One piece of advice that I’ve seen in numerous books about teaching is to always phrase classroom rules positively. Instead of phrasing a rule as “no talking,” for instance, teachers should phrase it as “talk in turn.” The theory is that when students are told not to do one thing without being told what they…
Keys of Prioritisation
Staff in schools often feel we have too much to do and not enough time to do it. We often feel we are asked to do more, with less. Utilising our time well is therefore imperative. Peter Drucker, the grandfather of today’s management consultants and time management gurus, says today’s challenge is that we know…
MORE Tips for Communicating …With People You Don’t Get On With (part 2)
Schools are busy, people places. At times we will need to work with people we don’t get along with. In part 2 we share more tips for communicating with people we find difficult to get on with. Get specific Tell them exactly what they do that you do not like, exactly what you would prefer,…
Five Tips for Communicating
…With People You Don’t Get On With Schools are busy, people places. At times we will need to work with people we don’t get along with. The following are the first five of ten tips for communicating with people we find difficult to get on with. Acknowledge others’ feelings and points of view Listening to…
Beware of That Little Voice Inside Your Head
As educators we can be our own harshest critic. Whilst that little voice inside our head is often critical, it can also be unrealistic. “If only I’d done this differently….” “If only I’d said….” “Next time I’ll….” “I should have said this…!” “I should have done that…!” At times we are guilty of “shoulding” all…
Involvement or Engagement?
We need to relate to families not as clients, but as partners in school and community improvement. “Hello, is this John’s mother? This is his English teacher, Mr. Ferlazzo. John has had a rough day.” “I like teaching in this school because the parents don’t bother us much.” “We need parent volunteers for the fund-raiser.”…
See the Forest for the Trees by Michael Licenblat
Successful people work well under sustained pressure. For some, pressure acts like a laser beam – focusing their energy and sharpening their mind to make clear and accurate decisions. For others, pressure acts like a fog that scatters their thinking and impairs their good judgment. The difference in how sharply you operate under pressure, pivots…
Are You Addicted to Your Phone by John Shackleton
I was sent a post today about someone attending a wedding ceremony and having their phone confiscated at the door! She was furious and wondered how she could ever enjoy things without being able to take photos of everything. But afterwards she realised that she’d really enjoyed the event and had much stronger memories of everything…
How to Handle New Enrolments
We live and work in a transient society. This brings many enriching experiences for us but can also increase stress and anxiety for both staff and students in schools. Whilst this is now more consistency in the curriculum across schools there are other factors that also affect how smoothly these transitions take place. Acknowledging the…
ABOVE or BELOW the Line?
I get really frustrated when I find myself surrounded by negative people, who appear to be filled with doom and gloom. I feel at risk of being buried in their negativity. You know the people, they light up a room….when they leave! Recently I was made aware of the concept of operating ABOVE or BELOW…
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 31
- Next Page »