Little Acts of Kindness
One small, thoughtful gesture can make someone else’s day. Print out this list of kindness acts and check off as many as you can this week! Do something special for the staff in the front office at your school. Praise a fellow staff member – be specific about exactly what they did, that you liked and tell them how that made you FEEL. Put a little note in your child or partner’s lunch box, telling them how much you love them. Say “Good morning” to every stranger you see this morning. Write a letter to a child who could use some extra attention. Kids love getting mail. Offer to do duty for a colleague who needs a break. Say “I…
Relationships Are Important in Managing Student Behaviour
I’ve often heard the statement ‘students don’t learn from people they don’t like!’ In ‘Kids These Days’, author and psychologist Jody Carrington says, “Kids won’t learn from people who they think don’t like them.” This statement resonates with me and is consistent with behaviour management guru Bill Rogers’ position that the best teachers are warm-demanding. They have that balance where they have the warmth to relate to students but are also demanding and have clear expectations of their students. Teachers who are too warm and want to be every students BFF are unlikely to be respected. However, teachers who are too strict and gruff (They follow the “Don’t smile until Easter” philosophy), are unlikely to engage students. The sweet spot…
Decide Like A General
In the ever-evolving landscape of education, where challenges can often feel like battlefronts, the wisdom of military strategy can offer valuable insights. Just as generals must navigate complex terrain, staff in schools must navigate the intricacies of molding young minds and managing educational environments. Here are some key principles borrowed from the world of generals to help guide decision-making in schools: Vision and Mission Like generals, educators must have a clear vision and mission. What are the overarching goals of the school? What values do you want to instill in your students? By defining these objectives, every decision can be aligned with the broader purpose of education. Situational Awareness Generals excel at understanding the battlefield and educators must similarly grasp…
Do You Look After Yourself
Recently I was suffering from “man flu”. Men are always the last to know that they have it. Luckily my gorgeous wife was able to point it out to me. Apparently, “man flu” is when a man has a slight cold but they think it is the end of the world! Now, I am not a believer in “soldiering on”. I believe that when my body is ill I need to rest and let it get better. Consequently, I cancelled several work and social appointments. Now, I could have gone along but it was just not worth it. There was a slight chance I could have infected the person I was meeting (and depending on their air-conditioning system, half of the…
Are You Suffering Decision Fatigue?
Research shows that on average, teachers will make more than 1500 educational decisions every school day. That’s more than four decisions every minute! ‘Decision Fatigue’ is an area currently being researched at Stanford University. Researchers have found that constantly having to make decisions creates fatigue and puts us at risk of making poorer decisions later in the day. As we become more mentally tired, we start acting more impulsively. Author of the book Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, Roy Baumeister believes that this explains, “Why ordinarily sensible people get angry at colleagues and families, splurge on clothes, buy junk food and can’t resist the dealer’s offer to rustproof their new car. No matter how rational and high-minded you try…
Adrenalin Junkies
Teachers and other staff in schools often live an action-packed life, typical of the adrenalin junkie. You only know two speeds. You’re either on — full-on — or asleep. The feeling of an adrenalin high is addictive, without realising it you may be trying to be ‘ON’ 100% of the time. You may not be aware that this is how you go through your day. You’re simply moving fast in response to a high-speed life and the expectations of your peers and students. The downside of the adrenalin high is the adrenalin crash! This is the feeling of anti-climax you get when you finish a major project or the restlessness you feel on holidays, the boredom you endure when you…
Fear and How to Do It
A popular saying is ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’. The theme behind the saying is common – if you are scared of something, walk up to it, meet it head on and you may be surprised that it’s not as scary as you thought. Remember the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz? He had no courage – until he found that what he’d been afraid of all his life, wasn’t really frightening at all…and he regained his self-esteem. Fear is like furniture and objects in a dark room. We walk into a dark room and start to bump into obstacles and soon we are anxious and stressed because we don’t know what is in our way. We…
Ten Tips for Beating Fatigue
I’m tired! There’s too much going on outside of work, too much work inside of work. I’m reaching the tired that obliterates memory of antidotes and there are still lessons to be planned, work to be marked and reports to be written. So I’m going to brainstorm a list of what helps to prevent plunges into fatigue: #1. Take a 10-minute walk. They say I’ll feel the energetic benefits from a 10-minute walk for the following two hours. One of the first things we tend to do when we are busy and stressed is STOP exercising, yet this is the thing we need most! #2. Stop reading anything related to education for a week. Or cut down by 90…
Time Management Tips For Staff in Schools
Research shows that the average classroom teacher will make more than 1500 educational decisions every school day. That is more than four decisions every minute. Working in the school office and as support staff can be just as busy! It is no wonder we feel over-whelmed by the demands of working in schools. Time doesn’t change. No matter how organised we are, there are still always only 24 hours in a day. All we can actually manage is ourselves and what we do with the time that we have available. Time management is about using the time that you have available as productively as possible. It IS about working smarter – not harder. Identify any issues that are contributing to…
Thank Parents When They Bring You Problems
Teachers and other staff in schools can be on the receiving end of complaints from parents about problems related to children or issues that may have happened at school. Respond appropriately and you will more than likely strengthen that parent’s relationship with your school and your personal reputation. Fob off their problem or complaint and you have probably created a recruit for the school car park committee, who have very little positive to say about anyone at your school. Often when a parent has a concern or a complaint, they will have rehearsed over and over beforehand what they are going to say. It is helpful to listen attentively and try not to interrupt by responding, until they have finished…
Your Mood Matters
The Harvard Business Review (HBR) lists emotional intelligence (EQ) as the number one quality of a great leader. The essence of EQ is to know yourself, manage yourself and manage relationships. Knowing yourself is the key as it allows you to manage yourself, which allows you to manage others. Out of all the various aspects of emotional intelligence, HBR states that the leader’s mood has the most significant impact on the culture of an organisation (…and the same applies in the classroom) DUH! Can you recall a time when you had a boss who stormed out of his / her office? As they stomped around the school looking like thunder, did you immediately look up and think, “Oh…
Positive Parent Information Sessions
Developing a trusting partnership between the school and the home not only benefits the student but can reduce stress on school staff. Parents who trust teachers and the staff of the school are far more likely to give the school the benefit of the doubt and be more forgiving of a mistake. Where trust is not evident, parents are more likely to be cautious and suspicious. Parent information sessions are important opportunities for building trust with parents. Information afternoons or evenings for parents are important occasions for starting to build trust with parents and setting the tone for a productive year. It can be helpful to consider the session from the parents’ viewpoint. They come along to the session to…