Training for Educators Workshops
The Brain Made Simple – How to Translate Neuroscience to better workplaces.
This workshop takes current brain research like that mentioned in the work of David Rock (The Brain at Work) and maps out strategies for developing a more emotionally intelligent work environment, increasing productivity, reducing stress and managing time more effectively. This workshop is interactive and practical. Although a lot that is written in the field of neuroscience is fascinating, it can also be dense and scientifically focused – what most people are interested in is how to apply the findings practically for better results. In this workshop you will be given ideas and tools to assist you in this application.
How to get successful outcomes from difficult conversations.
We know that the majority of people are more likely to avoid difficult conversations because even the thought of it triggers a threat response in the brain, unless we have practiced relevant skills over and over, to the point where we see the benefits of raising tough issues. Over time we will have the experience that the outcomes are better, by tackling the elephant in the room and getting a constructive and positive resolution. It is not magic – there are a clear set of skills that we need to develop that can be learnt and practiced. This is a practical workshop that uses some great tools like Susanne Scott’s conversation checklist and unpacks real issues that participants are dealing with.
Changing workplace culture – what kind of environment do I want to work in?
Staff at the cutting edge of Education, have a lot to juggle - the needs of pupils, parents and colleagues, the increased demands of a hefty curriculum, technology and the high expectations of a fast paced culture. Teachers and Principals are expected to deal with practical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual issues and it is very easy to get caught in playing catch-up and not attending to the environment that we spend a lot of time in. This workshop invites people to assess their current workplace culture through a constructive lens, identifying strengths and areas for growth and uses creative strategies to put together a more integrated picture of a supportive, balanced and resilient workplace culture. It explores practical strategies to address negative or unhelpful environments and personal barriers, and to embed the kind of place that we all want to work in!!! This workshop draws from the Fish philosophy and other strengths-based ideas.
Dealing with the overwhelm of our fast paced lives.
There is a reason that Mindfulness practice has become the flavour of the decade, even though it has been practiced in some spiritual traditions for centuries. Many people are desperately looking for an antidote to the busy-ness of their lives and are looking for ways to become calmer and more able to cope with the increasing demands of every day. Those in the helping professions, like teaching, have an added responsibility to support students with healthy strategies for living. This workshop links research to practical skills in the areas of mindfulness practices, meditation and cognitive behavioural strategies, to increase happiness and wellbeing. The skills and strategies relate both to personal development and ideas for the classroom.
Work /life balance.
This workshop uses a process to help education staff assess their own work/life balance using a number of tools, including Covey’s Priority Management model. Research tells us that more and more people are having difficulty leaving work at work. As teachers try and balance curriculum and pastoral care responsibilities with their personal and family needs, it is easy to feel that every area is not getting the attention they deserve. We will also look at strategies for staying out of anxiety and depression which are on the increase, especially in youth population, and holding ourselves to account on our own self- care. Very few people learn effective time and stress management skills from their family of origin and yet we live in a time that requires them more than ever. This workshop will combine self-reflection with appropriate models and strategies.
Identifying and expanding my leadership style (strengths, limitations and growth).
This workshop utilizes fifteen leadership qualities that were originally developed in the British National Health Service and are divided into three areas – Setting Direction, Delivering Service and Personal Qualities. We will clarify the difference between leaders and managers and operate on the premise that everyone is capable of leadership and that the development of these skills are useful to any role. A number of models support this leadership framework, including Emotional Intelligence and Thomas Killman’s conflict styles, which will be translated in practical ways.
Managing Conflict in the workplace.
This workshop uses a process to help education staff assess their own work/life balance using a number of tools, including Covey’s Priority Management model. Research tells us that more and more people are having difficulty leaving work at work. As teachers try and balance curriculum and pastoral care responsibilities with their personal and family needs, it is easy to feel that every area is not getting the attention they deserve. We will also look at strategies for staying out of anxiety and depression which are on the increase, especially in youth population, and holding ourselves to account on our own self- care. Very few people learn effective time and stress management skills from their family of origin and yet we live in a time that requires them more than ever. This workshop will combine self-reflection with appropriate models and strategies.
Handling parental expectations in constructive ways.
More and more teachers’ are describing the negative impact of parents on their classrooms, themselves personally, and the children they teach. There have always been problematic parents but it seems there are more invitations for teachers’ to take over roles and responsibilities that historically have been expected of parents. This workshop will practically explore what are reasonable boundaries to have, regarding roles and responsibilities, how to work collaboratively with parents from a strengths-based position and how to deal with parents who may be intimidating, bullying, and critical or have unreasonable expectations of teachers and schools.
Supporting children with special needs in the school environment.
A common stressor for teachers is managing the special needs of children who take up a lot of time and energy, without becoming negative about the child, family or agencies involved, and ensuring that the rest of the class is not being negatively impacted. Resources are often scarce to give a child with disabilities the kind of support they need and a lot of responsibility can fall back on the teacher. This workshop explores ways to develop a systemic approach to the shared care of special needs’ children and presents a model that operates from collaboration, strength-based interventions, advocacy and networking. There will be opportunities to work out a plan that clarifies boundaries, needs, and appropriateness of intervention as well as an assessment of outcomes, in a way that supports teachers.
How does a pastoral care focus support academic excellence?
At this time in history there are even more expectations on teachers to offer a well -rounded education. Part of the pressure on schools is that with so many stressed families, dealing with separation and divorce, loss of jobs, alienation from community and sometimes from meaning, experiencing trauma and addiction issues, staff are sometimes expected to be not only teachers but counselors, ministers, social workers, advocates and carers. Many schools offer a dual focus of pastoral care and academic development that can be complementary, if schools find the right balance. Otherwise, the worst case scenario can draw the staff into parallel feelings of overwhelm and exhaustion. It is difficult to apply academic rigor if you are stretched too far. We also know that mental health issues like anxiety and depression disrupt learning. This workshop provides an opportunity to explore how a school integrates emotional intelligence through its core values and builds compassionate and collaborative partnerships with parish, parents, services and community to share the responsibility for well-rounded citizens of the future.
Dealing with ambiguity and change.
Many people who currently work in Education have been brought up with stronger notions of permanency, security and certainty than younger generations .This sometimes creates dissonance and stress as we try and integrate the expectations of a fast paced world with the expectations we have ingrained in our own minds and experience. This workshop unpacks the skills needed to deal with a rapidly changing world in creative and innovative ways, challenging people to uncover existing skills and develop new ones. We explore ways that help us feel in control, which is a deeply human need, and make decisions about which of these strategies are helpful and which are not. This workshop includes self-reflection of what we have brought into the present from the past, that acts as a barrier, and encourages visioning of a future that looks very different from the one we may have been promised.
Building supportive networks for staff in schools.
Systemic thinking is not innate, it is learned. Whilst we all have strong needs to belong and connect, when people are tired or stressed they often fall back on an individualistic way of looking at the world. This workshop teaches some practical aspects of becoming a systemic thinker and applying it to the school environment. It looks at pro-active skills to build a supportive environment, so feelings of belonging and being connected are retained, particularly when life becomes more challenging. We are often at our most reactive when we most need support and if the networks have been built in constructive ways, it is easier to cope with vulnerability and difficulty, as well as experiencing the benefits of a positive, trusting workplace culture.
Who am I? Managing the depth and breadth of a principal’s role.
This is a workshop for Principals only. The depth and breadth of a principal’s role is notable and often creates confusion about which aspects of the role need to be prioritized. In a space of hours, a typical principal may be organizing to unblock toilets, responding to sensitive child protection issues, having a difficult conversation with a troubled staff member or parent, writing up complex administrative documents and trouble-shooting behavior management with acting out students!!! Another aspect of the role is the potential isolation that comes with “the buck stops here”! In this training principals are invited to use a consultative process as well as various models to prioritize aspects of their role and to develop more effective strategies for holding themselves and others to account, setting boundaries and getting appropriate support.
Understanding the difference between a leader and a manager.
This workshop utilised the ideas from Stephen Covey and others to map the balance of management and leadership. It is applicable for Education staff that have a management role. Often the demands of the management role squeeze out the creativity and visioning of the leadership role in ways that can mean important opportunities are missed. We will use practical examples of manager’s current work to assess the balance and identify where a leadership role can be more clearly integrated to enhance the task focus of management. We will use some brief personality profiles to clarify where strengths lie and what areas might be useful to develop. Part of this self-reflection will be actively exploring what aspects of the role keep us in a comfort zone that can impede growth. Few people are actively trained to be managers and leaders but are expected to shoulder the responsibility for both. There will be an opportunity to identify what additional training may be needed, in a supportive, safe environment.
Understanding self and others – the juggle of the personal and professional.
Historically, we were meant to keep the personal and professional separate but increasingly over the twenty years there is so much evidence to support the idea that the more we understand ourselves personally, the more effective we will be professionally, and that one informs the other. This workshop invites a personal journey of reflection, using a number of personal growth models from transactional analysis (TA), neuro-linguistic processing (NLP) and other areas. It is very practical, utilising current brain and emotional intelligence research to embrace areas of our lives that were often seen as vulnerabilities, not strengths, and to link these discoveries back to our work environments. We often spend more time in our workplace than with our families which make it even more compelling to experience our work environments as a place we can get some important needs met.
Managing my time and stress – models to live by!!!!
This workshop examines the link between stress and time management. It uses both reflective and pragmatic tools to unpack the learning we internalised from our family of origin and through our adult experiences about how we deal with stress. Few of us had good modelling and explicit learning and it is important to make sense of what gets re-enacted in an unconscious way and what we can do practically to change this. When anxiety and stress reach a certain point, time and tasks are not managed as effectively as they can be. We will identify what the danger signs are for unhelpful stress levels, strategic intervention and stress inoculation that will enable good decision making, relationship building and time management.
Bringing Humour and Fun into the Workplace.
When we are children we laugh about 400 times a day. Adults laugh about 17 times a day. We also know that having fun helps relaxation and learning and yet in so many workplaces this knowledge is not utilised. This workshop provides some valuable theory about the creation of happiness and well -being, as well as challenging us to consciously use fun and laughter in the workplace. We will identify what are the current barriers to a light-hearted environment and a plan to change contexts that feed depression, anxiety or emotional disappearance. This is a very practical workshop that has lots of laughter and fun, as well as learning about ourselves!!!