Our Wellbeing, Our Profession, Our Future

 Our Wellbeing, Our Profession, Our Future

Andrew Jones

You can't maintain wellbeing without being competent.

The better you’re performing the better your wellbeing.

Interesting as the better that I feel about myself the better I am able to teach, lead and make decisions.

The Mindful Leader

Developing a Whole School Approach to School Leader Health and Wellbeing

Episode One:

The Internal Landscape

Best Possible Self

Rules for Engagement: Norms and Protocols

• Be mindful of confidentiality and privacy
• Be here now
• assume positive intentions
• Ground statements in evidence
• Take an inquiry stance
• Create a space for all voices

What makes the biggest difference in the classroom is the teachers and learners attitudes and dispositions.

How we teach is more important that our knowledge of what we teach.

'It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.'

(The Ethics of Belief)

Work Related Stress- Psychological Hazard

The response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope.

 

Practice could be put into policy NOT policy into practice.

The Problem with the Problem

The solutions are coming from the outside / can we solve our own problems? Do we have the solutions to lessen the stresses in OUR school?

Leadership Practitioner Identity

Personal Social Professional

At Your Best

A moment of high impact that I have had as a teacher-

• What made it so effective?
• What strengths / qualities were I displaying?
• How was I feeling?

Reality Gap

My current reality How far apart are these? The person I want to be

Performance

Ability

Skills ................... Performance

Knowledge

Experience

Cognitive Fusion

• Thoughts dominate behaviour
• Entanglement with judgements- thoughts are taken literally
• Reduces the impact of direct performance

My Negative Bias -

• Hard wired
• adaptive
• Velcro / Teflon

Default Mode Network

Unhelpful Human Thinking!

I am my own worse CRITICAL BOSS!

Mindfulness

• Headspace
• Smiling Mind
• Calm

Episode Two:

The Social Landscape

The Social Eco-System

Managing the many minefields that impact on our lives and thoughts as us as teachers, in schools and education. Facebook, the NEWS, papers, radio - putting expectations, making assumptions and judgments onto schools and teachers.

Learner Outcomes

Learner Experiences

Teaching Practices

Team-based Practices

Learning Leadership Practices

Executive Leadership Outcomes

Team-Based Practices enables us to have sustainability - Builds commonality - supports Well-Being - THESE build into strengthening teaching practices and this will increase learner experiences and learner outcomes.

Social Ecological Model

(Bronfenbrenner)

From Individual Minds to collective mindfulness

Relationships

The most important factor of life satisfaction and emotional well-being

Can this book be used to fill the buckets of staff members? Can our lead team use this book and adopt its practices to BUILD a climate of increasing 'Positive Psychology' ... if we are modelling these behaviors do they make a difference to our teaching team.

Belonging is an important aspect of being able to build ones own positive psychology.

Episode Three:

The Professional Landscape

Make Plans not Excuses

Psychological Safety and Psychological Strength

Luke Rowe

Highly effective / High Performing Teams

Team Effectiveness

Flourishing self can contribute best to the team.

Coaching 10%

Conditions 30%

Composition 60%

Compositions:

Me Factors

We Factors

'Smart Teams need smart individuals!'

Can we increase IQ? YES!

Each year of Education raises IQ from 1-5 points

Integrity and Conscientiousness 

Conscientiousness - personality factor dutiful, dependable, responsible

Demonstrates a positive effect on team performance

Predictive validity is bolstered by coupling IQ with conscientiousness or integrity

'Grit'

Angela Duckworth

Grit - is nested in Conscientiousness

Sustained passion and perseverance for long term goals

People with excellent 'Theory of Mind' skills

• are better place to be socially sensitive.
• Are better at sending and receiving social cues
• Boost group performance
• Boost group learning
• becoming great room readers
• cultivate psychological safety

The 'WE' Factors

Psychological SAFETY -

Individual - being able to show and employ ones self without fear of being put down

Team Safety - 

How do I create psychological safety in my team?

• everyone has a voice
• focused listening
• approach conflict as a collaborator, not an adversary
• Speak human to human
• anticipate reactions and plan countermoves
• replace blame with curiosity
• ask for feedback on delivery
• Measure psychological safety

That which unites us is bigger than that which divides us!

Psychological Safety example items:

See slide from Luke for questions to ponder.

Fostering safety and resilience in schools

1. Sense of safety and security (I am safe)
2. Self-Worth ( I am respected and valued)
3. Social connection ( I am wanted and needed, I can listen and be heard)
4. Self-efficacy (I can do things to look after myself and others)
5. Sense of purpose, hope and meaning (Going to school is worthwhile).

How do teams stay strong in the face of challenge?

We optomise the the resources we have.

We adapt well to change

We promote self-care in our daily work routines

We are alert to and respond to early signs of overload in our team members.

We encourage others to feel part of the team.