Effectiveness – Page 7 – Happy Schools

Getting to Grips With Unconscious Bias

March 30, 2017

What is unconscious bias, can we eliminate it and if not, what can we do to mitigate it? Unconscious bias is a bias that we are unaware of, and which happens outside of our control. It happens automatically and is triggered by our brain making quick judgements (shortcuts) and assessments of people and situations, influenced by our background, cultural environment and personal experiences. We are all biased because our unconscious mind is geared towards bias and it is primarily the unconscious mind that drives our instinctive decisions. David Rock from the Neuroleadership Institute makes it clear – if you think you’re not biased, it means that you don’t have a brain. We all have brains, and therefore we are all…

10 Steps to a Positive Attitude Towards People you Deal With

December 1, 2016

Stevef

Effectiveness

Our attitude has a huge impact on our interaction with others. It therefore has a significant impact on our ability to relate to people and our stress levels. Optimise your optimism. Attitude comes before behaviour. The more positive your attitude, the more positive your behaviour, the more positive the results. Learn to be optimistic. Have a favourable attitude towards all people. When you expect people to be untrustworthy or of questionable character, your attitude will be cautious and suspicious. Enthusiasm is contagious. Be a passionate person when it comes to your work. People prefer to deal with enthusiastic people. On every occasion, treat a person’s issue as if it’s the first time you’ve dealt with an issue like that one.…

Brain Food – Part 2

November 19, 2016

Stevef

Effectiveness

Don’t damage the boat- No boat owner would knowingly damage their boat, so it follows that no human would knowingly damage their brain. Apart from accidental injuries and illegal drugs, things which can harm the brain range from smoking, stress and sleep deprivation to poor dietary habits and a negative mindset. Goal number one is to avoid these damaging entities. Dock the boat in stimulating surroundings- Our brain function improves in every measurable way when we find ourselves in environments that are mentally, physically and socially stimulating. Adventure prevents dementia! Fuel it the finest- Our dietary choices affect the health of our brains. Our brains consume 1/5 of all the nutrients and kilojoules we ingest. What we eat has a…

The Power of Positive Language

November 3, 2016

Stevef

Effectiveness

The Language we use supports and continues our Beliefs, Beliefs become our Experiences, Experiences influence our Outcomes , Outcomes reinforce our Language and the cycle continues. Therefore it is important that wherever possible we use positive language. This is especially important in our ‘self-talk’ – that very personal language you use on yourself! If it isn’t positive then it doesn’t serve you! If you say “I don’t have the ability” you will get just that! Change this statement to “I anticipate I will find the way to have the ability?” The words we use are powerful. Consider powerful, positive alternatives to these dis-empowering, habitual words. CAN’T – Unless it is physically impossible then you CAN. We sometimes use…

Brain Food – Part 1

August 25, 2016

Stevef

Effectiveness

We are the architects and builders of our own brains. For millennia, however, we were oblivious to our enormous creative capabilities. We had no idea that our brains were changing in response to our actions and attitudes, every day of our lives. We unconsciously and randomly shaped our brains and our latter years because we believed we had an immutable brain that was at the mercy of our genes. Nothing could be further from the truth. The human brain is continually altering its structure, cell number, circuitry and chemistry as a direct result of everything we do, experience, think and believe. This is called “neuroplasticity” and comes from two words: neuron or nerve cell and plastic, meaning malleable or able…

Less Stress Behaviour Management

July 14, 2016

Stevef

Effectiveness

Student behaviour can add a layer of complexity to the school environment. At times students can be unpredictable, even irrational. It is this unpredictable nature that adds to our stress levels. If only they’d behave the way that we want them to! Ultimately we can’t control anybody else’s behaviour, only our own. Behaviour management plans and policies are designed to encourage students to make better decisions and to take responsibility for the decisions they do make. Poor choices lead to consequences that are less attractive to the student. Consequences of unacceptable behaviour need to be fair, appropriate and consistent. Whilst they need to be stern enough to act as a deterrent, they also need to be realistic and relevant. Thinking…

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…

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…

Engaging Students In Learning Activities

May 10, 2016

Stevef

Effectiveness

Students who are genuinely engaged in their learning are easier to manage and achieve more. It is helpful to reflect on the following key elements in planning learning activities that engage our students. Make It Meaningful It is essential that students perceive activities as being meaningful. Research has shown that if students do not consider a learning activity worthy of their time and effort, they might not engage in a satisfactory way or may even disengage entirely. (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004). Connecting the activity with students’ previous knowledge and experiences is one way of trying to make learning experiences meaningful. Asking great questions that stimulate and challenge students is another great strategy. For each unit try to identify an…

Reducing classroom stress with explicit teaching

March 23, 2016

Stevef

Effectiveness

There is no doubt that many classroom behavioural issues result from baggage which some students bring to school but certain issues arise as a result of uninspiring lessons which bear little or no relevance to students’ lives. The saying that, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” is well known. Another saying is, “Ownership leads to motivation”. If we were to use the framework of Bloom’s taxonomy of the cognitive domain, we notice that when we are asking students to remember, explain and apply information we have previously taught them, they have little ownership of that information since the teacher ‘owned it’ in the first place. However, as soon as the teacher asks students to discuss, examine, debate…