We’re surrounded by reasons to be miserable and a media that likes to remind us of just how much sorrow, hardship, division and hate are swirling through our lives.
We could choose to let that into the small mental spaces that we educators have left available. We could.
Or we could choose to let some joy in. At lunchtime today, wander through your yard for no other reason than to hunt for some joyful nuggets.
A friendly chat with a student. A kick of a footy. A post-it note inscribed with a positive quote, handed to a struggling colleague holed up in their classroom. A breath of fresh air.
Just let it in.
GIFTS
Restoring Teaching has been making a splash over the last few weeks with educators across Australia and the world (we’ve now sold it into eight different countries!). With an opening chapter title like “This Shit Has To Stop” it’s pretty clear that this isn’t your average book on education.
We’ve been feeling a little generous lately, so why not click here and grab a FREE copy of that chapter. You can nab the rest of the book here
OPPORTUNITIES
Effectively undertaking the role of an Assistant Principal is not an easy endeavour. Every day, APs work tirelessly to support their entire school community with cohesion, purpose and focus. To achieve this ambition, we have designed a coaching program specifically for APs.
Our Intentional Leadership coaching program will help you transform your good intentions into great results. We will support you to be the effective leader who thrives in their role and leads their school community with impact.
To find out more, click here
With staffing being finalised in most schools, you may find yourself with a number of Beginning Teachers and wondering how you will support them. We can help. Our 12 month Beginning Teacher Partnership will give Beginning Teachers in your school the support they need to make sure they thrive both in and out of the classroom. You can find out more here.
THOUGHTS by Amy Green
The best learning is always fun!
We know that the best learning for both our students and us as teachers happens when it is fun. Fun tends to also be a focus word for many teachers towards the end of Term 4.
As we get close to the end of the year, it is OK to want more fun in your classroom, plan lessons with extra fun in them and do things just for fun.
Learning can definitely be fun, but fun doesn’t always mean learning. As we count down the remaining weeks of Term 4, keep in mind that whilst learning can be fun, fun can also take over from learning. I know it can be easy to want to fill the last few weeks with word searches, Christmas Craft and board games, and please do this, as long as there is an element of learning in there too. It is not too late to practice times table drills, improve public skills or develop more creative and critical thinking. You just need to make it fun for you and your students.
EPIPHANIES by Adam Voigt
It’s easy to get trapped in your own reality.
Here in Victoria, we’ve had such an outrageous run with an extended lockdown and constant uncertainty about when … or if … it would end. That’s been our reality.
On my old stomping ground, in the Northern Territory, their daily activities have been barely impacted at all. They’ve done their concern from afar and of others. That’s their reality.
This week, I was speaking with Principal Faith Fugit in Houston, Texas. She’s caring for a school community that’s open amidst upwardly spiralling infection rates while also caring for an infirmed parent herself. That’s her reality.
And now, South Australian schools close at a time of year usually filled with celebration and rites of passage. One more ghastly ‘pivot’ in a long year. But that’s just their reality.
Today, I’m thinking of those South Australian educators. That reality is a tough one.
But for all of us, just take a moment to remember – if this year has taught us nothing else – that realities change. This too shall pass.
Warm regards,
