Educator, dad, board game geek, book reader, magic: the gathering nerd, running enthusiast, and coffee lover
For years, my kids have just got on with school. They’ve never really questioned it, and I honestly think they quite enjoy it. But if I left them in bed one morning, they would just thank me. “Why can’t we start the day a bit later?” they grumbled this week. It’s the end of the […]
“How’s your grad speech going?” I’m not sure what other people do when they are asked to write a speech, but I find it takes way more time than I have, way more coffee and wine than is healthy, and way more stress and anxiety than I ever expected (even though it was the same […]
Dear fellow stumblers For my first Serendipities eBook, I have pulled together previous articles I have shared on the challenges of education reform and why I think it has a “Wizard of Oz problem” – a problem that needs more brain, more heart, and more courage! If you would like a copy, just send me […]
I spent some holiday time on the Jurassic Coast this week looking for dinosaur fossils. It was a wonderfully terrible endeavour. It was wonderful because we were joined by much of my extended (and eclectic) family. It was terrible because the weather was predictably cold, wet, and windy, making me grumpy. My parents often took […]
A Little Bit of Struggle I popped in to see how my daughter was getting on with some maths home learning this week. She was stooped over her laptop, hands up against her head, and she was clearly struggling. She looked up at me, grimacing, and I immediately wanted to go over and help her […]
A brilliant leader once shared something with me that has become one of my life lessons. He said: “When people work hard, they begin to believe that the work they are doing must be important”. There is nothing wrong with people who have a strong work ethic. That’s important to me, too. People will work […]
I am sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions”? It used to make much sense to me. But now I’m not so sure. It’s become increasingly evident to me that whilst some tenets of good leadership (integrity and empathy, for example) will probably endure for all time, some things need […]
Something fantastic happened to me today. A kid walked up to me and said: “Where were you yesterday? I missed you!” I was caught off guard by the question. It was so unexpected, so out of context, that I think it ranks as one of the best moments I’ve ever experienced as a school leader. […]
“All we need is another photocopier.” When I started teaching, I promised myself that if I stayed long enough to become a school leader, I would install a second photocopying machine to improve staff morale and wellbeing. Nothing was more frustrating than having to join the queue of grumpy, pre-caffeinated teachers waiting for their turn […]
As well as packing away the Christmas decorations, one of the things I enjoy doing each New Year is having a good declutter. I feel like I’ve spent my life moving house (I’ve just counted: I am currently in my 22nd house), so I’ve built this habit more out of necessity than anything else. Both […]
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