Teachers Matter Magazine Issue 50

PROFESSIONALLY & PERSONALLY

TeachersMatter The Magazine of Spectrum Education

NZ$25 / AU$25

Leaders in Developing Teachers

ISSUE 50

“If I’ve gotten better at teaching over the years, it’s not because I’ve learned more about my subject; it’s because I’ve learned more about kids.”

Teachers Matter

-Monte Syrie, teacher

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Celebrating 50 Issues

EDITOR’S NOTE

Dear Readers, I once heard the phrase, “The only constant in education is change.” Looking back through the magazine’s very first issue, however, proves that while some things in the world around us have most certainly changed since 2012, so many pieces of what we do as educators are really not all that different.

All students still need to be loved, safe and respected before they can think about learning anything academic.

School leaders still need to grow teachers’ capacity before students’ capacities are able to grow. In this most special 50th Issue, we see not only ageless truths about education, but also strategies that point toward the changed world in which we find ourselves living.

Teachers are some of the best collaborators I know. They were then, and we are now. Read Andrew Oberthur’s, “10 Ways Teachers Collaborate” to keep this ever important skill alive and well in your teaching career.

No matter what changes we face throughout our careers, one vital piece of life is our ability to allow ourselves the time for self-care. Jo McBride’s article, “Nine Tips for Self Care” offers age old reasoning and ideas for how to remain energised for the duration of an academic year.

Oh, but how this last year has challenged, pushed and transformed us all. If you find yourself needing to look your best, sound your best, and engage your audience, you must read and take note of Ava Lucanus’ article, “Engagement in a Virtual World.” Connecting with kids physically with you is challenging - connecting virtually is tenfold of that effort.

Cat Coluccio’s article, “Helping Your Family Thrive During Homeschooling,” offers practical, yet often, overlooked tips for creating a successful learning environment for your own children. The world was thrown into this mode of teaching and learning, whether we wanted to be or not. This article provides the practical pieces to success should we ever need (or want!) them again. Even without a school-closing pandemic, these are excellent strategies for any successful homework or learning area at home!

From our entire team here at Teachers Matter - THANK YOU! We wouldn’t be where we are today without our amazing readers and contributors! You are each an inspiration for what we do and we look forward to another 50 issues!

Yours in Education,

Jessica

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CONTENTS

In this issue

p22 - Transforming Children’s Negative Self Talk

p12 - 12 Strategies For Bouncing Back in Learning 6 Engagement in a Virtual World

AVA LUCANUS 8 10 Ways Teachers Collaborate

ANDREW OBERTHUR

10 When Children are Worried

About Funding Work Up Ahead

TONY RYAN

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Teachers Matter

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12 Strategies For Bouncing Back in Learning DR DANIEL VOLLRATH

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Behind the Scenes at Teachers Matter Magazine

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The Brave New Worlds of Great Texts

IAN WARWICK

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Your Inner Voice Matters SALLY FOLEY-LEWIS

p44 - 9 Tips For Self-Care

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20 50 Winning Ways to Teacher 32 Wellbeing

MEGAN GALLAGHER

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Transforming Children’s Negative Self Talk 36

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Be Kind to Your Mind JULIA GRACE

12 Wellbeing Ideas or Work DEBORAH BARCALY Our Top 50 Contributors 50 Study-Smart Tips

KARI SUTTON

KAREN TUI BOYES

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Gathering Data Through All Our Senses

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Understanding Depression

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Adapting to Change QUOTE

KAREN TUI BOYES

26 Stress, Tension, Choice and Salvation

CAT LEVINE

NGAHIHI O TE RA BIDOIS

ALAN COOPER

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The Incredible Power of Discovering Your Purpose

42 Give Schools the Upper Hand

RYAN MARTIN

GLEN GERREYN

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MAGAZINE CONTACTS

To receive your own copy of the next issue, send an e-mail to magazine@spectrumeducation.com

Teachers Matter Magazine Team Publisher, Sales and Advertising Karen Tui Boyes Editor Jessica Youmans Art Director Kate Adamson Printer Spectrum Print, Christchurch

Subscriptions Toll free (NZ): 0800 373 377 (International): +64 4 528 9969 Thanks to the educators, speakers and authors who contributed interviews, articles, photographs and letters.

Teachers Matter magazine is registered with the National Library: ISSN 1178-6825 © Spectrum Education 2021 All rights reserved.

p60 - 18 Simple Suggestions For Making Food Fun

Parts of this publication may be reproduced for use within a school environment. To reproduce any part within another publication (or in any other format) permission from the publisher must be obtained.

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Why NOT to Make a New Year’s Resolution

The opinions expressed in Teachers Matter are those of the contributors and we love them!

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18 Simple Suggestions For Making Food Fun

p48 - Make Money Work For You

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9 Tips for Self-Care

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Protecting Wellbeing

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Make Money Work for You

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Your Students and Trauma

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Helping Your Family Thrive During Homeschooling

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Minimising Conflict

JO MCBROWN MADELEINE TAYLOR LAUREL MAKOWEM KATE WINCHESTER

CAT COLUCCIO

LAUREN PARSONS

JUDITH YEABSLEY

62 In These COVID-19 Times,

How Do We Care For Our Children?

LESLEY JOHNSON 64

What is Flow?

LYNNETTE CHADWICK

All Enquiries Spectrum Education Ltd Street Address: 19 Rondane Place, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Postal Address: PO Box 30818, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Phone: (NZ) +64 4 528 9969 magazine@spectrumeducation.com www.spectrumeducation.com

66 The Last Word: Sleeping and Technology

KAREN TUI BOYES 56 STE

ZAANA COOPER LINDA GUIREY

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AVA LUCANUS

Engagement in a Virtual World Tips for Successful Online Learning Meetings

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riday, the 13th of March, 2020. A Black Friday like we’d never imagined!

I was in Adelaide at the Professional Speakers Association’s annual convention with 200 other speakers and trainers, possibly the last conference ever before Covid-19 erupted and Australia was locked down into isolation. As the convention weekend progressed, our phones buzzed constantly with text messages and emails cancelling our gigs for the rest of the year. The speaking industry was hit hard and the air was filled with shock, fear and uncertainty.

For many, life became a daily struggle to find sanitiser, PPE and toilet paper, while trying to maintain a positive outlook. As companies started pivoting to their new normals, Zoom, Webex and Teams became household words. We became obsessed about social distancing and flattening the curve. Nobody really knew what to do - we’d never been through a pandemic before, so we all just made it up as we went along.

As speakers and trainers, we had to go virtual or starve. We had to learn very quickly how to engage our audience virtually and make their experience great. We banded together globally through social media and Zoom to help each other through, and together we learned…a whole lot! Some of us even proudly achieved the Certified Virtual Presenter global accreditation.

Thankfully, for most of us, life is almost back to normal. But while we were in those trying times, the new normal became a world of working from home with virtual classrooms and meeting rooms.

Teachers Matter

“The interpersonal skills required virtually are just as important as face-to-face skills but even more difficult because there are less visual cues to give and receive.”

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Since we are still living with this pandemic, we know we must be prepared at a moment’s notice to go virtual again.

The interpersonal skills required virtually are just as important as face-to-face skills but even more difficult because there are less visual cues to give and receive.

In the virtual world, you must be able to influence to make a difference. Whether your virtual meeting is a classroom lesson or collaboration with your team, my top 12 tips on the art of virtual etiquette (VE) will help you engage, influence and be heard: 1. Before sending the meeting invitation, delete unnecessary clutter from the email, such as overseas phone numbers, so participants can easily locate the meeting link. Add a personal message so it looks less automated.

2. Visual aesthetics are important.

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Natural light is most effective…face a window for the most flattering light.

If you wear glasses, angle them down to reduce glare.

Avoid using a virtual background unless you have a physical green screen (to stop you from disappearing into it) especially if you have long or curly hair, or use hand gestures.

Declutter your background to look professional and minimise audience distraction.

Make sure no one is likely to walk past the camera behind you. We’ve all seen those funny videos on YouTube!

3. Audio is equally as important as visual. Use an external microphone for best sound quality.

4. Prior to the meeting, make sure any potential distractions are diverted. Ensure the kids and pets are out of the room, the printer is turned off and all notification sounds (including the home doorbell) are off.

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AVA LUCANUS

5. Have your phone close by in vibrate mode, in case someone can’t get into the meeting and you need to assist them.

6. Arrive at your meeting five minutes early so you are there to greet your guests with a confident smile as they arrive.

7. If you use a virtual waiting room, customise it with a personalised message to make sure your guests feel comfortable and reassures them that they are in the right place. Let them in right on time or a minute before.

8. Start the meeting on time to respect those who were punctual.

9. Engage your audience by looking at the camera and sitting on the edge of your seat to prevent you from slouching. Sitting upright will maximise your energy levels and improve your tone of voice to make you and your message more influential.

10. Remember to smile. It’s contagious!

11. If your audience is large, mute your guests and encourage them to interact with the Chat facility or unmute themselves when it is their turn to ask a question.

Ava Lucanus Ava Lucanus is a Customer Experience Expert, who works with schools to help create an awareness of customer service and improve service standards.

She does this by providing training programmes for schools to optimise their relationships with internal and external customers, as well as to build trust.

She has been awarded the Certified Virtual Presenter award for her expertise in presenting virtually.

She can be contacted at: ava@edgecommunication.com.au

12. Wait until your guests have left before ending the meeting.

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ANDREW OBERTHUR

10 Ways Teachers Collaborate The Importance of Teacher to Teacher Collaboration

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eachers are the most influential people in a student’s education, apart from the student themselves, so imagine the benefits of teachers working together. Imagine the increase in positive influence in a student’s education when teachers collaborate. Add in the support of school leaders, teacher aides, learning support staff, subject specialists, and then combine wisdom, knowledge and passion for improving students’ achievement, and there is an enormous impact. Hence, COLLABORATION amongst teaching colleagues is important. Such collaboration may be within a teaching team who teach the same year level in the same school. It may be teachers in different year levels in the same school. It may be teachers from different schools teaching the same year level or subject who meet face-to-face or via online platforms. It may be teachers who network across the country or even across the world through conferences, blogs, or any number of online platforms.

In asking my staff at St Martin’s Primary School, Carina in Brisbane, how and why they may best collaborate to improve students’ learning, both teachers and support staff generated a long list of ideas. I refined the lists into themes and offer these now to you. I suspect that you will be doing most, if not all, of these strategies and the rationale for them. In which case, these lists should be affirming of good practice. With this list, I am providing a list of how and a list of what to collaborate, teacher with teacher. (Teacher with support staff is for another article).

Teachers Matter

The most common strategies that teachers use when collaborating include:

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Face-to-Face Conversations: Simply having a verbal conversation, in person.

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Email: This is the second most common way that teachers choose to collaborate. They may send each other messages at their convenience. Email also provides a record of the dialogue. It won’t replace face-to-face conversations, however it is convenient and offers an easy way to share resources.

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Team Meetings: This is where teachers in the same cohort would have meetings or teachers across year levels may meet to collaborate face-to-face on a regular basis.

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Listening: Interestingly, teachers also listed listening as a strategy which promotes collaboration. So, teachers, remember to use your mouth and your ears in the same ratio as which they exist: We should be listening twice as much as we should be speaking, even when collaborating with our colleagues.

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Staff Meetings and Daily Check-Ins: These are more formal settings, but still provide the chance for teachers to collaborate and share their ideas.

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Text and Phone Calls: These more informal conversations can also be powerful ways to connect teachers without any pressure, proving to be a powerful tool for collaboration.

They are the strategies which teachers use to collaborate. So now let’s explore why they collaborate. What is the rationale for working together?

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The most common reason for collaboration was “sharing at the load” when planning. Planning was the most common response when asked why we would collaborate. The second most common reason why people would collaborate was the sharing of resources.

Teachers value working together to share resources and the workload they each encounter. They also valued sharing teaching roles, as well as various opportunities. For example, when it comes to preparing homework, planning resources or creating resources, teachers valued sharing that workload. They also appreciated the opportunity for moderating students’ work when it comes to assessments. This allows for consistency of judgment. Teachers also valued discussing students’ needs and setting of goals. Similarly, when discussing students’ behaviour, teachers appreciate the opportunity to work with their colleagues so discussing behavioural expectations was also a common response. In our top ten responses, teachers also included asking for advice, discussing the programme and keeping a sense of humour while looking after each other.

ANDREW OBERTHUR

Finally, in the top ten reasons for collaborating, was the importance of providing feedback to colleagues. So, there are the top ten reasons why teachers choose to collaborate and how they collaborate. Remember, two heads are better than one. Let’s work together.

“Remember, two heads are better than one. Let’s work together.”

Andrew Oberthur Andrew Oberthur is a primary school principal with over 30 years experience teaching and leading primary schools in Brisbane. Andrew has been on ABC radio a dozen times in the last couple of years. He is available for presentations and workshops for school staff and parents.

In 2018 he published his first book “Are You Ready for Primary School This Year? which is about building a culture of trust, collaboration and enquiry between parents and teachers.

His book is available from his website: www.creativecollaborativesolutions.net

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TONY RYAN

When Children are Worried About Finding Work Up Ahead Encouraging Flexible Thinking About the Future

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f a child said to you, “There will be no work for me up ahead,” how would you respond?

A 13-year-old student (let’s call her Georgie) was recently lamenting with her teacher about the unsettling nature of her future. One of her parents had just lost employment, an older brother in his final year of schooling has few prospects for future work and Georgie herself feels disconsolate about the viability of her own adult working life. Does she have cause to be worried about the future of employment or is there a more optimistic perspective that might console her right now?

Work is an important part of life, although there are perhaps even more critical issues to ponder with Georgie’s future. Aristotle talked of eudaimonia, a Greek word that translates as ‘human flourishing.’

This flourishing is derived from experiences that fulfil the soul and, by focusing on the human good, steadily enable you to become a better person. Perhaps eudaimonia will become the deeper purpose for our students (and even ourselves) in the 2020s.

The coronavirus pandemic is creating some massive learnings for the world, both negative and positive. In the midst of the upheavals and resultant misery, one positive lesson is that quality time with your own family can be worthwhile. Yes, some people actually do savour the experience. One negative lesson is the awareness that work has too often dominated the lives of many adults to the detriment of their own welfare. Perhaps we collectively need to rethink the overwhelming nature of work in our lives. Today’s children might even benefit in the future from this lesson.

So how might you respond to Georgie when she states there won’t be any work ahead for her? Here are some options: •

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Teachers Matter

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There will always be lots of work for you to do. If you include volunteering and social justice support, there will be endless opportunities to make a contribution to society. Paid work, however, will be different from today’s experience, and will include flexible options such as part-time work, contract work and the ‘gig’ economy. You are less likely to have the one job for life that your parents and grandparents may have experienced.

You will sometimes create your own work opportunities, rather than just waiting for someone to give you a ‘job.’ Your initiative and enthusiasm will then drive your success in that work. Even right now, think about ways that you can become a little more entrepreneurial, either by yourself or with a group of friends. Turn your talents into an opportunity to earn some money.

In times of upheaval such as now, many new work opportunities become available. Employment options have recently increased in diverse areas such as online learning, delivery services, counselling provision and medical support.

Look for what people need at any time, and then learn how to provide it for them. This point will still be relevant for you when you eventually leave school.

There won’t be as much work in factories up ahead, although the services that directly support people — such as health and education — will need more employees for a long time yet.

Learning how to respect other people, and to really care about them, will be a critical skill in most people’s work future.

One secret to making yourself more employable in the future is to develop your ‘enterprise skills.’ These will always be needed, no matter what new jobs might be created. Here are some examples of these skills: Be a critical thinker. Know how to be an innovative worker. Understand how to use digital technologies that would benefit an employer. Learn how to be a worthwhile team member.

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“Work is an important part of life, although there are perhaps even more critical issues to ponder for the future.”

Tony Ryan Tony is a teacher-in-residence and educational consultant who refuses to take life too seriously. The facilitation of quality thinking has always fascinated him. If you’d like lots more ideas, head off to www.tonyryan.com.au, or to the latest version of Thinkers Keys (available on an Individual and Site licence).

Tony can be contacted at: tony@tonyryan.com.au Visit his website at: www.tonyryan.com.au/home

“Every time you think about calling a kid ‘attention seeking’ this year, consider changing it to ‘connectionseeking’ and see how your perspective changes.”

- Jody Carrington

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DR DANIEL VOLLRATH

12 Strategies for Bouncing Back in Learning Boosting Resilience with Habits of Mind

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hink of resilience as a stress ball. A stress ball is resilient because it springs back to its original shape after being squeezed. Now imagine the stress ball is a student. The squeezing pressure is stress or frustration, and the Habits of Mind provide the strategies to help them spring back. In the classroom there are always times when students can benefit from easing tension. Below are 12 strategies and activities for helping students get back into optimal and productive focus for learning.

Personalise “Bouncing Back” Practice the habit of Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision by telling a personal story when you failed at something, struggled or came across a hurdle.

Although the road was marked with difficulty, when all was said and done, you found success.

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Influential Videos Engage and focus on Listening with Understanding and Empathy through inspirational videos. It can also be a great way to talk about characters, themes and events.

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Sink or Swim Together Grapple with Thinking Interdependently through team building activities, games, puzzles or something that develops commitment and teamwork.

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The 3-Minute Self When needed, take three minutes for Thinking About Your Thinking. Be aware of your thoughts, feelings and strategies you might need to utilise during class or later in the day. Let this be a time for breathing, thinking and getting yourself together.

Teachers Matter

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Optimistic Scenario Response In life, it is always important to focus on the bright side. Think Flexibly by turning a negative into a positive. Offer stem statements like, “Although this terrible event happened, it is important to focus on the positives, such as...”

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Game Time Growth Provide game time in your classroom. Chess, checkers, hacky sack, brainteasers, or even card games and tricks. Sometimes, five minutes of Striving for Accuracy on something other than schoolwork can build resilience and carry over into learning.

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What’s Your Barometer Reading?

After receiving a poor test grade, project score, pre-assessment, or any assignment that involves “an outcome,” practice Metacognition by identifying awareness of feelings and thoughts. This elicits a gauge for recognising your students’ starting point and provides a roadmap toward building resilience.

DR DANIEL VOLLRATH 8.

Wait Out the Stressful Questions By practicing “wait time” between questions, statements, directions or daily agendas, students are offered the opportunity to Manage Impulsivity. They can take their time to “process” and subconsciously promote resilience.

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Stop in the Middle Always end class or a lesson in the middle (if you can). Why? It allows students to come back next class with the habit of Remaining Open to Continuous Learning. Wanting to find out more, adding deeper thought after a day of reflection, and just leaving some curiosity (or your students in limbo) about a topic allows them to think more deeply. Plus, the opportunity of “time” allows students to bounce back and be resilient in picking up from where they left off.

10. 3-Minute Build In Offer three minutes at the beginning of class each day.

The first minute is to practice Metacognition: thinking about their thoughts, feelings and awareness of what will be coming up in class.

The second minute is for Questioning and Problem Posing: writing down any questions or problems they may have before starting class.

The third minute is for figuring out how they will Manage Impulsivity: thinking of the things that will make them impulsive and how to deal with them - or to just take some deep breaths! Maybe three other Habits of Mind might work better in your class. Always think about how those first three minutes will help in building productive behaviours and resilience.

11. Powerful Resilient Vocabulary Praise Anywhere you see resilient behaviour taking place, make it known! Powerful statements with Habits of Mind and the word “resilient” in it makes it clear that your culture is centered on productive behaviours and overcoming hurdles.

Here’s a great example: “Everyone in class Strived for Accuracy by completing their projects with resilient attitudes and actions. All of you overcame the obstacles and roadblocks that occurred by Persisting and Managing Impulsivity.”

12. Plan “B” All of us have our strengths and weaknesses. We all learn differently. When students fail a test, quiz or any form of assessment, offer an opportunity to recover. Ask the question, “What can you do to show that you understand this topic or content?” This is an opportunity for them to Think Flexibly in showing you they can overcome failure by providing a different way of understanding. It is always important to give students time to think about their “Plan B.”

“All of us have our strengths and weaknesses. We all learn differently. When students fail a test, quiz or any form of assessment, offer an opportunity to recover.”

Dr Daniel Vollrath, Ed.D. Dr Daniel Vollrath, Ed.D. (@HabitsofMindInc) is a special education teacher at Hunterdon Central Regional High School in New Jersey, and a United States Professional Development Trainer for the Habits of Mind Institute. As a current educational leader within the classroom, Daniel’s best practices, strategies, goals, classroom culture and interactions with students with a learning disability are centered around the Habits of Mind.

For more information contact him at: danvollrath44@gmail.com

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Teachers Matter

Behind the Scenes at Teachers Matter ..

Magazine.

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Wow! We have 50 issues of The Teachers Matter Magazine.

I’m beyond excited and proud of what the TM Team has created. It started as a random thought which woke me at 5am late December, 2011. What if the learning and expertise from our Teachers Matter Conferences could continue to deliver? What if teachers could access my mentors and have more regular inspiration? I sat on the idea for three days and then spoke to my Spectrum Team.

They were excited. I emailed potential contributors with my vision and ideas - every single one said, “Yes!” Then came the logistics of how to start a magazine. We knew nothing!

We looked at dozens of magazines, searching for inspiration and ideas.

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We flew to Auckland to meet with Lindsey Dawson, the former founding editor of More, Next and Grace magazines and asked many, many questions. We received fascinating insights from her - and then my counter-intuitive decision was to do the exact opposite! For example, high profile magazines are funded with over 40% of the pages taken up with advertising, we have less than four percent.

Perfect bound magazines look really classy on a bookshelf, however stapled mags are much easier to photocopy for article sharing, which was important to us, as we supported educators and their development. Paper quality, colour versus black and white, layout design - the list of todo’s seemed endless.

Phillippa Jacobs was our initial designer and she set the theme and tone of future editions. Our printers, Spectrum Print have faithfully printed all 50 issues, even when their buildings were badly damaged from the Christchurch earthquakes.

Issue one was a hit and the refining process started...and, 50 issues into this venture, we are still striving to improve to be even better for our readers. This success is due to our past and current teams, who are superstars in every way.

So, who is behind this amazing magazine?

KAREN TUI BOYES CFO - CHIEF FUN OFFICER! Karen is the mastermind behind the TMM, a vision of keeping the professional learning and personal development conversation going from the Teachers Matter Conferences, which are now online summits. Karen is relentlessly positive, fun loving and occasionally a bit of a mischief maker. Her sun seeking and rainbow chasing nature shows up in everything she does.

Aeroplanes are a personal passion (The bumpier the better!).

Karen has been on 2,192 planes and has the signature from every captain on those flights! That’s dedication! Karen loves to learn, laughs easily and is committed to seeing others be their best selves.

JESS RYAN MAGAZINE COORDINATOR Jess graduated from Raphael House with Excellence and has been workingpart time at Spectrum Education since leaving school.

She is an environmental crusader and is passionate about making positive changes in the world. A movie watching fanatic, Jess loves writing, painting and sketching while blasting her favourite music.

Jess has green thumbs and enjoys taking care of her many house plants and garden, as well as hanging out with friends as often as possible.

KATE ADAMSON DESIGN DIVA Kate is a 34-year old graphic and web designer. She lives in Yorkshire, in England with her boyfriend, Carl, and their cat and a five-year old tortoise.

An interest in all things spooky and paranormal has seen her visit many haunted locations across the UK and Ireland. Kate loves to watch documentaries, especially True Crime and Criminal Psychology.

Exercise is a big part of her daily life and she enjoys long walks in the countryside. Kate is passionate about animals and dreams of running an animal sanctuary one day.

STACEY MCEWAN ADMIN SUPERSTAR (ASS FOR SHORT!!)

Stacey gets stuff done behind the scenes. She checks emails, processes orders, ensures subscriptions are up to date and keeps the office running. Married to Ian for 27 years, they have two terrific teens and a Mini Schnauzer named Oscar. Oscar believes he is the boss.

Stacey enjoys regular indoor cycling classes and walking. She reads fast paced thrillers, if there isn’t a dead body in the first chapter it’s too slow. She loves chatting with friends, eating delicious food and drinking wine and is often the “social organiser” for small gatherings.

DENNY MACARTHUR LOGISTICS LEGEND Denny has been behind the scenes of the magazine since conception. He is often seen in the Spectrum Office, playing his loud music, labelling and filling the envelopes with magazines and tootling off to NZ Post with a boot full of magazines to post.

Denny loves everything sci-fi, sport and is a history lover with a collection of over 1,000 DVD’s and bookcases overflowing! He has been married to the mag’s own Karen for 24 years. They have two active children who are ready to leave home, hint hint. Both children have been seen around the office, possibly bribed, to help out with magazine mailings.

JESSICA YOUMANS EDITOR EXTRAORDINAIRE When Jessica is not editing the TMM, she is teaching Kindergartners in Indiana, USA. Jessica and her husband, Todd are avid sports fans and love cheering on their alma mater, the Indiana Hoosiers. With four amazing kids who take part in playing baseball, tennis, golf, cheerleading and art, Jessica is also an unpaid Uber driver!

Her house is home to two dogs, two cats, two fish and one rabbit.

The kids love dressing up the dog in clothes and taking her for walks in the doll stroller. Jessica loves the beach and her favourite adventure so far was snorkeling in the beautiful ocean waters off the Florida Keys.

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IAN WARWICK

The Brave New Worlds of Great Texts Hook Students In With a Strong Start

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t is too safe for students to spend their time in just one world. Too many people live lives circumscribed by boredom and insularity, rendering them unable to see beyond the limits of their immediate horizons.

The job of first sentences of a novel (or the opening shots of a film) is to seize us immediately by the throat and launch us over the threshold into these new creations. When a student is embarking on a critical analysis of any text they need to know how to approach this universe and form what questions to ask. What are the writers up to? What strikes us about this first? What makes us want to continue on? How does a great opening steer our responses and set up the tone and what we need to see? What new dawn will the special shock voltage of a powerful opening lead us towards?

Teachers Matter

The lines selected below are designed to have an impact on all of us, and as such, are useful starting points to negotiate new horizons. What specific questions might guide learners to explore them? What questions are being raised about life in this existence and how is the new context developed and the answers delayed?

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1984 “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”

How does Orwell’s opening line create a slight disorientation in perspective and an immediate discordance that sets us up for the novel’s unsettling narrative of the future?

David Copperfield “Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”

In what ways has Dickens extended his arm toward the door, asking us to enter what promises to be an unusual neighbourhood?

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Anna Karenina “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” How can the narrator know this? What realm of experience may have led to this observation and do we agree with its assessment?

The Trial “Someone must have slandered Josef K, for one morning, without having done anything wrong, he was arrested.”

How does the tone Kafka sets up indicate that he has constructed a universe of deception, ambiguity and bewilderment?

Brighton Rock “Hale knew, before he had been in Brighton three hours, that they meant to murder him.”

Greene’s first sentence slices straight into us but how does its construction suggest that we too are trapped in this ruthless and claustrophobic existence?

Their Eyes Were Watching God “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board.”

How does Hurston manage to suggest an entire story folded up inside this line? Whose reality might she be describing?

The Crow Road “It was the day my grandmother exploded.”

Banks is a master of memorable starts that suggest very different worlds to be entered. Where might it go next?

IAN WARWICK

Given the visual literacy of many learners, a useful adjacent activity can be to show the opening sequences of a few select films and ask how the first few minutes impact on what the audience will expect the story to be about? What conventions are working to establish the intended or likely consequences of existence here?

Amelie A film that shows off its quirky sense of humour by immediately introducing its eccentric characters by their peculiar likes and dislikes, which indicate the mood and context of the reality they inhabit.

“It’s our responsibility to make students take a look at other such realities and introduce them to the possibilities and excitement of alternative existences.”

Joyeux Noel The opening sequence shows brainwashed school boys in France, England and Germany reciting phrases they have been taught about the glories of their country and the evil of their enemies (and that God is on their side).

Great Expectations The black and white evocation of the bleak East Kent marshes and Pip’s nightmarish encounter with Magwitch in the churchyard sets up a terrifying opening environment.

A Matter of Life and Death The start immediately captivates our attention with the last man in a burning bomber telling a radio operator how he is planning to jump without a parachute rather than face being burned alive.

Jaws An underwater camera lurks underneath the water, taking on the persona of the shark itself, complemented by silence, then an eerie theme tune, suggesting the deceptiveness and danger of what is beneath the surface.

It’s our responsibility to make students take a look at other such realities and introduce them to the possibilities and excitement of alternative existences.

Literature and film offers learners a more genuine and open diversity than their real-life neighbourhood can provide – and may allow them to fully appreciate lives they have never seen.

Ian Warwick Ian Warwick founded London Gifted & Talented as part of the ground breaking London Challenge, which has transformed education across the capital city since 2003. He has co-written ‘Educating the More Able Student’ and ‘World Class’ in 2016 and has two new books on ‘Redefining More Able Education.’ He has recently completed a book on learning called Unfinished Perfection, which focuses on Da Vinci and explores strategies for improving creativity and innovation.

For more information contact him at: ian.warwick@londongt.org

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SALLY FOLEY-LEWIS

Your Inner Voice Matters Can you hear it?

“You idiot, Sally!”

This was my most common self-talk phrase when I made mistakes.

I would even say it out aloud! At one level, it was a throw-away line but it was, until I learnt better, a message to myself that became a strongly ingrained, destructive practice. The more I said it, the more it became part of me.

Then one day, just after I had berated myself aloud for a mistake, a dear friend said to me, “If I made that mistake would you say to me, “You idiot?”

“Of course not!” I replied, somewhat upset that she’d think I’d view her as such.

She went on, “I’d never say that to you, but I notice you say it a lot when you make a mistake, even ridiculous tiny mistakes. I’d prefer it if you didn’t speak to my friend like that.”

What an amazing gift to receive.

It’s hard to have strong, positive self-leadership when you’ve got negative self-talk nattering away in your mind. Self-talk is what you say to yourself, your inner dialogue, and it is influenced by your subconscious mind. Your self-talk reveals your thoughts and beliefs and can be positive or negative. Research by psychologists from Queen’s University in Canada have deduced that we have around 6,200 thoughts in a single day.

Our brains produce the chemicals dopamine and cortisol. So many common incidents that occur throughout the day trigger cortisol to warn us and protect us. This triggers stress and negative thoughts, and as such, we tend to have more negative thoughts than positive thoughts each day. On the other hand, dopamine is released when positive things happen, thus creating positive thoughts.

The impact of self-talk on self-leadership will show up in openness to creativity, challenges and feedback. Negative self-talk will potentially show up as stressed, lacking resilience and procrastination, while more positive or constructive self-talk will show up as more emotionally intelligent, thoughtful, insightful, more capable (or less flappable) during crisis, uncertainty and change.

Types of Negative Thinking All or Nothing: These thinkers are absolute in all their thinking, using words such as always, never, no one, every one, everything and every time.

“I’ll never be able to have a decent feedback conversation.”

“I’m never going to delegate successfully.”

“No one at work cares about me.”

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When you read these statements, you can easily see that they are not true, and do nothing for happiness.

Sure, some people might not like us but it’s not true that no one cares.

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One, even a few, failed attempts at delegating doesn’t mean it won’t ever work.

With structure, calm and planning, feedback conversations can be easier, less stressful and challenging.

Glass is (Half) Empty:Thinkers with this pessimistic outlook will always seek the bad in a situation, which will result in only finding simply that - the bad.

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SALLY FOLEY-LEWIS If you go hunting for problems in the team, you’ll find them. While resolving problems is good, consistently being on the lookout and pointing out the bad is not great.

It makes it difficult for people to want to spend time with you and may also motivate people to avoid sharing anything with you.

They will keep you outside the loop, which doesn’t serve you when you’re trying to manage and lead them.

Let’s Turn the Negative Self-Talk Around Start being more present to your thoughts and how you talk to yourself. Ask a trusted friend or colleague to let you know when they hear your self-talk aloud.

The truth is, there’s a lot of good all around us all. Even with Covid and 2020 being such a strained and stressful year, there were silver linings at each turn along the way.

More Drama Than a Soap Opera: Have you been a thinker that creates a catastrophe out of a situation, especially something that may never happen? This undoubtedly causes unnecessary stress.

“Start being more present to your thoughts and how you talk to yourself.”

“We’ll probably all get laid off.”

“We’ll never go back to the office safely.”

Ask yourself, “How true is this and how likely is it that this is going to happen?” Of course, we can’t predict the future but there are very, very few worst case scenarios that actually happen.

Imposter: This line of thinking lends you to believe one day, you will be caught out as being not the right person for the job you’re in.

“Why did they promote me? Surely they made a mistake.”

Focus on your strengths and what those strengths contribute to your individual work as well as to the team.

Creating a ‘brag book’ of your accomplishments (positive emails, cards, notes, awards, etc.) often stops the imposter thinking to creep in. You will have a difficult time reviewing that and still thinking that your value and contribution isn’t needed or important. Use external validation to strengthen your internal validation!

Mind Reading: Thinking that others think poorly of you is negative mind reading. If you’re like me, you’re not psychic and as such, we can’t read minds. Mind reading in this context is simply making up stories.

Have them note if it is positive or destructive. Catching yourself in negative self-talk may take time and practice as it is likely a wellingrained habit. Keep at it. Beginning a new habit often takes quite a bit of time, but in the end, it is well worth the effort!

Once you catch yourself, forgive yourself for the negative self-talk.

Or at least don’t give yourself a hard time for it! Once you identify it, change it into a positive thought instead.

As stated in a Psychology Today article, “Everyone engages in self-talk. But much depends on the way we do it.” Ethan Kross, a psychologist, has his findings shared within the article: “In a series of groundbreaking experiments, Kross has found that how people conduct their inner monologues has an enormous effect on their success in life. Talk to yourself with the pronoun I, for instance, and you’re likely to fluster and perform poorly in stressful circumstances.

Address yourself by your name and your chances of acing a host of tasks, from speech making to self-advocacy, suddenly soar.”

So these days, it’s, “Nice catch Sally! You caught it so you can fix it.”

Do you have an argument in your head with a colleague before you know you have to meet with them?

Do you run through a challenging, awful conversation with an employee, in your head, and then avoid that employee all the next day?

Asking and having open and respectful dialogue is how you get the truth and develop quality relationships, not by creating false realities in your own mind.

Sentenced, Guilty!: Do you define yourself by listing out all that you’ve failed, missed or fudged? Giving yourself a guilt trip and defining yourself by all that’s not gone to plan results in trying less, hesitating and feeling as though you don’t deserve happiness. This can directly lead you to not speak up in important meetings or missing opportunities that you are well suited for.

Do you identify with any of these?

It’s worth remembering the words of famous personal development thinker and speaker Zig Ziglar, “You are the most influential person you will talk to all day.”

Sally Foley-Lewis Driven to help people increase productivity and fire up self-leadership, Sally Foley-Lewis is a global, multi-award winning speaker, author and facilitator.

She is Australia’s first certified virtual facilitator. She has presented to and helped more than 10,000 managers and leaders from educational institutions, associations, multinational corporations, as well as government agencies, both locally and globally.

For more information, ontact her at: sally@sallyfoleylewis.com

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MEGAN GALLAGHER

50 Winning Ways to Teacher Wellbeing Simple Reminders That Lead to Massive Benefits

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appy, healthy teachers tend to have happier, healthier classrooms where students tend to do better socially, emotionally and academically. Positive teacher wellbeing has the capacity to improve outcomes for learners so it is well worth giving some consideration to our wellbeing and make improvements if needed.

The Five Winning Ways to Wellbeing give us five areas that can be incorporated into our lives every day to help us stay happy and healthy. These five areas are: connect, give, take notice, keep learning and be active. Here are some ways we can bring these to life.

Connect: Ring a friend.

Share a meal with loved ones.

Smile at a stranger.

Write a letter or email to someone who has made a difference in your life.

5. Join a community group.

6. Organise a trip to a concert or gallery or park with a friend or two.

7. Turn off devices and play some board or card games.

8. Have a movie night at home with friends or family - make your own popcorn.

9. Do some baking or cooking for a neighbour or colleague.

10. Share positive quotes or jokes with others to bring a little joy and lightness.

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1.

2.

3.

4.

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Give: 11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

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Go for a walk and pick up rubbish.

Share an idea or resource with a colleague.

Give someone a compliment.

Use your skills to support a community group.

Share extra food or produce from your home.

Give some things away to charity or on a buy and sell page.

Let someone else go first - perhaps when lining up in a shop or letting someone in when driving.

18. Pay it forward with a coffee for the next person at your favourite café.

19. Help someone with their gardening or housework.

20. Buy extra groceries to give to food banks.

Take Notice: 21. Deliberately look for things that you haven’t noticed before when you are out walking or driving places.

22. Practice the pause. Before reacting to something, pause and notice how you feel. Then breathe and respond.

23. Do yoga or meditation, focusing on what is happening in your body.

24. Get out in nature and observe with all your senses.

25. Turn off your devices and screens and tune in to someone talking to you face-to-face.

26. Take a walk outside at a break time during the day.

27. End each day with recording or sharing three things for which you are grateful.

28. Look up at the stars and let yourself be absorbed in a sense of wonder and awe.

MEGAN GALLAGHER

29. Spend some time sitting quietly in a busy place and just watch people.

30. Walk and eat slowly and mindfully

Keep Learning: 31. Ask for new ideas from colleagues about something you want to improve.

32. Learn a new language.

33. Learn a new song or even how to play an instrument.

34. Ask a friend, colleague or loved one to teach you a skill they know.

35. Learn to cook a new recipe or whole new cuisine.

36. Use a YouTube tutorial to learn a new skill.

37. Take on a new opportunity at work to stretch your skills.

38. Learn about something in education that interests you and share with your colleagues.

39. Learn a new board or card game to share with others.

40. Read a book or watch a movie in a genre you haven’t explored before.

“Positive teacher wellbeing has the capacity to improve outcomes for learners.”

Be Active: 41. Get out in the garden or make a potted garden. You could also liven up a green space at work for others to share.

42. Join a sports team.

43. Go for a walk. Get a dog or walking partner to help you stay motivated.

44. Join in with physical activity opportunities at work.

45. Join a gym or fitness class.

46. Snack on exercise, using opportunities to move at various times of the day, such as doing squats or lunges while waiting for the photocopier.

47. Have daily one-song dance parties. Set a timer to remind you and then go for it!

48. Explore the area around where you live and find opportunities for movement. It could be enjoying walking or biking tracks, swimming or playing in the water.

49. Have a go at a walking meeting instead one where everyone sits.

50. Plan for physical activity during the weekends with friends or family. It might be trying new activities or enjoying favourite ones.

Megan Gallagher Megan is a committed learner. She is a teacher and has been an educational leader who has specialised in health education for a number of years.

She is an avid promoter of building resilience in our students and selves Contact her: www.facebook.com/teachlearnlead

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KARI SUTTON

Transforming Children’s Negative Self-Talk 4 Tips to Self-Monitoring and Choosing Positivity

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s humans, we all talk to ourselves, whether we realise it or not. We all have an inner voice that I like to call the, “Itty, Bitty Crappy Committee.” It’s the voice in our mind that says things we usually do not say out loud. This inner dialogue frequently occurs without us even realising it’s happening and runs as a subtle commentary in the background of everything we do. On average, we have anywhere between 40,000 - 60,000 thoughts per day - of those, approximately 60% are negative, and 85% are repetitive thoughts.

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In 2003, I was fortunate enough to study with Dr Martin Seligman, commonly considered to be the father of positive psychology. Dr Seligman had spent the past three decades investigating optimism and happiness. I asked him about possible ways we could stem the rising tide of depression and anxiety we were seeing in schools. He explained that if, as adults, we can help children challenge negative self-talk that would go a long way in addressing these problems. Research has consistently demonstrated that negative self-statements significantly predict anxiety and depression. Dr Seligman believed that we could halve the rates of youth depression if we nipped children’s negative self-talk in the bud from an early age.

A child’s mind-set and the expectations they have about their abilities have considerable influence on their willingness to try new things, take risks and learn from their mistakes.

Children’s internalised beliefs about their abilities affect their self-talk and become self-fulfilling prophecies that confirm their expectations and beliefs about their abilities.

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Four Ways to Transform Your Child’s Negative Self-Talk.

1. Monitor Their Self-Talk Start helping your child understand the concept of self-talk by explaining that we all have a little voice that chatters away to us in our heads. This begins in the second or third year of life, around the same time children begin speaking in sentences.

Listen for what they are saying to themselves. The majority is said out loud at this age, until around age five, when they start to internalise it and keep it to themselves. This internal dialogue can be our best supporter or worst enemy. Kids frequently communicate their negative thoughts out loud, such as, “I’m useless at sports so no one is going to choose me to be on the team,” or, “My hair is so ugly.” Support your child in recognising their harsh negative thoughts and internal dialogue. Help them to stop these by discussing the thoughts with them, suggest that they can become a detective that recognises their “negative beliefs” that set them up to feel bad and then scaffold how they can change these thoughts to something more helpful.

KARI SUTTON

2. Help Them ‘Catch’ Their Negative Thoughts Help your child practice catching negative thoughts so they can begin to recognise them. As they go through their day, encourage them to notice thoughts that make you feel bad about themselves and write these thoughts down. Remember to explain that these thoughts are not good or bad, but that they just ‘are.’

Then, explain that thoughts are also like clouds and can float in and out of their minds at different times.

“Remember, what we consistently say to our children becomes their inner voice that will shape the rest of their lives.”

3. Challenge Negative Thoughts We need to teach children how to talk to themselves in a positive, kind and reassuring way and reframe negative thoughts so they can think more realistically. We can teach kids to identify and challenge negative thoughts that undermine their belief in their ability to successfully master a task. We have to help them identify their negative self-talk thoughts. Do this by listening for when we hear them say things about themselves that are negative: things that begin with, “I can’t,” “I never,” or, “I always.” Talk with them about how they feel when they hear themselves say these things and point out how that can stop them from doing their best because it takes away their confidence. Then provide them with evidence to prove why their negative thought is inaccurate and help them swap the negative thought with a positive, more helpful concept.

4. Catch Them Being Good We frequently pay more attention to the things our children do wrong rather than focusing on what they get right or do well.

Make an intentional effort to catch them being good. They need positive reinforcement from us. Remember, what we consistently say to our children becomes their inner voice that will shape the rest of their lives.

Kari Sutton Kari Sutton is an educator, speaker and author who has helped over 25,000 children, parents, and educators with evidence- based strategies, tools and approaches to foster children’s positive mental health.

She deconstructs the research, so you don’t have to and provides practical, easy to use tools and strategies that plant the seeds of resilience, emotional wellbeing and mental fitness in our children. She is launching her second book “Raising a Mentally Fit Generation” in late 2020.

She can be contacted by email at: karisutton@me.com

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KAREN TUI BOYES

Gathering Data Through all our Senses

Photo Credit: Craig Burton

Using a Whole Body Approach to Strengthen Learning “The senses, being the explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge.” - Maria Montessori A necessary disposition for students to develop is to gather information through the senses. The senses collect information about the world and send it to the brain, and the brain uses this information to make sense of the world. Sensory receptors take in information automatically, unconsciously and simultaneously. It is interesting to note when one sensory pathway is blocked or inhibited, the other senses are heightened.

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There are two main sensory pathways - external and internal.

All external information comes into the brain through sensory pathways. External pathways include:

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Visual - sights coming in through the eyes Auditory - sounds coming in through the ears Kinesthetic - movement and posture of the body Touch - the sensation felt through the skin Gustatory - the sense of taste in the mouth Olfactory - the smells inhaled through the nose Inner senses include pain, balance, thirst and hunger. These provide the brain information about the body and its needs. For example, the purpose of thirst is the body’s way of telling the brain it needs hydrating.

Intelligent people observe the world. They use their senses to explore their surroundings and collect information or data through various pathways. Much of language comes from being open and observant

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to our environment from the senses. It is when people learn about textures, colours, patterns, sounds, tone, volume and so on that language is developed.

In his book, Brain Rules, Dr John Medina shares research showing that students who are learning in a multi-sensory environment always do better than those in a uni-sensory environment.

Naturally, a skill needs to be taught and experienced in the manner of its execution. For instance, riding a bike is predominantly a body, or kinesthetic skill. Simply watching bike riding videos and having someone demonstrate the riding techniques (mainly visual inputs) will not replace the authentic learning of physically getting on the bike.

Professor Art Costa and Dr Bena Kallick, the founders of the Habits of Mind, say, “To know a wine it must be drunk; to know a role it must be acted; to know a game it must be played; to know a dance it must be moved; to know a goal it must be envisioned.”

As memory is stored in neural circuits all over the brain, the more stimulus and input from different sensory pathways that is taken in, the easier recall will be and the longer a memory lasts. Bob Bourgault, Director of the Almond Acres Charter Academy, encourages teachers and students to be a ‘sense-ational’ thinker and involve as many senses as appropriate and possible. Evidence suggests that problem solvers come up with fifty percent more creative solutions when engaging their senses.

KAREN TUI BOYES

“As memory is stored in neural circuits all over the brain, the more stimulus and input from different sensory pathways that is taken in, the easier recall will be and the longer a memory lasts.”

This is evident in many different professions. Scientists often use scenarios and role playing to think through ideas. They build models to help them understand complex concepts and problems.

Mechanics use hands-on experimentation to see what works or doesn’t work. Artists experiment with colour and textures, while musicians experiment with combinations of vocals, instruments, timing, volume and pitch.

Recently, while visiting the Van Gogh Alive Exhibition in Wellington, NZ, was a unique multi-sensory experience. Whilst I appreciate great art, it has not been my thing to visit art galleries. This however, was an incredible feast for the senses. Simultaneous, digital projections of paintings on giant screens, orchestral music, wafts of aromas to coincide with café scenes, Van Gogh quotes on a screen and the story of his life being shown through his art. It was an enthralling and fulfilling experience. I watched it twice and would have stayed for a third if an appointment time was not getting closer. I concluded that all art should be shown this way!

A few ways to develop this disposition include: •

Teach students about how their brain learns, stores and retrieves information.

•

Provide students with a rich, multi-sensory environment, as well as experiences to enhance their learning and memory recall.

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Talk about experiences and invite students to describe their learning through the senses. Ask, “What did you hear, see, smell, feel, touch and taste?” Language and questioning are often the glue to enhancing the senses.

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Offer multi-sensory activities for young children (where appropriate), using playdough with glitter and aromatherapy oils, using feely boxes and a sandbox for printing.

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As students get older, combine sensory experiences with classwork. This might include playing quiet orchestral music while they are doing math problems or encouraging them to write stories using colour pens or pencils.

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Invite students to use a multi-sensory platform when sharing their work and learnings.

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When students are writing, encourage them to consider the visual setting, smells and how people feel to give a more profound richness for the reader. In other words, encourage them to paint a picture through their words.

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In science, actively promote the use of the senses to expand observation skills.

Photo Credit: Craig Burton

Karen Tui Boyes Karen Tui Boyes is a champion for Life Long Learning across nations, industries and organisations. As founder and head facilitator of Spectrum Education, Karen leads a team which is determined to transform education globally, with a focus on ensuring teachers, students and parents have a passion for learning, understand the learning process and know how to maximise it. A sought after speaker who continually gets rave reviews from audiences around the world, Karen turns the latest educational research into easy-to-implement strategies and techniques.

For more information, please visit: www.spectrumeducation.com

In what others ways might you help students experience the world through as many different avenues as possible?

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ALAN COOPER

Stress, Tension, Choice and Salvation “Doing With” Students to Bring About Self-Reflection

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he class knows they are in trouble. While they are far away from an emotional hijacking the beginning of the fight, flee or freeze reaction has started. The first action must be to calm them by “doing with” the students.

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“The right teacher behaviour is so important but so hard to do! This gets close to a golden rule for interaction between teacher and students: do with, not to.”

Dr Marvin Marshall, the American stress guru, states in one of his recent weekly newsletters that in these sorts of situations, authority must be used without coercion, presumably because coercion is likely to fan the embers of the fight, flee or freeze emotional reaction. In short, if you are dealing with a violent or distressed student, “doing to,” or coercion, will make the matter worse. The right teacher behaviour is so important but so hard to do! This gets close to a golden rule for interaction between teacher and students: do with, not to.

To solve problems, a wise teacher asks questions that are directed to process, rather than content. Effective questions focus on the thinking processes, which underlie behaviour, performance and choice. This is how change is promoted without relationships, such as camaraderie and rapport, being adversely affected either by teacher-student relationships, or by student-teacher relationships. This is easy enough to do with a little practice, but first, make a conscious effort that this is the way you will change.

This authentic example illustrates the process. I am back visiting my old school to take digital photos. As I enter the

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ALAN COOPER intelligence for self-management. An important aspect of all this is maintaining a collegial relationship between students and teacher. It is doing with and not to. The students own the process and are being set up for successful lifelong learning, by developing and maintaining a growth mindset.

Overall, there is a context and a class culture of positive success.

Success, not because they are bright, intelligent or gifted, but because they problem solve by mindfully working through the process. It is doing with, which leads to interdependent thinking characterised by congeniality and collaboration. Such a class and school culture are positive, but the process must be constantly explained and brought to the consciousness level (the teaching side), and then metacognitively reflected upon by the students to promote continuous learning so that each success leads to more success and so, confidence escalates.

In another school, a teacher who I have been coaching, has done something similar by turning a negative teachable moment into a positive because the teacher was constantly looking for the talk-the-talk that led to corrective action.

This year, eight classes had been having drug education with Life Education. The presenter had an accent which he apologised for in advance regarding pronunciation of names.

A group of boys thought it was hilarious when one of the girl’s names was mispronounced. The ensuing giggling disrupted learning the message that was being given.

The teacher had posters for all the sixteen Habits of mind on the wall as a reference. Upon returning to class, she grouped the class around the poster on HUMOUR and talked about the age of the baby in a current television programme and what made her laugh such as people getting hurt, etc. They decided that this was immature humour. Back to the teachable moment and the discussion moved to deciding what kind of humour laughing at other people was. The sheepish looks confirmed that the point was made. Despite further mispronunciation at the next session, not a titter was heard. classroom, a class meeting is in progress. It has been one of those wet day lunch hours and the students have danced away the time doing a silly sort of stamping dance that attracted the attention of the duty teacher. Their class teacher is not impressed. She hands the problem to me.

I start by asking, “What Habit of Mind did you neglect to use?”

There is a babble in reply, “Impulsivity! We neglected our impulsivity and just did it!”

Immediately I intervene, “What Habit of Mind are you neglecting now?”

At the conclusion of the series, the presenter commended the class on the maturity they had shown by the questions they asked and their ability to deal with advanced information.

This is a typical example of the old story: The battle was lost because the horse was lost. The horse was lost because the shoe came off. The shoe came off because the nail came out.

Imagine what might have happened had the teacher not pounced immediately on the teachable moment, or worse - punished those boys and activated the fight, flee or freeze reaction in them. This was a great example of “doing with,” not “doing to.”

Sheepishly, hands go up. The majority opts for listening with empathy, a few stick with impulsivity, and one, only one, holds out for thinking interdependently. However, they are now settled, and we can begin a short, sharp and focused discussion on how Habits of Mind are important in keeping us out of trouble. We go on to add in the need to be proactive rather than reactive, and that the Habits are there to be lived.

Let us analyse this. As far as the teacher (in this case - me) is concerned, he has the capability and capacity, through his practical knowledge of how to apply Habits of Mind, in situations like this to manage himself. His interpersonal intelligence then feeds from his intrapersonal intelligence and Habits of Mind are used to manage the noisy class.

A similar situation also occurs with the students. They too, have the capability and capacity through their knowledge of Habits of Mind, to have a sufficiently developed intrapersonal

Alan Cooper Alan Cooper is an educational consultant based in New Zealand.

As a principal, he was known for his leadership role in thinking skills, including Habits of Mind, learning styles and multiple intelligences, information technology, and the development of the school as a learning community.

Alan can be contacted at: 82napawine@gmail.com

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GLEN GERREYN

The Incredible Power of Discovering Your Purpose “Having a purpose is more important than ever.”

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ere’s what will start to happen when you discover your purpose and keep it in mind with everything you do. Knowing thyself, following your bliss, finding your why, developing a calling, searching for meaning… these are all individual ideas on the broad topic of purpose. Purpose is something we all seek but it can remain elusive for some. I have outlined five reasons why I believe the pursuit of purpose is so vital in our modern world that I know will convince you of its power.

1.

Purpose helps you manage your life.

I believe the defining factor of purpose is to help me organise my life! Self-awareness leads to self -management. The more aware I am of my skill set, the easier it is for me to stay on top of things. Rather than wandering aimlessly lost in the great chaos of abundant choice, I can zoom in with laser focus on my strengths. The more self-aware you become, the less you will need others to motivate you or crack the whip to compel you to action. Once you find your purpose, you will automatically self-correct and keep your life running on the oiled guardrails of your soul’s direction.

Like a passenger on a rollercoaster with tight turns, steep slopes and wild inversions, when you have a purpose you will be able to stay safe during life’s inevitable ups and downs.

2.

Know yourself and you will understand both your weaknesses and your strengths.

Steve McQueen, an English writer and director, most famous for his film “12 Years a Slave,” was asked by a reporter about his dyslexia, “Has that affected or influenced your work?” His response was, “I suppose it has. I just get on with it. I use whatever muscles I have to do what I have to do.” Knowing your life has purpose validates your sense of worth and value.

All our lives are filled with shortcomings and inadequacies, but we can rectify those insufficiencies, fix areas in need of repair and become an unstoppable force when our purpose is at the forefront.

3.

Purpose helps you improve your mental and emotional wellbeing.

Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, quipped, “The most common form of despair is not being who you are.”

Research backs this statement up. One study concluded that wealthy countries like France, Japan and Denmark rank high in happiness but also have some of the highest suicide rates in the world. Personal meaning ranks low in these countries. However, poor and war torn nations like Afghanistan and Syria have low rates of suicide, and high rates of meaning. It seems like unhappiness does not predict suicide ideation but lack of meaning does. Purpose can become your lifeline in times of despair.

4.

Purpose gives you power in your present.

You have certain practices and processes that are both instinctive and intuitive.

These abilities enable us to craft a vision for our future. Those without a deep understanding of their talents remain stuck in a permanent and ceaseless present. Identifying a clear path in front of us provides power in our present by unleashing the boundless and mystical power of hope. Hope is not an emotion or a nebulous idea. It is a learned behaviour and the result of goal-oriented thinking.

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Purpose helps you overcome your inadequacies.

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5.

Purpose keeps you in your lane.

We have to believe our lives have purpose.

In fact, the odds of YOU being alive, with all your proclivities and tendencies are 1 in 400 quadrillion. Yes! Someone did the maths! (Thanks Dr Ali Binazir). This is not just a poetic idea, it is a scientific fact.

There will never be anyone like you, ever again.

“We have to believe our lives have purpose.”

GLEN GERREYN

This alone should stop you from comparing yourself with everyone else. Comparison is an act of violence against yourself. Many people today are committing brutal acts of violence against themselves because of the rate at which they compare themselves with others on social media.

The wonder of your existence and the constellation of the talents you possess should help you stay in your lane. Thomas Merton said, “Finally I am coming to the realisation that my highest ambition is to be what I already am.” If you could get a glimpse of your best self, you would cease trying to be someone else and devote all your attention on becoming the best version of you.

Glen Gerreyn Over the past 20 years, Glen has shared his message of hope with over 500,000 people around the world, engaging with students, parents, teachers, employees, sporting groups and community leaders and groups. Glen has been invited to speak at TEDx events and on national TV and radio. He’s authored five books and created the ‘Men of Honor X’ character development course. Look for Glen’s hashtag, #HopeTrafficker.

The HopeFull Institute’s seminar The Power of Purpose is guaranteed to awaken a sense of purpose in your students.

For more information, please visit: www.thehopefullinstitute.com

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JULIA GRACE

Be Kind to Your Mind Teaching Kids it’s Okay to Show Emotion

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s I walked through the playground today, I felt a hand tugging sharply on the side of my jacket. Looking down I saw a little face with a panicked expression, very keen to get my attention.

“Julia, Julia! I just saw Whaea Liz crying!”

One of the other teachers had obviously had a rough lunchtime.

Sheltering inside with a supportive colleague, she’d been spotted by the eagle eyes of a very concerned six year old.

“Yes, honey, something must have happened to make Whaea Liz feel sad. She just needs some time to feel better.”

“But teachers don’t cry!” exclaimed Miss Six. This really got me thinking.

You see, it’s only week six and already this term, I have cried twice at school!

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Is she dealing with some pretty hard core kids’ behaviour? Actually, no!

Both occasions had nothing to do with kids’ behaviour and everything to do with being a human and that stuff happens to everyone.

The first time for me was a case of my head colliding with a flying basketball. I guess that’s somewhat child related but certainly not behavioural - just an occupational hazard of having duty on the courts.

The second occasion was receiving a message that my dad was being transferred immediately to secure care for his Dementia.

Both situations were a real shock and both resulted in me crying.

Both times I was spotted by eagle-eyed kids. (They make great little detectives, don’t they?!) Both times I assured them that while I would be okay, I appreciated their concern and care.

Teachers Matter

Sometimes as a teacher, we feel like we have to hold it all together - and most of the time that is true. We are the adults, and as such, we have learnt to manage our emotions and control our reactions.

Of course, we want the kids to feel safe and secure.

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But we are not robots. We are not made of steel. (Well my head certainly isn’t!) There are times when our vulnerabilities show through.

As a communicator, my tagline is, ‘Be kind to your mind.’

I teach children and adults alike to be kind to their minds by simply giving themselves a break. Letting a kid see a teacher crying would have been unheard of in the ‘olden days.’ Now I see the upside in them realising that we are NOT bullet proof.

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Our bodies are fragile and our emotions are sometimes triggered.

Tears, laughter and a whole range of emotions are not always to be hidden from those who care about us.

What kids don’t need to learn is that we are somehow superhuman.

What they do need to learn is that tough stuff happens to us all and that it’s ok to feel upset. Most importantly, they need to know it’s possible to recover.

“What kids don’t need to learn is that we are somehow superhuman. What they do need to learn is that tough stuff happens to us all and that it’s ok to feel upset.”

JULIA GRACE

Being kind to your mind doesn’t mean pretending it’s all okay all the time. It means giving yourself the time and space, when and where appropriate, to FEEL. “Maybe we could be extra kind to Whaea Liz this afternoon,” mused Miss Six. “I think that’s a really great idea,” I responded, with a little tear in my eye.

Julia Grace Julia Grace is a multi-faceted communicator. Combining 25 years classroom experience with her extensive work as a Keynote Speaker and award-winning Singer and Songwriter, she tackles the heavy topic of Mental Wellness with a lighter touch.

Julia makes audiences laugh, cry and learn and will encourage you to Be Kind to Your Mind.

For more information, email her at: juliagrace@xtra.co.nz

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DEBORAH BARCLAY

12 Well-Being Ideas for Work How Leadership Can Build Morale

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lthough well-being is a shared responsibility of both the leaders and the individual staff members, one of the biggest factors that impact staff morale is leadership. Here are 12 well-being activities we’ve implemented in our workplace that have had a positive impact on people individually and the collective group as a whole.

Teachers Matter

“Although well-being is a shared responsibility of both the leaders and the individual staff members, one of the biggest factors that impact staff morale is leadership.”

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1. The Fruit Box: Every Monday morning, we have a fruit box delivered to our staff room and anyone can help themselves to the seasonal, fresh fruit.

This has been very successful. You can google fruit companies that deliver in your local area.

2. Appreciation Box We have a shoe sized box in our staff room with small note pads beside it. People write notes of appreciation throughout the week for individual teachers and place them in the box. On Friday, the notes are read out at morning tea and everyone celebrates that person with a round of applause.

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3. Strength Emails Using the Langley Group Strength Cards, I chose a card that was pertinent to each staff member, photographed it and emailed it to them with a message of how I see them demonstrating that strength at work. Note: This is time consuming and possibly not sustainable, but the staff LOVED them, and that is what matters.

Find a way to leave a personal note to each staff member as often as possible.

4. Stationery Basket This one was a big hit! We spent $80 on stationery from K-Mart: journals, pens, note pads, post it notes, etc. We placed them all in a basket in the staff room with a note that said, “Help Yourself to Something.” Teachers were thrilled!

5.

FOOD – It’s Always a Winner!

Cheese & Cracker Friday We put out a plate of cheese and crackers on a Friday morning for the staff to enjoy. It was well received and appreciated. I’m not talking fancy cheese – a big block of edam can last a few weeks. A packet of crackers costs $2. A good investment, I’d say.

Bubbles Surprise your team! One Friday afternoon we went over our intercom and said that everyone had to come to the staff room right at 3.15pm. A notice like this is usually reserved for serious events.

However, this time we had bubbles and strawberries ready to be served and once everyone was settled, the senior leadership team said a big thank you to everyone for all of their hard work.

Hot Breakfast One morning we had a big cook up before an early morning meeting. The bacon, eggs, hash browns and pancakes went down as a real treat.

DEBORAH BARCLAY Mid-Winter Christmas Drinks Last year, we baked Christmas mince pies for our staff and served them with mulled wine after work. Make the most of festive occasions!

6. Pamper Packs One of our teachers put together a small pamper package for our staff when they had to work late on site one evening. It was inexpensive - brown paper bags filled with a face mask, chocolates and a water bottle.

7. 7. Postcards I make my own thank you cards through Vistaprint. They are easy to design and I personalise them with messages that are specific to praising employees. I have a stash in my top drawer and from time to time, I write thank you notes that are specific to each individual.

It’s lovely to walk by work spaces and see them pinned up behind their desks.

10. Get Off Site!

I booked a night at a restaurant that holds pizza and pasta classes for a large group. This is a fabulous staff outing. Drinks on arrival, kneading your own dough and enjoying a pizza or pasta together.

It’s an awesome team building event!

11. Affirmation Posters One of our stationery providers sells A3 sized posters with inspirational affirmations. I left the brochure in the staff room for team members to browse and they could choose one poster each for their classrooms.

12. Release Teachers love being released, as time is such a valuable commodity in a school. As often as you can, release teachers from duty or go and teach in their class, giving them the gift of time. It’s a win/win!

8. Time to Talk Block out a weekly slot in your diary to head into classrooms before the children arrive to talk with teachers in their space. Get curious about how they are doing and what their current challenges are.

9. Quotes I put a new quote on our fridge door in our staffroom every week.

Quotes are little nuggets of self-help and inspiration. Sometimes I put up quotes about children and education, but mostly they’re about self-care and growth mindset.

Deborah Barclay Deb Barclay is the Principal of an Auckland Primary School.

Deb is passionate about Leading Smart with Heart – simple and practical tips and tools to lead smart, heart centred practices to lead with heart. She is an accredited Growth Coach and works with new leaders.

You can find her at: www.debbarclay.com

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KAREN TUI BOYES

50 Study-Smart Tips Making Study Time Successful It’s that time of year - time to settle into a solid routine of learning and studying to ensure your success at the end of the year. It is what you do every day that counts.

Having worked with students worldwide, I see far more similarities between successful students than I see differences. Students tend to fall into four categories: •

•

Avoidance: You know you are in this category when you get lost in the world of YouTube or Tik Tok when you know you have work to do. Maybe you find yourself cooking, cleaning, tidying your room and going for a run rather than study.

Anxious: This is when your tummy feels sick each time you think about study or exams. You are worried about failing, concerned about not meeting expectations and get defensive when others try to help or support your learning.

•

Aware But Don’t Care: Here is when you know what you have to achieve and put your study off until tomorrow. Maybe you have enough credits or will not get credits for an assignment, so you think, why bother?

•

Achiever: If you are in this category, you balance life and study and have a goal and a plan to achieve success. You feel like you are learning, growing and improving each week. You are happy, have energy and are getting the grades you desire.

Most importantly, you know which behaviours are assisting you to be successful and repeat these steps repeatedly.

Can you pinpoint which category you spend much of your time? Is there a gap between where you are and where you would like to be?

I call this the learning gap. It is likely that no-one has taught you how to actually study.

Teachers Matter

Studying is different from doing homework. Homework is completing the assignments teachers have set, following their guidelines and handing it in for marking and feedback. Studying is learning the information you DON’T know to pass a test or exam.

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“Studying is learning the information you DON’T know to pass a test or exam.”

These are very different processes. Passing an exam has very little to do with intelligence and is more about strategy and technique.

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In celebration of our 50th issue of the Teachers Matter Magazine, here are 50 Study Smart Tips: Memory & Recall 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Study for 20 minutes and then take a five minute break.

During a short study break, always leave your study room.

Go over your most important information first.

Revise your key information at the end of a study cycle.

Summarise your notes from class each day and read the following day.

6. Review your notes one day after learning them, then one week, one month and again, every six months.

7. Break your content into small, manageable chunks.

8. Learn only three or four pieces of information at a time.

9. Make important information stand out.

10. Make up mnemonics to remember, e.g., ROY G BIV (the order of the rainbow colours).

11. Create real-life examples.

12. Link what you are learning to the information you already know.

Engage Your Learning Senses 13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

Talk about what you are learning to others.

Teach your information to others.

Move around while learning.

Listen to audio recordings when walking or running.

Watch videos of other teachers teaching the same information.

Use aromatherapy oils to stimulate memory, calmness and alertness.

19. Place essential information above eye level.

20. Make up raps, rhymes or funny stories about what you want to recall.

21. Make flashcards of key information.

Study Environment 22. Have everything you need within reach before you start to study.

23. Study at your best thinking time: morning, afternoon or evening.

24. Avoid studying the hour directly after school.

25. Natural or low lighting is best for learning.

26. Study to music without words.

27. Learning with Baroque music has been shown to enhance memory.

28. Plain popcorn is a great study snack food.

KAREN TUI BOYES Note-Taking 29. Use colour to make your notes look interesting and more exciting to read.

30. Avoid copying directly from the book, screen or teachers’ words.

31. Write notes in your own words.

32. Summarise the information with keywords and diagrams.

33. Highlight important information. (Not every single word is “important!”)

34. Frame key ideas and concepts.

35. Draw pictures to help you recall the information. (Your brain remembers images before words.)

36. Learn how to create mind maps.

37. Write important information in red. (Red is the first colour your brain sees.)

Success Strategies 48. Set goals and achieve them step by step.

49. Visualise your success daily.

50. Remain positive and focus on a successful outcome.

Download Karen’s FREE Study Smart Printable Poster here: www.tinyurl.com/studysmartposter

Time Management 38. Learn the information you DON’T know. Avoid wasting time on going over what you already know.

39. Create a weekly & monthly study plan.

40. Plan what you want to learn each session.

41. Avoid multitasking as your brain can only focus on one task at a time.

Wellbeing 42. Keep yourself hydrated with clean, pure water.

43. Eat breakfast to give your brain learning fuel.

44. Eat brain foods daily. These include nuts, broccoli, banana, blueberries, tomatoes & wholegrain bread.

45. Daily exercise helps improve blood flow, which helps with thinking.

46. Give yourself positive encouragement.

47. Sleep 8-10 hours a night for maximum energy & alertness.

Karen Tui Boyes Karen Tui Boyes is a champion for Life Long Learning across nations, industries and organisations. As founder and head facilitator of Spectrum Education, Karen leads a team which is determined to transform education globally, with a focus on ensuring teachers, students and parents have a passion for learning, understand the learning process and know how to maximise it. A sought after speaker who continually gets rave reviews from audiences around the world, Karen turns the latest educational research into easy-to-implement strategies and techniques.

For more information, please visit: www.spectrumeducation.com

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CAT LEVINE

Understanding Depression How to Recognise and Support

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sing the words, “I’m depressed,” when feeling sad or down is as commonly misused as describing feeling hungry as, “I’m starving.” By understanding what depression really is and isn’t, and how it is different from feeling down, we are more likely to recognise symptoms in ourselves and others, and to get the help needed early on.

Depression can be caused by biology, genes, brain chemistry, hormones, environment, experiences, or comes for no reason at all.

One in five young people in NZ are affected by depression and/or anxiety before the age of 19.

Dr Beck found that by helping patients identify and evaluate these automatic negative thoughts, patients were able to think more realistically and positively. As a result, they felt better, were able to engage in and enjoy an active life.

Dr Beck called this “Cognitive Behaviour Therapy,” or, “CBT.” CBT is recognised as one of the most effective methods of treating depression and anxiety. If you change what you think and change what you do, your feelings will change, too.

Everyone feels down sometimes. That’s a normal reaction to life’s difficulties. Depression is more than occasionally feeling down.

It’s when the feelings last for a long time and get in the way of everyday life.

“If you change what you think and change what you do, your feelings will change, too. ”

Some of the signs of depression are: • • • • • • • • • • •

feeling tired all the time getting too much sleep or not enough feeling worthless and helpless thinking about death a lot having no energy and feelings of low self-esteem loss of appetite or overeating sadness or emotional ‘numbness’ loss of pleasure in everyday activities irritability or anxiety poor concentration feeling guilty, or crying, for no apparent reason.

Some of the symptoms you may recognise in your students: • • • • •

lack of motivation, emotionally flat withdrawing from social groups or activities they used to enjoy increased irritability, snapping at others inability to concentrate or complete tasks truancy, tardiness, sleepiness

If you recognise these symptoms in your students who are 13 years old or over, you might encourage them to complete the Mood Quiz at www.sparx.org.nz . It will ask them a range of questions about how they feel, their sleep and eating patterns, as well as their thinking, including self harm and suicidal thoughts. This will direct them to either contact a professional on the free help line, or complete the SPARX free e-therapy tool.

Some common negative thinking patterns you may recognise are: • • • • • • • • • •

There are six main types of negative thought patterns people with depression may have.

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Downer – This thought pattern is when someone always thinks nothing good ever happens. They only see things that go wrong and always look for the opposite of the silver lining.

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Perfectionist – This is when only perfect will do, and they believe it has to be perfect or it’s not worth doing. For example, someone who believes if their team can’t win every game that season, they might as well not even be on the roster.

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Mind Reader – Mind Reader thinking patterns are when people predict what other people are thinking or what is going to happen in a situation. For instance, “I bet they hate me.”

•

Guilty – This is when one believes they are to blame for negative events that happen, even though they are out of their control. An example would be if a teen felt it was their fault for parents who argued or split up.

•

Disaster – Disaster thinking pattern is seen in someone who believes and worries that something bad is going to happen.

They always expect the worst.

Teachers Matter

Depression affects people how they think, feel and act:

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• • •

Some behaviour changes include being less active and withdrawing from activities.

Thinking patterns are automatically negative, pessimistic or hopeless.

Feelings are mostly down, low and sad.

Psychiatrist Dr Aaron Beck, conducted research on depressed patients in the 1960s and was surprised at what he found.

Instead of a depressed person’s thoughts, feelings and actions all being symptoms of depression, it was the automatic negative thoughts about themselves, the world and/or the future that were often the root of depression.

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Everything’s going to go wrong.

Life is unbearable.

I can’t cope.

Life is too hard.

I’m a loser.

I’ve made so many mistakes.

It’s all my fault.

I can’t do anything to change things.

I’m stuck.

Things will never get better.

CAT LEVINE

•

All or Nothing – Those with this thinking pattern speak in absolutes, using words such as always or never to discuss a situation. Life is viewed as either wonderful or terrible.

Rather than empowering and focusing on the negative thoughts, a counsellor can help them acknowledge what they are feeling and help them replace negative with positive and helpful thoughts.

Not every student has access to a counsellor, or wants to talk to someone. Students who are feeling down, worried or stressed, can play SPARX to feel better. SPARX looks like a game but is a self-help tool, designed to help rangatahi with mild to moderate depression.

Those using it get to learn and practice skills in a fantasy environment (game world) with the help and guidance of their Guide. SPARX is Ministry of Health funded and free for all living in New Zealand.

Cat Levine Cat Levine is an experienced School Speaker teaching positive mental health and wellbeing to over 15,000 students from Bluff to Cape Reinga.

This year, she will start a new tour of NZ high schools, talking about a range of strategies and support systems that can help with feeling down and depressed, with a focus on SPARX. For more information, contact Cat at: info@catlevine.com or visit: www.sparx.org.nz/home

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NGAHIHI O TE RA BIDOIS

Adapting to Change Keeping Communities Safe

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irstly, my congratulations to the Teachers Matter magazine team on your 50th publication! What a great achievement! Nga mihi ki a koutou katoa. You have certainly seen changes in those years.

Speaking of changes, my current phone has so many applications that I don’t even know what half of them are for - let alone use them. Similarly, my Ford Ranger Wildtrak truck has applications and buttons that have only been used a couple of times. Don’t get me started on the new smart televisions in our home. The other week we started using Disney+ and a phone call to my daughter in med school in Auckland resolved the difficulties I had trying to get the app onto one of our televisions. Her advice of simply following the instructions and not overthinking it finally led to success.

The benefits of adapting to these new devices and vehicles are amazing though. Change is good once embraced, although it may be painful at times. As the saying goes, “No pain, no gain.” The pain seems to always be worth it in the end.

results were returned. It seemed the common sense thing to do and once again, did not require med school intelligence to work out. It was also just a part of the changes we have come to accept in the Covid-19 world. Having said that, it was a bit scary sitting at home watching even more Netflix wondering if our tests would be positive or negative. One of our comforts were those who dropped food off at the gate after phoning us and asking if we needed anything. The people and community we love returning the aroha we were giving them.

So I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have selfisolated without people knowing about it because you wanted to keep your educational community safe. You know who you are and you are the unsung heroes of education. I guess the only possible indicator that you have done this is the absence of Covid-19 in your communities. Let’s keep each other safe, Nga mihi, don’t be that guy!

“Change is good once embraced, although it may be painful at times.”

Teachers Matter

So, when the Covid-19 world pandemic came along just over a year ago, I was already in the middle of all kinds of changes occurring around me. I was constantly having to learn new things, and the korero of “every day is a learning day,” certainly came true.

However, (as I suspect we all were) I was caught off guard with the changes Covid-19 brought. They were and have been major paradigm shifts. I went from travelling around the world on planes, trains and automobiles to speak at conferences on leadership, to going for walks and bike rides with my wife on empty streets during lockdown. Fortunately for me, unlike some more recent technological changes, the new Covid-19 information did not require med school intelligence to work out. Aspects such as the four levels introduced seem common sense now.

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As a leader of organisations, I have a few phrases that I live by. Here is one of them: Don’t be that guy on the front of that newspaper with that bad news about you or the organisation you are leading. When it comes to Covid-19 I have transferred this thought to: Don’t be that guy who brings Covid to the people and community you love. Don’t be that guy on the news or Facebook that everyone is calling an egg.

A few weeks ago, my wife and I attended a friend’s funeral in Whangarei. We arrived there on Sunday and left after the funeral service on Monday. Those same two days there was an outbreak of Covid-19 in Whangarei. Although we were not in any of the places identified as immediate contacts with the people infected, we treated ourselves as though we had been, for the sake of the people and our Rotorua community that we love.

Upon our return, we self-isolated and got Covid tested as soon as possible. We stayed self-isolated until after our negative tests

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Ngahihi o te ra Bidois Ngahihi o te ra Bidois is an international keynote speaker, businessman, author, husband, father, columnist and MBA. A Maori Boy from Awahou.

For more information, visit: www.ngahibidois.com

NGAHIHI O TE RA BIDOIS

“In 50 years, the world has changed, especially for kids, but kids’ needs haven’t changed.

They still need to feel safe, be close to their families, like their teachers, and have friends to play with.”

- Beverly Cleary, Author

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RYAN MARTIN

Give Schools the Upper Hand Report the Positives More Than the Negatives

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few weeks ago, a highly regarded high school in Melbourne, Victoria, had to deal with a media avalanche after a nasty fight that occurred outside their school went viral. While the video was confronting and I felt a significant level of concern and sadness for the students and families involved, I also had another issue that was bugging me, and it has for some time. This incident brought it to the surface again.

Take a deep breath, try and understand the situation and consider whether your involvement will be helpful. This calm, considered approach models behaviours that will reward you many times over in the years to come as your child and other students learn to model the example set by the adults they look up to.

It seems that schools are under attack at the moment. The high school at the centre of the furore, which has a stunning reputation for inclusive, creative and innovative learning, now has to rebuild its brand at the hands of the media who had no regard for the real story. The staff and students at this high school have a right to feel aggrieved by the way they have been portrayed from well outside the school’s fence by a ‘click bait’ hungry media. They are not the only ones making life hard at school. I’ll get to them later.

Right across Australia, thousands of schools are continually innovating and providing students with deep learning opportunities that inspire their students to dream big while also equipping them with the tools to realise this ambition. This is no easy task. Yet do we hear stories about this? Not often enough.

These schools need to be celebrated and promoted in an effort to raise the educational bar right across the country.

The media needs to do much, much better in reporting on our schools. Our teachers need to be inspired and affirmed by media stories that highlight best practice because ultimately, they take responsibility for the learning of our children.

Teaching is no easy task and our teachers need encouragement, not discouragement.

Teachers Matter

“Teaching is no easy task and our teachers need encouragement, not discouragement.”

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To get the ball rolling in this space, teachers need to be bold enough to share the work they are doing across their network that is making a difference. After all, they are the experts in this rewarding endeavour we refer to as teaching. Create an avalanche of the ‘gold nuggets’ by giving the media some news they can’t ignore. Schools can be incredibly creative about how they do this via the multitude of social media platforms that are utilised.

Finally, parents have an incredible role to play in this space. A parent’s role is not to fuel the fire when things inevitably go wrong at a school. When you put a large group of children together, sometimes things go wrong, and it’s possible it could involve your child. Don’t catastrophise the situation by marching down to the school and giving all involved a mouthful. That parental phenomenon of bagging the school didn’t exist a generation ago and shouldn’t exist now.

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Ryan Martin Ryan Martin, Senior Leader at Macleay Vocational College NSW Australia, is an experienced school leader with a proven track record in behaviour management, leadership and coaching. He has a sharp focus on changing the trajectory of students from highly complex and disadvantaged backgrounds. Ryan has a passion for education but you might also find him surfing, skating or tinkering around with old cars.

He can be contacted at: rmartin@mvwlc.nsw.edu.au

“We need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.”

- Desmond Tutu

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JO MCBROWN

Nine Tips for Self-Care Retain Energy and Sparkle to the End of the Year

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ave you ever gotten near to the end of the year, the middle of a term or even the first month of the first term, and wondered how you were going to continue to be the amazing, sparkly, enthusiastic and energetic teacher that you were on the first day of the year? You are not alone.

3.

Breathe. Focussed breathing a few times a day will help your body to understand the environment around you is safe, and will allow you to relax as well as counter the effects of stress.

4.

Plan personal space. Allocate time-out on your calendar and stick to it. Do something you love that brings you peace, such as getting fresh air, taking a warm bath, reading a good book or movie, spending time with friends, lighting a candle, meditating - just make sure you plan it in.

Teacher burn-out is common, particularly in this age where we are a lot more than facilitators in the classroom: think social workers, councilors, nurses to name a few.

The demands of the job are huge. We often take work home and all teachers want to do the best they can for the students in their care. This comes on top of the demands of home life. Sometimes balancing it all seems impossible and that we have to be superhuman.

There are some simple things we can do and all of them are about the self. Selfcare is vital, but unfortunately, falls by the wayside. Here are nine tips that will help you to go the distance and retain the energy and sparkle that you need to do the best you can for the students in your class.

Teachers Matter

1.

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Be kind to yourself. We wouldn’t talk to our enemies the way we often talk to ourselves. Watch your inner dialogue.

What do you say to yourself? Is it kind? The more often you can catch the negative, the more conscious it becomes and the easier it is to set up different thought patterns.

“Be kind to yourself. Watch your inner dialogue. What do you say to yourself? Is it kind?”

2.

Know your personal goals. We can lose sight of ourselves during a busy school year. What do you want to achieve for yourself over the course of the year?

Revisit these at least monthly.

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5.

6.

Eat vegetation and reduce your processed sugar intake. We used to eat over 200 types of different plant materials a year. For some of us nowadays it is hard to imagine eating more than ten. Experiment and try new foods. A great time-saving hack is to make a large smoothie so you don’t have to spend hours eating your way through a huge pile of salad! You can prepare these in advance and store them in the fridge.

7.

Allow yourself to relax without a crutch. When you get home from work, instead of hitting the wine, deliberately do something else to relax first, then have the glass of wine. This will help stop the feeling of relaxation and wind-down becoming associated with alcohol (or a cigarette or a packet of biscuits).

Drink water. Our bodies are between 60% and 70% water. We need water to enable the electrical circuits in our brains and bodies to fire all of our bodily systems. If you hate plain water, try adding some drops of good quality, food-grade essential oils. Aim for 6-8 large glasses a day, and even more if you exercise and or it is summertime.

JO MCBROWN

8.

9.

Prepare for sleep. This can often be difficult for busy brains but the ‘power down hour’ can really help. According to Dr Michael Breus, we should split the hour before you go to bed into three blocks. For the first 20 minutes complete anything you need to get done such as tidying up, finishing making lunch for the next day, etc. For the second 20 minute block, go about your bedtime routine (clean teeth, shower, etc). For the final 20 minute block, do something to wind down completely like breathing exercises or reading a book - something that does not involve a screen.

Be organised. Know what you need to do in advance. Use a diary and plan out your time. Plan for timeconsuming events in advance and refer to your diary often. At the weekend, plan what you might prepare in the way of food for the week and do as much as you can in advance. This will

save time in the mornings allowing a more pleasant and less rushed start to the day.

If you would like more information or support with any of the above, I would be delighted to help you.

Jo McBrown Fascinated by human behaviour, Jo knows that no one does anything without reason. Her passion is to support others to make breakthroughs in understanding how they work so they live their best lives. Jo has a warm, humorous, open and non-judgmental outlook.

Her experience as a coach, mentor and teacher of all ages means she has a huge depth of knowledge and practical tools that can be applied immediately.

Contact her at: reseedyourself@gmail.com

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MADELEINE TAYLOR

Protecting Wellbeing Practice Gratitude Regularly

It is also said that writing down those things we are grateful for daily, even only five at a time can make a big difference to wellbeing. Seems a good place to start. To that end, here are 50 things to think about. You might choose to start small as you build the gratitude habit. Think of one thing for each category.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

Here are 25 for teachers:

Here are 25 for students:

1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

2.

3.

4.

The practice of gratitude, we know, is a protective factor for wellbeing.

In fact, being grateful can help your brain to work better. Dr Daniel Amen, who scans people’s brains to see what is happening to them, testifies that, “People who express gratitude on a regular basis are healthier, more optimistic, make better progress toward their goals, have a greater sense of well-being and are more helpful to others.”

Who does not want a slice of that in the classroom?

Teachers Matter

So, let us think about how you could create a daily practice of being grateful in your classroom. Perhaps you could choose a specific time that works for your class schedule. For example, at the end of the day, beginning of the day, coming back after break or after a particular class. On occasion, you may need to choose time immediately after a tricky situation that has occurred to help people get their thinking brain back.

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Your education Your home The air you breathe Your hair

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Your good brain (No matter what shape it is currently in.)

Your job The weekends Those you love The country you live in The sea that surrounds us Your good friend Your limbs Your colleagues Your lunch This magazine Electricity The vehicle that brought you to work Your family of origin The best theory The neighbourhood Your holidays Those who love you This list Rivers Your fingernails

Your home The air you breathe Your hair Your good brain (No matter what shape it is currently in.)

MADELEINE TAYLOR

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

Your school The weekends Those you love The land you were born on The sea that surrounds us Your good friend Your legs and arms Your school friends Your lunch Play time Electricity Mountains The vehicle that brought you to school Your family The best subject you like The people who live close to you Holidays from school Those who love you Your nose Rivers Knowledge

Good luck with practicing. Notice how you feel and how your class behaves after doing a few gratitude sessions.

“People who express gratitude on a regular basis are healthier, more optimistic...Who does not want a slice of that in the classroom?”

Madeleine Taylor Madeleine Taylor is a parent of three grown sons and works as a People Skills Consultant. Madeleine is an accomplished workshop facilitator and long-time trainer of negotiation, influencing skills and managing difficult conversations. Madeleine is a parent educator exploring how to grow resilient children in this complex world.

More information can be found at: www.peopleskillsconsulting.co.nz

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47

LAUREL MAKOWEM

Make Money Work for You 3 Tips To Help Raise Financially Responsible Children

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eaching children how to be good with money in a consumerism and instant gratification world is challenging, but not impossible. It’s about creating opportunities for them to learn how to think with an abundance money mindset and to learn and practice the basic money management skills.

Here are three tips to help you get started.

Encourage them to set financial goals and ‘keep them safe’ in their GOALS jar and to write down things they are grateful for and pop their notes into their GRATITUDE jar.

Use a Money System A money system is not only a teaching tool, but it also shows children they need a system to make their money work for them.

Create a system for them that includes the basic skills and habits: earning, budgeting, saving, spending, investing and giving. The system also needs financial goal setting and tracking, as well as mental strategies to help develop an abundance money mindset.

Provide opportunities for the child to make their own financial choices and learn financial responsibility from the consequences.

The 6G Money System is all inclusive and easily transitions from jars with fun labels and compound interest fairies, to bank accounts and investment portfolios.

For the younger child, label six clear jars with the following: GOALS GRATITUDE GET GROW GUARD GIVE

When the child is ready for banking, their GET and GUARD jars become their everyday and short-term savings accounts. Their GROW jar transitions into their investing portfolio and their GIVE jar becomes their philanthropy mission. Their GOAL and GRATITUDE jars evolve into whatever they choose.

Over time and with practice, this system will help children lay a solid financial foundation for themselves from which they will be able to make educated and informed financial decisions as adults.

Show them Compound Interest in Action Compound interest needs time and patience to work its magic on our money. Children have time, but we cannot expect them to be patient for the next 20 or so years to see the effect of interest or compound interest on the money in their GROW jar.

Teachers Matter

Move over tooth fairy. Enter the Compound Interest Fairy.

All you need for the younger child is their GROW jar and some coins, whether real or pretend. Fairy wings are optional, of course.

While they sleep, the Compound Interest Fairy visits and adds money (interest) to the money in their GROW jar. To keep the child’s attention, let the fairy visit weekly or fortnightly until the GROW jar is full. (Remember, compound interest is interest upon interest.)

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Explain that when they leave their money in their ‘grow’ jar, the Compound Interest Fairy puts more money into their jar. If they choose to take money out of their GROW jar, the Compound Fairy won’t visit.

All income goes into the GET jar. Immediately, transfer half into the GROW jar and half into the GUARD JAR. From the GUARD jar, they decide how to allocate to short term saving, spending, and giving. In other words, they decide how to budget their money.

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Show the older child examples of compound interest in action.

Ask them, “If a genie appeared and gave you a choice of $1,000,000.00 today or 1 penny that doubles every day for thirty days. What would you choose?” After thirty days the $1,000,000.00 will still be $1,000,000.00 but the penny would be worth $5,368,709.12. It’s important to add that the chances of this happening in real life are remote but it shows what happens when you choose to save and invest your money, rather than spend it.

LAUREL MAKOWEM When children understand the power of compound interest and that it’s possible for their money to multiply and grow for them, they feel motivated to save some of their money rather than spend it all.

Teach Children They are the Boss of Their Money Financial responsibility is about making educated and informed financial decisions while fully understanding the short, medium and long term implications.

Here are ten questions to teach children how to consider the implications of a financial decision before they make it.

• • • • • • • • • •

Do I need this?

Do I want this?

Is this in my budget?

What information do I still need?

Do I understand the fine print?

What is the opportunity cost of this choice?

Is this decision ethical, legal and moral?

Are there other options?

Is this in line with my financial goals and values?

Is this an asset or a liability?

Raising a financially responsible adult takes time, patience, fun and consistency but the rewards are worth it.

“When children understand the power of compound interest and that it’s possible for their money to multiply and grow for them, they feel motivated to save some of their money rather than spend it all.”

Laurel Makowem Laurel Makowem is founder of Mothers Teaching Money, a business and movement showing mothers that they are all capable of raising a financially responsible child (adult), regardless of their own financial knowledge or situation. Her mission is to demystify financial literacy through the 6G Money System, a holistic simple system. She provides fun online courses, workshops and products for children from 4-18 years.

For more information, email Laurel at: mothersteachingmoney@gmail.com

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KATE WINCHESTER

Your Students and Trauma How Teachers are an Integral Part of the Healing Process

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he last year or so has presented us with challenges one after another on a global scale. No one has been excluded. Due to this, I became inspired to reflect on my professional experiences as we faced repeated uncertainty. I would like to share some key thoughts around our potential to be more capable in a crisis than we think, simply by doing what we do best, which is being ourselves!

Start with a definition of trauma – a deeply distressing or disturbing experience… (Subjective)

The main request for support in my line of work has centred on “trauma related” concerns for children. Covid lockdowns have magnified issues for many families where there were already existing problems at home. Teachers felt and continue to feel illequipped to help. There is an assumption that psychologists have the magic formula for dealing with these issues. I would respectfully suggest that this is not the case. We may have lost sight of the basic needs for anyone immediately following any emotional upset or traumatic incident. Some children may require specialist medical support, however there is also much that can be done by a lay person, such as a teacher, that can play an essential role in sustainable care, alongside support from expert interventions.

Scenario – A child has experienced upsetting situations at home during Covid Lock Down and staff have said the student is off task, ignoring peers and being defiant and oppositional (labelled behaviours). See the chart below for the labelled behaviours defined as observable and measurable behaviours.

Teachers Matter

My area of expertise is behaviour analysis. I challenged myself to come up with an operational definition of possible “trauma” behaviours in order to provide basic support for teachers. We use emotional words a lot in education and as a scientist and teacher I remind clients that this may be a barrier to finding a solution.

For example, saying someone is traumatised by an accident is less helpful than saying someone is finding it very hard to focus on their daily life due to being in an accident. Linguistics do matter and if we become highly charged using emotional language we cut off from being systematic and responsive to a person’s needs.

Defining behaviours helps us find solutions and teach replacement behaviours. It also means we know what behaviour we are addressing and what to look for when evaluating an intervention’s effectiveness.

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“Linguistics do matter and if we become highly charged using emotional language we cut off from being systematic and responsive to a person’s needs.”

A caveat here – we are NOT replacing the emergency or medical staff or counsellors. Their work may well be going on concurrently. The importance in collaborating with professionals and sharing information can’t be stressed enough.

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www.dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/trauma (a) severe emotional shock and pain caused by an extremely upsetting experience:

Example Checklist Possible Behaviours

Not Sleeping Not eating enough Leaving classroom (Defiant) Crying easily Not talking (Oppositional) Not socialising with peers at breaks (Ignoring peers) Not completing work in class (Off Task)

Present

KATE WINCHESTER

Example Actions List: Communication with the family may be as simple as a check-in call. Follow school policy on contacting the appropriate agency if you have health and safety concerns.

Behaviour

Priority

Possible Actions at School

Possible Actions at Home

Not Sleeping

1

Check in with parents/school social worker.

Reduce academic demands.

Encourage sleep routine

Not eating enough

2

Check in with parents/school social worker.

Allow time to eat during the day.

Leaving classroom (Defiant)

3

Create a rule for leaving the room

Crying easily

4

Provide a go to support person

Not talking (Oppositional)

5

Not socialising with peers at breaks (Ignoring peers)

6

Not completing work in class (Off Task)

7

Create one-on-one visuals (age appropriate – signs are part of the adult world too!).

Schedule one-on-one time with preferred person.

Providing some small responsibility task with a preferred buddy Reducing workload.

Devise a schedule with child (age appropriate)

Offer preferred food items

Share visuals with home

Fostering one close connection

Supporting any passions or interests at home that could be extended gradually

All of these are short term actions that can be implemented regardless of the degree of trauma – while ensuring related professionals and services (duty of care) are kept informed.

Consider the following: What other behaviours suggest someone is suffering trauma?

What can we do?

What can’t we do?

Relationships, stability and some form of routine are the fundamentals in dealing with trauma. As teachers, we often under sell our skill set, and possibly over estimate that of other professionals. Remind yourself what you have to offer, and recognise the value of simply caring enough to listen and spend time with a child who is suffering.

Kate Winchester Kate is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst and NZ registered psychologist. She provides services and support in implementing lasting behaviour change for fitness coaches, parents and schools. Kate divides her time between her horses, volunteering as a firefighter in her local community, and training and competing as a fitness athlete.

You can contact her at: kateannewinchester@gmail.com

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CAT COLUCCIO

Helping Your Family Thrive During Homeschooling 3 Hacks to Teen Success

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ollowing a tentative start to 2021 where people cautiously made their resolutions and hoped that this year would be better than the last, families have once again been thrown the curve ball of lockdowns and having to supervise their children’s schooling at home.

Teachers Matter

As a former high school teacher and lecturer turned homeschool mother for six years, I have nothing but respect for teachers and parents alike. Whilst I took months to research how homeschooling would work for my family, parents today have had it thrust upon them with little to no notice. This responsibility, along with their own erratic work situation, can create a perfect storm of frustration, stress and tension in the household.

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Managing schooling at home is challenging enough with primary schoolers. When your children are teens, however, they are already juggling hormones, technology, the shifting sands of peer relationships, their own academic abilities and self doubts. Having their school routine upended can feel like the straw that breaks the proverbial camel’s back.

At this stage of the game, most parents aren’t looking for educational theory. They are looking for practical hacks that can be implemented right away to support their teen and save their own sanity.

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#1 Get Family Buy-In In my book, 21 Hacks to ROCK Your Life! - the TEEN Edition, I list numerous hacks that families can implement to support their homeschooling teens. There is an extra one, however, that I have been recommending ever since the first lock down: Sit the family down and get their buy-in.

Letting your teen have a say in how they would like to school at home will give your family a far better chance of being on the same page. If mum’s expectations are that her teen will sit in silence in a bedroom for eight hours straight, whereas the teen’s ideal work day consists of going hard until 1:00 pm, followed by kicking a ball and catching up with mates over the X-box in the afternoon, there will be guaranteed conflict. Having a family meeting at the beginning of term to discuss how you will all manage possible stints of schooling at home will empower your teen. They will have a plan to help them manage their education at home that they helped create, instead of being caught out and wasting days to adapt when they suddenly find themselves in lockdown once more.

CAT COLUCCIO

#2 Create a Distraction Free Zone There’s no getting around the fact that high school work requires concentrated effort and your teen will need a physical learning zone in your house that supports this. There are numerous studies that show when a person’s focus is broken by a text or someone else talking within earshot, it can take up to ten minutes to regain their concentration on the task they were originally working on, which can make for a long, frustrating day.

Help your teen by removing all phones and technology that are not necessary for their work. Keep younger siblings away, the TV out of sight and take your work calls out of earshot. It might be challenging in a house where everyone is home, however creating a distraction free zone - even if it means creating a small work area in the corner of their wardrobe - will go a long way toward helping your teen focus and get their work done.

#3 Work in Bite Sized Chunks When teens are at school, they are not sitting in silence for eight hours straight. In fact, their time of undistracted focus in a class may often only be 15 - 20 minutes. By the time the class has lined up, sat through a roll call, interacted with the teacher and chatted amongst themselves, the length of distraction free, focused learning is quite short.

I describe the well known Pomodero technique in my book. This concept of short, highly focussed timed periods of work (Generally between 20 - 45 minutes in length.) has been proven to be a highly effective way of working. Gift your teen a cute kitchen timer, (rather than the temptation that comes with using the alarm on a cell phone) and encourage them to set it in order to manage their bursts of work with five minute breaks in between.

We don’t know how 2021 will pan out, but while we can’t control what’s happening in the world, we can control much of what happens in our homes. Why not sit your family down this week and use these three hacks to plan how your unexpected-schoolingat-home-adventure can become one that supports your children’s education and sets them up for success in life as they learn the skills of self management, self discipline and focus?

“At this stage of the game, most parents aren’t looking for educational theory. They are looking for practical hacks that can be implemented right away to support their teen and save their own sanity.”

Cat Coluccio Cat Coluccio, a qualified educator, is a vibrant international speaker, personal trainer and strategic life and business coach.

She is the founder of the Rocking Midlife® Community and Podcast, the author of the 21 Hacks to ROCK Your Life! series and is passionate about seeing teens and adults empowered to stop procrastinating, get unstuck and live their lives ON purpose.

Find more information at: www.catcoluccio.com

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LINDA GUIREY

Minimising Conflict 10 Strategies to Reframe Your Thinking

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onflict is one of the leading causes of stress and we all know what can happen to our health if we are enduring stressful environments. Whether it is with family, friends, colleagues or even online comments, many conflict situations (although sometimes it is best avoided) can be defused with the strategies outlined below.

1.

Remember that whatever someone says to you, it’s their thoughts that are being spoken out loud. We can’t control other people’s thoughts, but we can control how we respond. So don’t own other people’s thoughts by reacting to them. Don’t take things personally because they are not your thoughts to own.

2.

Remember to breathe and pause before you respond to anything, especially if you have a keyboard in front of you. If you give the prefrontal cortex of your brain time to think more rationally you will avoid saying something that can never be taken back.

“Remember to breathe and pause before you respond to anything, especially if you have a keyboard in front of you.”

3.

We are the product of our lives: our upbringing, genetics, education, friends and social pressures. Every person’s experience is different which results in us all thinking differently. Make conscious choices about what you say, think, do or believe.

4.

No one can make you feel anything. It’s so easy to say, “You make me angry,” but the anger comes from within ourselves.

What is your internal dialogue saying to you? Are you choosing to blame, rather than take responsibility? You can always change the way you think - it’s just not as easy as blaming others. Even though it may be more difficult, choose to take responsibility.

Teachers Matter

5.

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Don’t be a “right” fighter. You don’t have to win all the time.

Other people do not see the world as you do and they do not think the same things. We often get angry when people do not see things as we do. Imagine you expect someone you know well to react to something a certain way and then they don’t.

If you get angry or upset, it is because you think others should think like you do, but they can’t and they won’t.

7.

Be kind! Spontaneous acts of kindness will make you feel so much better about relationships and life - and it will also bring joy to others. Leaving notes of love or special words, an unexpected gift, a flower picked from the garden, saying, “I love you,” every day and meaning it, going above and beyond or helping a stranger will all bring joy to others, as well as bringing awareness of your gratitude to yourself. Find ways you can give acts of kindness around you.

8.

Practice asking yourself these three questions every day: • •

6.

Gratitude is the single biggest contributor to a successful relationship. Be grateful for what people bring to your life. You might do this by keeping a gratitude journal or just write a list of things for which you are truly grateful. Don’t forget to tell the people in your life that you are grateful.

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• 9.

What have I given to others today? How have I helped them?

What have I received from others? How have they helped me?

What trouble have I caused?

Remember, conflict does not survive without your participation.

You cannot be in conflict if you choose not to be! Choose what needs to be debated or discussed and let the other things go.

10. We all have different personalities and ways that we communicate. Think about the people in your life right now and what key characteristics they may have. We are a combination of the four personalities, but have strengths in different areas. Sometimes we ‘clash’ with other types because

LINDA GUIREY

they are the opposite to us, but that doesn’t make them wrong.

We should embrace all the styles for what they bring, especially to teamwork. The four main personality types that most personality assessments use, come down to these basic traits: a.

Doers: These people can sometimes be abrupt, straight to the point and good decision makers. However, they are often not excellent listeners, don’t care for long-winded stories, and will tell you what you need to hear.

b.

Thinkers: Thinkers are characterised by their analytical, orderly and logical thinking. They like to-do lists, processes, information to back up ideas, time lines and they don’t like distraction.

c.

Relationship people: People who are relational tend to like getting to know other people, they like to talk and share stories and they work hard to support colleagues. They are good listeners, care about those around them and like to know everyone is okay.

d.

Creatives: These are the fun, spontaneous, creative ideas people, who are very easily distracted. They love coming up with ideas, looking at possibilities and like to leave the processes to others. They don’t like not having their ideas listened to.

Linda Guirey Linda Guirey is an award winning professional speaker and trainer with over 15 years’ experience. Linda delivers public and in-house workshops on communication, conflict, team building, resilience, customer service, Train the Trainer and many more. Linda has a passion for people, getting people to think differently and to work better together.

You can visit her website at: www.lindaguirey.co.nz

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ZAANA COOPER

STE How to integrate the M back into STEM

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Teachers Matter

esearch shows attempts to integrate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in the classroom often exclude Mathematics. It is perceived to be harder to integrate because of its linear nature. Remembering that STEM education is to inspire our students to take up jobs that revolve around all four of these disciplines, it is our challenge to promote not only how the scientists hypothesise and test, but how the Mathematicians analyse and reveal patterns. In the engaging context of STEM education, students should experience the contribution of a Mathematician.

This article will explore five ways that Mathematics can be integrated into STEM projects.

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1. Measurement - STEM projects often result in creation of some sort. Whether it is enticing birds to your backyard by building a birdhouse, adapting a recipe to replace an unhealthy ingredient or developing eco friendly packaging to save the planet, their conception and construction require a focus on measurement. Length, height, capacity, volume, area, perimeter, shape, weight and measuring tools can all become common vocabulary in STEM education. Teach students to plan with detail. The details include estimations and application of measuring. When evaluating their ideas and models, students should be able to articulate the mathematical reasoning behind their measurements. Trial and error, guess and check, estimation, rounding, scaling and calculations will all be involved. Let them talk like they are real Mathematicians.

2. Data Gathering - STEM projects often involve solving a problem. Quantifying that problem can be key to understanding it. Create opportunities for students to gather data. developing questions, sampling, recording data, sorting

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data, understanding different types of data and using a variety of measurement devices. This can help students explore situations such as people’s perceptions of refugees, number of electric cars in their community, weight of paper being wasted and recycled, amount of electricity being used or number of people who can use a particular piece of technology. Let students articulate the weight of the problem with their mathematical reasoning to persuade with mathematical proof.

3. Statistical Analysis - Of course, with gathering data comes statistical analysis. STEM projects often present an opportunity to compare. Whether analysing the differences made by applying a new recycling system, comparing efficiency of two interfaces, identifying particular cohorts for which healthy eating needs to be addressed or locating periods of time that students are feeling lonely. Finding patterns in data can be powerful and exciting. When students find these patterns for themselves, the motivation to change the data or excitement that they have changed the data is an emotive and memorable learning experience. Give students the opportunities to present their findings mathematically using graphs and statistical vocabulary.

4. Coding - STEM projects lend themselves to producing digital outcomes or solving a problem with algorithms. The language of coding requires accurate use of formulae and populating those formulae to achieve a purpose requires high levels of mathematical inquiry and thinking. It may be coding a graphical representation of how a shadow moves over the course of a day, coding a computer to draw regular polygons or animating a backdrop to roll backwards creating the illusion of forward motion of an inanimate object. The mathematical

ZAANA COOPER

Like usual, I leave you with a challenge. Bring Mathematics to the forefront of integrated STEM education in your classrooms.

Don’t let mathematics go unnoticed. Inspire a student who is great at maths by showing them how they can use it in the real world. Similarly, prove to those who are not interested in mathematics that it is indeed purposeful, nay powerful in contexts that may take their interest. Leave your students with a rich mathematical vocabulary which helps them communicate understanding, ideas and rationalisation of their everyday world. Transferring their mathematical thinking and language in a range of contexts is exactly what our future world needs.

language of coding can include position ,translation, vector, orientation, symmetry and rotation. Students can explore the graphical representations in terms of a four quadrant graph, x and y axis, and integer coordinates. Again, the language of a mathematician can help students articulate their logical and efficient coding predictions, decisions and problem solving in a STEM context.

5. Formulae - As well as the coding context, physics formulae can also appear in STEM projects. Taking a mathematical stance can appear when students manipulate equations or perhaps even experiment to come up with the formulae themselves. Speed, distance, time, power, force, mass, weight and gravity are simple concepts to play with and calculate in STEM projects. Whether the goal is to decrease speed for safety, improve the braking distance of a bicycle, increase momentum to reduce human input or send a rocket as far into the sky as possible: formulae can inform. Create opportunities for students to discover the power of the formulae in solving real world problems. STEM projects bring relevance to the Mathematics that may only otherwise be explored in the “algebra” chapter of a textbook.

“Bring Mathematics to the forefront of integrated STEM education in your classrooms.

Don’t let mathematics go unnoticed.”

Zaana Cooper Zaana is a leader of innovative and integrated inquiry learning in a global learning institution. Based in a self-designed Makerspace, she models the explicit teaching of future skills through making and doing. Working with Year 3 – 10 students, as well as primary and senior teachers, her experiences are vast and varied. Follow her social learning networks for ideas and inspiration on Twitter @zaanacooper and Instagram @mrszaanacooper.

She can be reached via email at: zaanajones@gmail.com

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LAUREN PARSONS

Why NOT to Make a New Year’s Resolution Here’s What to do Instead

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The more specific you can be in setting the goal, the more it will drive your motivation to take action.

The challenge with these types of goals (which we can actually make at any time of year) is that they’re non-specific, not necessarily linked to a bigger reason and they lack any sort of plan of action.

2. Know Your WHY Rather than aiming to do something because you see other people doing it or feel like people might expect it of you, the only goals that you’ll truly be motivated to achieve are the ones that YOU are passionate about.

ypically New Year’s Resolutions are vague goals that sound along the lines of, “I’m going to eat better, exercise more, be more patient, get better at xyz, do more of this, less of that…”

Here are three strategies to combat those challenges, but even before we dive into those, if you just want a simple way to frame your year, why not come up with a ‘word for the year?’

Pick Your Word for the Year This is something I’ve done since 2016 and it’s a really powerful way to have one word to give you focus and clarity. One word to come back to that will influence the things you do and say - the things you put time, energy and attention into.

For example I’ve had words like focus, family, joy, connection and relaxed. I’ve had clients and friends who’ve chosen words such as strong, fearless, success, courage, authentic, harmony, reconciliation and even the words ice cream!

It doesn’t matter what your word is – as long as it speaks to you and really resonates with you.

So go for a walk and ponder – what might your word be? See what comes to mind.

You might like to grab a pen and paper and brainstorm a list of possible words and then narrow it down to just one. There is huge power in having a single word. Remember, there are no right or wrong words, so just go with your gut.

Once you have your word for the year you can keep coming back to it throughout the year. It will help by serving as a filter to the decisions you make day to day. After all, that is how your year will unfold…day by day.

If you understand that you want to be fitter and stronger so you can keep up with the kids and have the energy and strength to rough and tumble with them after work each night, you’ll be able to picture what that will mean day to day in your life.

If you know that learning a new skill will mean you can help more people, or advance more quickly with your career aspirations, you can picture what that will mean.

The best way to switch on your internal motivation to get started is to know your compelling why and to pursue it.

3. Start Small and Take Regular Action No idea, however brilliant, will work on its own. To create change you need to take action. The biggest reason people fail and give up on their goals is trying to do too much, too quickly.

So you want to drink more water – great! Rather than aiming for 3 litres a day, start with an extra glass of water by morning tea time, then add half a glass at afternoon tea, then a full glass, and continue extending this until it becomes your new norm.

The key to achieving any goals that you set is to maintain momentum, no matter how slow.

Wishing you every success with achieving your goals and much learning from the spaces in between when things don’t quite work out as planned.

Feel free to drop me a line to let me know what your word for the year is. I’d love to hear it and there is power in sharing it!

If you’re also thinking of setting some goals for the year (which is a great idea by the way) let’s look at a better way of doing it:

Teachers Matter

1. Be Specific If you have a goal in mind rather than a vague intention to ‘get fit,’ decide what you really want and find a way to express it in a concrete way. I am going to get fit enough to run for 30 minutes without stopping, or I’m going to be fit enough to run a certain event on a certain date.

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“The more specific you can be in setting the goal, the more it will drive your motivation to take action.”

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Lauren Parsons Lauren is an award-winning Wellbeing Specialist who believes that everyone deserves to thrive. With over 20 years’ experience in the health and wellbeing profession, she is a sought after speaker, coach and consultant.

TEDx speaker, author, founder of the Snack on Exercise movement and host of the Thrive TV Show, Lauren is based in Manawatu, New Zealand. She specialises in helping schools and organisations create a high-energy, peakperformance team culture, which enables people to thrive.

For more information, visit: www.LaurenParsonsWellbeing.com

LAUREN PARSONS

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JUDITH YEABSLEY

18 Simple Suggestions for Making Food Fun Enticing the Picky Eater

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aving a picky eater can suck the joy out of mealtimes for everyone and makes eating outside the home a constant challenge. Putting the fun and the joy back into eating really helps and there are many ways to do this: 1.

A Change of Scenery: A designated eating area can become synonymous with food failure. Moving to a different place can reset expectations. Try eating outside or on a picnic rug inside.

2.

Swapping Meals Around: Snacks and breakfasts are often easier than main meals as they contain favourite foods.

Since lunch or dinner can have negative connotations, swap and have breakfast foods during the day or snack foods at night.

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3.

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Use Different Containers or Serving Equipment: New experiences and curiosity about food is positive. Serving pasta in a Chinese take-away carton, or using tongs to grab carrots for the dip, for example, is changing the emphasis.

Children’s chopsticks, large spoons or tweezers are fun eating utensils. Serving cereal in a cup, rice in the back of a truck or nuggets in the tea set are creative ways to spice it up.

4.

Put Food on Skewers or Cocktail Sticks: There are many child-safe options for skewers. Think 1970s with cubes of cheese, slices of sausage and pineapple.

5.

Food Served in Smaller Bites: Use ice cube trays or muffin tins, filling the holes with different foods for a child to eat from. Great for snacks but can even be for dinner, too.

6.

Use Fun Shapes: Create pancakes with cookie cutters to create dinosaurs or flowers, for example. Then use vegemite,

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chocolate chips, raisins, etc. for decoration. Metal cookie cutters can turn fruit and vegetables into shapes. Cut spinach into letters using scissors.

7.

Make Pictures: Pastry and dough can be moulded into a “J” for a child, or maybe the letters of their favourite sports team can be created. Even simple objects like a wand will spark a picky eater’s curiosity and comfort toward a food.

8.

Food Art: This does NOT have to be complicated! A simple face or a basic car will suffice. If we do the food art, we are changing up the food and generating new interest. If a child is creating, they are interacting and focussing on the food.

9.

Pretend Play: Play restaurant with an adult serving the child. This changes the atmosphere and often leads to delight. Alternatively, adults can be the guests with a child serving.

10. Positive Messages: Draw on fruit peels, such as the outside of a banana or mandarin. Put paper messages in the lunchbox or use icing or sauce to create a letter or a pattern on a food.

“Spending time engaging a child around food in ways that do make it more fun and less routine is always valuable.”

JUDITH YEABSLEY 11. Get Messy: Pictures from yoghurt or pudding, painting with spices, sticking hands into jelly or squirting from pouches can all be fun and entice even the pickiest of eaters to take part.

12. Add a “Treaty” Ingredient: Adding chocolate chips to pancakes or jam in the yoghurt is just one positive way to support a child to eat more comfortably and joyfully.

13. Create the World’s Smallest or Largest: Tiny pizzas or burgers involve a child on a fun level. It’s also easier to contemplate eating something tiny. Conversely, we can create the world’s largest of a food, like a pancake, and then share it altogether.

14. Naming Rights: Maybe they’ll call it, “Jamie’s Jam” or “Mia’s Mango Smoothie.” Any time a child feels they have an investment, it’s a positive thing, so give them some simplistic ownership by allowing them to name their food creation!

15. Fondue: Even adults love fondue! You don’t need a fancy machine, either. It can be savoury with cheese or pasta sauce or something as simple as ketchup. For a sweeter option, use chocolate sauce, honey or softened peanut butter. Perfect as a shared meal or dessert choice.

17. Eat Like A…: For young children, pretending to eat food like different characters is especially fun. Examples include eating like a dog, dinosaur, or a monster. Adults initiating the fun is even more encouraging to them! For children with older interests, adults role playing eating like a favourite character can be viewed as fun or “cringy,” but either way, it still gets their interest!

18. Other Interactions: Away from the table, there are also ways to interact with food. Carrot bricks for the truck, spaghetti plaiting, or threading sweetcorn to make a bracelet. For the super ambitious, you might even attempt creating a world map from peas!

Spending time engaging a child around food in ways that do make it more fun and less routine is always valuable.

Dedicating some new energy can often support a picky eater to build a new level of enjoyment around food.

Judith Yeabsley

16. Dip It! Set up a dipping tray with a variety of dips, along with foods to put into them. To take it to the next level, think cubes of apple on a stick to dip into yoghurt and then add sprinkles. For a meatier choice, think sausage to dip into ketchup and then add grated cheese.

Judith is the author of Creating Confident Eaters, The Guide for Picky Eaters. The guide empowers parents to support their child to eat more variety.

It is not about what to eat, it’s about HOW…how to gently expand the number of foods eaten in simple, practical and easy to do steps. Nonmedical, applicable to all children 2 – 12, from the most selective to toddlers going through the normal fussies.

For more information, please visit: www.theconfidenteater.com

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LESLEY JOHNSON

In These Covid-19 Times, How Do We Care for Our Children?

5 Books To Help Us Start the Conversation

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hroughout the centuries, people affected by plague, war and destructive forces of nature have used art, rhymes and stories to help children make sense of the turmoil this creates in their lives.

Covid-19 has certainly altered the way we relate and respond to the circumstances that influence our lives. Once again, storytelling has shown how powerful a tool it can be in creating understanding and adaption to a sometimes vastly altered way of living.

Authors around the world have used their skills to help children understand what is changing and what needs to change in their everyday lives.

“Authors around the world have used their skills to help children understand what is changing and what needs to change in their everyday lives.”

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Among the plethora of stories, rhymes and art work, some stand out as being exceptional tools - well balanced, factual, all encompassing and relational works. Of these, I have selected five, which I think will be useful tools for teachers and parents alike.

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Title: My Hero is You Author: Helen Patuk

Title: From My Window:Children at home

Illustration: Helen Patuk Publisher: IASC, 2020.

Author: Xue Bai

My Hero is You was a project developed by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings (IASC MHPSS RG). The project was supported by global, regional and country based experts from Member Agencies of the IASC MHPSS RG, in addition to parents, caregivers, teachers and children in 104 countries. A global survey was distributed in Arabic, English, Italian, French and Spanish to assess children’s mental health and psychosocial needs during the COVID-19 outbreak. A framework of topics to be addressed through the story was developed using the survey results. The book was shared through storytelling to children in several countries affected by COVID-19. Feedback from children, parents and caregivers was then used to review and update the story.

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during COVID-19

Illustration: Xue Bai Publisher: United Nations Publications

ISBN: 978-92-1-101428-0 eISBN: 978-92-1-005134-7

From My Window, like the first book, is available as an online portable document format. It shares the perspectives of children from Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America and Africa who, through views from their windows, share their experiences and how they cope while in isolation.

LESLEY JOHNSON Title: Coronavirus, A Book for Children Authors: Elizabeth Jenner, Kate Wilson and Nia Roberts Illustration: Axel Scheffler Publisher: Nosy Crow Ltd. (UK) 2020 ISBN: 978-1-5362-1921-0 The third book, Coronavirus, A Book for Children, is cleverly illustrated by Axel Sheffler and explores not only the facts regarding Covid-19 and the ways in which it is currently being managed but also the ways in which children experiencing isolation can respond to their circumstances. It answers the questions that are often asked by children, like, “What is it like to be at home all the time?” and simply validates a variety of responses. It explores areas often not addressed by other books: “Another important thing you can do is to be kind to the people that you live with. Things will be different and perhaps difficult for all of you.” It makes great suggestions on what to do in response to this.

This book is also available as a downloadable pdf.

Title: Captain Corona & the 19 Covid Warriors Author: Melissa Gratias Illustration: Brittany Curry Publisher: Progress Not Perfection, LLC e-Book ISBN: 978-1-7348582-0-4 Captain Corona and the 19 Covid Warriors focuses on 19 groups of people in society who are helping in the current Covid environment. It debunks some common myths and responses to those myths. “Families are buying groceries and lots and lots of toilet paper. COVID-19 doesn’t usually cause tummy troubles, so the toilet paper thing is very silly.”

By describing the roles different people have, it shares the collaborative nature of the fight against the disease. Journalists are one set of warriors. “Their job is to help us know what the facts are and what is not true. Thank you to the journalists who are helping us stay calm and informed.”

Title: The great KIWI lockdown Author: Alison Condon Graphic Design: Beau Spicer Publisher: Bog Book Publishing Ltd e-Book ISBN: 978-0-9941396-6-5 The Great Kiwi Lockdown by Alison Condon is available through Big Book Publishing, Ltd. It is a wonderful story which flows in rhyming verse and relates to common experiences of New Zealand children who enjoy the encouragement of tackling situations, “Our good old kiwi way.”

Country specific books are available, too.

Activity Ideas Statement or Question? As a class, create a list of ideas or wonderings from the book or books read. Sort them into statements or questions.

Questioning: In small groups, take turns to roll the question dice and form a question about or from the content of the book(s) read.

Truth or Fiction?: Each child writes one true and one false statement.

Then, they swap statements with a buddy. Form groups and have students take turns to share a statement. As a group, they decide which pile the statement goes into: Truth or Fiction? Students should be ready to defend their decision with reasoning.

If you do not have question dice in the class, this free template can be downloaded: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ISDdQX8Mt54XV49d1m4S4fjb7fRn7Qau/ view

Lesley Johnson Lesley Johnson has taught for 30 years.

The facilitation of an ICTPD cluster nurtured her three passions: Literacy, ICT tools and Thinking Strategies. She now runs her online business, Read Think Learn, providing online literacy resources that promote higher order thinking.

For more information, please visit: www.readthinklearn.com

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LYNNETTE CHADWICK

What is Flow?

Creating In-Flow and Calm in the Classroom

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low exists in the here and now and, when accessed, amplifies our success, capability and calm.

As we go about our daily activities and schedules accessing the, “innate river of flow,” we connect to our inner nature. The wellspring of intuitive intelligence, wisdom and creativity is present with grace.

The flow state can become more consistent through decision and deliberateness.

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Focusing on, and enhancing the flow in our daily existence, enables the intrinsic balance of our heart and mind. As we integrate the oneness of the heart and mind we enter more easefully into the flow state.

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In-flow, the mindfulness experience can expand beyond that of the “observer viewpoint.” The aspect of, “the watcher,” is merged and brings about a broader and deeper connection with self and others. Along with the integration of the mind and heart, dissolving identification with “the seer,” flow is achieved and emotional intelligence is imminent.

We may choose to encounter the flow state in a variety of circumstances: a form of meditation to optimally begin a fresh day, to help communicate effectively and honestly, to build a deeper connection with self and others or to access our memory in an exam situation. Flow can be derived through your will, decision and the commitment for expansion in each moment.

The benefits of experiencing life in-flow are immeasurable and optimise all aspects of existence. Therefore, what is more valuable

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to impart to others? With the inner joy emanating through our self first, we are then the lighthouse for others.

What is flow? Perhaps another way of experiencing and becoming flow is to realise that which appears outside of flow (in actuality everything is flow) however when we get caught clinging to the boulders along the river’s edge and perhaps identify as being “a victim” rather than “an experiencer” situations such as these below can appear as if they are interrupting our flow: • • • • • • • •

not being able to say no comparing ourselves to others overscheduling our lives judging self and others harshly feelings of loneliness and disconnection ruminating thoughts overriding peace and ease exhaustion with waning self belief, conviction and motivation feeling unworthy, unlovable and a lack of belonging

Flow brings about an honesty, acceptance, peace and appreciation.

It deepens our connection with self, others and all that is. Being in the state of flow enables us to tame our busy mind and thinking processes.Deliberately creating beliefs that enhance our state of beingness is a byproduct of existing in-flow.

In the deliberate practice of flow, we encounter our robust potential, resilience, success and compassionate state. We will be ready for whatever arises within the current moment.

LYNNETTE CHADWICK

Being in-flow is as important as brushing our teeth or taking a shower. It is the essence of fulfilment. Imparting the awareness of flow within educational practices is of the utmost value when shared from a lived experience of flow.

Setting up a classroom for the daily encounter of existing in-flow or as-flow will bring out the potential of everyone within that space from that moment to the next. What can be more important than establishing flow as the foundation for the meeting and learning within the container of a classroom? Inevitable engagement, enjoyment and success will exist in the learning space, whilst developing emotional intelligence, optimising beliefs and overall wellness.

My work practice through Lion Heart Education, Ltd enables me to facilitate and impart skills to others for living in flow more consistently, by building awareness and integrating the experience of flow. Whilst working with both adults and children, enabling them to learn and experience a self-regulation system. By selfregulating, they can choose to develop the daily practice that engages their heart intelligence, breath and existing in/as appreciation. Furthermore, it will encourage them to realise that they, too, can make this their foundation and default for life!

“What can be more important than establishing flow as the foundation for the meeting and learning within the container of a classroom?”

Lynnette Chadwick Lynnette Chadwick has over 30 years experience in personal and professional development. She is a Gestalt Psychotherapist and Licensed HeartMath Practitioner.

Lynnette specialises in supporting people to live outside of fight and flight and develop their ability to stabilise living in their optimal state for learning, relating with others and wellbeing, passionately supporting families and schools to integrate simple techniques for increased effectiveness, success and happiness.

For more information, contact Lynette via email: hello@lynnettechadwick.com.

You may also visit www.lynnettechadwick.com.

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KAREN TUI BOYES

The Last Word: Sleep and Technology 3 Tips for Increasing Better Sleep Cycles

A

Tip 1: No Technology in the Bedroom

In terms of brain function and productivity, sleep is really important. A lack of quality sleep lowers a person’s focus, impedes decision making and increases mood swings. Believe it or not, that is just the start! Ask any parent who has a colicky baby that has kept them up for several nights in a row to choose between two simple choices and it feels like a scholarship exam!

To ensure a great night of sleep, remove all technology from your bedroom. Your bedroom should be a relaxation zone, a time for the brain to unwind, calm and switch off. The last thing your brain needs is more input or the suggestion of more information. Your brain spends its day consuming information, making decisions, creating and thinking. It needs time to recharge! Remove the TV, computers, laptops and phones from the bedroom to create a calm and nurturing space.

hhhhh...sleep. One thing so many people desire more of or an improved quality in is a good night’s rest. And yet, all over the western world, people are suffering from chronic sleep deficiency.

Eric Edmeades, founder of Wildfit, teaches about the eight basic needs of humans. The first three (in order of importance for the body & brain) are good quality air, natural water for hydration and sleep. Sleep at the number three position might have surprised you as most people predict food to be third on the list – it’s actually number six!

Your brain and body perform amazing feats while you sleep. These include: • • • • • • • • • • • •

physical repair burning off fat from the day’s activities fighting inflammation, infection and trauma digestion sorting of the day’s memories creation of long-term memories memory enhancement memory integration problem solving ridding toxic waste cell repair energy is recharged (almost like a battery)

The brain works on approximate 90 mins cycles (circadian rhythms) throughout the day and night. At night, as an adult, it is recommended to get 5 full cycles of sleep, while teenagers may require 6-7 cycles for great body and brain function. This may involve going to bed earlier to fit all these cycles in. Dr Greg Wells and Dr Daniel Amen, both prolific brain researchers, talk about the first three cycles being when the brain processes the learning from the day, memory enhancement and memory integrations. The last two cycles are when creativity and problem solving happen. Have you ever woken up with clarity about a troubling problem? Your brain was working on it while you were asleep.

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There are many reasons people may not be getting enough sleep and one key factor is increased use of technology and phones. Here are three tips, in relation to technology use, to achieving a better night’s sleep.

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“Your brain spends its day consuming information, making decisions, creating and thinking.

It needs time to recharge!”

Tip 2: Turn Phones and Technology Off 30 Minutes Before Sleep Ideally two hours would be better, however the National Foundation for Sleep suggests starting with 30 minutes. The key reason for this is because phone, TV and computer manufacturers design these devices to emit a blue light. This blue light keeps your brain awake and alert. In fact, what the blue light actually does is restrain the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycles or commonly known as your body clock (circadian rhythms.) When melatonin production is impeded it is harder to fall asleep and problematic to wake up.

Furthermore, checking emails, messages and posts before bed means you are not able to control the type of information coming into your brain. When you see a post, message, email you don’t like or agree with, your heart rate increases, you may get all worked up, start to worry or plan and process, which is the exact opposite of what you want before sleep. Reading a relaxing book, on the other hand, means you have better management of what you are feeding your brain before sleep. You might also take a bath, practice light yoga, write or journal your daily gratitude or listen to some soothing music before bed.

Tip 3: Charge Your Phone in Another Room at Night I know! Being without your phone feels like your arm has been severed from your body! But in all honesty – how often do you get a call during the night? Just the worry that you might get that urgent call in the night can lead to a lack of deep sleep.

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KAREN TUI BOYES

Or maybe you are a victim of FOMO – the fear of missing out? If leaving your phone in another room is a major challenge, turn it on to “Do Not Disturb” or silent mode. At bare minimum, leave it over on the other side of the room so you are not tempted to reach for it in the night. Most smartphones have an option that when on silent or “Do Not Disturb” mode, certain numbers can come through. Being woken in the night by an alert, a bright light or call not only interrupts your sleep cycles, inhibiting the melanin production, it also makes it more challenging to get back into a deep sleep.

If you use your phone as an alarm, for as little as $7 from Kmart or less than $1 from AliExprees (and free shipping at the time of writing this!) you can purchase a traditional alarm clock. This will give you more peace of mind and increase the quality of your sleep, ultimately resulting in improved brain and body function. What a great bargain!

Give these tips a go for 21 days. It may be hard at first, but if you persist, you are likely to reap the rewards in many different areas of your life.

Karen Tui Boyes Karen Tui Boyes is a champion for Life Long Learning across nations, industries and organisations. As founder and head facilitator of Spectrum Education, Karen leads a team which is determined to transform education globally, with a focus on ensuring teachers, students and parents have a passion for learning, understand the learning process and know how to maximise it. A sought after speaker who continually gets rave reviews from audiences around the world, Karen turns the latest educational research into easy-to-implement strategies and techniques.

For more information, please visit: www.spectrumeducation.com

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Teachers Matter Spectrum Education making print happen Working TOGETHER

Spectrum Print

50 issues LINDA

GUIREY

“Time is at once the most valuable and the most perishable of all our possessions” - John Randolph

“Don’t let yo ur ice cream melt wh ile yo u’re co untin someon g e else ’s sprin kles.”

- Akilah

Hughes

Spectrum Print has had the absolute pleasure of working alongside Spectrum Education in the final stages of magazine production since 2012 and would like to congratulate Karen and the team for reaching such a tremendous milestone!

We know all too well how hard it is to pull these projects together and to have done it 50 times is a huge achievement!

I know we here eagerly await the file for the next edition each time to devour the bring and informative content – which is a good read regardless of your industry. Not to mention the fun and inspiring quote pages that are often seen copied and pinned up on various desks around the office.

We look forward to continuing our legacy of working together for the next 50!

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Contact us to start our journey TOGETHER 23 Cumnor Terrace, Woolston PO Box 2566, Christchurch 8140 Phone +64 3 963 0510 spectrumprint.co.nz

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“Never believe you are ‘just a teacher.’

You are a LIFE CHANGER and very well might be the reason a child wants to succeed.”

- Weinsteinedu