Do you get that feeling that the clutter in your life is dragging you down and you have too many things in your classroom, too many tasks queuing up and needing your attention? 

We all have clutter, whether its books, files, stationery, clothes, posters, food, videos or even thoughts that we have stored safely around us like a nice warm blanket.

If you can answer “yes” to any of the following statements then read on for some useful tips before you loose your freedom and space.

“That might come in useful”

“That’s too good to throw away”

“I’ll save that in case or give that to somebody”

“I’ll read it later/ study it later”

“That’s a part of my life”

• Challenge your thoughts

Try to adopt more empowering thoughts like, “that information is out of date and I can get it on the internet”.  Scan the things you can’t live without.  When you buy things or are offered things, ask “why do I need this and where will it go?” and try to find a real purpose.

• Create rules

Only buy what you need and adopt a one in one out policy for things like clothes.  This way you can reward yourself when you chuck things out.  Recycle books to friends, charity shops and waiting rooms.

• Establish routines

Get into the habit of clearing out two or three times per year by making it a seasonal task. Choose a small activity at a time that you think you can accomplish, like a cupboard.  It will energise you and give you the motivation to tackle bigger areas like your loft or garage.   And it gives you a sense of freedom and space.

• Use a system

Keep your emotions out by simply devising a process to work with.  Try something like the 3 box approach; keep it, bin it, recycle it.  But you need to be strict with yourself and try not to read or reminisce; you can do this when you are finished.

To find out more about waste and clutter and to get a free monthly CPD newsletter register at www.merechats.co.uk

If you are thinking of becoming a headteacher within the next 18months and you are thinking about applying got the NPQH then you need to know that the next application round for the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) is currently open and will close on 6 January 2009.  More information is available on the NPQH webpage.

We all have different management styles which affects the way we work with people and the relationship that we develop with them.  To get the most out of people you need to understand what motivates them and then appeal to this.

Research has shown that the top three things which motivate people are appreciation, feeling involved and getting personal help and support with problems.   And yet sometimes we might also think that some people are motivated by money, career prospects or the opportunity to make a difference.

The truth is when you recognise that the people in your team all have different personalities and you can appeal to their individual motivation you will have a much better chance of getting the best from them.

Here are four types of people and their motivations:-

Firstly you get the helpful teachers who are co-operative, thoughtful and probably quite trusting and enjoy working in environments which are respectful, supportive and idealistic.  They shine when they are asked to help, or work on worthy causes, and they will relish the opportunity for personal development.

Secondly you get the competitive teachers who can be quite controlling, quick to act and self confident and thrive in teams that are direct, competitive and risk orientated.  Giving them responsibility, challenges and new opportunities will motivate this group.

Then you get the more flexible teachers who are adaptable, enthusiastic and inspiring who will enjoy working in friendly, sociable and rule free conditions.  They like change, variety and doing things that are fun.  Who doesn’t?

And finally you get the practical teachers who are thorough, tenacious and reserved and work best in an atmosphere which is structured, fair and objective.  They are motivated by detailed work which requires analysis and tangible outcomes.

It’s a case of different strokes for different folks. 

If you want to develop you people skills but don’t have a lot of time Dot Struthers has developed a unique set of telecoaching programmes and you can also sign up for a free monthly CPD newsletter at merechats.co.uk.

A cottage by
the sea where the grandchildren can visit? A holiday apartment overlooking a
sun-drenched Mediterranean bay? We can all dream of an idyllic retirement, but
the only way your dreams can turn into reality is if you start planning for
retirement early. It’s no secret that the credit crunch is putting a strain on
people’s ability to save, but allocating part of your salary for your
retirement is extremely important if you want to be financially secure when you
decide to bid farewell to working life.

One of the
key benefits offered to teachers is the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. Available to
all teachers, it is a final salary scheme through which your employer makes
substantial contributions. When you retire, you will be entitled to the basic
state pension plus your teacher’s pension.

All teachers
are automatically members of the scheme unless they opt out. If you joined
after 1 January 2007,
you can choose to have part of the pension paid as a lump sum. Members who
joined prior to this date will automatically receive a lump sum on retirement.

So, what can
you do with this lump sum to maximise your retirement fund? It’s a good idea to
explore investment options, which can provide you with a monthly income or can
lock your money away while you watch it grow. Many people opt for some kind of
life assurance, too, so that loved ones are protected in the event of your
death.

Teachers Building Society offers a specialist, confidential financial planning service through its wholly-owned subsidiary TBS Financial Services Ltd (TBSFS). There are many investment options available and
TBSFS has a full range, which can be tailored to meet your needs and attitude
to risk.>

If you would
like more information or a no-obligation consultation, please call 0800 378669.

For more information about the Teachers’ Pension
Scheme visit www.teacherspensions.co.uk.

Joanna Clarke
Teachers Building Society

A revised Code that strengthens the admissions system and puts children and parents firmly at the heart of the process was presented to Parliament today.  The School Admissions Code, which all admissions authorities must comply with, sets out legal requirements for setting fair and transparent admission arrangements, ensuring fair access for all. It incorporates changes brought in by the Education and Skills Act 2008 which became law last week. A revised Appeals Code was also presented to Parliament today.

The main changes to the two Codes include:

• placing a duty on admission authorities to engage with parents and the wider community when setting their admission arrangements, in order to meet the needs of their local area;
• giving priority for state boarding school places to children of armed forces personnel;
• improving the application and allocation process so that parents will only ever need to apply for a school place to the local authority in which they live instead of the authorities where their preferred schools are located;
• prescribing national closing dates for primary and secondary applications; helping parents by creating a simpler more uniform system;
• improving the information parents receive on the admissions process, so they are fully engaged and informed;
• allowing schools to advise parents of their ethos during the application process and ask that their children respect this ethos: and
• making improvements to Admission Forums so they are representative of parents and the local area, and consider the fairness of admission policies for that area.
• the right of MPs and elected councillors to support parents at admission appeals hearing as long as there is no conflict of interest.

Work life balance is a common goal we all aspire to but what does it really take to achieve and maintain it?   Some teachers like to exert all their energy at school, often leaving little time for friends and family.

You hear the term work life balance, almost as though our work is separate from our life and it’s only when we’ve finished working that we can start living!

It is very easy for teachers to become workaholics because they are passionate about their work and feel duty bound to be there for their students.

Whether you feel that your life is perfectly balanced or not, it’s worth trying this exercise out to see if it reveals anything new to you.

1. Write down the five most important things in your life? e.g. work, friends etc
2. Next to each one write down the percentage of time you gave each area last week?
3. Are you happy with the balance?
4. Where does your emphasis need to be this week?

A few thoughts to help you with your own work life balance are:-

• Regular reviews – monitor your progress and work out where you are wasting time and how you can change it, forget excuses.
• Plan in ahead – diarise a few activities like going to the gym, meeting friends, special meals out, films, walks, reading etc.
• Apply rules – create some guidelines for yourself like leaving work no later than 5pm, or no work goes home, remind yourself that your family/health/friends are important too.

Balance is really about allocating time to things that are important to you.  If you are giving all your time to your work, then you are saying to yourself that everything else is less important.  All work no play makes Jack a dull boy – does this apply to you?

If you want to develop your people skills but don't have a lot of time , then go to www.merechats.co.uk which is a coaching resource Dot Struthers has developed for school leaders.

Empathy is at the heart of teaching and is an essential social skill for any teacher.  You need empathy to understand and interpret your students’ needs, feelings and concerns or to demonstrate sensitivity when talking to parents about a difficult issue.

Empathy is also about sensing what is needed and making people feel comfortable and at ease.  And when you can read a situation by seeing other view points and using this to create opportunities you are using empathy.

Sometimes it’s only when you are in a stressful situation that empathy has real meaning and your skills are put to the test.

So what does empathy mean to you and how do you show it?

Here are a few things to help you develop your skills:-

• View conflict with parents as an opportunity to empathise with a different viewpoint.  You need to approach it by letting go of your own agenda and seeking to understand theirs from a place of curiosity which means asking lots of questions.
• Adopt a service mentality when working with your students i.e. when you serve you listen and ask questions to understand the needs and requirements instead of pushing your own thoughts and opinions.
• Develop your political skills by observing your colleagues body language and behaviour in team meetings and trying to work out what they are really thinking and feeling.  Studying NLP will help too.

And, if you have developed your skills to a high degree you may need to watch out for a couple things like empathising too much which can lead to you taking on others responsibilities or trying to meet everyone’s needs and expectations which can be quite stressful.

Empathy requires tolerance, patience and a sense of curiosity but when developed can be the most powerful tool and skill to have.

Do you want to develop your empathy skills?  Dot Struthers offers lots of useful coaching resources at www.merechats.co.uk

Yesterday ministers gave the go-ahead to Primary Capital Programme funding from April 2009.  This is the first steps toward rebuilding or refurbishing half of all primaries within 15 years.  More than 1500 primary school building projects also got the go ahead in projects worth £3.55billion.

Ed Balls confirmed that more than 1500 planned rebuilding and refurbishment projects in England could now start after ministers gave the go-ahead to 133 local authorities’ primary capital strategies. A further 15 local authorities will get tailored, expert advice to get their plans up to speed within three months to enable funding to be released

It means that the Government will release £1.75billion of funding to local authorities for the Primary Capital Programme with local authorities investing a further £1.8billion. That’s on top of the £150m that had already been invested in 23 pilot local authorities in 2008-09.

Coaching is now a well regarded tool for teachers to develop themselves both personally and professionally and is growing in popularity because it’s short, sharp and effective.

Getting coaching for yourself is one thing but developing your skills to coach others is another and requires self awareness, understanding and practice.

Coaching should be a non-judgemental and stimulating process which gives the other person time to think and share their feelings.  Your job as the coach is to challenge their attitude, offer inspiration and get them to a place of action.

Here are five key principles that will help you to be an effective coach:-

1. Play to a person’s strengths

   We all know what we are not good at and there is no point in trying to solve a problem from a place of weakness.  If you are an introvert you can’t suddenly become an extrovert, it would be unnatural.  When you focus on a person’s strengths and uniqueness, you build their confidence.
    

2. Create time to think

   The only way to see the wood from the trees is to step back and create some space and time.  Helping people to see the bigger picture allows them to gain perspective but also to focus on their specific issue more clearly.  By encouraging reflection, you are able to create more self awareness.
    

3. Solutions are within

   So often we think the answers are outside of us but the truth is that we are good at getting in the way of our own solutions.  Helping someone to explore options, ideas or thoughts has a magical quality which allows us to connect with our inner wisdom and create those “aha” moments.
    

4. Being Present

   So often we are distracted by either reminiscing the past where our memories live or the getting lost in our dreams in the future.  Helping someone to stay present in the current moment “now” will help them to stay focussed and bring about the changes and improvements they want.
    

5. Personal Responsibility

   It can be so easy to judge others and tell them what they are doing wrong or what they should be doing but in fact you are only holding them back and could be creating a rod for your own back. When you insist on another person taking responsibility for their actions and behaviours you are giving them the control and authority they need to take ownership.

Coaching skills are life skills and worth investing in.  They are particularly helpful in times of stress, conflict and change and after a while it becomes a way of doing things rather than a set of techniques.

If you want to develop your people skills but don't have a lot time, then go to www.merechats.co.uk which is a resource Dot Struthers has developed for school leaders.

A looming crisis caused by the failure to recruit more headteachers is reaching a flashpoint as it is revealed that up to 1,000 schools have started the new school year without a permanent head according to the Guardian.

The NAHT have told ministers in the DCSF they must act now to avert a potential disaster.  I would suggest that the application form for the NPQH be made a bit more friendly – maybe then they’ve have a few more people applying for headship.

Back to the NCSL site to continue filling in the form……