Specialists & innovators in education

Setting goals is a crucial element in any educational context, fostering an environment conducive to structured learning and growth. It guides learners towards the acquisition of key skills and knowledge while promoting self-confidence and motivation. Moreover, clear and attainable goals provide a sense of direction, facilitating a deeper understanding of progress and achievement.

We’ve all been told that gossip and rumour is an evil scourge of the workplace and must be stopped at all costs. There are numerous articles offering advice on how to kill the poisonous grapevine.

Mentoring dates back to ancient Greek mythology whereby Ulysses entrusted the care of his young son, Telemachus, to his loyal and most trusted friend Mentor

Lets face it time waits for no one! Time keeps ticking away regardless of our efforts to squeeze in more and more into our day.

Much has been written about the benefits of using our strengths across all aspects of our lives. Interestingly, many of us have difficulty identifying strengths.

Recently I was facilitating a professional development program and posed the following question to the participants ‘Do you define your workplace as a thinking organisation’. This question was met with silence.

A child is born with over 100 billion neurons or brain cells. That’s enough neurons to last a lifetime, since no more neurons will develop after birth.

When thinking about what role you might want to play in your setting, whether it be as the Director, co-educator, teacher or educational leader, you have the opportunity to dramatically influence the environment and the people around you if you choose to.

What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘coaching’? Most probably the answer is sport! Certainly, coaching has connections with sport, and draws on theories and research from sports psychology.

We have past the middle of the year, the winter solstice has come and gone, and we anticipate warmer days ahead. While you might not be quite ready for your annual spring clean, perhaps it’s time to give yourself a bit of a lift, to reenergise and reinvigorate yourself so you are at your best for the days, weeks and months ahead.

I am always a bit unsure what to think whenever I hear early childhood educators discussing the topic of professionalism and whether they are, or are not professionals.

In this blog we will introduce the concept of positive psychological capital and the four key theories that build positive psychological capital (PsyCap).

Sometimes it builds from small things turning into deep murmurings. If it is left to fester it drives varying size wedges between us. To avoid this potential disaster at work we have to be ready with a suite of commanding tools so that we are not derailed by surprises or methodical degradation of relatedness.

With the popularity of webinars and other on-line methods of learning, Semann & Slattery is often asked, ‘WHERE IS MY STUFF?’ The ‘STUFF’ usually consists of:

Many of our courses and team-building activities have an element of a strengths based approach within them. Why’s that? The research on strengths and their use in the workplace provides a compelling argument as to why organisations could incorporate strengths on a more regular basis. But first, what is a strength?

You are probably aware of advice to be ‘really present’ in work with young children. Certainly, we nod and say, ‘of course’, but honestly, do we have any idea what we’re talking about?

Words are just words, and in the world today there are consulting firms and marketing agencies employed to advise leaders about what to say and how to say things. However, in the end, all that matters is what you do, not what you say.

We all have moments at work where we either want to scream or stomp a little! When communicating with colleagues becomes difficult or near impossible we need a new strategy to overcome the ‘communication hurdle’.

Living in the ‘Arena’ of leadership means you are going to get dirty; you are going to fail, and not everyone is going to agree with what you do or say.

I wonder if you’ve been caught up in the pressure for assessing literacy development? Did that result in ticking off checklists and requiring more group instruction?

And so the day begins.  Another day of watching and waiting for the news that could possibly set a new and unchartered direction for us all.  Every day seems to be just like the last.

The notion of ‘co-researching’ may be causing a little uncertainty around your place. You may have heard that you are being encouraged to try it, but you’re not all that sure what people are talking about!

This is a way to focus your thinking. Finding titles for your ‘noticings’ may be part of your organisational strategy for formative assessment, an attempt to understand more about pedagogical documentation, or a chance to analyse everyday interactions in order to be better informed about the children in your care.

There are some of us who believe in first impressions and then there are some of us who do not, more likely to let time tell, and also inclined to not judge a book by it’s cover.

There is a considerable body of evidence detailing the benefits of using our strengths. However, research has also revealed the following:

As you and your child begin to consider starting school you may well feel a wave of emotions. Completely expected, it is a big change.

Functional stupidity is a common phenomenon in many organisations, including early childhood. Enter reflective thinking.

When we consider what constitutes ‘quality’, my mind immediately goes to the question, ‘what difference do we make to the lives of children?’ 

For teachers and educators in early childhood education and care settings, a strong start to the new year is essential. Whether you are a seasoned professional or new to the sector, it is important to set clear goals; prioritise self-care; build strong relationships with parents and families; stay current with best practice and research, and cultivate an inclusive learning environment.