June 2024 – Happy Schools

Be an “Independent” Team Player

June 27, 2024

Independence is defined as freedom from dependence; exemption from reliance on, or control by others; being in charge or direction of one’s own affairs without interference. Sounds great doesn’t it? Liberating even? You know the saying belted out by every motivational coach, “There is no I in Team”. Well I don’t agree, in fact I see the “I” so important that it needs to go first. Maybe even a new word, iTEAM. Modern day workplace culture is based on the importance of teamwork, of collaboration and consultation. Don’t get me wrong, I agree these are important but we first need to focus on getting our own self together and having freedom to be creative if we are to be a…

Building Rapport With Others

June 20, 2024

Stevef

Communication

When you work with people, whether it be colleagues, students or parents at your school, the better the rapport and relationship, the higher the trust and the greater the cooperation. Put simply, good rapport between two people is all about liking and trusting each other. Of course, we often build rapport and relationships naturally and automatically. There are some people who we simply ‘click with’ better than others. But there are also some people who we need to intentionally build rapport with – colleagues, students or parents with whom we may have a strained relationship. Here are five ways you can build rapport more easily: Make people feel good about themselves: The general rule is that we like people who…

We’ve Got This!

June 13, 2024

Stevef

Resilience

In the heart of every community, there exists a group of individuals whose dedication and impact are immeasurable. These individuals, often uncelebrated but always vital, are staff who work in schools. We stand together on the front line of shaping the future. In the face of unprecedented challenges, it is crucial to recognise the profound importance of our work and to find renewed inspiration to persevere. Working in schools has a profound impact. Every word of encouragement we offer and every challenge we help a student overcome, contributes to the larger society. It is through our efforts that students learn to think critically, to explore their creativity and to understand the complexities of the world around them. The seeds we…

How Does Your Balance Wheel Measure Up?

June 6, 2024

Stevef

Engagement

The six aspects of our lives that help us achieve balance are depicted in this wheel. Imagine that this wheel is, in fact, a life raft. The idea is to keep air in all six compartments because if any one were to get spiked and lose its air, the other five would keep you floating. If, on the other hand, you had all the air in one compartment only, like ‘work’ and that compartment got punctured, you and your life raft would rapidly deflate and sink. A great way to check your ‘spread of air’ is to place this symbol of the life raft into your calendar dates for the next two weeks, with the aim each day of ticking…