IT’S TIME TO TAKE THE MICKEY!

A few years ago, after much scrimping and saving, my wife and I were able to take our children to Disney. I am not sure who was more excited; I know that I didn’t sleep the night before we left! I also remember the feeling each day as Cinderella’s castle came into view; a fast beating heart and the sense that something special was about to happen; every day was like a new adventure!
I have often been laughed at when I tell people that upon taking up my Headship in 2001, I asked the staff one question; how do we turn our school into Disneyland? I realise that this may appear to be a daft enquiry to some; somewhat trivial, almost naïve to others, but I was serious. I am a committed and I hope, highly professional, educator who chose teaching as most do, because I wanted to make a difference to children’s lives; to help to prepare them for the challenges and opportunities in their futures; the moral imperative. In no way did the asking of that question seek to devalue or make light of the incredible responsibilities we carry as teachers, it was a symbolic way of underlining to my new colleagues that during my tenure as Head our job was to focus on our primary customers; our children.
As educators we know that successful learning can only occur in schools filled with happy people; staff, parents, governors but most importantly, children. We know that learning is most successful when our students are engaged, excited, intrigued and we know that teachers are at their best when they demonstrate passion and enthusiasm. When I was given the extraordinary privilege of taking on my Headship, I wanted to help create a school where people arrived in the morning with their hearts beating faster; it’s why I asked the Disney question. I knew that we would be on the way to success, when on a cold February morning, in the middle of the winter virus season, if our pupils woke up with a sore throat and they would still want to come to school, in the same way that if they were waking up in Paris on that same cold morning, with the same condition, nothing would stop them on their trip to Walt’s world.
As a profession, we know more about learning, brain and emotional development and the links between them, than we ever have. Every Child Matters gave us the political mandate to do what we have always known was right; to educate the whole child. There is rightly still huge concern around the issues of inclusion and achievement, but the solutions do not come in the shape of targets, or in rows of desks and more prescriptive approaches to teaching and learning, the solutions lie in refocusing the agenda. We have to make learning matter to our kids, for some, for the first time, for others to ensure that they can rediscover that joy. For that to happen learning must be rich in context and purpose; children must be able to see the links to their own lives and how by engaging in education, it makes things better and can make their hearts beat a little faster.
Although I blame the advertising industry for many, many things; including the rows I have with my teenage daughter over shopping and pocket money! I am fascinated by the science of their craft; after all, if we could convince our children to buy in to school as a brand in the same way they do certain technologies or clothing lines we’d be on to a winner, wouldn’t we? Interestingly, there are two questions that branding experts ask of new clients when taking on a brief, the first is;
What do you want to stand for in the eyes of your customer?
And the second is:
How are you going to shape your behaviours, as an organisation, so that you support the response to the first question?
Whether we like it or not, our children are incredibly sophisticated consumers; they are the first truly ‘on demand’ generation. The future of education does not lie in how we control them but how we sell to them; a great education is one of the foundations of a successful society; it is of more value than any computer game, pair of trainers or music download and we need to ensure that children feel that. At its best learning stirs the senses, quickens the pulse and fires the imagination; much like Disney.
Education is a serious business, so is the Disney Corporation, it after all, one of the world’s most successful organisations. At the heart of the Disney ethos are the concepts of education and entertainment and as a result they captivate generation after generation, it strikes me that great schools follow exactly the same formula.

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‘Getting stuck is not a problem, staying stuck is…’

Why attend the course?
The Vision for Learning one-day Coaching Skills programme develops one to one coaching skills. Coaching Skills will be of professional value to anyone who wants to improve the quality of the support they offer others. This course will help you to work with people to overcome their blocks and work with the grain of their own motivators. You will also gain the essential grounding to progress to the advanced coaching programme. Benefits of attending include:

• Developing practical coaching skills
• A deeper understanding of what drives people towards success and what holds them back
• Practical approaches to unblock negative attitudes and promote positive thinking
• A deeper insight into the use of listening skills
• Knowing when to question and when to be silent
• Learning how to better manage internal thought patterns and habits of mind for coaching

What will you learn on the coaching programme?
You will learn and develop key knowledge and skills for promoting change in others, including:

• What is coaching?
• The difference between coaching and other helping processes
• The essential dispositions of an effective coach
• How to establish and maintain rapport
• Essential listening skills
• Key questioning tools for coaches
• How to ask the right questions and what to do when people get stuck
• How to structure coaching
• How to coach in a hurry

The programme draws from NLP, Sports Performance Psychology and Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy. The programme provides you with simple models and techniques that improve motivation and broker success.

How is the course structured?
The Programme is closely focused on promoting independent thinking and problem-solving in others. Coaching techniques are demonstrated and developed through practical activities. The programme content is backed by the relevant coaching theory. Together this offers you the opportunity to understand the psychology of motivation and develop the practical skills of coaching.
Delegates learn to use a simple, but effective core coaching model. There are dozens of great coaching tips from an expert coach at every step of the way.

Who leads the programme?
The one-day Coaching Skills Programme is designed and delivered by Will Thomas. Will is a highly experienced Performance Coach and trainer. He works with individuals from school age to old age. A Marks and Spencer Personnel manager from University, Will moved into education and became Head of Faculty in a large comprehensive school, he has used coaching extensively to enable people to maximise performance and overcome personal barriers to success. Will is co-author of the book Coaching Solutions and author of The Coaching Solutions Resource Book.

What if I attend?
You’ll further develop your skills and knowledge in multiple ways. Just imagine having the confidence to respond positively and effectively in any situation, and having the next level of linguistic tools to promote change in others. Consider the positive impact on your work, your life and those you come into contact with you.

What past attendees have said:
“ Very enjoyable – new ideas that I can use to be more effective in my job – well delivered” Guy Foster, East Manchester Education Action Zone

“ It was great to work with colleagues and develop coaching skills with them….very effective, and fully covered coaching aspects for our staff” Bill Whiting, Portsmouth

“ Very challenging, well-structured, and professional, but done with good humour, and much respect for participants”. Kate Edwards, Gateshead

“ Excellent course – very useful. Good course notes. Promoted thinking and how to develop reflective thought” Dave Magee, Cadishead

The approach is concise and immediately helpful in knowing how and when to use specific tools in coaching. We believe that this workbook is suited to coaches and prospective coaches in all sectors, particularly those who want a rapid and accessible route to understanding coaching practice and who want a reliable source book for coaching methods. We present an easily understandable structure for coaching so that all the tools sit simply within a practical framework for developing and enhancing your own coaching style. This framework, the STEPPPA Model, also provides a coherent and practical tool for keeping in touch with the coaching process as a structured journey.

You will quickly recognize a layout that becomes familiar and enables fast access to key information. Links between other related models and tools are provided throughout, so the complexity of coaching processes, with time, becomes even more comprehensible. We have very deliberately included linguistic-triggers in the text to help coaches use the right set of tools in their actual coaching sessions without having to pause in their work.

We include a number of self-evaluation frameworks so you can make progress in ways that are personal to your own style of coaching delivery. The world of the coachee’s experience will become more familiar to you and this will help to advise your use of the tools.

Available for free download at http://willthomasblog.com

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TEACHING…but are…

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TEACHING…but are to busy to ask. This book provides a collection of briefings for busy teachers to update you. A great read in its own right, this book is also a valuable reference covering a whole range of topics relevant to education including ICT, mentoring, questioning strategies, inclusion, NLP, writing frames, accelerated learning and many more. Briefings on fifty topics raise your game for preparing for interviews and promotions, updates, and for those new to the profession. A teacher’s encyclopedia for just £12.99

Coaching Solutions Resource Book by Will Thomas

Packed with over 80 practical coaching resources, all in photocopiable form, including:

- foundation tools for creating focus and identifying motivators
- coaching session prompts and record sheets
- question banks to help coaches pick great questions
- a variety of tools to identify strengths, generate really motivating targets, overcome obstacles, create innovative solutions, help with   making decisions, and evaluate progress.

This is the perfect companion to Coaching Solutions, the original ground-breaking education coaching text from Will Thomas and Alistair Smith. It provides practical ways to help individuals, teams and organisations secure peak performance through a coaching approach. It contains a concise summary of all of the key elements of coaching practice, along with a well-organized and accessible bank of resources.

Whether you are a new coach or an old hand, this book will make coaching more effective and more manageable.