Activities – Happy Schools

Celebrate the Wins at Work

October 5, 2023

I don’t think we focus on the positives nearly enough. This is true in our personal lives, but also in workplaces, where around two-thirds of people say they do not feel their efforts and achievements are acknowledged or valued. To put it another way, there is not enough celebration of the wins. Celebrating the wins at work has several benefits: It makes you and others feel good: When we focus on making other people feel good by celebrating their wins, everyone wins. We get the feel-goods as well. It is also important to remember, we can celebrate people’s wins in their personal lives as well. It shows progress towards important goals: Yes, the big wins can be celebrated but even…

Efficient or Effective – Part 2

August 18, 2022

Stevef

Activities

In Part One we identified that many people confuse the issues of efficiency and effectiveness. As a result, people often fail to identify the true causes of their productivity problems and fail to solve them. We simplified the difference to… Efficient – Doing things right Effective – Doing the right things It is a difference of HOW you are doing things versus WHAT things you are doing. Effectiveness is about completing tasks which matter – tasks which make a difference to you, your families and your school. As Henry David Thoreau wrote, “It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?” Effectiveness is an issue of quality of tasks. Not…

Efficient or Effective – Part 1

August 11, 2022

Stevef

Activities

“I want to be more efficient and effective!” is a statement often heard in schools. Yet many people aren’t clear on the difference between being more efficient and being more effective. They are not interchangeable words and represent completely separate goals. Efforts to improve “productivity” in the workplace often lead to confusion as to whether they need more efficiency or more effectiveness. As a result, nothing much changes. Understanding the two concepts and correctly identifying which you need to focus on, is critical. The easiest way to differentiate between the two concepts is… Efficient – Doing things right Effective – Doing the right things This simple definition cuts to the heart of the matter – efficient is about HOW you…

Excel Text to Columns

June 16, 2016

Stevef

Activities

Many of the day to day activities and decisions in schools rely heavily on data in Microsoft Excel. Like a cave with secret passages, in Excel there are lots of hidden ways to fast track things you do regularly, you just need to know the ones you need when you need them! When I present at events or professional development days, one of the items I demonstrate that always gets ooh’s and aaah’s is taking data that is in one column in Excel, and splitting it into multiple columns. The tool we use to do this is called Text to Columns. Have you ever had parent details that are all in the one cell ie. Donna Hanson? You generally need…

5 Tips for Helping Students Stressed by Tests- by Eva-Maria

July 15, 2015

Stevef

Activities

Nineteen year old best-selling author of the book ‘You Shut Up!’, international speaker and certified coach Eva-Maria is living her dream: she is on a mission to help improve 10 000 000 relationships between adults and teenagers around the world. Here Eva shares her tips for teachers from a teenager’s perspective. 1. Acknowledge that exams are stressful When I was studying for exams, as I’m sure many teens can relate to, I thought the teachers were out to get me and wanted to push me to watch my brain start oozing out of my head. Reassure them that you’re really on their side. You are there to support and encourage them to achieve their potential. You want them to achieve…