This was said to me a while ago on a school governors' training day. The speaker was talking about including all staff in training, particularly referring to part-time staff such as lunch-time supervisors.
The blog by @jillberry102, read it here: http://www.capita-independent.co.uk/resources/blog/are-character-and-thinking-skills-important-knowledge-and-understanding ,
on what should be the primary focus of schools made me think of this advice.
And I am not at all sure I can separate the teaching of knowledge and understanding from the wider "softer" (by which I might mean immeasurable) qualities such as self-awareness, independence and resilience.
I might think I am simply focussing on building children's knowledge, but the way I work and the way I speak to learners, the time (or not) I allow for discussion, the value I place on independence are all there, in the background and can be read from the shape of each lesson. Do I jump in often when a pupil says they have a problem or they don't understand? Do I ask them what they think and see as well as telling them what I do? How much time do I allow for simply 'wallowing' in a maths problem? and do I alter tomorrow's plans because of what I have seen today ... and tell them why I have?
These qualities will be 'taught', just maybe not in the way I may want. Just as well to be explicit about it.
