Working in schools can be incredibly rewarding—but let’s be honest, it can also be very demanding. Staff in schools are juggling increasing workloads, constant change, high expectations and the challenge of supporting students and families with increasingly complex needs. It’s no wonder that staff morale can sometimes dip.
The more we can connect at a heart level with others and inspire them with our character and our behaviours, the stronger a team we forge. CONNECTION – IT’S CRITICAL Emotional intelligence is all about being connected. Connection is a key to all life, let alone work. Research shows us that people who are disconnected from themselves (head and heart disconnected – not knowing yourself) and disconnected from others (heart to heart disconnect – perceived as distant, insincere or unauthentic) will die earlier of ALL causes. Being connected not only helps you live longer and healthier but it improves your work satisfaction.
Working in a school can be incredibly rewarding—but it also requires a lot of emotional and physical energy. Every day you support students, work with colleagues and respond to the needs of families. We have all heard the safety warning from the flight attendants to put on our own oxygen mask first, before helping others. To keep giving your best to others, it’s important to take care of yourself too.
Every staff member in a school has unique strengths. Yet many of us spend far more time worrying about what we can’t do than recognising what we do well. Our brains have a natural negativity bias. We notice mistakes, weaknesses and
Teachers often notice when a student learns, communicates, behaves or interacts differently from their peers. While these observations can be important, conversations with parents require sensitivity, care and professionalism. Parents may feel worried, defensive, relieved or overwhelmed.
It’s early morning. A teacher walks along a beach after a storm and notices thousands of starfish scattered along the sand. In the distance, someone is picking them up one by one and gently throwing them back into the ocean. Curious, the teacher approaches and says, “There are too many. You can’t possibly make a difference.” The person bends down, picks up another starfish, tosses it into the water and replies, “It made a difference to that one.”
Psychologist Shawn Achor highlights seven key principles of positive psychology that help people thrive. In schools, these aren’t “nice to have” ideas — they are practical strategies that improve performance, relationships and wellbeing.
Research has been undertaken in many classrooms around the world into a phenomenon known as the Pygmalion Effect. The research demonstrates the impact of teachers’ expectations. Teachers’ expectations can dramatically affect students achievement. If a teacher is told that his or her students are bright, the teacher will be more supportive, use more complex vocabulary, teach more challenging material, allow more ‘wait’ time for students to answer questions and provide more thoughtful and useful feedback to the students. In turn, the students receiving this attention will perform to this level.
Our school’s reputation and holding in the community is dependent on Moments of Truth. A Moment of Truth is any time a parent or student interacts with our school and forms an opinion about us. The concept started in the airline industry.
Parent-Teacher Conferences are ‘Moments of Truth’ for parents. They are important times where parents come into direct contact with us and form an impression of our school. Be Prepared Ensure that you have notes about the key areas you want to discuss and the key messages that you want the parent to understand.