Leadership 2

I heard a great analogy of leadership the other day.
Often our 'leaders' become merely managers of nouns rather than leaders of verbs.

Leadership

This is a prezi about the qualities of leadership and what we need to look at when choosing leaders of a particular group, be that a sporting team, class group, school or business.

I think the quote from Barry Dwyer fits for all levels of leaders.

"When selecting our school leaders, let us place as the first essential criterion - well before a second degree, management skills, and so on - a proven capacity to treat people with respect, to be concerned about their welfare, to protect their self-esteem, and to make them feel good about themselves, their work and the families they serve." Barry Dwyer's 2005 Ann Clark Lecture

The more leaders build and promote relationships of respect, openness and trust the more effective they will be.

Leadership Prezi

Family

The most important people in my world in my first effort at a prezi.

Family Prezi

Effective Questioning

Follow the link to my Prezi using questions from the Broken Bay Diocese document Starting Points In Numeracy. Questions can be adapted to other areas apart from maths.

Effective Questioning Prezi

The King's Speech

We saw the King's Speech the other night and was very impressed. The focus on the development of the characters in the period setting brought back memories of Chariots of Fire. The film contained wonderful performances with gentle humour and I walked out with lots to reflect on.

Firstly, the absurdity of the monarchy and their privileged lifestyle. Yet how insecure and meaningless their lives must feel at times. It is good that the republican issue is back on the agenda thanks to Parky in his Australia Day speech.

It is also a good look at leadership, at styles of leadership and at the majority who want to be led. Many in leadership are often unwilling to ask for help, or deny they need it, as any sign of weakness becomes a threat to their authority. It is all too often the nameless people behind the scenes propping up the leader. The leader who clings to power, doesn't delegate or lift those underneath them loses their real power - the faith and belief of those they lead.

Lastly, the King's stutter brought me to reflect on myself in my earlier years at school and the few years following. I was very shy, found it difficult in groups of people yet loved to hide in a large crowd, tried to often act melancholic to stop people talking to me and felt more lonely with people than when alone. When I left school I just felt I was too shy to go to Teacher's College and it was even suggested that I go to Toastmasters to raise my confidence. It was not until I started working in bottle shops and pubs that I began to come out of my shell more and started to gain confidence to speak more in public.

I then began to have irregular classic migraines where I couldn't think of the names of words of what I was thinking of. Once I began teaching I would often get the initial symptoms of one a migraine. I had to see a neurologist who made me hyperventilate which brought on these symptoms. He helped me realise that when I get in nervous situations I stop breathing properly. Ever since, I have just focused on breathing and haven't had a problem when speaking in public (many people probably still wished I did and would shut up.) Job interviews, however, are another matter altogether.

Science and Religion

Just finished reading The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow.

I loved reading about the science of the universe in which we find ourselves. From quarks, which are too small to be seen, to the multiverse theory of a set of universes, which is too enormous to comprehend. In a universe approx. 13.7 billion years old we are only here for a 100 years if we are lucky. Such a short time with so many questions to be answered.

Hawking and Mlodinow also argue that philosophy is dead, religion misguided and that science is the only way to find answers to the questions we seek. Science helps us to understand some of the laws of nature but leaves many questions beyond our reach. So many questions that the authors fail in their quest to disprove the existence of God. If the universe is 13.7 billion years old what existed 14 billion years ago? What caused the big bang? Did the universe previously expand to its limits then deflate back in on itself causing such explosion? If the universe is expanding out in all directions like a sphere, what is it expanding into? How far will it go?

Science can not compete with religion and philosophy when we look at human nature but through amazing discoveries of our universe increases the wonder and awe in which we hold the Creator.

There are only two ways to live your life:
one is as though nothing is a miracle;
the other is as though everything is.
I believe in the latter.
                        -  Albert Einstein


The Python gang show us science and religion work seamlessly together.

What do teachers make?

Taylor Mali's great way of looking what teachers make.
For as those who teach, coach or mentor others know:
If you only did it for the money - you wouldn't do it for long.
You have to have a love and passion for it and the rewards are bountiful.
But we also, on the other hand, have to reflect on the difference we make to those in our charge.

We often see in sport coaches that go on that one extra season with a group of players using the same methods and ideas and be unsuccessful, then a new coach comes in with fresh ideas and the achievements of the players are increased. It wasn't that the first coach was wrong but that what he was doing was no longer making a difference to those players.

Continual simple reflection looks at:
                                  - what I have done
                                  - did I make a difference
                                  - what could I do better