THINK TEAM!

Our culture, our beliefs, attitudes, and values, determines our choices, our decisions, and our effectiveness.

THIS WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

So many people tell me that they find it hard to manage the stress and the pressure and ask how I manage to stay so cheerful, so positive and so enthusiastic. It's easy if you know how and if you have the right attitude and the right tools and strategies to manage the XXXX...

The tools are...

Every School a Great School!

I am a learner and I have visited Stockholm and Helsinki looking for the magic ingredient that ensures that every school is a great school...

Children's University!

I met my colleague and friend Ger Graus today at the Eccles Centre in York...

It was great to see Ger, who is Chief Executive of the Children's University. This national scheme is a fantastic initiative operating in around 60 locations across the country and providing a framework for validated and quality assured activities for 7 to 14 year olds. The real success of the Children's University is the added value these activities can give to some of our children and young people and the difference these things can make to the outcomes they achieve.

The Good News is Everyone Can Do It!

“There is a brilliant child locked inside every student”

Marva Collins

How do we build brilliant learning, in brilliant learning places to serve brilliant learning communities?

What is the trick to releasing the magic and unlocking the potential of each and every child, of each and every colleague and of every family and every community to be their brilliant best?

Command and Control Doesn't Work!

We all know that command and control doesn't work and we all need to wake up to the fact that what really, really matters is how we engage and enthuse children and young people as powerful learners with enormous potential...

You are talented, brilliant, gorgeous and wonderful!

"If I were absolutely certain about all things, I would spend my life in anxious misery,

fearful of losing my way. But since everything and anything are always possible, 

the miraculous is always nearby and wonders shall never, ever cease."

Robert Fulghum

People constantly tell me what they can't do but as Robert Fulgham reminds us 'everything and anything are always possible'!

Find the Way!

The learning landscape is changing beyond recognition and we have to create the future structures to sit around our brilliant learning places and help them continue to learn, network and share to release the magic.

Goals and Targets!

We all know that setting goals and personal targets is a vital tool for everyone because it gives us our long-term vision as well as helping with our short-term motivation. By setting clearly defined goals and targets we are able to measure and constantly and consistently celebrate our achievements and our successes and focus on the areas where we are not achieving great outcomes...

Act or React?

"There are only two ways

to approach life:

as victim or as gallant fighter.

You must decide if you want 

to act or react."

Merle Shain

Do Something About It!

"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."
Albert Einstein

The challenge we all face is about action or is it inaction. We spend too much time talking about the things that are wrong and what we need to do to put them right. We create strategies, plans, structures and resources. We inspect, monitor, measure, check and audit. My challenge is why don't we simply put all this activity into action and do something about underachievement by rolling up our sleeves, targeting vulnerable and hard to reach groups using the things that work.
Chris

The Nine Secrets of Contentment!

Did you see the article in today's Times where they set out the nine secrets of contentment?

Interesting stuff which gives us nothing new but it's good to get the reassurance that we are on the right track...

• Have a social life;
• Be altruistic;
• Have something to believe in;
• Have goals and ambitions;
• Have enough money;
• Listen to music;
• Plan a holiday;
• Get an engrossing hobby.

Just proves that we've been on the right track!
Chris

Our Culture!

Our beliefs, attitudes, and values determine our choices, our decisions, and our effectiveness...

We know that beliefs, attitudes and values are the best predictors of individual behavior and that these things influence our perceptions, our judgements, and our behaviours. Research also indicates that beliefs, attitudes and values are powerful and highly resistant to change. Culture is ‘the way we do things round here’ and it is really important that we regularly check out what it is we all believe should be the beliefs, values and attitudes driving our work and shaping our behaviours.

• What really, really matters to you. 
• What makes you get out of bed in the morning?
• What motivates or inspires you? 
• What inhibits or demotivates you?

Chris