What's in a little cheese? Creative schools, that's what!!!

 Our staff run a 'cheese club'. Yep, you read that correctly, a 'cheese club'. Its origins lie several years back (pre Covid, at any rate). On a weekly basis, staff are rostered to provide cheese for the 'members' to share and enjoy. The 'meetings', or 'tastings' are themed. My previous one was themed blue, we provided blue cheeses, and my colleague at the time (Mōrehu) sang the blues while we tasted. 

The themes have been wide and varied, and often they are 'b**y spectacular', always they are interesting, fascinating, intriguing, or simply damned good eating. Take a look at this one by Steph and Dan from our science department inn 2021.

Last week Nick and I were on together as 'hosts', with a theme determined by a random draw from a jar, our subject departments. Nick teaches Japanese, and chose to bring a Japanese cheese cake, but also some Italian Arancini balls. They went down really well!!!!

My subject department when in the classroom was 'economics', so what on earth could that look like? I decided that I'd illustrate what I think is the underlying philosophy of neo-liberalism, of the free market, using cheese. 

I created 4 plates, all on identically sized physical plates. That is significant.. the idea is that a free market assumption is that we all have equal opportunity in society, hence the equal sized plates!!

The first had a small number of cubes of just a few cheeses, one of the cheeses was 'pretty average', if I am honest. This was labelled 'Teachers without MUs'.

The second had similar cheeses, but slightly greater quantities, and a couple of pieces of a rather nice French camembert, for those quick enough to grab them. This was labelled 'Teachers with MUs'.

The third plate had a slightly larger quantity of cheese again, and included more of the better quality cheeses (but also some of that 'dubious' quality stuff). This one was labelled 'SLT'.

The fourth plate was pretty full, included most of that great quality camembert, and a nice blue. This one was labelled 'Board of Trustees'.

Finally there was a fifth late, with pieces of rich fruit cake. This was labelled 'Marie Antoinette's contribution to the economics of distribution'. 'Let them eat cake', indeed.

I then read two original poems, one called 'Dirty Dairy', written especially for the cheese club. It was inspired by a poem ''a thousand kisses deep', by Leonard Chen (from his 'Live in London' album')

The cheese club is fantastic. It is not exclusive, anyone prepared to be on the roster can participate, and it's a great outlet for staff creativity. They have an annual  cheese club birhtday trip away in one of the term breaks, visiting cheese makes somewhere. They have an Instagram page, which is followed bvy cheesemakers large and small.. pretty awesome, eh!!

One thing I loved last week was the almost immediate staff 'rebellion' as staff shifted plates between the labels so that they could access the better selections of cheese. It reminded me of that famous Star Trek scenario in which Captain Kirk rewrites the rules of a test in order to be able to 'win' the scenario.

It's that spirit of creativity, that spirit of rebellion that, I think, is essential to a successful and creative school. We have to be prepared to rewrite the rules, to think outside that proverbial square, if our learners are to be best served.

Staff let their imaginations run riot, they take risks, they make themselves vulnerable by putting themselves out there.

I noticed that 'playfulness ' is also one of the dimensions identified in the Creative Schools Index. Encouraging playfulness amongst staff has to be good, doesn't it?

I won't deny that it's a bit stressful when your time comes, but the support, the acclamation, that comes from colleagues 'week after week' is huge. The sense of fun and fellowship, of manaaki, of whanaungatanga, are huge.

I have on several occasions told the staff who created this idea that I hope they understand the incredibly powerful and positive impact their mahi has in terms of staff morale and staff culture. We thrive on the rites and rituals that we sustain as an organisation.

'Learn Create Share' is alive and well in the heads and hearts of our staff. 'He puna auaha, a centre of creative excellence'? Absolutely!!! If staff don't feel able to take risks, to indulge their own creativity, then there will be no hope for our students. Our staff most definitely are... I love 'em!! My sense of hope for our akonga is boundless in the light of what I see here week after week after week!!!!

'He puna auaha, A centre of creative excellence'.