On the back foot: in which we aim to re-affirm our enlightenment values despite being temporarily in an uncomfortable position

The definition of an educated person includes scepticism towards dogma, authority and ‘common sense’. The openness to investigation and fact that should also impel journalism and governance - it’s about ‘debugging’ yourself, to the extent that it’s possible, and goes with functioning in a democracy. It is unnatural - you need that in science but not only in science. - Stephen Pinker. I’m pretty sure that ‘on the back foot’ is a phrase that has its roots in cricket. As I understand it, it describes the situation you find yourself in when, as a batsman (batswoman?), you are on the receiving end of a bowling onslaught. I’m not much of a cricketer, but can imagine my composure being rattled by an especially fast delivery or two. I can also see how this phrase may have cleared the boundary of the cricket pitch and landed in other arenas of modern life where similar situations occur: interviews; public speaking; coaching and teaching. In this article I intend to explore how sometimes the kinds of metaphors that pervade our language might not be as useful as they seem, either for ourselves or those around us. I want to invite you to think about your default ways of responding to situations that occur when you are managing learning, with a view to ensuring that they are truly ‘fit for purpose’. I hope to show you that being ‘on the back foot’ can be a wonderful place to be - at least in terms of discharging our responsibilities as educators. But first let’s go back, way back in time to the Dark Ages – a time before enlightenment…