They say: “I don’t care”.
They mean: “I’m scared”.
When asking one of my year 10 boys to focus on his preparations for his upcoming exam and explaining that by preparing well he will be successful, he replied with: “I don’t care. I don’t care about the exam. And I don’t care about doing well.”
I didn’t believe him. “Okay,” I replied. “I’ll care enough for both of us until you’re ready to care.” It wasn’t apathy. It wasn’t defiance. It was fear.
A truly inspiring assistant headteacher I worked with some years ago once said to me: “Every child wants to succeed, every child wants to do well.”
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday
Already have an account? Sign in here