Refreshing honesty - 'Reach for stars posters mislead pupils': Teaching expert attacks

[Surya Gayatri]

'tidal wave of guff' in classrooms.

Cheesy slogans such as ‘reach for the stars’ could be detrimental to pupils, it has been claimed.

Carl Hendrick, head of learning and research at Wellington College, Berkshire, has attacked the ‘tidal wave of guff’ in classrooms.

These ‘missives in mediocrity’ often tell pupils to ‘live your dream’ and ‘you can do it’ and ‘be all that you can be’.



But the glossy notices are ‘often reductively misinterpreted as “you can achieve anything if you believe”’.

Mr Hendrick argues that schools should concentrate on boosting pupils’ confidence by teaching them well and providing ‘clear and achievable paths to academic success’.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3034492/Reach-stars-posters-mislead-pupils-Teaching-expert-attacks-tidal-wave-guff-classrooms.html