Attitude – 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 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…

The R Word – Report Writing Stress

May 5, 2022

Stevef

Attitude

It’s that time of year for all teachers where the blood pressure and workload are rising, assessments are being marked, the students are tiring by the minute and I really need to make a start on my….(gasp) REPORTS! Here are some things you might like to try as you write your reports this year so that you do not need the first week of holidays to recover: 1) Create (and stick to) a simple timetable for completion so that the workload is spread out over a few weeks and you are not leaving them ALL until the last minute and have to pull an all-nighter (not mentioning any names here but you know who you are). I write mine down…

Developing a Growth Mindset

June 23, 2016

Stevef

Attitude

Dear Teachers Your students do have natural talent, abilities and intelligence in some areas but that’s not the end of the story. These things are not fixed traits. Some may have a gift for story writing, art, maths or sport, but it needs to be grown. Some may not be good at science, history or working with others…YET! Whatever the case for each student in your class, the reality is that natural talent, abilities and intelligence are developed over time. Through effort, persistence, practice and focused attention. The brain is a highly adaptive organ – it changes like a muscle through a process called neuroplasticity. From the cradle to the grave our brains are always changing. The malleable brain is…

Outcomes That Count

May 14, 2015

Stevef

Attitude

Feeling pressured by expectations placed on you in the classroom? It’s not just you! We’re in the midst of a stress epidemic and it’s showing up everywhere. So how do we minimise it? It could come down to the questions you ask. Questions worth asking are: ‘How do I sustain myself?’ and then, ‘How do I work towards outcomes that are sustainable and satisfying for my students?’. Both of these can be answered by focusing on outcomes that count in the long run. Can you remember your own school years? Which teachers do you remember? What was it that you remember most about them? Was it the score you received for a particular assessment? Probably not. Was it the type…