Every single member of staff in your setting this week is thinking about how your students are settling in, building relationships, starting positively, learning routines, understanding personal and social boundaries and engaging in and enjoying all that is there for them. The students are looked after, and they see it and feel it from everyone!
Rightly so, the beginning of the school year is all about the students!
Every single member of staff in your setting this week is thinking about how your students are settling in, building relationships, starting positively, learning routines, understanding personal and social boundaries and engaging in and enjoying all that is there for them. The students are looked after, and they see it and feel it from everyone!
So instead, this muse is all about you! Teachers, support staff, SLT, Leadership, Governors, Trust leads… everyone.
How do I set myself up for a personally successful year?
Starting the new year with clarity and purpose will give you a great chance to make an incredible impact on your students, your colleagues, and yourself.
Considering even just one of these questions will give you something to focus on for yourself, and doing it nice and early gives you the best chance of seeing it through.
Whilst you might be able to think of many areas you want to focus on, it is important to consider just one at a time.
Trying to do too much at once is what leads to exhaustion and burnout and prevents us from being able to make an impact or improve in anything.
What questions can I ask if I want to set purposeful goals?
Amid the whirlwind of this first week, we invite you to pause to think about yourself and your own year ahead.
You might wish to write your thoughts down or just ponder them on your journey home today, but choose at least one of these questions to consider:
1. What are your strengths in your role, and when do you get opportunities to use them?
In a job in which you wear 15 hats an hour, it is important to know you’re working to your strengths and that you get to do the thing that boosts your confidence and reminds you why you’re here.
What is that for you? When do you get to do it or use it? Who do you need to talk with to make it happen?
2. What one area of your role would you like to focus on improving, and how do you discuss the support around this with your line lead?
Waiting for your line lead to come to you in an appraisal and tell you what you need to be better at can be demoralising and even anxiety-inducing. Pre-empting this, however, and going to your line lead with something you’d like to work on is both proactive and responsible. It puts you on the front foot in your CPD, and you get to take a bit of control in a world where it doesn’t always feel like we have much.
Will this involve some training that you could research and find? Does it involve borrowing some time from a subject lead? What can you prepare before having a meeting with your lead?
3. What would you like to bring to your school this year?
What area of your school would you like to have an impact on?
What do your students need that your setting is currently unable to provide?
What steps can you take to change this? It isn’t necessarily about fixing something; rather, it's about taking steps to implement or improve your identified area.
How can I make my goals achievable?
Create yourself a simple 3-point plan that includes:
- The end goal
- The people you will look to get support from
- The first step you need to take
That’s it! And then give yourself a pat on the back and an appreciative hug for taking some time to focus on yourself and for giving yourself a great chance to realise your next steps to success.