everything curriculum | February 2021


Make YOURSELF a priority


Let’s start with your health – So that’s sleep, good food and exercise. Not rocket science I know, but when your job is fundamentally about caring for the needs of others it is so easy to make yourself unimportant, make your needs the last things on your to do list; the ones that never get ticked. So, this year, see yourself as the most important resource in the classroom. Make time for you, even if it means other things have to go down to the bottom of that list!


Invest in your creative heart – It might be baking cakes, or planting vegetables, it could be painting or playing the guitar, it might be taking photos, or writing a journal, knitting, or making jam, listening to your favourite band or reading that new book. Remember, the more you create, the more creative you will be.


Breathe fresh air, look up at the sky, watch the seasons unfold – There is so much written about the positive impact on children of being outdoors, and the same is true for you! Buy a warm hat and gloves, waterproof coat and boots; whatever the weather, spend time outside each day. Fill your lungs with fresh air and your heart with the wonders of nature.


Laugh – As much as you can, as often as you can! Make your world one that is full of giggles and silliness.


Embrace all of your feelings – “Feelings are not either good or bad, though some are more pleasant to experience than others! They are all valid. They tell us valuable information about ourselves and others. We feel sad if we lose someone we love or experience another kind of loss. Envy tells us what we want in life. Fear alerts us to danger and so on” (taken from Little Book of Big Worries). So be a detective when you think about your own emotions. Work out what they are telling you, talk about them with someone you trust and take action if need be.


Build your snowman – A wonderful head teacher once described that Friday night feeling to me as being a puddle on the floor instead of a snowman. I’m sure you know the feeling! So, what can you do when you feel like that? Take a few minutes to think about the things that build you back up. It might be putting your feet up and watching a favourite feel good film, it might be chatting with friends who lift your spirits, it might be a big walk in the countryside, or climbing a hill, just having a lie in, cooking a delicious meal or baking a cake. Write a list of the things that help you build your snowman and when you feel low, look at the list, decide to invest in YOU and do as many of them as you possibly can!


Remember, YOU are the perfect teacher for your class. 11


About me I’m fortunate to have spent my life working in education. Having started out as a mathematics teacher, I soon found myself in the world of educational resources where I have remained very happily for over 25 years. During that time, it’s been my privilege to be involved with a number of hugely respected brands. Along the way I’ve worked with the most amazing, gifted and dedicated people who all have one thing in common; a passion for giving children a life–long love of learning.


About Learn Well Child development is at the heart of every Learn Well product. Thoughtfully created to give young children and older ones with special needs a broad range of sensory learning experiences. As each product is developed, we think about how they can be accessed by children of different abilities and how we can open up the possibilities for extending play beyond the obvious. We believe that emotional wellbeing is where it all begins and our new range has been developed with experts to help children recognise, embrace and understand their emotions and the impact they have on themselves and others.


Learn Well products are available from YPO, view the range at: ypo.co.uk/learnwell


“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.


Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” Roald Dahl


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22