Is a Sense of Over-responsibility Harming School Leaders? The crucial starting point on a journey to becoming future-ready is a play-based approach to early childhood education. During the lockdown in the UK, my brother took to video-calling me each week to catch up and seek and offer reassurance. Additionally, there is a significant number of studies that show how stress impacts negatively on work performance in a wide range of employment roles. As students move through primary and into secondary school, inquiry-based, personalized learning approaches allow students to pursue their personal interests and passions, making sure they think for themselves and collaborate with others, while making the whole learning experience more powerful and impactful. Flag States, Survival during the time of COVID. She has led educational technology teams in three schools. Enter your email address to recieve a notification for any new activity on this notice. Over the last 8 months, senior leaders have been tasked with daily, complex problem solving, in a highly volatile environment. Even allowing for a response bias, that figure is worryingly high and is worthy of closer examination. There has been no slow start to this year, with a chance to gradually ease into things. The OECD informs us that in the future, millions of jobs may be lost to automation but that new jobs will also emerge. An organisation in South Wales, Reading Well has also developed a “books on prescription” service, providing free access to a range of self-help books on mental health topics. The only certainty is uncertainty. Tweet Amount we’ve raised in Helen ’s memory $4,341.48. COVID 19 has made an already tough job even more challenging. Helen has 6 jobs listed on their profile. Characterized by the integration of emerging technologies into all aspects of our lives, this revolution is disrupting every industry in every country around the world and will alter the way we live and work forever. Event Views Navigation View As « Previous Events; April 2021. If you only go to see one film this year make sure it is “Helen Kelly-Together “by Director Tony Sutorius and produced by Catherine Fitzgerald. It is easy to feel that we do not currently have time for maintaining these connections and give them a low priority or fall foul of our stress response by preferring to remain closed off to social interaction. Thousands more see the need for change and want to know how this might be implemented in their school. Blog; Log in; Funeral Directors - Join now. Even if we look narrowly at the role of governors as being only responsible for the finances of a school, there are a whole range of reasons for school leader wellbeing to be part of their agenda. No real rest of wind down time as something is constantly happening.”, “Keeping calm when being continually used as a dumping ground for others.”, “All of it… balancing my own life with COVID-19. It is not hard to extrapolate from this that overwhelmed and exhausted school leaders are less likely to be able to deliver and sustain exceptional school performance than those who feel more physically and mentally robust. Bubble closures, staff absence due to Covid issues. document.write('googletag.defineSlot(\"\/111100742\/home_wide_skyscraper\", [160, 600], \"skyscrapper\").addService(googletag.pubads());'); Self provision means it can be cheap, quick, natural, and not from gangs. The best way for educators to see the value of any approach to wellbeing is by living it themselves first. Rest, relaxation and sleep may seem low priority if you are desperately struggling to keep a head above water in the current crisis but you cannot expect to combat feelings of isolation, or be effective in your role if you are not well-rested. Many others were nodding during this discussion to indicate that they may have had a similar experience. 1. We know that schools around the world have been facing a crisis of school leader recruitment and retention for many years. Professional coaches can provide a buffer against hard times for any leader, no matter how experienced, and can provide a valuable safety net to those who are most isolated. In the USA, studies have established the cost of recruiting and training a new principal to be between $10,000 and $75,000. Facebook. Supporting EVERYONES emotional needs, being the punchbag for people’s anxieties AND having to manage new educational remote learning requirements.”, “Trying to remain positive or at least pretend it’s all going to be okay for other staff. 6 February – Helen Kelly; Joining. My own research shows that those most at risk are leaders new to their role, especially those who have moved to a new school/city/country and particularly those who have moved without family. Just notify me. Only 32% of leaders feel they are receiving enough emotional support from home or school. I have spent the last 8 years researching, presenting and consulting in the field of school leader wellbeing and during this time I have learned that the majority of boards do not take their role in this regard seriously, while heads of school, many of whom are well intentioned, do not have time or energy to focus upon the emotional and physical needs of their team. Photo Gallery Print . My name is Lucy Kelly and I’m a Senior Lecturer in Education (PGCE English) at Bristol University, and a mum to two boys (ages 6 and 11). God Bless Mam x x x. In the short term it also makes leaders less effective in their roles, by impacting sleep and their ability to think clearly, problem solve and communicate well. Register too. Helen Kelly. During the introduction, I thanked them for coming and praised them for prioritising wellbeing at such a busy time of the year. None of this is easy and school leaders face enormous challenges on an unprecedented scale. I refer to the need for leaders to relinquish control and trust those around them to carry some of the burden, but the truth is that for some leaders this is not an option. Explore releases from Helen Kelly at Discogs. Police Barrack, Lokoja Kogi State History; Liverpool; Contact us; Select Page. I want to address the role that middle leaders play in supporting the emotional needs of others and the impact this may be having on their own wellbeing. EDITORS' BLOG; Last Updated: Friday, 7 October 2005, 18:26 GMT 19:26 UK. You can read the full findings in my report School Leader Wellbeing During the COVID 19 Pandemic 2020. Love Mum. Often they take this out on you as a senior leader. 6 February – Helen Kelly; Joining. Improving wellbeing should be a community endeavour, which should start with adults. The challenges of the role make coaching a worthwhile investment in the short, medium and long term but there is an acute need for such opportunities to be made available to school leaders now. The principal asking this question told the group that she had reached out to her board of governors about her increased workload and stress levels but it had been made clear that they were not interested in discussing or supporting her needs. Helen has a deep understanding of current legislation and circulars from DE and is fully aware of the impact Covid-19 has had on schools and on teaching, learning and exams. Fear of humiliation prevents many from owning up to their frailties but failing to acknowledge and provide for the wellbeing needs of senior leaders from the start of the year will result in many leaders pouring from an empty cup as the crisis further develops. Basically, my personal life is wholly compromised, my partner neglected. She leads workshops on improving the wellbeing of leaders and educators in international schools. These qualities are empathy, initiative, adaptability, curiosity, leadership, resilience, and social and cultural awareness. For those struggling to justify this expense to boards of governors/trustees, please see my article How Can We Persuade School Governors/Trustees to Take School Leader Wellbeing Seriously? To promote the maritime industry; To promote and enhance London as a leading maritime centre; to bring together and unify maritime professionals locally and internationally by engaging with the broader shipping community; Mission . Only by fully committing to improving out own wellbeing as school leaders can we begin to understand this and bring others along on the journey with us. Some are consistently working 16 hour days in order to keep on top of everything. Lack of rest and time to recover from the daily onslaught of demands and challenges renders us more likely to be lonely and isolated. Providing Middle Leadership Training Tailored to Current Needs. Hundreds of progressive schools around the world are already providing future-ready learning programs for their students. Application Form; Blog; International. Helen Kelly Accounts Manager. It is not a subject. Helen Kelley Patchworks Quiltmaker, Teacher, Lecturer, Designer, Author, Judge. Anxiety among teaching staff and parents has been climbing since the start of the school year, when the second wave of COVID began to build. We know that school leaders are experiencing increasing levels of stress. Helen Kelly Genealogy's Blog (6) Search Blog Posts. Russia's Four Greatest Poets. Many of the issues are systemic and governments can clearly do more but what responsibility are school leaders themselves taking for their own wellbeing and that of their senior colleagues? Is an Epidemic of COVID Burnout Awaiting our School Leaders? 6 Likes, © 2021   Created by Gerry Regan. I know of several schools that have made a considerable investment in coaching PD and left staff to their own devices to establish coaching networks that have quickly fallen by the wayside through lack of oversight and accountability. There is plenty of research to support the importance of the school leader to the success of a school. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Helen… We know that leadership performance is likely to be more effective when leaders are flourishing. Physical exhaustion among middle leaders is another real concern. The best case scenario for all schools is that coaching and collegial support comes from within the institution but where this is not possible, professional support for leaders needs to be seen as a major priority. Our fundraising pages 1 skip to fundraising section. Leading Through a Pandemic: Are Schools Asking Too Much of Middle Leaders? With the help of another colleague we were able to support her and bring her back to a better balance. On Thursday I led a Zoom town hall discussion with a large group of Montessori school leaders from across the USA who had reached out to ask for my support. } else { Many have not had a proper summer break and a chance to fully rest and recuperate from the challenges of the spring and early summer. In my own 2017 research, only two of the ten highly stressed interview participants remained in the same role one year after their interview. While this practice is becoming more widespread, it is still rare. Hobbies and interests may seem a low priority at the moment, but it is actually more important than ever that you allow yourself to have interests outside of work, especially if these allow you to connect with others. 0 Likes, Added by Declan Flattery There will also be boards of governors who care very much about the wellbeing of their head of school/principal and go to great pains to ensure they do not burnout. Where schools remain closed, it is much more difficult to monitor the working hours of middle leaders and ensure they are taking time for themselves. Email. This will place additional strain upon already struggling school leaders. Toxic relationships in the workplace may leave leaders more isolated than if they were working alone and can bring with them a whole range of other stresses and strains. I am contacted on almost a daily basis by former colleagues and friends around the world who want to share their struggles of leading schools through this difficult time. As a coaching company we created a series of roller riding sessions … Since retiring from her work in schools in July 2020, Helen has been based in beautiful North Wales. In the last few weeks, many leaders have reached out to tell me their stories of isolation and struggle. How Do School Leaders Overcome Loneliness? In Overcoming Loneliness as an International School Leader I identify the starting point as recognising we are lonely, understanding its potential consequences and acknowledging the need to address it. 2. COVID 19 hit Hong Kong before most of the rest of the world. She is a superb communicator, listens attentively and responds incisively according to the needs of others. document.write('