School personnel need to provide a safe, supportive environment where children feel free to discuss their thoughts and feelings about war. Leah Davies advises that by listening carefully and answering questions on a level students can comprehend, children will learn that they are not alone in their concerns.
Do you remember your first time? Dipping your toe tentatively in the water. The feeling of trepidation, of exhilaration, the palpable sense of fear because you did not know how to swim? Chris Jay tells the story of how Splash is helping a wide range of adults to take to the water.
Empathy is a formidable confidante which allows educational leaders to build collaborative communities which influence, innovate and enhance student outcomes. Melissa Etherton explores empathy as a leadership tool and how it can have a positive impact on a school community.
Aggression or bullying can be defined as any action that inflicts physical or mental harm upon another person. Leah Davies discusses why girls usually differ from boys in the type of aggressive behavior they exhibit.
Richard Campbell of Effort Tracking looks at how tracking a student’s effort and application using a new formative – based assessment system is having an effect on student motivation and learning.
As Ziwei Luo herself is the first to explain, there is nothing new about ‘educating the whole child’. What is new, however, is the growing appeal of this approach for Chinese families. Here she suggests that with the right support, students from families unused to a holistic approach are able to develop skills that allow them to thrive beyond the classroom.
When the going gets tough, we often turn to music. According to Curtis Dean, recent research confirms that music can motivate, energise and soothe.
Sleep affects us in all ways, including how productive we are. If we get too little sleep, we find it harder to concentrate and give our all at work or at home. Lisa Smalls lists seven ways that sleep affects us that we should all be aware of.
Matthew Savage, Principal at the International Community School in Amman, Jordan, talks about ‘the Mona Lisa Effect’ – a model for personalised learning, which enables us to see beneath the masks that children assume as part of their everyday lives.
Leah Davies reminds us that schools have an opportunity to enhance children’s social and emotional growth, as well as their academic knowledge. The following activities foster self-understanding, positive peer interaction, initiative, and, of course, learning.
Natassja Williams believes that student well-being depends on a strong, values-based culture at the heart of a school, created and defended by a committed team.
In many countries, it is now mandatory to report suspected cases of abuse. How should we react if approached by a child who wants to talk about a problem? Leah Davies has some practical advice.
Homelessness seems to becoming an increasing global problem and children are inevitably involved. Leah Davies looks at how, as a profession we might address the issue. One thing is for sure – it cannot be ignored.
Much has recently been written highlighting the importance of a child’s mother tongue (or “home language”). Susan Stewart, describes the advantages of putting home languages at the centre of a school’s curriculum.
An increasing number of students in international schools, including those following IB Diploma courses are sitting the IELTS and similar examinations of language competence, but many under-perform. Chris Jay provides some useful guidance on how to avoid pitfalls and achieve success.
The digital revolution has brought many benefits, but librarian Uma Shankar Singh argues it can also pose a significant threat to cultural diversity in an international school.
Children learn not only through real life experience, but vicariously through media exposure which defines our culture and shapes our norms. Exposure to television programming and video streaming profoundly affects how children view their world. Leah Davies advises us to take control.
David Gregory describes how a school trip can become a deeper learning experience by giving students the responsibility for making difficult decisions.
Last year Paul Jackson was approached by a neighbour whose Grade 7 (UK year 8) daughter, was struggling in Maths and wanted him to tutor her. This is not something he usually does, but as a neighbour, he reluctantly agreed. Some serious thinking followed.
Listening, rather than talking, is the key to making an effective plan of action for a company or school, according to Peter Hudson. The trouble is, most people are not very good at it. Here Peter looks at five key ideas that will help the members of a team improve as listeners, and therefore as effective collaborative planners.
Listening is invaluable in schools in all sorts of ways and at many levels of responsibility – teachers, school leaders, students themselves and parents. Here Peter Hudson explains why listening is vital for school leaders.
Listening is in fact invaluable in schools in all sorts of ways and at many levels of responsibility – for teachers, school leaders, students themselves and parents. The is the first of a series of articles from Peter Hudson focusing on listening in schools. We start with teachers.
Whilst we all recognize the opportunities the Internet offers, keeping children safe online is a constant source of concern often exacerbated by the gap in online proficiency between child and parents/teacher.
Encouragingly, Jackie Harden reports that support is available and easily accessible. If you feel able to recommend other sources of support, we would love to hear from you.
Revelations have shaken our trust of journalists and broadcasters and led many to question whether they are committed to seeking the truth and fairness or are driven largely by a need to boost circulation and viewing figures. Peter Hudson explores the effectiveness of different journalistic and broadcasting approaches in establishing and reporting the facts.
We are all becoming increasingly aware that emotional intelligence, empathy and the ability to be a good listener are beneficial to the well-being of the individual and others. Peter Hudson explores how they are inseparably linked and how they offer a new way towards a better society.
Dr Eugene Heimler developed an innovative and unique form of psychotherapy, the Heimler Method of Social Functioning, which has enabled countless individuals to find meaning and new direction in their lives and turn frustration and disengagement into creativity and involvement. Peter Hudson provides a very personal review of Dr Heimler’s account of some of the experiences that helped mould his now widely used counselling techniques.
Peter Hudson had just finished having breakfast at what used to be called a country house party in the UK. Having listened to several guests for several minutes, asking them about their work and families, he was asked what he did. ‘I teach teachers how to listen’, he replied.
One of the guests, herself a retired teacher, said ‘Oh that’s the top skill in teaching!’ When he asked her what she thought the reason for that was, she said ‘It builds respect with the students and when you have that you can achieve so much more with them’.
Listening Quote of the Month:
Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.
Bernard Baruch, 1870–1965
As part of a regular series of articles about listening, Peter Hudson, of Consilium Education considers the links between listening and success, and asks is the right kind of listening really happening in schools and businesses?