Earlier today, I read a post by Naomi Ward that got me thinking about how we perceive and use time in schools. Naomi’s reflections on the “scarcity” mindset we hold around time – and how we label anything outside the immediately ‘productive’ as wasted or frivolous – really struck a chord with me.
But what happens when we challenge the cultural perceptions of “wasting” time? Reflective practice has changed my perspective entirely, allowing me to approach life with more clarity and purpose. Rather than simply doing for the sake of doing, I’ve learned to appreciate the value in pausing, asking questions, and creating space to just be.
In a recent conversation, Adam Quiney noted that teachers seem to be, at their core, idealists – and as I reflect, I realise how deeply true that is. But where do idealists find time to dream? What happens when we shut out the vital space (I’m thinking of terms like “creative stillness” or “contemplative space”) that nurtures our idealism?
Our world certainly needs more of that idealism. More time to think, dream, and reimagine – not as a luxury, but as a necessity for shaping a shared future that we all want to see.
Thank you, Naomi Ward, for sparking this conversation, and to Adam Quiney for further fuelling my thoughts – ever the grateful idealist.
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