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Another busy day at #COBIS21! I'll be in dropping in on regular @tes contributor @independenthead as he discusses staff wellbeing at 10.10. If you can't make it I'll try and provide a bit of a summary!
Mark begins by comparing two ‘Travel Disaster Models of Leadership’, one in which the captain goes down with the ship, the other where the captain puts his oxygen mask on first. An interesting opener!
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@independenthead
@KellettSchool
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…followed by some footage of the Brasil football team, who appeared as though they had ‘more time on the ball’, something that Mark thinks good school leaders also have.
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He then asks, ‘are you a corporate athlete?’ – it is suggested that leaders need to train to perform at the highest level for long periods, much like athletes.
Training, performance and recovery are equally important for leaders.
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Training, performance and recovery are equally important for leaders.
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Steed now gives his ‘5 ways leaders can put their own oxygen mask on first’.
First up, the basics… diet, sleep, exercise. These are too easy to sacrifice, he explains.
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First up, the basics… diet, sleep, exercise. These are too easy to sacrifice, he explains.
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Second, the ability to prioritise. Classifying tasks into urgent/not urgent, important/not important. Delegating tasks is key. Keeping some spare capacity to be able to cope with the urgent and important tasks as they come up.
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Mark keeps Fridays free of appointments to allow space and some flexibility. He also schedules tasks in his diary rather than making a to-do list. I like both of these!!
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Thirdly, Mark says you need to trust your team. Leaders don’t have the capacity for micromanagement.
Fourth, give yourself a digital detox (wait till the end of this session!) Turn off notifications. Switch your phone off during the night.
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Fourth, give yourself a digital detox (wait till the end of this session!) Turn off notifications. Switch your phone off during the night.
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Finally, get some coaching. The whole senior team at Kellet School will be able to receive coaching from next year. He highlights how coaching has helped with ‘dropping the guilt’, referencing a recent Tes article from @BSAKheadmaster
https://www.tes.com/magazine/article/5-ways-school-leaders-can-put-their-wellbeing-first
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https://www.tes.com/magazine/article/5-ways-school-leaders-can-put-their-wellbeing-first
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Mark now moves on to highlight the importance of leaders modelling wellbeing behaviour, starting with something that’s easier said than done… leave work on time!
Mark doesn’t mention this article, but I will… https://www.tes.com/news/teacher-workload-will-i-be-judged-if-i-leave-school-time-every-day
Mark doesn’t mention this article, but I will… https://www.tes.com/news/teacher-workload-will-i-be-judged-if-i-leave-school-time-every-day
Another important one… setting your out of office during weekends and not sending emails outside of work hours. Mark has previously introduced an ‘email curfew’ and reduced overall email traffic by 37%.
He also advises that you think before cc’ing people on emails.
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He also advises that you think before cc’ing people on emails.
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Wellbeing not about ‘yogurt and yoga’. More about work-life balance. Mark references the Tes Wellbeing Report, and the fact that so many teachers thought their workloads were unsustainable. Schools need to ‘create a culture’.
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Teachers also have a responsibility (as do middle and senior leaders), to look after themselves.
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Mark now takes a few questions. While he does I'll share some of the most recent wellbeing/mental health advice we’ve published on @tes.
https://www.tes.com/news/teacher-mental-health-9-must-read-guides-wellbeing
Really nice to see a principal putting staff mental health on the agenda. Nice work @independenthead
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https://www.tes.com/news/teacher-mental-health-9-must-read-guides-wellbeing
Really nice to see a principal putting staff mental health on the agenda. Nice work @independenthead
#COBIS21
