All the bells and whistles but.....those knots still there!

As I head into the last days of our April break I was reflecting on my mind body and soul and how I wanted to start the new term extra energised and relaxed. So I went for a massage, my neck and been stiff.....

As I lay there back, neck and head massage underway, I reflected on MLE oddly enough.

I had found a place close to home via the internet close to home with an engaging website and good testimonials and I was quickly replied to through an email. Promising I thought, the masseuse did reiki and intuitive massage- just what I needed!

As I walked in to the room, it was peaceful, already with calming music playing, essential oils wafting and a peaceful, tranquil  It had a seat for me to fill in my new customer sheet including where I had been experiencing pain, my masseuse asked me further questions. I felt comfortable and positive about the experience. The added basket for my belongings were nice too.  I was able to choose my oil and decide if I wanted natural light.

Pre-mortgage I had massages fortnightly and loved the holistic wellbeing and release they gave me for my stiff neck and sinus. Post-mortgage massages became far less frequent and were about booking in rather than a fortnight affair. I was no expert but I loved when the masseuse found the knots and untangled them.

 As I lay there today amongst the tranquility I realised that this was all about the bells and whistles and actually lacked the strong  fingers and intuitive knowledge of where the knots were and there was no real substance to the massaging thumb and fingers.  I realised that this massage was all about relaxing the muscle and not about the knots and crannies.

With my head in the rest, eyes closed being rolled, slapped and rubbed it made me reflect on MLE and ILE (or any school). How often are we; teachers, school community and whanau enticed by a website and the initial meeting  where you feel listened to and in an environment that spoke tranquility and peace of mind (the job it had), handed a basket for your belongings  (nice gesture). Half-naked and lathered up with the favourite oil of my choice (coconut oil)  feeling comfortable and being given great advice (golden milk, breathing, positive well-being, hypnosis) but the real problem not being addressed or just rubbed over or better still just about there.

How often in our schools are our learners real needs not being met? How often despite the attractive informative environments, ability groups and PLN are teachers not quite getting there with the learner's knots?  We may look and sound like we are meeting the needs of our learners but are we getting deep to the matter? Can I change for a learner be bigger

As I lay there, finally receiving a rubbing  concentrated on my sore neck (the whole reason I was there and the aspect I had shared both  via email, orally and indicated on the body image on the paper and then had to specifically ask for to be addressed......... I realised how crucial teacher inquiry is to the success of a MLE or an ILE. I believe that a MLE needs to be about strong teaching and I advocate strongly for a collaborative ILE  but also advocate for teachers to choose to employ their own teacher inquiry because they want to or see the need to  not because some one is telling them to.
A MLE allows for groups of children to be taught together outside the realm of a single-cell classroom but does this alone address the learners knots? I know that if  the knots are released there can be  better movement and all-round happiness? I believe that this needs to be done for our learners too.

I ask you now if you read through this- where is your stand on teacher inquiry? Have you done one? What can you do this coming term to address a learner's or a groups of learners knots?

Don't get me wrong I left relaxed, smiling with the added touch of a hottie warming my clothes, nicely moisterised, with the smell of deep heat after my request.... but still with a distant stiffness because my knot hadn't been addressed, although on my way to the supermarket to buy my 'golden milk', ready to fill a jar with muddy water for my maths inquiry (and DH) and with my homework in mind( breathing exercises). Would I be going back? No I need the knots untangled through some  strong finger work!!