James Anderson - Growth Mindsets

Twenty years ago, a parent-teacher interview was about what the student needed to do.

Today, it's often about what the teacher is going to do.

That flip didn't happen by accident — and it's not entirely a bad thing. It reflects two decades of genuine, hard-won progress in the quality of teaching.

But somewhere in those twenty years, an idea slipped in that I think we need to look at hard.

The idea that the teacher makes THE difference. Not a difference. THE difference.

In my latest article, I unpack where that assumption came from, what it's quietly cost us, and why the next decade of school improvement won't come from doing more of the same, harder.

It'll come from finally taking the other half of the equation seriously.

Growth = Skilful Teaching × Skilful Learning.

We've spent twenty years on the first half. It's time we got serious about the second.

We've Raised the Quality of Teaching. Now We Need to Raise the Quality of Learning. When I was at school, going to a parent-teacher interview was a slightly nervous occasion. Mum and the teacher were about to compare notes on what I needed to do.

As the end of the third week of school arrives, and the initial excitement and nerves from the start of the year have calmed, this is our reminder as educators and leaders: Learning is not just about what students are taught — it’s about how they learn.

When students become masters of how they learn, they build confidence, agency, and resilience that lasts far beyond any single subject or year level.

Here’s to a year where learning is elevated from an act to an art — and every student is supported to discover how they learn best.

It’s worth paying close attention to the language used in classrooms — not only to what students say, but what we say as educators.

The questions we ask, the feedback we offer, and the moments we choose to intervene or step back all send powerful messages about learning. Over time, these messages shape how students respond to effort, challenge and uncertainty.

Learning cultures are rarely built by programs alone. They are built through language, used deliberately and consistently.

We talk a lot about teaching.

The real shift happens when we focus on learning.