September 2020 – Happy Schools

Mindfulness Practices by John Shackleton

September 24, 2020

Focus on the breath Whether it’s a demanding boss, a difficult relationship or an unexpected bill, life gets to all of us from time to time. Something happens and before we know it, we’re exploding in anger or retreating into a sulk, or worse, turning to food, shopping, alcohol or drugs to help us cope. This simple strategy can help: focus on the breath. Rather than thinking of all the things we can’t control, if we focus our attention on something we can control (our breathing) we gain stability and composure. This is a simple form of meditation. Just a few minutes of focusing on the breath every day has been shown to have many benefits. Try this: Find a quiet place, close your eyes and…

What To Do When There Is Too Much To Do

September 17, 2020

Stevef

Effectiveness

Time is precious. Schools are busy places. There is almost too much to do and not enough time. No matter what time of year it is, the problem is the same: our list of tasks is never-ending and our time available is never enough. How can we deal with this in a sane way? Realise That You Can’t Do It All Right Now You might have 20 things to do or 100….but you can’t do all of them right now. How many can you actually do right now? ONE! Realising that we can’t do everything right now is an important step in having realistic expectations about what we can achieve. Research shows that most people UNDER estimate how long tasks actually…

Successful Parent- Teacher Interviews Over the Phone

September 10, 2020

Stevef

Communication

Due to COVID restrictions, many schools are now conducting Parent-Teacher conferences over the phone or using ZOOM. This creates some different challenges to the usual face-to-face meetings. Here are some tips to optimise your parent-teacher conferences. BEFORE THE CALL – Be prepared – Make sure you are absolutely clear on the following. What are the key messages you want to communicate to the parent? What outcomes are you trying to achieve? Whilst this might be one of many calls that you need to make to parents, this is THE CALL that parent has been waiting for. It is likely to be an important call for the parent. Remember this is their son or daughter and for most parents their children…

5 Simple Ways to Stress Less

September 3, 2020

Stevef

Resilience

Instead of making a list of resolutions that you know you won’t achieve, set yourself the goal of being happy, calm and in control at work every day. Here are five provenpsychological effects that can help, or harm, your stress, productivity and happiness. 1. Confirmation Bias – What You See is What You Get We notice and remember things that confirm our beliefs and discard those that don’t. Keep this in mind when you argue with a difficult colleague, negotiate with a challenging parent, or complain about an unfair school leader. If you already see them as ‘difficult’, ‘challenging’or ‘unfair’, you’ll continue to do so, even in the face of contrary evidence. Resolve to put these biases aside and approach…