Steve Francis – Page 3 – Happy Schools

4 Key Components of Effective Teams

January 19, 2023

Working in schools is almost always crazy busy. There is always a lot to be done and it never seems like there is enough time to do it. It is essential that we use the time we have available effectively and efficiently. Increasing our focus and reducing our distractions is one of the keys to getting more done. Often we are distracted without even realising it, for example, glancing at your phone, quickly checking your email or being aware of a conversation that is going on around you. Often we give in to these distractions out of habit. Distractions inhibit your ability to totally immerse yourself in the task and reach the highly productive state known as ‘flow’. The Pomodoro…

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

September 29, 2022

Stevef

Resilience

As strange as it may seem….as a teacher I am often envious of tilers, painters and especially carpet layers! At the end of their day they can look back and clearly see what they have achieved THAT day. Whilst they often start early in the day (like staff in schools), by the end of their day they can see the immediate impact of their work (unlike staff in schools on many days). The bathroom is newly tiled, walls painted and bedrooms carpeted. All to the delight of their client! Whilst we have taught lessons, marked student work, assisted students, managed behaviour, applied consequences, bandaged scrapes, put ice on bruises and handled queries from parents, much of our work is not…

Efficient or Effective – Part 2

August 18, 2022

Stevef

Activities

In Part One we identified that many people confuse the issues of efficiency and effectiveness. As a result, people often fail to identify the true causes of their productivity problems and fail to solve them. We simplified the difference to… Efficient – Doing things right Effective – Doing the right things It is a difference of HOW you are doing things versus WHAT things you are doing. Effectiveness is about completing tasks which matter – tasks which make a difference to you, your families and your school. As Henry David Thoreau wrote, “It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?” Effectiveness is an issue of quality of tasks. Not…

Efficient or Effective – Part 1

August 11, 2022

Stevef

Activities

“I want to be more efficient and effective!” is a statement often heard in schools. Yet many people aren’t clear on the difference between being more efficient and being more effective. They are not interchangeable words and represent completely separate goals. Efforts to improve “productivity” in the workplace often lead to confusion as to whether they need more efficiency or more effectiveness. As a result, nothing much changes. Understanding the two concepts and correctly identifying which you need to focus on, is critical. The easiest way to differentiate between the two concepts is… Efficient – Doing things right Effective – Doing the right things This simple definition cuts to the heart of the matter – efficient is about HOW you…

Happiness is…..?

July 7, 2022

Stevef

Engagement

What does HAPPINESS mean to you? Would more money make you happier, more job satisfaction, more family time, a new car, more travel opportunities? What would make you happier? A Time magazine poll found happiness tended to increase as income rose to $50000 per year but after that money didn’t have a significant effect on happiness. They concluded that money ceases to have a significant effect on our happiness once an average level of income is attained. Social and brain scientists have been able to ascertain the things that make us happy – but to get there we need to stop our quest for status and stop buying unnecessary possessions. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin have used CT scans…

Real World Classroom Management

March 3, 2022

Stevef

Effectiveness

Good classroom management is essential. Here are some ideas for you to reflect on how you manage behaviour from US Principal, Lisa Brumfield on The Principal’s Desk. Be succinct in your instructions. Most students can follow two-step directions at best. With this in mind, limit multiple requests. For example, if you say…“ I need all of you to take out your book and put them on my desk, put your homework in the red tray, put your journal in the blue basket, place your excursion form on my desk, sign in your attendance, choose a book and sit at your desk” you will be lucky if you see any homework in that red tray. Keep redirections short. Good Example: “Jacob…

Effective Parent-Teacher Meetings

February 24, 2022

Stevef

Effectiveness

Parent-teacher meetings can be a stressful time as they often add to our existing workloads. Not only do they usually occur before or after a busy day of teaching, many teachers feel uncomfortable dealing with parents. Changing formats and modes brought about by COVID may be adding to the stress. Planning and preparation are essential to increase effectiveness and reduce stress. The need for social distancing (when we are actually meeting face-to-face with parents) make setting up the environment for the interviews even more challenging. You should have a clear space to meet with the parent/s. Ideally you should be seated alongside the parent so that you can discuss and look at examples together. This may not be possible with…

Can Optimism Be Learned?

February 17, 2022

Stevef

Resilience

We are certainly experiencing challenging times in schools. Being optimistic that we will successfully get through this is more helpful and productive than doom and gloom. However, some people are more positive than others. In the accompanying quote Nelson Mandela says he didn’t know if his own optimism was due to nurture or nature. In the book ‘Deliberate Optimism – Reclaiming the Joy in Education’, the authors argue that optimism can be learned, developed and maintained. They aren’t talking about blind, Pollyanna ignorance that everything is wonderful but a positive outlook that things will get better and ultimately will be okay. They quote the key to success in developing optimism is Chinese philosopher Lao Tsu’s saying, “Thoughts lead to actions,…

A Weekend Routine That Sets Up Your Success

February 10, 2022

Stevef

Efficiency

Whilst we all love to relax on the weekends, what we do on the weekends can have an impact on our working week. If you start the week feeling exhausted and stressed, it might be time to think about your weekend routine. What small changes could you make that might set you up for success? Whilst most of us love a sleep in on the weekends, research suggests that significant variability in our sleep and wake times may be having a negative impact on us. Waking up at around the same time each day helps to set your body clock. Sleeping in on the weekends can make it harder to fall and stay asleep the following night. Not getting enough…

The Competence-Confidence Loop

February 3, 2022

Stevef

Effectiveness

To feel satisfied and happy in our work in schools, we need to feel both competent AND confident. If these are unbalanced, we can become doubtful, frustrated, unmotivated and could end up mentally and emotionally drained. Being too confident without competence is delusional. However, people who are competent but don’t have confidence, are filled with self-doubt and are likely to be anxious. As we learn new skills, we gain competence and as we gain competence we are more confident to try more, which again grows our competence. You may have experienced this as COVID has forced us to rapidly take on new skills. Becoming aware of how competence and confidence are both impactful and interrelated, as well as learning how…