August 2019 – Happy Schools

Increasing Your Job Satisfaction

August 29, 2019

Working in schools can be REALLY demanding. At times we can feel that we are at the mercy of other people’s moods. People can sometimes be unreasonable, emotional and erratic. At times THAT person might even be you! It is important that we get job satisfaction from our work. There are six key factors that determine the level of satisfaction that people gain from their work. People want to feel that their work is important – This should be a ‘no brainer’ for people working in schools. Our work is vitally important. We play a critical role in society. I make a difference is the second key factor in achieving job satisfaction. This factor should also be easily achieved by…

Improving Well-Being Starts With You

August 22, 2019

Stevef

Resilience

Staff well-being is a massive issue. Teaching is often listed as one of the most stressful professions. However, “fixing” staff well-being is not easy and requires focused attention by school leaders, systems, school councils and most importantly staff themselves. Here are 11 actions you can take immediately to start improving your own well-being. Take responsibility for your own personal well-being Many educators put themselves last! They work long hours tirelessly trying to be all things, for all people. Looking after your own well-being needs to be a priority. Undertake a thorough health appraisal every year Early detection is better than pursuing a cure. Replace the term work-life balance with work-life satisfaction ‘Balance’ can be difficult to achieve in a job…

Addressing Negativity at Work

August 15, 2019

Stevef

Teamwork

We all like to have a whinge from time to time – about our co-workers, unpopular changes and how nobody ever cleans up the staffroom. A certain amount of complaining is normal. It is best responded to by demonstrating understanding for how people are feeling, acting to address people’s concerns and setting the right example. But there are some who become stuck in their unhappiness, to the point where they are having a negative influence on others. Many Negative Nevilles or Nellies often don’t even give their team leader the opportunity to address their concerns, preferring instead to infect everyone else with their negativity. You know you have one of these people in your team when they leave or go…

The Yin and Yang of OUR Motivation

August 8, 2019

Stevef

Engagement

Daniel Pink is the guru on Motivation. Through researching thousands of people across many industries, Pink concludes that our satisfaction comes from three key drivers. The most powerful motivators for people are AUTONOMY, MASTERY and PURPOSE. These motivators will resonate with many people who work in schools. Autonomy We like to have a sense of autonomy. We don’t like being micro-managed by being dictated to about what we do, when and how we do it. Whether it is the teacher choosing how they present a learning experience for their students or office staff deciding which priority they need to address first, we like the autonomy to make some choices about our work. Mastery Almost all staff who work in schools…

Overcoming Change Fatigue

August 1, 2019

Stevef

Resilience

Change just seems to be a constant in schools these days. Staff in many schools feel inundated by change and many are suffering change fatigue. Changes in curriculum, increased expectations and accountability measures, new administrative systems, pedagogical approaches and emerging technologies, just to name a few. It is not uncommon for staff in schools to want the world to stand still for a moment so that we can consolidate and catch our breath. Whilst we might long for that, it is just not going to happen. If anything, the pace of change is likely to accelerate. Schools are a reflection of society and therefore present the same symptoms – accelerating pace of life, rapidly developing technology, high expectations of an…