Why do elite sportspeople and rockstars tell themselves that they’re the “best in the world” and visualise themselves “in the zone” before they perform? The psychology behind it is remarkably simple. Human beings just tend to live up to the labels we apply to ourselves. They also live up to the labels applied by…
The most common trigger of anxiety in those of us without diagnosable anxiety issues is the absence of a plan. I wonder if you, like me, sleep poorly when you know you’re not planned for the next day. Yeah, thought so. So, as you hit a new school year it’s worth putting a…
I engaged in some stimulating non-education reading over the break and thought I’d start 2024 with a book recommendation for you, particularly if your school is becoming a restorative one. “Humankind – A Hopeful History” is by a fascinating author and historian by the name of Rutger Bregman. It captivated me. That said,…
Welcome back! I’m trusting that the break was fabulous … albeit perhaps a little too short. Most of my break was awesome, but it wasn’t without setback. You see, I lost my wedding ring … at the MCG on Day 4 of the Boxing Day Test Match. It’s something I’ve worn every day…
To conclude the year, I’m just thinking that we’re losing too many great educators at the moment. Just by virtue of you reading this, it seems like you’ve stayed. I’m really glad you did. I’m a fierce believer that the quality and passion of our workforce is the ballast of the ship that’s our…
Whether you’re a teacher or school leader, the end of the year is a good time to evaluate what you’ve been doing this year. And whether it was all worth it. I reckon the best way to tackle that is simply to compare the effort against return. In other words, what bang did you…
I was listening to a cool audiobook called Rework by Jason Fried this week. He speaks to how true creativity is doing something useful with whatever you happen to have. Fried points out that therefore the most creative people are often those who have very little … like prisoners. It might be a…
I spoke with a handful of School Leaders on the restorative journey last week who had a similar tale to tell. They said they’ve been delighted with the progress their school has made this year but that “There’s still a lot to do before they can call theirs a restorative school”. I disagree. …
I like weddings for the food options – that being that there are usually only two. Restaurants are far more stressful for me. I can spend hours scouring the choices trying to avoid the dreaded “plate of regret”. In some ways, this odd personality quirk has impeded my ability to work restoratively at school. …
While driving, I’ve been listening to a powerful audiobook called “The Dreaming Path” by Paul Callaghan and Uncle Paul Gordon. I highly recommend. The book warns about what they call “when then” thinking. It calls out a misguided western thinking pattern about happiness and its dependence on certain events occurring first. Examples include: “When I…