School leadership and teaching are demanding professions. We are in the privileged position of having the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, every day. However that opportunity comes with challenges and demands. This month I’d like to share 10 of my favourite inspiring quotes.
Hopefully these quotes will help you on the more challenging days, to remember why you decided to become a teacher and motivate you to keep doing what you do!
“Give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime.” Chinese Proverb
“There is, in fact, no teaching without learning. One requires the other.” Paulo Freire
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin
“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.” Edward De Bono
“I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that they are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.” John Steinbeck
“A child is not a vessel to be filled, but a lamp to be lit.” Hebrew Proverb
“If the child is not learning the way you are teaching, then you must teach in the way the child learns.” Rita Dunn
“Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers.” Josef Albers
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” Mother Teresa
“By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn.” Latin Proverb
Make it Personal On World Teacher’s Day
Whilst many schools hold a special assembly or morning tea to mark World Teachers’ Day on Friday 31 October, I believe that a personal touch in showing appreciation is even better. This year I’m encouraging you to send a personal, handwritten note through the post to each of your teachers, at their home. The prevalence of email has led to us rarely receiving anything but bills through the post. Receiving a hand written message, at home, shows that you have gone to an effort to appreciate your staff.
To assist you, I am offering to send FREE postcards to schools who are Happy School subscribers (and only $1 each for schools who aren’t Happy School members! – if your school isn’t a member now would be a great time to join. Only $295 per year to receive our weekly articles to share with your staff and you’ll receive the postcards FREE. The one page Happy School articles are designed to help boost staff morale and reduce teacher stress. Just email us and we’ll set up your subscription and email you an invoice.)
To order your Happy School postcards, send me an email advising how many cards you require, include your postal address and I’ll send them to you. We’ll even pay the postage! Email me at info@HappySchool.com.au
Once you receive your postcards, hand write your message to each teacher, address it to their home, attach a stamp and pop it in the post in time to arrive on World Teacher’s Day.
Yes, it takes time but you will be amazed how much impact your thoughtfulness, effort and personal approach have. Teaching is like planting trees.
Last year 11,700 postcards were snapped up by school leaders and sent to Australian teachers. Don’t miss out this year!
Internationally World Teachers’ Day is celebrated on the first Friday in October. However as this is usually during Australian school holidays, Australia celebrates the day on the last Friday in October of each year – Friday October 31, 2014.
World Teachers’ Day was created by UNESCO in 1994 to celebrate teachers worldwide. Its aim is to mobilise support for teachers and to ensure that the needs of future generations will continue to be met by teachers. Celebrated in over 100 countries, World Teachers’ Day acknowledges the efforts of teachers in an increasingly complex, multicultural and technological society.
PS Don’t forget to celebrate the other great staff who work in your school with special days and personal notes to thank them too. It takes a great team to make a great school – cleaners, aides, office, tuckshop, grounds and support staff!
How Is Your Staff Morale?
The fastest way to improve your school and boost staff satisfaction is to identify and address the problems that annoy and frustrate people. SurveyMySchool has been specifically designed to support the leadership team to IMPROVE schools. The interactive format of the surveys identifies specific issues and potential solutions.
SurveyMySchool is far more useful than school opinion surveys that only provides data. Whilst having data is a good start, data alone can be misinterpreted and isn’t helpful in addressing people’s specific concerns.
SurveyMySchool is interactive. Respondents who express dissatisfaction with an aspect of the school are asked clarifying questions to provide further detail about their specific concern and potential solutions. The survey report provides useful information to inform school planning, improve the school and increase the satisfaction of staff.
Contact us to set up a survey of staff, parents and/or students.
This Month’s Happy School articles include:
- A word for stressful times
- Optimism – Not just about being positive
- Operate ‘Above the Line of Life’
- Extrinsic rewards aren’t the answer
Subscribe now and join the 500+ schools who are already boosting staff morale and reducing teacher stress as members of Happy School. Reply to this email and ask us to set up your membership. It costs less than ONE supply teacher day!
Conferences and Work With Schools
This month I’m looking forward to working with:-
- QASSP State Conference
- Catholic Primary Principals’ Conference – Bathurst
- Hawkes Bay Principals Conference NZ
- North Shore Principals’ Conference NZ
- ABSAQ PD day
- Moranbah Schools
- Wesley Hospital Nurse Leaders
- Cronulla School Principals’ cluster
- SBMAQ webinars
- QASSP webinars
I’d be happy to talk with you about the professional development needs of your leadership team or whole staff.
Professional Learning From Steve Francis
We are all aware that PEOPLE make the difference in schools. Therefore investing in your people brings the best returns. Professional development sessions for your staff are available on a range of topics. These are ideal for student free days or twilight sessions. Email to check availability of your preferred date and book now.
Which topic does your team need most?
- Effective Teamwork in School
- Building Trust – Essential Skills
- Thriving in Times of Change
- Feedback – Helping Teachers Be the Best They Can Be
- Boosting Morale and Increasing WORK-LIFE Satisfaction
- 7 Secrets to Motivating and Engaging Students
If you’d like me to present at your conference or work with your staff, email me steve@stevefrancis.net.au