Who Is Your Biggest Distraction?
For most of us the answer to the question, “Who is your biggest distraction?” is simple. We are our BIGGEST distraction! We often procrastinate and get distracted away from what we SHOULD be doing by doing the things we LIKE to do. Time is a precious commodity. We often have too much to do and not enough time to get it done. This can result in us working longer hours than we should or NEED to. With so much to be done in schools, it is vital that we use our time efficiently. This is especially important with any discretionary time that we have during the day. Often our days at school are filled with fixed commitments eg classes or…
Find Your “Why” to Keep You Motivated
After the excitement of a new year and all the changes it brings starts to wear off, we can become a little lacklustre in our enthusiasm for work. Finding your “why” helps you avoid the rut, giving you clarity, purpose and direction… and is often just what you need when the going gets a little tougher, repetition sets in and the holidays still seem a long way off! Aside from helping us amidst the rhythms of the school and work year, finding your why is an important step to help you set goals, take risks, maintain motivation and move forward – personally AND professionally. So, how DO you find your “why”? Well, it requires a bit of work – part…
Suggestions For Improving Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher conferences are an important opportunity for two-way communication. They are not merely a stage for teachers to give parents information on classroom performance, although many teachers do just that. They are also an opportunity for parents to understand and develop trust in their child’s teacher. Parent-Teacher conferences are NOT just about results. If a parent leaves a conference with a list of grades and nothing else, it’s wasted time. Conferences are also a place for parents to tell teachers things about their child: How the student likes to learn. What they says about the class at home. How they enjoys spending free time. What motivates and interests them. Parent-Teacher conferences are a key strategy in establishing a partnership with…
Drive Your Mind With Your Body
Getting things done is easy when you feel like getting it done. But what about when you are lacking energy, focus and you just don’t feel like it? Sometimes we can find ourselves not thinking very clearly, being anxious or generally feeling overwhelmed but our work demands that we perform. At times we want to be at our mental best at specific times, to complete scheduled tasks. For peak mental functioning in these circumstances, author Josh Davis, in his great book Two Awesome Hours, advocates leveraging the immediate effects of physical activity and food to improve our mental functioning. Given that our mind and body are woven together, it follows that our physical state shapes our mental state too. Almost…
How to Finish Your School Day
How do you typically finish a school day? Exhausted, running on low reserves, feeling guilty about the things that you didn’t get done and already worried about tomorrow? Working in schools can be exhausting. There is always a lot to be done and a limited amount of time to get it done. Our days are often filled with interruptions and unexpected events e.g. Johnny having a melt-down, a cranky parent arriving unannounced or an accident in the playground at lunchtime. No two days are the same and you are very unlikely to become bored. One of the challenges can be that there is always more that can be done. More preparation! More planning! More marking! Our work can…
Meet the Parents – Successful Information Sessions
Information sessions for parents and carers are important occasions for setting the tone for the year and building relationships. For 99% of parents the MOST important thing in their world is their child! More important than their house, their car or anything they own. This places a tremendous amount of responsibility on us. We are not only charged with the responsibility to look after them but to educate them as well. Whilst this is a massive responsibility, it is also a tremendous opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives. First impressions count! Be organised – set the classroom up to be interesting (ensure displays are error free) Be punctual – start and finish on time Be interested –…
Morning Routines Set Us Up For Success
Contrary to some trains of thought, routines are not about rigidity and control. Our brains like patterns. Setting and following a daily routine supports your mind by giving it the structure it needs to achieve your goals. But that’s not all – routines are good for your heart and soul! They contribute to feelings of familiarity and reassurance and help you respond better to change. How do you set up a routine that works for you? Well, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Creating a routine isn’t about completely overhauling everything you do and arbitrarily putting a whole new “system” of how you “do mornings” into place. Some commentators suggest massive lists of tasks for a magnificent morning…
Setting the Boundaries for a Successful 2021
The start of a new school year can be an exciting time. Hopefully you have returned to school after the holiday period feeling rested and recharged. We often forget how exhausted we were back in November. Looking after ourselves and making good choices for our well-being are OUR responsibility. It isn’t the Principal’s job to look after YOUR well-being. It is YOUR responsibility! PS The Principal and other leaders’ responsibility is to lead a school culture that supports you to do your best work! One of the challenges of working in education is that it can be difficult to disconnect from our work and switch off. Mobile technology for example means we are more connected than ever. This can allow…
The Language of Encouragement
The language of encouragement is open to all. It is easy to learn. You can start right away. It makes schools hum. Encouragement builds wellbeing. It expects the best for the other person. It makes their spirit sing. Give a compliment – You look…, You are…, You give…, You make…fill-in your own words to give a sincere compliment to those you live with, work with or meet in your everyday duties. Praise an action – Earnt praise is powerful and is crammed full of positive reinforcement. Tell the person what you admired in their action and why. I believe in you – No matter what the critics say, I have faith in you to be the one best able to…
Making the Most of the Holidays – Part 2
It’s imperative that you make the most of a holiday break away from work so you return to school feeling rested, recharged and ready to take on the new challenges. In part 2 we look at 8 more strategies. 8. Consider investing in a cleaner and/or a gardener – Whilst budgets are tight, you work hard. For your own wellbeing it is worth considering some help with the cleaning or gardening. An expert will get through tasks much quicker than you ever will. Consider this benefit – in addition to you having more of your precious time, you’ll also be providing someone else with an income. How good is that? 9. Indulge yourself – Get your hair cut, beard trimmed,…
Making the Most of the Holidays – Part 1
As the holidays approach, it’s imperative that you make the most of the time away from work so you return to school feeling like you have actually had a holiday and are ready to take on the challenges of a new term. Rest up – As staff who work in schools, we are constantly on the go, some would argue even hyper-vigilant in our day-to-day interactions. We underestimate (and actively ignore) the affect that constantly being in this state has on our bodies (adrenal fatigue anyone?) This often goes unnoticed until holidays arrive and we fall in a big heap. Make the most of the holiday break to rest and recuperate by allocating time to do nothing (except perhaps some…
Epic Ideas for Ending the Year Well
One of the things we don’t do well in schools is celebrating. Even when we achieve success and have clearly made progress, the celebration tends to be short lived. We can almost be flippant as we deflect the glory and then eagerly look for the next problem to solve. I think this happens for a number of reasons: 1 We are always busy in schools with a lot to do, especially at this time of the year. 2 We are constantly working at improving our schools. We look for problems or issues as they highlight potential areas for improvement. Even if our school is doing great things, we tend to be on the lookout for where they “could be even…