've got braver with each day, to express my ambition - if I'm going to change education this is the moment and I'm giving it my best shot. And it's brought me in touch with others who have inspired and challenged me, some of whom I hope will go forward with me as comrades and friends.

That's why project funding matters - because of the way in which it can regenerate us, push us out of comfortable spaces, give us a platform to take risks and make mistakes. I started to write Au Revior at the top of this blog, in the hope of seeing some of you again, but I've changed it to A Bientot - if my schoolgirl French isn't letting me down - until next time.

Lou x

Is there anybody there...?

Lou Mycroft — Tue, 27 May 2014 16:11:57 +0000

Going massively online this year has helped me really think through online communities and the part we all play in them. I would like to honour the Ancient and Honourable Pursuit of Lurking :-) Are you a lurker? (I sometimes am). How does the term make you feel? Shall we reclaim it?

More here: http://teachnorthern.wordpress.com/2014/05/25/the-ancient-and-honourable-pursuit-of-lurking/

Lou x

FREE Conference 4th July :-)

Lou Mycroft — Tue, 27 May 2014 16:05:37 +0000

All are welcome at our **FREE** TeachDifferent 2014 conference where there will be cakes, Tree walks, sunshine and all-round joyfulness. Sign up here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/teachdifferent-conference-td14-tickets-1081527879

Would love to see some of you there x

TeachDifferent Conference 2014

Lou Mycroft — Tue, 27 May 2014 07:18:14 +0000

Our #free conference has food, walks, trees, thinking, lovely views, good people, rhizomes etc http://www.eventbrite.com/e/teachdifferent-conference-td14-tickets-1081527879 … booking now #td14

We'll be presenting the findings of our Diversity Programme here too - do come along if you can! You are VERY welcome :-)

Happy Anticipation

Lou Mycroft — Wed, 14 May 2014 07:16:43 +0000

I've been quiet for a bit...it got to that lull in any action research project when the input is done and the evidence is being collected, though the coaching sessions continue to happen for the next few weeks. All the high stakes anxiety of the training days was done with by March, the survey monkeys have gone chattering back into their trees (70% response rate! pretty amazing) and this week sees not only the gathering of (all the) clans in London to plan the dissemination days, but the intensive period of our qualitative research is happening too. I've been typing up some of the transcripts and...wow. Hopefully we'll hear something today about the format of the final report. If it's anything like everything else has been for this project, it will have been thoughtfully produced to generate really reflective thinking. As my shoulders lower a bit, I realise I had lots of anxiety about missing learning from our project but having experienced the depth of researcher Jill's questions, that's not going to happen. She reaches the parts that others don't. So my job right now is to sit back, watch the English countryside whizz by, and really looking forward to telling the world about what we have done.

FREE! Reflexion Programme at The Northern College

Lou Mycroft — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 18:14:09 +0000

(In fact more than free - we pay your organisation if you attend!)

One of the joys of the EDIF^definition TeachDifferent Diversity Programme project is that we're learning what works in CPD^definition - notably how much we can achieve in a day, using Thinking Environment techniques and supported by the Community of Praxis. On the back of our learning and full of excitement, I put in a bid to the Education and Training Foundation for some similar work around reflexion - and got it!

This means that we can offer some fantastic CPD in the gorgeous surroundings of Northern College AND pay organisations £128 for each person who attends the two days (which hopefully goes straight into the pockets of sessional tutors).

I'd be really grateful if you can promote this opportunity around your networks, as I've committed to 160 places (eeek!) The link to further information is here and we're tweeting on #TDReflex14

http://teachnorthern.wordpress.com/teachdifferent-the-reflexion-programme/

Thank you! Lou x

Mindfulness Project - York?

Lou Mycroft — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 10:29:45 +0000

I've a half-memory of hearing that one of our fellow projects was a Mindfulness project - was it in York? I meant to make contact with the project in Sheffield last week, then forgot to ask Catina in the excitement of the day. Is this you? Can we make contact? Lou x

Mindfulness Project - York?

Lou Mycroft — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 10:29:39 +0000

Mindfulness Project - York?

Lou Mycroft — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 10:29:32 +0000