Our ability to connect with students has a direct impact on our stress level and happiness. Behaviour management guru Bill Rogers uses the term WarmDemanding to describe the ideal demeanor of staff in schools. Rogers argues that our interactions with students should be characterised by a balance between the ‘warmth’ that shows we care about…
A Carrot, an Egg and a Cup of Coffee
This great parable from an unknown author encourages us to reflect on how we cope with adversity. A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up; she…
Live the Reputation You Want to Have
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…
Making 2020 Your 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…
10 Important Priorities For A Successful Year
Whether you are a novice teacher or an experienced classroom practitioner, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the bewildering amount of work that needs to be accomplished each school day. With this type of workplace pressure, it is crucial to prioritise your tasks so that you can accomplish everything you need to do, move…
Motivation in the Classroom
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…
Don’ts and Don’ts of Teaching (Part 2)
Don’t send kids to the office. No matter how many times a principal says, “just send them to me,” it’s not a good idea. When you send kids out, it soon becomes the only thing they’ll respond to. So you might be thinking now, “what should I do when students are misbehaving?” I have no…
Don’ts and Don’ts of Teaching (Part 1)
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…
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.”…
Using the KonMari Method in Schools
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…