Effectiveness

Working in schools is busy. There is always too much to do and not enough time to do it. One of the many challenges is that the work can be never ending. There is always MORE that can be done. MORE preparation, MORE marking and feedback, MORE researching options, MORE skills to develop, MORE technology to investigate, MORE emails to answer, MORE tasks on your TO DO list! Working in schools can be a never ending job. You could work 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. You have to choose NOT to. 1 Get Organised and Declutter Your work space should be organised and ideally CLEAR. If your desk is piled with work that you are ‘going to…

Are you too attached to technology and obsessed with the digital world? Between texts, emails, phone calls and notifications from the multiple social media apps, when are you really unplugged from this virtual world we have created? In the last 10 years the cyber demands for our busy social lifestyle has proven to be an amazing way to stay connected and current but it is important and beneficial for us to disconnect with digital and reconnect with reality for a few minutes a day. THE BAD Social media has been noted by researchers as the millennial generation drug of choice. While this technological advancement isn’t officially considered an addiction, our attachment to the internet and social media sites is becoming…

If asked for three words to describe YOU, what three words would your students use? What about parents? What three words would they choose? Finally, your colleagues, what is your reputation in their eyes?   Each of us has a reputation in the eyes of others. This reputation may be accurate or ill informed. It may have been hard earned over many years, inherited through our position or even assumed based on first impressions. But our reputation impacts on our relationships with others and our effectiveness.   This year I’d like you to think about the three words you’d LIKE your reputation to be. What would you like people to say about you at the end of the year?  …

It’s relatively easy to start the year feeling refreshed and recharged and ready for the year ahead. It’s a little more difficult to maintain that energy level during the year. A little planning now can set you up to make 2020 your best year yet! Start by reflecting on last year and then identify key areas for action.   Without reflection, we will continue to repeat the same mistakes of the past. Without action, nothing is achieved. Take a moment now to reflect on last year. What worked well and what contributed to higher levels of stress? Were you organised and prepared for peak periods eg report time? Were you efficient with your time or did you procrastinate or focus on…

It’s important to reinforce student self-motivation on a regular basis: Praise Effort and Specific Actions If we only praise students in general—”You’re very smart”—many will then try to avoid taking risks and stretching themselves. They will focus more on maintaining their image and believe that they will embarrass themselves by making mistakes. Praising effort— “You worked really hard today”—or praising specific actions —”Your topic sentence communicates the main idea”—can make students feel that they are more in control of their success and that their success is less dependent on their “natural intelligence”. Build Relationships Staff in schools build relationships with their students by showing that they care about them and by learning about their lives, dreams and challenges. This is…

Author and Netflix star, Marie Kondo’s drive to declutter and simplify our lives is currently very popular. With life being busier than ever, working out what to do with all the ‘stuff’ is difficult and time-consuming. A cluttered workspace adds to our stress by distracting us, wasting our time finding things and polluting our subconscious by making us feel guilty about everything we have yet to do. Author and Netflix star, Marie Kondo’s drive to declutter and simplify our lives is currently very popular. With life being busier than ever, working out what to do with all the ‘stuff’ is difficult and time-consuming. A cluttered workspace adds to our stress by distracting us, wasting our time finding things and polluting…

Helping students develop self-control is important, not only for their behaviour but also for their ability to stay on task and complete things. Developing intrinsic motivation (the internal drive to focus and remain on task) is far more helpful than constantly trying to motivate them through extrinsic means – carrot and stick! The following are suggested strategies to help develop self control. Praise Effort Instead of Intelligence Stanford Professor Carol Dweck has researched and written a great deal about the importance of praising hard work and persistence in overcoming challenges and helping people identify the strategies they used. This reinforces a ‘growth mindset’ – one where people feel energised and knowledgeable about how to overcome barriers. Dweck contrasts this with…