Reflecting, reconnecting and recalibrating – teaching, learning and pastoral care

Gemma Hargraves, Assistant Head (Pastoral) at King Edward VI High School for Girls at the time of writing, now Deputy Head (Safeguarding, Inclusion and Wellbeing) at The Crypt School, Gloucester The work of Doug Lemov continues to positively impact teaching and learning in classrooms both sides of the Atlantic, but more recently his Reconnect book (2023), written alongside Lewis, Williams and Frazier, has been impactful in an independent girls’ school in Birmingham. The book starts with the premise that schools and classrooms have changed as a result of years of disruption and isolation, alongside ‘a crisis of mental health’ (Lemov et al., 2023, p. 14). They attribute the crisis in mental health to the rise of smart phones and social media, resulting in negative impacts on social interaction, attention and concentration skills. The book is more solutions-focused, with strategies around responsive teaching, inclusive pedagogy and more effective pastoral care. The suggestions ther