The Curious Case of Nick Kyrgios
Up until about 12 months ago, when talking about Australian tennis you could quite comfortably lump Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios into the same too hard basket. Kyrgios had just returned from a ATP suspension for giving up during a match at the Shanghai Masters, whilst Tomic was embroiled in a war of words with Roger Federer after Rog suggested […]
Read MoreWhat do adult learners really want?
A few weeks ago I was asked to speak to a group of school leaders. From the outset I was concerned that the brief from the client meant that I’d be doing a lot of talking. I flagged this with the client, indicating that rather than a workshop – given the amount of new content […]
Read MoreCoaching: Do You Wanna Impress or Improve?
Imagine a young cricketer who is regarded as an excellent prospect. Let’s call her Sara. She gets selected for a representative training squad, thus getting access to a higher level of coaching than she has had before. As a right-hander, Sara regularly scores runs, but knows she has a weakness when a ball is pitched […]
Read MoreCould having goals contribute to depression?
We’re told that having goals is important. At school we teach kids the importance of them whilst there wouldn’t be a boardroom in the country that hasn’t hosted a goal-setting workshop. But what if your goals were making you depressed? Read on… Last week I ran 10km. It took me just over an hour. Whilst […]
Read MoreDeveloping a Minecraft Mindset
What’s in this post: How I used Minecraft to discuss Mindset with kids for whom mainstream education doesn’t work Access to the materials I created in order for you to do similar if you wish Of late I’ve found myself working with kids from some fairly tough backgrounds. Whether it’s kids who are wards of the […]
Read MoreShould You *Reward* Good Behaviour?
I’ve been doing a lot of work around Carol Dweck’s Mindset theory of late. This complements the approach I take to engagement in school (or any environment) which I largely base on Ryan & Deci’s Self Determination Theory. The essence of what I explore is that authentic engagement is achieved when: Relationships have been established […]
Read MoreLearning about Mindset from Stan
Up until around 12 months ago – unless you were a tennis fanatic – you’d probably not heard of Stanislas Wawrinka. The reason being, Stan is the second best tennis player in Switzerland. The best being… oh you know. Anyway, it was at the 2014 Australian Open when Wawrinka was drawn against Novak Djokovic – a bloke who had […]
Read MoreEngaging the Student Voice
The basis for student voice is to be found in Article 12 of the United Nation Convention of the Rights of the Child, which sets out the right of children and young people to express an opinion and to have that opinion taken into account when decisions are being made on any matter that affects them. […]
Read More3 Common Myths About Innovation in Education
1. We’re innovative. The kids all have iPads. To do what? To do what you already did quicker, more efficiently or on a larger scale? In many schools the power of the iFad or whatever technology has been wheeled into the school is compromised by the way in which they’re allowed or – more importantly – […]
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