Last word
As the nights draw in, say goodbye to the things that don’t work and enjoy the things that do, says Helen Burge
F
or some reason, the arrival of each new academic year seems to age me far more than my own birthday does!
Maybe that’s because I feel as if I’m at the very top of the rollercoaster ride that is the countdown to the end of the year – and I’m bracing myself for the rush. I find the autumn term quite
emotive – probably because I associate it with my own childhood memories and my anxieties surrounding the beginning of the new academic year – and also the fact that the term ends with Christmas celebrations. But my school life couldn’t have
put me off that much as I’ve worked in primary schools for the past 17 years. I appreciate and love that as soon as you have finished hearing the children singing songs about harvest, they’re practising Christmas carols.
Time to take stock Just as the pupils prepare themselves for the new school year, kitted out with new shoes or maybe a new pencil case, you need to think about what it is you want and/or need from the next academic year. What has gone really well previously? Can you replicate that again? What would be even better if…? Is everything in place for your appraisal? Could you apply for ISBL Fellowship?
Time to say goodbye So, you’ve taken stock of your ‘lot’. Now it’s important to say goodbye to old practices and workflows, or even the negative people in your life. This can be really hard to do, especially if there is resistance from your colleagues along the way to change the way you do things, but if you’ve taken stock well, your considered new approach should realise noticeable improvements soon.
‘I feel as if I’m at the very top of the rollercoaster ride
that is the countdown to the end of the year – and I’m bracing myself for the rush’
Saying goodbye to negative people is a little harder and could take some time, but it is only an internal decision to create some distance between you and the negative person; you don’t need to announce it to anyone. Just stop feeding the fire and the flames will die down.
Time to shine I have an overwhelming feeling of wanting to hibernate when the clocks go back and the days get shorter. I leave the house in darkness and return in darkness, but I try to keep in mind the wise words of Take That, ‘See the light on your face, Let it shine, Just let it shine, Let it shine’. Get out during the day, leave your desk and take a lunchtime stroll. #SBMFitBitChallenge has been a great motivator to get SBMs moving more. Don’t let this slide during the darker colder days – just wrap up and keep moving!
Time to talk Is your voice being heard? Have you joined your local regional SBM group? Do you actively participate? Are you a lurker on #SBLTwitter or do you engage with blogs and discussions on there? Get involved and #BeTheChange.
Time to enjoy The autumn term is packed with lots of lovely activities inside and outside of school. Make sure you get out and enjoy them too. Embrace the message of hygge, the Danish term that roughly translates into creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. Make memories.
Helen Burge is academy business leader at St Anne’s Church Academy and Little Learners Nursery, Weston- super-Mare. @SBL_StAnnesWSM
58 AUTUMN 2019 FundEd
IMAGES: TOPVECTORS; ONYXPRJ/
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