Blog – Happy Schools

Time For Reflection

December 12, 2024

As the school year draws to a close, it’s easy to feel swept away by the busyness of year end events and the exhaustion that accompany the final stretch. Each year is a journey filled with moments of triumph and challenge, creativity and resilience. Amid the whirlwind of planning, assessing and supporting students, it can sometimes be hard to recognise all you have accomplished. Yet, as the year comes to an end, it is a powerful time to pause and reflect on the impact you’ve made.

The Anti-Resolution Roadmap

December 5, 2024

Steve Francis

Effectiveness

New Year’s Resolutions often fizzle out faster than champagne bubbles. They’re great for party chatter on December 31st but rarely survive beyond January. What truly works? Embracing small , impactful habits that create lasting change.

Life Admin Hacks to Reduce Stress

November 28, 2024

Steve Francis

Resilience

Life Admin Hacks to Reduce Stress Often our lives are very hectic. Setting up systems for Life Admin activities like paying bills, managing appointments, organising paperwork and maintaining household tasks can reduce the stress and save time. This helps us to reclaim precious time and mental bandwidth for more meaningful pursuits. By streamlining and automating life admin tasks, people can reclaim significant time and reduce cognitive strain. It’s about making life easier and creating space for the things that truly matter, like health, creativity and personal relationships. Do it once, then set and forget. Life Admin Hacks by Mia Northrop and Dinah Rowe-Roberts is a practical guide focused on simplifying the often overlooked but essential tasks of everyday life—commonly known…

Effective Communication Strategies for Dealing with Difficult Parents

November 21, 2024

Steve Francis

Communication

Navigating conversations with difficult or upset parents (or caregivers) can be challenging but how you respond can make a significant difference in deescalating tensions and building constructive relationships. While it’s important to remain calm and professional, the words you choose play a crucial role in defusing conflict and promoting understanding. Here’s some guidance on what to say—and how to say it—when dealing with difficult parents. Listen Well Even if the parent is wrong from the very first thing they say, they will not be ready to listen to you until they have said whatever it is they have come to say. Focus on listening calmly and not responding. Your non-verbals can be give aways and fuel the fire. It is…

Finish Strong

November 14, 2024

Stevef

Resilience

The final term of the school year is a crazy busy time in schools. End of year assessment and reporting, class allocations, timetabling, budgets and planning for next year, swamp us at a time when our energies are low and many of us feel we are running on empty. At the end of the year we are likely to be more sensitive than usual, perhaps a little ‘thin skinned’ and emotional because we are run down and in need of that well-earned break. We shouldn’t be surprised. The same thing happens at this time every year. The important thing is HOW we respond to this challenge. Monitoring our self-talk and our sensitivity are particularly important at this time of the…

Simplify Your Life Through Routines- part 2

November 7, 2024

Steve Francis

Effectiveness

In Part 1 we shared the first 5 tips to survive the craziness at the end of the year and avoid feeling overwhelmed with work, deadlines and personal responsibilities. The key to managing these demands and simplifying your life is to establish routines. Here in Part 2 are tips 6 to 10 to help you create routines that can simplify your life and make your workday more efficient. 6. USE THE TWO-MINUTE RULE The two-minute rule, from David Allen’s, “Getting Things Done”, suggests that if a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. This keeps minor tasks from piling up and cluttering your to-do list, allowing you to stay organised and maintain momentum throughout the day. 7. SIMPLIFY…

Simplify Your Life Through Routines- part 1

October 31, 2024

Steve Francis

Effectiveness

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with work, deadlines and personal responsibilities, especially at this time of the year. The key to managing these demands and simplifying your life lies in establishing routines. When you structure your day with effective habits, you reduce decision fatigue, save time and ultimately get more done. Here are the first five of ten simple tips to help you create routines that can simplify your life and make your workday more efficient. 1. START YOUR DAY WITH A MORNING ROUTINE A solid morning routine sets a positive tone for the rest of your day. Wake up at the same time daily, hydrate and spend a few minutes doing something calming like stretching…

It’s Worth It! WTD Special Edition

October 24, 2024

Steve Francis

Engagement

Working in schools is challenging. At times we can wonder if it is all worth it. When we are feeling that way, it is important that we recognise the significance of our work. We aren’t working in factories, making widgets. We have the opportunity to change lives every single day. Whilst it isn’t easy and it is frustrating at times, ultimately, it is worth it! The following poem is shared to mark World Teachers’ Day. It was written for the cover of the Treasure Boxes provided as part of our Happy Teacher – Early Career Teacher program. The boxes were provided to first year teachers to encourage them to collect and treasure throughout their career, any notes or cards of…

Emotional Baggage is Toxic

October 17, 2024

Stevef

Resilience

Emotional baggage is heavy – How much are you carrying around? It’s the end of the year, and what better time to clear out the old to make room for the new. One of the heaviest bags we carry around is our emotional baggage, our past frustrations, resentments, guilt, anger or regrets. They are heavy, weigh us down, prevent us from moving forward and damage our health and happiness. The source of emotional baggage often comes from conversations we have had; what has been said and what hasn’t been said; the meanings we attribute to the conversations; the clashes with our sense of right and wrong, blame, shame and polar beliefs and values. Communication sits at the base of this,…

Working With People Is Stressful

October 10, 2024

Stevef

Communication

Schools are people places filled with multiple relationships. By its very nature this contributes to our stress levels as we have to work with a range of people, with different personalities and a vast array of factors impacting on their mood on any particular day. One of the things that we know through working with a student whose behaviour is challenging is that WE can’t change OTHER people’s behaviour. We can’t really FORCE another person to do something if they really choose NOT to. We can’t change other people’s behaviour. Successful behaviour management strategies provide an environment where students are ‘encouraged’ to make better decisions. Ultimately the only behaviour that we can control is our own. Understanding and accepting this…

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