Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Well, I was asked, again, to describe my background in education.......here goes

So, here it is:
                          




I’m a retired educator. I now spend my time writing, reading, watching and feeding the birds, taking in the beauty of the countryside that surrounds my home, walking and, when I do, filling a plastic bag with the litter that the uncaring throw thoughtlessly, disrepectfully, from their cars and backpacks. Oh, and being a companion to Matilda...............


So, what did I do? Where did I teach?

My 50 years in education included initially teaching middle school, then elementary, before being taken from the classroom and elevated to the post of Advisory Teacher in Leicestershire, England during the Open Education era. During that period of time, I visited classrooms and ran science workshops - in the UK and the USA. Eventually I became a principal.

Here's a thumbnail sketch of my career    1963 - 1994

1963 – 1965

My first teaching post was in the small town of Stafford, at Trinity Fields Secondary School, for 11 to 15 year olds. As the newest and youngest member of the science department, I taught – and taught badly - Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Human Biology, to 11, 12, and 13 year-old pupils, including many recently arrived from the Asian continent, unable to speak or understand English.

During my two years at Trinity Fields, bringing the outdoors indoors, I eventually learned, intrigued my pupils, especially those experiencing schooling difficulties.

Helped by an incredible 'awareness-raising' learning experience with a boy nicknamed Tiger, his disinterest in school and his fascination with a spider, I developed a variety of engaging strategies for introducing pupils to the world of science.

Tiger helped lay the foundation for my enduring passion and interest in teaching classroom science, using material drawn from the ‘wild’ environment.

Thank you, Tiger.

1965 – 1967

Hearing and reading about the exciting science and mathematics curriculum work going on in Leicestershire Primary Schools when Stewart Mason, the Director of Education, abolished the highly selective  11+ examination, I moved from the Staffordshire secondary sector in 1965, joining the staff of Blaby Stokes, a large Leicestershire primary school.

In January, 1965, I assumed the teaching responsibility for a large class of 10/11 year old boys and girls.

Supported by an understanding and supportive progressive Headmaster, Mr. Ted Ward, I developed a strong 'hands-on' science and mathematics bias to my teaching, using rocks, fossils, insects and plants, as engaging and motivating resources for encouraging reading, writing, painting, mathematics and, of course, science.

It appeared to work well, enthusing me as well as my children, many of whom, I later learned, went on to enthusiastically study science throughout their secondary and higher education.

Whilst at Blaby Stokes, I had opportunity to develop other school teacher skills away from the classroom. I reorganized and managed the school library, led staff debate and discussion on the content of an appropriate mathematics and science curriculum, ran the school football team, and organized residential trips for the pupils to North Wales and the Isle of Wight.

My classroom became a visiting spot for teachers from America [1]. They came to see  progressive schools at work, and came to my classroom to observe how I integrated science, mathematics, reading and writing.

Len Sealey, the Primary Schools Advisor to the Leicestershire LEA, spent several days in and around my classroom, making a film he used in his In-Service work for teacher education, and at conferences and workshops in Africa and America.

Later, Bill Browse, Sealey’s successor, invited me to join the Advisory Center as a science and environmental education specialist with the remit to ‘introduce and develop science’ in Leicestershire Primary School classrooms [2].

I had been at Blaby less than two years.

Although the Education Authority was keen to raise the level of science curriculum interest in all its 365 primary schools, few resources were available – which, in hindsight, was perhaps a blessing. Bill Browse gave me a few tins, a map of the county, and, with a smile, said, “Hey, that’s it. See what you can do.”

With a wide open brief (and a petrol allowance), I enthusiastically set out to discover parts of the Leicestershire countryside that could be explored by young children for investigative activity That done, my next task was identifying classrooms and teachers with whom I could work – and, consequently, learn more about how children learn.

Using my limited resources and my unlimited energy and enthusiasm, and pocketfuls (and tins) of nature’s delights, my next six years work included:
  • Working with Headteachers who were keen to introduce science in their schools;
  • Routinely visiting and working in a variety of town and village classrooms with pupils aged 5 to 11;
  • Leading outdoor and indoor workshops with teachers, using the ‘wild’ environment as a resource. (This work, incidentally, was often observed by visiting advisory/inspectorial staff who were involved in the current Nuffield Science and Mathematics in other school districts, and educators from America who were using ideas developed by Dr. David Hawkins and his staff at the Federally funded Elementary Science Study, based in Boston, Mass, USA.)
  • Identifying those teachers who knew their teaching would benefit from attending a meeting or ‘hands-on’ science workshop with like-minded teachers;
  • Supporting those teachers in their classrooms as they attempted to introduce science activities in their classrooms;
  • Providing an ear and an eye for LEA officers and administrators who were anxious to hear of school and classroom changes;
  • Taking teachers on residential visits to the LEA’s Outdoor Pursuits Center in Aberglaslyn, North Wales, helping them plan their trips with young children;
  • Working with parents of very young children in evening workshop sessions led by Marjorie Kay, the Infant School advisor, focusing on ways in which adults and children learn together;
  • Presenting evening talks to parents about school science;
  • Working with the Secondary Schools Advisor to create an effective school curriculum for disaffected High School pupils;
  • Developing links between schools and the city museum (a project funded by the Carnegie Foundation) which led to the appointment of an Education Officer – which, in turn, led to a school loans program that brought fossils, rocks and minerals, and historical artifacts in to schools);
  • Setting up the first day visit Field Study Center for Leicestershire primary schools. I took over a disused village primary school in the village of Foxton, on the banks of the Grand Union canal. This was an ideal site as a resource center for outdoor work with young children, still in use to the present day [3];
  • A year or so after the opening of Foxton (where I ran 92 consecutive day workshops for teachers) Leicestershire LEA opened two other centers, one at Hoby, and the other in Thurmaston;
  • Frequent late hour education-focused discussions with colleagues Bill Browse, Tony Kallet, and numerous visiting American educators, including David and Frances Hawkins, Bill Hull, John Holt, Philip Morrison, Tom Justice, and many others;
  • Leading science and environmental education workshops at the LEA’s Easter Residential Course for Primary School Teachers, held at Loughborough University. This was a particularly successful annual in-service education program, led by Bill and Tony, which attracted over 100 teachers over the Easter week;
  • I was a pioneer in developing strong links between schools and the newly established local radio; [4]
  • I was a guest speaker at several science conferences held in different cities across Great Britain.
1967 – 1970

The science going on in Leicestershire Primary Schools attracted many educators in the late 60s – all wanting to see ways in which environmental science resources were used to motivate and engage young children. Several American educators, including David Hawkins, Tom Justice, Charles Rathbone, John Holt and Roland Barth, shadowed my advisory work, especially at the Foxton Field Study Center.

During the summers of 1967, 1968, and 1969, I ran many science-based workshops with Professor David Hawkins in Montpelier and Boston, using science ideas and resources I had developed working with young children and running teacher workshops in Great Britain.

1970 – 1971

In 1970, David and Frances Hawkins invited me to join them as a full time staff member at the opening of the Mountain View Center, in Boulder, Colorado, an education project funded by the Ford Foundation, and managed by the University of Colorado, Boulder.  

My work at Mountain View included working closely with David [5], Frances, Elwyn Richardson [6], Jane Richtmyer, and Tony Kallet. The ensuing year was spent:
  • Learning more and more about the education process.
  • Acquiring more strategies for engaging teachers in a workshop environment.
  • Working in classrooms with children who had significant social, cultural and learning issues.
  • Learning more about the depths and delights of physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics when working alongside eminent scientists and mathematicians  ( especially Philip Morrison and Stan Ulam) who had been with David at Los Alamos during the second world war, creating the atomic bomb).
  • Developing strong links with many teachers who were keen to discuss, debate and exchange educational experiences, especially on ways to engage and motivate all kinds of learners.
  • Setting up and running science workshops at Mountain View, in schools, and in other centers of learning – including Tampas, Boston, Denver, St. Louis, and Colorado Springs.
  • Talking with teachers about early childhood education practice.
  • Working with staff of Head Start and Follow-Through projects across America,
  • Running workshop sessions at weekends on the Pine Ridge Wounded Knee Reservation with adult Ogllala Sioux who were involved with a classroom teacher aid program sponsored by the University of Colorado, Boulder.
  • Visiting consultant at EDC, Boston, where I led a series of workshops for EDC staff that focused on their work with teachers who were shifting from formal to informal teaching.
  • Visiting consultant for a weeklong program at the University of Florida,
  • Visiting speaker/workshop leader in Philadelphia.
  • Co-authored Yesterday I Found, published by the University of Colorado, 1971.

1971 – 1973

On my return to Great Britain, I resumed my duties at the Leicestershire Advisory Center.
Science, now I learned, had certainly taken root in Leicestershire classrooms and I was fortunate in reaping the harvest of my previous work. I linked up again with Leicester Museum and became heavily involved in the Carnegie Project, aimed at developing educational links between schools and the museum. This work brought me in contact with The Nature Conservancy who invited me to talk at two conferences on the theme of children embracing the concept and practice of conservation. 

In the autumn of 1971, I spoke at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s world conference in Rotterdam. I described the exciting science and mathematical work going on in Leicestershire classrooms. The following afternoon, I was led a team of environmental ‘experts’ on a field trip in a woodland close to the conference center.

1973 – 1976

As my advisory work began to take me away from the classrooms and more into the secondary sector [7] as it contemplated how to support teachers when the school leaving age was increased (from 15 to 16), I decided it was time for me to hang up my travel boots and return, full-time, to the classroom. 

Consequently, I was appointed as teacher of a class of ten and eleven year olds and as deputy Headteacher of Warren Hills CP, a newish open-plan primary school.

During my time at Warren Hills CP School, my classroom was featured in an educational film, ‘What did you learn in school today?’ and I was featured as a visiting science advisor in another film, Look in on Learning,  made in Mary Brown’s school in Melton Mowbray.

1977 – 1985

in 1977, I was appointed Headmaster of Robert Bakewell School, a large open plan school on the outskirts of Loughborough. My work there as Headmaster included,

  • Negotiating and agreeing clear curriculum policies and classroom practice.
  • Developing an effective partnership relationship with parents and governors that brought them into school and into its classrooms.
  • Creating a positive image through developing evening classes for the community. (As the school offered child care, parents began to use the building more and more during school time).
  • Attracting school TV broadcasting to make several science [8] programs (which I wrote) in Robert Bakewell’s classrooms [9].
  • Improving the quality of teaching and learning through staff debate and discussion, workshops, In -Service courses, and a focus on developing each teacher’s particular strengths.
Robert Bakewell’s reputation improved to such an extent that it was described by Stewart Mason, Director of Education, as a ‘good stable’ – Mason speak for a school that developed teachers worthy of promotion to positions of responsibility in other establishments - and a school that did its utmost to provide a rich, quality learning environment for its pupils.

The LEA continued to use me as a consultant/advisor, and, at the Authority’s behest, I set up a primary Teachers in-service Program at the LEAs conference center – and developed some of its outer buildings as a Field Study center for inner-city children.

Following the 1981 Education Act which focused on creating a new policy for children with learning difficulties, I formed a working group that led to the LEA adopting an appropriate program for supporting children with learning issues in mainstream schools.

I was seconded for a term, working at Sheffield University as the LEA’s representative, discussing the aims of the new government’s educational ambitions which would, eventually, bring about significant changes in education, including the tightening of teacher contracts to a set number of annual teaching hours.

During my time at Robert Bakewell I had 15 books published, many for Ladybird Press, including:
  • Nature Takes Shape
  • The story of the spider
  • The story of the ant
  • Batteries and Bulbs
  • Simple Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Biology
  • Air
  • Light
  • The Midlands
  • Winter
  • All Around You
  • Weather
1985
In 1985, I was appointed Headmaster of Ibstock Junior School, an establishment built in 1906, and now with 265 junior pupils on roll.

An interesting feature of this school for me was its UNIT for children with moderate to severe learning difficulties.

Other interesting (and challenging) features included its low self-esteem, its run-down curriculum, [10] its disinterested staff, its uninvolved parents [11]and its new board of governors.

Through staff, parents and governor debate and negotiation, significant changes in school were introduced to meet the challenges of impending educational policy changes.

I was helped by the 1988 Education Act [12] which, among other things, described an entitlement curriculum for all pupils in all schools, and urged schools to manage their own financial affairs.

      School slowly developed a well-deserved positive reputation.
  • It became popular with parents and the LEA.
  • It was ambitious for its pupils and its teachers.
  • It developed clear, understandable policies and goals.
  • Its governors and parents were well informed and keen to support school, its teachers and its pupils.
  • Its teachers were enthusiastic and well prepared, developing interesting, age-appropriate learning activities.
  • ALL members of staff (teaching and non-teaching) had ownership of - and participation in - all school policies and management decisions.
An inspection by local education officers and advisors highlighted the good practice in place, particularly praising the science teaching and learning, and the school’s program for children experiencing significant learning challenges.

As a result of this report, the Chairman of the school governors and I were asked to address County Councillors about the school’s science teaching – giving us the opportunity to celebrate school’s achievements. These achievements, included:
  • A strong, appropriate, changing curriculum for all pupils.
  • A highly regarded Annual Review process of school’s (many) statemented children.
  • A National Award for Schools’ Annual Governors Report to Parents.
  • My membership of the UK Government's Core Curriculum Interim Committee, National Curriculum Council.
  • Winning a number of computers for the school library.
  • Gaining funding from Toyota for a school yard project.
  • Creating a staff development and routine staff meeting agenda that met teacher needs and expectations.
In September 1994, I visited a school in New Canaan, Connecticut, USA, for six weeks, to work alongside Dr. Russell Firlik, giving me chance to observe at first hand some of the teaching and learning (and management) processes in place in Dr. Firlik’s school.

This project was financed by the Fulbright Teacher Program and I was the first Head Teacher in the UK to receive such an award.

Dr. Firlik came to Ibstock and spent six weeks shadowing me.

During that time, I met up with David Hawkins, then visiting professor at Stamford.

John Paull          December 1994


[1] Leicestershire LEA, one of three areas in England much visited by American educators eager to see at first hand  progressive schools – Oxfordshire and the West Riding of Yorkshire being the other two.
[2] There were 365 Primary Schools in Leicestershire
[3] Following Foxton’s success, two others were opened a couple of years later.
[4] Radio Leicester was the first local radio station set up by the BBC – a station that led the way in developing links for teachers.
[5] Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, first Director of ESS, consultant to the Nuffield Science Project.
[6] New Zealander, author of ‘In the Early World’
[7] As it contemplated how to support teachers when the school leaving age was increased from 15 to 16.
[8] Science: Start Here, and All Around You – both written by me
[9] It was this that particularly impressed the school parents.
[10] A bland diet of textbook and blackboard mathematics and English, with the occasional bit of history and geography, and no science whatsoever.
[11] Parents were not welcome in the building and consequently had little confidence in what went on in the classrooms.
[12] I was invited to work with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Consultative Committee, and made regular visits to London

1996 – to the present

Enticed by long conversations with my friend, mentor and inspiration, David Hawkins, during my time  in New Haven,  I decided to return full time to the USA. After 33 years in education in the UK, I retired and took up an offer to come to Denver and set up a Teacher Preparation Program at the Stanley British Primary School, financed by a five-year grant from the Colorado Commission for Higher Education.

The program was different from the traditional teacher education model. Student teachers ('interns') were placed four days each week in the classroom, co teaching with the lead teacher (the 'mentor'). Each Friday, the interns met with me to discuss their teaching and learning experiences.

When the grant expired in 2001, I agreed to stay on and make the program economically viable. Then, in 2004, I started another program, in Boulder, at The Friends School, and was also appointed as senior lecturer (Research Methods for Teachers) in the School of Education, University of Colorado, Denver, and a Site Professor in its teacher preparation program.

In these roles, I interacted/worked with over 450 teacher candidates (aspiring teachers) in over 30 public, charter and private schools.

Drawing on my background in progressive education, I worked hard to create and implement a teacher preparation experience that was motivating and authentic. I worked hard to inspire and engage my adult graduate university students through a seminar process that involved active discourse about how one engages and motivate students.

I feel honored that the teacher preparation experience eventually impacted so many students and so many classrooms.


Although retired, I still love to teach. I particularly enjoy leading sessions for teachers on how to build classroom community, how to motivate and engage students of all ages, classroom management, science and environmental education. I especially enjoy teaching science to pre K, elementary and middle school students, too, at three local schools, thus maintaining the integrity and authenticity of my work with adults.

I am currently planning my next series of classes for parents and children, entitled, ‘I’m a scientist’. These classes focus on adults working with their children on engaging, challenging science activities.

My blog, www.mywishingrock.blogspot.com, and my website, www./site/johnpaullssciencesite  describe many of the other things I do to enrich each and every day.

My latest book, Through My Eyes, published by Xlibris in 2012.


John Paull







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