Everything You Need for Teaching in 2021 is in one book…
And you won’t believe which one.
In my first year of teaching, the year 2000, I read a novel by John Marsden aloud to my class. It was entitled, ‘Staying Alive in Year Five’ and one of the central characters, Mr Murlin, took my pedagogy on a trajectory I could never have imagined if I’d only employed the techniques I learned in my education degree.
Every teacher should read this book with one caveat… Mr Murlin would have been more amazing if he wasn’t such a rogue. We all need a team and other teachers would have benefited from his creativity. Nontheless, here’s 7 of the most fabulous characteristics of Mr Murlin that you can use in 2021:
- Mr Murlin made every day of school magical (and not just because of his name). He seemed serious and bland but everything that came out of his mouth was avant-garde.
“At school, we just never knew what was going to happen from one day to the next.”
On day 1, he laid out rules that included:
‘Don’t cook lamingtons in the classroom.’
‘Keep breathing at all times.’
‘Crocodiles are to be put in the box named ‘Crocodiles’.’
Later on in the story, Mr Murlin adds comments such as, “Don’t use calculators and show all working, or else I’ll never tach you Maths again.” It’s completely ridiculous and so much fun.
2. Mr Murlin understood how people learn and how each person learns differently.
“I don’t expect you all to talk: some people prefer to be quiet. But be noisy and lively if you want to. It’d be nice if there was a streak of madness in here.”
3. Mr Murlin was creative and wrote his own lessons. In fact, he asked all his students to throw their textbooks in the bin.
4. Mr Murlin understood the importance of perspective and that there are many “right” answers. He knew that this position would build capability in all the learners in his classroom. On Day Two, he facilitated an object lesson where he asked students to write a description of their desk… from underneath. And then from standing on them. The students discussed how all of the descriptions were different but they were all right.
5. Mr Murlin was curious about thinking and he helped students to develop that same curiosity. He pokes and prods students to think deeply.
“It’s easy to say something’s good or bad. But they can be shallow responses that don’t mean much. What exactly was good about [the] composition? How come it works so well?”
6. Mr Murlin understands the power of feedback and the importance of making it normal. Building on the discussion above, he asks students what made the composition funny and why. He then goes on to ask what doesn't work in the composition at which point, one student replies, ‘It ends too suddenly.’
7. Mr Murlin let imagination bubble and struggle percolate.
“When Mr Murlin came in, we all fired questions at him, but he wouldn’t answer.”
‘Productive Struggle’ is so underutilized in learning these days and this has led to dependent, reliant and fearful students (among other things).
I’m so glad I read this book to my first class. It was happenstance but, twenty years on, I’ve also not forgotten it.
As is the magic of Mr Murlin.
