Why We Teach @ BP- What David Bowie taught us.

At our parent information evening held on Tuesday 26 January, some grade specific information was shared. However as we seek to be innovative, dynamic and experimental within our schooling practice a common notion to all grades was; Have we found our “groove”!

We choose the word “groove” purposely. Perhaps a synonym for “groove” could be “rut”?

For Boys’ Prep, finding a groove is about finding a rhythm. A rhythm implies a pace, a beat, a pulse. Something living.  It’s about finding our stride when things happen effortlessly.

A “rut” is about being stuck. It’s about limited, stilted movement. It’s about the “humdrum”, mundane...Same Old Same Old Routine.

We frequently ask ourselves; which path is our teaching and contributions at the prep following? Do we have a “groove” that’s in line with our 2025 Strategy.

British singer David Bowie’s recent passing left us thinking how a man’s singing career lasted Five decades in an industry known for its fast turnover of Yesterday’s Heroes.

Bowie was often known as the chameleon.  He was able to transform himself, his image and his singing since the 60s’. He reinvented himself a few times over. He created personas like Major Tom in the Space Oddity, Ziggy Stardust, Jean Genie amongst others. He was never afraid to try new and different characters.

Musically, Bowie seldom played it safe. He experimented with various musical genres...from rock to pop, to jazz and blues and even soul. Few musicians leave a genre. In fact, most singers and bands find a “formula”(or blueprint) that works and go out and basically repeat the same type of sounds for the duration of their careers....think  Westlife, One Direction, Celine Dion etc. In a fast changing world, people want new, exciting sounds so those type of artists tend to have a “Sell By” date.

Not Bowie!

He went out; found new and different sounds and somehow find a way of making it work the uniquely Bowie way.

Like any artist, not everything Bowie did worked successfully. Some of his musical experiments flopped commercially yet those so called “failures” never deterred him from trying other different sounds.

This fascination with creating new characters and music had a profound impact on different audiences over many years. In fact, Madonna wrote a stirring tribute to Bowie in which she credited Bowie as a “major influence” in her career.

Let’s bring this back to our vocation... teaching.

In many ways we are also in the entertainment business. We have new and different audiences on a regular basis. Are we still making the “same old sound” when we were “way back when” or are we open to what “sounds” our current audience is listening to?

Are we following the “formula” we found worked some time ago? How do we know the formula still works? Are we prepared to tweak that formula?

Boys’ Prep have always said: “Look for the third right answer” We reflect often and ask of ourselves, are we open to new and other ways of conveying the same message? Are we prepared to try a few different things? Thinking out the box must not simply be a popular contemporary term, instead we must actually live it. We need to have the courage to take calculated risks, dream big and if we fail, to learn from our failure and reinvent ourselves.

We constantly look at what we can do to make ourselves interesting and relevant to our audience.

As we journey towards Strategy 2025, we ask ourselves: if our teaching depended on sales of our knowledge, our methods etc., would we still be in the Top 20?

Final thought: Time will tell…