Other topics
- A single problem usually has many causes and therefore many opportunities for improvement.
- Don't define problems in terms of the solution, eg, 'The
problem is we don't have enough resources': problems and the best solutions are often in different times & places from each other.
- Poor story writing: create and use mental videos
- Mental arithmetic: what to do when you don't know what to do
- Litter: yellow lines not rubbish bins or supervision
- Literacy: better Habits of the Mind
- Aim to eliminate counter measures (this is rework, costly and unproductive) - see 1, but have contingency arrangements well in place, eg, guaranteed response or bottom line.
- Think high order - low order:
- Relationships based on agreed values, purposes (high order) - enables us to be our best
- Roles and rules (low order) provide a bottom line - needed for relationships fail
- Either/or questions are usually wrong!
- We aim to be ourselves whenever we can
- We are at our best when we are most truly ourselves
- Think and act in terms of everyone (break down the barriers): everyone a contributor, everyone a beneficiary
- The School is (should be) a purposeful community in its own right: Everyone contributes and benefits
- People should work WITH each other (not ON each other)
Examples: job description, annual planning, class ŕ whole school agreements - Resources are rarely the issue - only when everything is working perfectly
- What is obvious to me may be totally unknown to others, eg, quality is a different paradigm
- Knowing about systems can enable us to become better educators
- Better school/class systems: more resources available, less disruption, fewer obstacles, more options, deeper coping capacity…
- Use mediated learning to help other improve their personal systems: Thinking, learning, doing and relating (to self, others and things)
- Our mission statement is a high level outcomes statement about our success and well-being
- "Everyone competent, caring, just and wise"
- Our vision statement is a high outcomes statement about our day to day experience
- "Everyone, happy, confident learning and playing well
- As a school we are a work in progress
- Rewards and punishments usually obscure what is really significant
- Information is a key factor in success, well-being and responsible initiatives. It is also resource hungry - manage it well to release resources.
- Problems should be valued as great learning opportunities - mine them for the insights and opportunities they contain
- Blaming is counter productive - it places an difficult obstacle at the at the crucial point
- Add your own...