June 2018 – Happy Schools

Look After Your Health

June 28, 2018

Working in schools can be demanding for a number of reasons. Working with people can be stressful because at times they can be unpredictable. We never quite know what is going on in somebody else’s world. Whether we work in the school office, tuckshop, library, classroom or other area of the school, we can at times be at the forefront of some busy, frustrated and stressed parents or carers. We are trusted with the care, well-being and education of most parents’ highest priority – their children. Often we are called upon to provide stable and consistent responses and support to families who are struggling and under duress. It is therefore vital that we look after ourselves and ensure that we…

Try the 2×10 Strategy to Reach That Difficult Student (Part 2)

June 21, 2018

Stevef

Engagement

The 2×10 strategy is simple: spend 2 minutes per day for 10 days in a row talking with an at-risk student about anything she or he wants to talk about. This simple strategy builds rapport and lets the student see that you genuinely care about them as a person. I don’t have time to talk individually with kids. You may not be able to create a structured, dedicated time for talking individually to students…and that can actually be a good thing. The 2×10 strategy doesn’t mean pulling the child away from a task to corner him at your desk, then setting a timer and forcing the kid to bond with you for exactly 120 seconds. Relationship building works best when it happens naturally and authentically!…

Try the 2×10 Strategy to Reach That Difficult Student (Part 1)

June 14, 2018

Stevef

Engagement

Many teachers are talking about the success they are having with a strategy for working with a student for whom no other solutions seem to work. The 2×10 strategy is simple: spend 2 minutes per day for 10 days in a row talking with an at-risk student about anything she or he wants to talk about. This simple strategy builds a rapport and relationship and lets the student see that you genuinely care about them as a person. The strategy takes the abstract concept of building rapport and turns it into a step-by-step process that can be implemented. Most teachers who try the 2 x 10 strategy report a marked improvement in the behaviour and attitude of their one targeted student and often of the…

Crazy Busy at Work

June 7, 2018

Stevef

Effectiveness

It seems wherever I go, I find people who are, what I call, ‘crazy-busy’ at work: Teachers and other staff who are on the go from the moment they arrive at school, who often miss out on meal and toilet breaks, and who work late, preparing for the next day. If you can relate to this, you will know how physically and emotionally draining, very high workloads can be. Many of us scrape through to our holidays, where we fall into a heap, before recovering for the next round. Apart from the costs to our health, well-being and team relationships, there is also the cost to our loved ones, who deal with us when we are tired, grumpy, and impatient.…