Have you heard about Byron Katie and her transformative practice for all those interested in spiritual growth and personal development?
Byron Katie has known great pain and suffering in her life. In highly unusual circumstances she woke up one morning to a sudden and dramatic shift in awareness, which brought her an inner clarity. Since [...]
One of the key elements of a good report is knowledge. Teachers deliver programmes of study through a sequence of lessons. As the lessons are being delivered and the pupils are learning, evidence of this learning is being compiled. The evidence may be transitory – through oral questions and answers, discussions and practical work such [...]
During my recent time twittering away on twitter, I came across a gentleman called Mark Warner, who is a primary school teacher in the UK. Mark’s passion is for using ICT in the classroom.
I share his passion very much. Visiting schools to observe my latest group of PGCE students, I have seen some wonderful use [...]
Many schools are today realising that they need to do much more to encourage pupils to want to learn. Some schools have adopted a system called promoting positive learning (PPL). This system relies on mutual respect between staff and pupils and on staff working positively with pupils to encourage good learning outcomes.
Where PPL is used, [...]
Imagine what it would feel like if you could always cope easily with the demands and pressures of working in a school.
Imagine if your physical and mental well-being were always in the best of shape.
Imagine how different you would feel if you could find that extra motivation and inspiration to fulfil your roles and responsibilities in school with more flair, skill and enjoyment.
Imagine how smoothly your life would run if you had all the answers to prioritising your time with maximum effectiveness.
Imagine how much more confident you would be if you knew how to nurture first class relationships with either children, or parents, or staff.
Imagine how energised and vibrant you would feel if you had the perfect work/life balance.
Imagine how your self-confidence and self-esteem would skyrocket if you could easily identify and eradicate your self-limiting beliefs and negative thought patterns.
Imagine what it would be like to wake up one morning and feel that your passion for working in a school had suddenly been reignited.
The Mental Health Foundation in the UK has put together some tips to help us all take care of our mental wellbeing. Here are a few suggestions: 1. Talk about your feelings Talking about your feelings can help you stay in good mental health and deal with times when you feel troubled. Talking about your feelings isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s part of taking charge of your wellbeing and doing what you can to stay healthy. Talking can be a way to cope with a problem you’ve been carrying... more
Life coaching is about getting the very best out of someone. It has become one of the most popular methods of self-development around, and is used in all areas of life. I want you to try to imagine a relationship where the total focus is on you and you alone, on what you want in life, and on discovering strategies for helping you achieve it. Now imagine someone listening only to you, not only to the words, but also to what’s behind them. Someone who listens to the very best in you, even when... more
When most people hear the word ‘coach’, they invariably have a picture in their mind of a sports coach. Sports coaches support and encourage the athlete to push themselves hard to reach their full potential and achieve their goals. They help them to be faster, bigger and better – something that would be hard to achieve without a coach. The great philosopher Galileo once said “You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself.” This quote... more
Make sure you do your research beforehand and find out about the school, the local community and social issues. Local Authority websites provide latest Ofsted reports, performance statistics and other background information. Always try to visit the school before the interview to have a look round. You may see something you can talk about at the interview, and it helps break the ice. Read any educational supplements/papers beforehand and find out about current issues in education. There are always... more
There has been a lot in the news recently about how narrow the primary curriculum is in England, especially with the emphasis in recent years on teaching the basics in literacy and numeracy. There are now plans for a major shakeup of the curriculum. The author of a recent Cambridge University report warns that too much emphasis on testing the basics could “impoverish” learning in areas such as the arts. Professor Robin Alexander says this could mean a “deficient” education. The... more
Schools should band together to provide social workers for unruly pupils and support groups for parents, according to the government’s “behaviour tsar”. The proposals will be among a number of suggestions included in Sir Alan Steer’s report to ministers in April. Teaching unions say teachers need better support and fewer targets to enable them to better manage behaviour. Sir Alan said the vast majority of pupils are well behaved, despite society’s “negative”... more
Here are some very effective steps you can take to improve your self-esteem. As a coach, I work hard to convince my clients that they can change. I tell them that change doesn’t always happen quickly or easily, but I work hard to empower them with the tools and strategies they need to implement change. If you suffer with low self-esteem you need to start believing that you can change it. Remember, you have to do something well to feel good about yourself. STEP 1: CHALLENGE THE INNER VOICE The... more
Do you ever suffer from very poor self-esteem? I believe at times it can be so paralysing for an individual that it becomes almost impossible to motivate them to take action to achieve their goals. Low self-esteem can have devastating consequences, such as: Anxiety, stress, loneliness and depression Difficulties with friendships and relationships Seriously impairing academic and job performance Underachievement and increased vulnerability to drug and alcohol abuse All of these negative consequences... more
I wrote an article a couple of years ago about making decisions to do something about changing your life. I would like to share that with you in this blog. We all know that to get good results we have to take new actions, and of course all our actions start from a decision: the power of decision is the power of change. After all, it is our decisions, not the conditions of our lives that determine our destiny. So, what would happen if you could always make the right decisions to help you feel happier,... more
