1
00:00:03,483.6701053093 --> 00:00:20,297.003438643
What's got you through this year? What or who has sustained you? What are the things you can look back on and celebrate? What's given you hope? Welcome back to the Creating Value in Schools podcast with me, Liz Worthen, where we talk about working more sustainably in schools.
2
00:00:20,807.003438643 --> 00:00:27,947.003438643
It's a question that's kept me curious throughout my career in education, particularly now when the pressures seem to be higher than ever.
3
00:00:28,967.003438643 --> 00:00:41,687.003438643
It's July, and by the time you're listening to this term is likely to be finishing or to have already finished, or you might be a school business leader heading into term seven with a whole heap of things on your to-do list.
4
00:00:42,497.003438643 --> 00:00:45,917.003438643
Whatever your situation, I think this is a good pause point.
5
00:00:46,397.003438643 --> 00:00:50,237.003438643
An opportunity for reflection, recognition, and celebration.
6
00:00:51,57.003438643 --> 00:00:53,357.003438643
It's so easy for us to dwell on the negative.
7
00:00:53,447.003438643 --> 00:00:57,257.003438643
It's how we are programmed to survive, that we overlook the good stuff.
8
00:00:57,970.336771976 --> 00:01:05,800.336771976
So I've got some questions to prompt your thinking and hope that as well as listening, you'll be reflecting on what's happened for you this year.
9
00:01:06,637.003438643 --> 00:01:25,117.003438643
Firstly, I'm wondering what or who has sustained you this year, what's kept you going? And for some help with this, I'm turning to Emma Gray, one of our unbound school business leaders who back in December, talked about what helped her stay resilient in the hurly burly of school life.
10
00:01:25,537.003438643 --> 00:01:26,347.003438643
Over to Emma.
11
00:01:26,847.003438643 --> 00:01:36,827.003438643
My answer to that is instantly go out into the school and just stand, even if you just stand in a corridor, sometimes you just remember why you are doing it.
12
00:01:36,877.003438643 --> 00:01:49,297.00343864
I mean, I've worked in two to 19, so I have stood, surrounded by teenagers massively taller than me as they all came out of class, and at the same time being mown down by very small people.
13
00:01:49,827.00343864 --> 00:02:09,192.00343864
And it's that, that I think keeps everybody going because it does sound a bit soft, but they are the energy behind us, I think, and what school business leaders fail to realize is the impact they are having on those young people and however old, they are impacting their lives for the better.
14
00:02:09,192.00343864 --> 00:02:20,447.00343864
And they are another adult in the life of these young people that really contribute to them and their growth and their development and their wellbeing and their education.
15
00:02:20,897.00343864 --> 00:02:34,397.00343864
So my answer to when you are feeling a little bit low is, go and stand at the back of a classroom or in a corridor, or just in the playground or in the middle of the field, and just watch what they're doing.
16
00:02:34,397.00343864 --> 00:02:35,897.00343864
It's in, it is incredible.
17
00:02:35,987.00343864 --> 00:02:49,742.00343864
And I, I removed into consultancy over a year ago now, and that's one thing I really, really miss is being part of that energy, that, because you can often, I used to say you cut the air with a knife in the maths corridor.
18
00:02:49,867.00343864 --> 00:03:02,232.00343864
The, the brain power was exuding into the classrooms and out into the corridor and the enthusiasm for learning, is an excitement of being with their friends.
19
00:03:02,232.00343864 --> 00:03:08,832.00343864
You know, I could talk about it for ages, but yeah, that's where you need to be if you're feeling like it's all getting on top of you.
20
00:03:09,482.00343864 --> 00:03:17,462.00343864
We all need something or someone to sustain us through the year because there undoubtedly will be tough times and challenges.
21
00:03:18,32.00343864 --> 00:03:30,452.00343864
One of my most memorable moments in the podcast this year was listening to leadership coach Viv Grant, who shared her experience of a very difficult time being diagnosed and treated for a serious form of cancer.
22
00:03:31,322.00343864 --> 00:03:36,272.00343864
What kept her going was painting trees, getting more connected to nature.
23
00:03:36,902.00343864 --> 00:03:43,922.00343864
It's given her a new perspective on her work with head teachers and how we face the challenges that life and schools bring.
24
00:03:44,492.00343864 --> 00:03:45,392.00343864
Let's hear from Viv.
25
00:03:45,892.00343864 --> 00:03:54,592.00343864
Because you know, my background is in headship and the work that I do is with school leaders, it's very much for me, this thing, we ask for our leaders to be wise.
26
00:03:54,922.00343864 --> 00:03:59,512.00343864
We ask for them to be able to have the capacity to make wise decisions.
27
00:03:59,782.00343864 --> 00:04:10,762.00343864
But the fiction that goes alongside that is that you get there by brushing things aside, by being strong and resilient and pretending everything is is okay.
28
00:04:10,762.00343864 --> 00:04:21,502.00343864
But again, another thing that's happened, you know, through the cancer and coming out on the other side, I've really turned to nature and learning and just really leaning into what nature has to say to us.
29
00:04:21,502.00343864 --> 00:04:28,192.00343864
And I do feel that is, again, through the paintings, we, because it was just the trees, I mean, a lot of my paintings were rooted in nature and trees.
30
00:04:28,192.00343864 --> 00:04:38,842.00343864
And this sense that, you know, we, we look at oaks and we admire them, don't we? We admire these great big ancient oaks that stand in our parks, in our woodland.
31
00:04:39,742.00343864 --> 00:04:47,872.00343864
But again, those oaks, they don't happen, they don't, that strength, that majesty that we see doesn't happen overnight.
32
00:04:48,352.00343864 --> 00:04:55,972.00343864
They face storms the same that we do, but their roots grow deeper and deeper with each storm.
33
00:04:56,2.00343864 --> 00:05:00,382.00343864
The bark, it gets stronger and stronger with each storm.
34
00:05:00,682.00343864 --> 00:05:02,842.00343864
We are not separate from nature.
35
00:05:03,562.00343864 --> 00:05:28,163.26277155
And if we can see ourselves in relation to what nature has to say to us about what it means to be alive even, and that you know that difficulties and challenges are a part of the experience of being alive, then perhaps we'll have a different way of engaging with life, with the challenges of leadership.
36
00:05:28,943.22464644 --> 00:05:45,53.22464644
So I wonder what storms have you survived this year? What difficulties have you experienced? Do you think you've grown stronger as a result? Or is there damage that's been done? Because we can't underestimate the impact that the crises and difficulties can have.
37
00:05:45,503.22464644 --> 00:05:47,183.22464644
Recovery takes time.
38
00:05:47,393.22464644 --> 00:05:54,353.22464644
That was a key theme of my conversation with Paul K Ainsworth, school improvement leader and author of No Silver Bullets.
39
00:05:55,13.22464644 --> 00:06:10,193.22464644
Paul had recently read Lucy Easthope's book Come What May, Life-Changing Lessons For Coping With Crisis, and it really got him thinking about the difficult situations he supported school leaders through and how it's not a simple moving on.
40
00:06:10,793.22464644 --> 00:06:18,293.22464644
There is a process, there are ups and downs, and there's a point at which you feel like you'll never get to the other side, but it will happen.
41
00:06:18,713.22464644 --> 00:06:19,673.22464644
Let's hear from Paul.
42
00:06:20,320.45523746 --> 00:06:28,490.45523746
One of the things that I'm really aware of at the moment is so many school leaders are in this stage of it feels like it's one crisis after another.
43
00:06:28,670.45523746 --> 00:06:29,840.45523746
The perma crisis.
44
00:06:30,50.45523746 --> 00:06:34,640.45523746
It just feels like one more domino and another domino, then another domino and another domino.
45
00:06:35,0.45523746 --> 00:06:39,430.45523746
And some school leaders have reached out to me and say, that is how I feel.
46
00:06:40,40.45523746 --> 00:06:44,495.45523746
And I'm very aware of that from the school leaders that I coach and work with at the moment.
47
00:06:44,885.45523746 --> 00:06:48,395.45523746
But I genuinely believe it will get better.
48
00:06:48,845.45523746 --> 00:06:54,705.45523746
And I think that anything that we can do that rebuilds our reservoirs of hope is so important.
49
00:06:54,925.45523746 --> 00:06:57,325.45523746
And that's what I want people to go away from this conversation with.
50
00:06:58,30.45523746 --> 00:06:59,740.45523746
You might be having a tough time.
51
00:07:00,160.45523746 --> 00:07:01,720.45523746
Other people have had a tough time.
52
00:07:02,20.45523746 --> 00:07:03,340.45523746
It will get better.
53
00:07:03,610.45523746 --> 00:07:06,430.45523746
Please talk to somebody and get support from someone.
54
00:07:06,680.45523746 --> 00:07:09,170.45523746
Reaching out and asking for help is so vital.
55
00:07:09,430.45523746 --> 00:07:12,530.45523746
It's definitely one of the things that helps us to keep going.
56
00:07:13,10.45523746 --> 00:07:19,970.45523746
It came up in the conversation between head teacher Jo Smith and principal Carl Smith about the notion of staying power.
57
00:07:20,600.45523746 --> 00:07:28,370.45523746
Both Jo and Carl have been in their schools and leadership roles for a number of years, and Jo really wanted to explore what makes that possible.
58
00:07:29,330.45523746 --> 00:07:35,630.45523746
So let's hear Carl talking about the importance of having people to turn to for support, and a question to ponder.
59
00:07:35,990.45523746 --> 00:07:43,212.12190413
Who do you turn to when times are tough and you need someone to keep you going? But on another level, when times are tough, I don't know.
60
00:07:43,372.12190413 --> 00:07:44,422.12190413
I don't know about you, Jo.
61
00:07:44,622.12190413 --> 00:07:45,962.12190413
It depends on what it is.
62
00:07:46,922.12190413 --> 00:07:55,912.12190413
That you rely a lot on knowing that the people around you are genuinely with you.
63
00:07:56,812.12190413 --> 00:08:05,632.12090413
And if you feel like, and it's hard as a head teacher, that can be not easy because there are times when you are kind of on your own on things.
64
00:08:06,272.12090413 --> 00:08:17,282.12190413
But if you feel like the people that you've got or enough people you've got around you are genuinely wanting to support you and genuinely want the best.
65
00:08:18,422.12190413 --> 00:08:22,132.12190413
Then that helps you get through almost everything.
66
00:08:22,752.12190413 --> 00:08:25,382.02190413
It's people and connections that keep us going.
67
00:08:25,832.12190413 --> 00:08:28,852.12190413
You know, get us through the worst times.
68
00:08:29,162.12190413 --> 00:08:41,402.12190413
I mean, you like me would have been, very much in the thick of leading a school during the height of the pandemic, and not only the height of the pandemic, but in the immediate aftermath.
69
00:08:42,572.12190413 --> 00:08:43,792.12190413
And it was insane.
70
00:08:44,632.12190413 --> 00:08:50,387.12190413
And it was in many ways overwhelming for people.
71
00:08:51,367.12190413 --> 00:09:01,357.12090412
And yet somehow, maybe because of the stage we were in our career, maybe because of other things, who knows, but somehow we both got through that, that period.
72
00:09:01,397.12190412 --> 00:09:06,617.12090412
And I think we are, you can see the legacy, but we are moving gradually away now.
73
00:09:07,517.12190412 --> 00:09:17,422.12190412
And I think during those very, very dark times, you hung on to, well, one, you hung on to your sense of integrity.
74
00:09:17,422.12190412 --> 00:09:41,162.12090412
If you felt you were doing your best, if you felt you were doing, you know, you were true to your values and what you thought was right, then that I think certainly made me feel a little bit less overwhelmed because I thought, well, what else can I do? But this, what else can I do, but my best in this situation? You have to be self forgiving as well.
75
00:09:41,422.12190412 --> 00:09:48,612.12190412
You do have to be somebody that is prepared to say, Hey, I can't get it right all the time.
76
00:09:48,672.12190412 --> 00:09:54,417.12190412
In fact, probably get it wrong a lot of the time, but I'm doing the best I can.
77
00:09:55,207.12190412 --> 00:10:00,97.12090412
You do have to have that sense in you because if you're not then it's going to be torturous at times.
78
00:10:00,597.12090412 --> 00:10:07,292.1199041
I think it's very true that one of the traits that I've seen in people that have stuck around is a sense of hope and optimism.
79
00:10:07,642.1209041 --> 00:10:19,572.1209041
And enjoyment and positivity, and I hope people listening to this podcast know how important it's the work that they're doing to generate those kind of feelings in the teams and the, and the people they lead.
80
00:10:20,172.1209041 --> 00:10:24,552.1209041
I think that reminder to give yourself grace is definitely something to take with you.
81
00:10:25,2.1209041 --> 00:10:28,542.1209041
And I also love hearing Jo speak about hope and optimism.
82
00:10:28,992.1209041 --> 00:10:32,22.1209041
Hope is a word that's come up a lot on the podcast.
83
00:10:32,112.1209041 --> 00:10:46,472.1209041
We just heard Paul talking about reservoirs of hope, and it's made me think about hope as a verb and action, something that we have to practise consciously, especially as leaders, which is exactly what they do at Tees Valley Education.
84
00:10:47,312.1209041 --> 00:10:55,22.1209041
Sean Harris, their director of PLACE, shared how CEO Katrina Morley has instigated a practise of counting the flowers.
85
00:10:55,262.1209041 --> 00:10:58,892.1209041
A termly session where trust leaders share the things that have gone well.
86
00:10:59,12.1209041 --> 00:11:01,592.1209041
The green shoots, the causes for celebration.
87
00:11:02,522.1209041 --> 00:11:11,762.1209041
In a trust that's committed to tackling poverty and inequality, there's a lot going on that's difficult, so they need to practise that sense of hope and optimism.
88
00:11:12,431.45423743 --> 00:11:18,311.45423743
So what flowers can you count? What's gone well this year? It doesn't have to be something dramatic.
89
00:11:18,521.45423743 --> 00:11:26,921.45423743
It might be building a relationship with a challenging group, simply being there every day or seeing something that you've instigated take root.
90
00:11:27,431.45423743 --> 00:11:38,96.45423743
What do you want to celebrate? I hope that whether you're in school over the next few weeks, on a sun lounger somewhere, or just taking some downtime, this is a period when you can rest and refresh.
91
00:11:38,366.45423743 --> 00:11:47,546.45423743
And if you're seeking some mental nourishment, remember we've got a host of reading recommendations from podcast guests in the Creating Value in Schools bookshop.
92
00:11:47,906.45423743 --> 00:11:50,726.45423743
There's a real mixture of things in there, including some fiction.
93
00:11:51,56.45423743 --> 00:11:53,996.45423743
So check out the link in the show notes or description.
94
00:11:54,776.45423743 --> 00:11:57,956.45423743
And thank you for all your listens and support over this year.
95
00:11:58,286.45423743 --> 00:12:02,966.45423743
Rest well and for those embarking on term seven, don't worry, we are still here.
96
00:12:03,266.45423743 --> 00:12:04,376.45423743
Be back in a fortnight.
00:00:03,483.6701053093 --> 00:00:20,297.003438643
What's got you through this year? What or who has sustained you? What are the things you can look back on and celebrate? What's given you hope? Welcome back to the Creating Value in Schools podcast with me, Liz Worthen, where we talk about working more sustainably in schools.
2
00:00:20,807.003438643 --> 00:00:27,947.003438643
It's a question that's kept me curious throughout my career in education, particularly now when the pressures seem to be higher than ever.
3
00:00:28,967.003438643 --> 00:00:41,687.003438643
It's July, and by the time you're listening to this term is likely to be finishing or to have already finished, or you might be a school business leader heading into term seven with a whole heap of things on your to-do list.
4
00:00:42,497.003438643 --> 00:00:45,917.003438643
Whatever your situation, I think this is a good pause point.
5
00:00:46,397.003438643 --> 00:00:50,237.003438643
An opportunity for reflection, recognition, and celebration.
6
00:00:51,57.003438643 --> 00:00:53,357.003438643
It's so easy for us to dwell on the negative.
7
00:00:53,447.003438643 --> 00:00:57,257.003438643
It's how we are programmed to survive, that we overlook the good stuff.
8
00:00:57,970.336771976 --> 00:01:05,800.336771976
So I've got some questions to prompt your thinking and hope that as well as listening, you'll be reflecting on what's happened for you this year.
9
00:01:06,637.003438643 --> 00:01:25,117.003438643
Firstly, I'm wondering what or who has sustained you this year, what's kept you going? And for some help with this, I'm turning to Emma Gray, one of our unbound school business leaders who back in December, talked about what helped her stay resilient in the hurly burly of school life.
10
00:01:25,537.003438643 --> 00:01:26,347.003438643
Over to Emma.
11
00:01:26,847.003438643 --> 00:01:36,827.003438643
My answer to that is instantly go out into the school and just stand, even if you just stand in a corridor, sometimes you just remember why you are doing it.
12
00:01:36,877.003438643 --> 00:01:49,297.00343864
I mean, I've worked in two to 19, so I have stood, surrounded by teenagers massively taller than me as they all came out of class, and at the same time being mown down by very small people.
13
00:01:49,827.00343864 --> 00:02:09,192.00343864
And it's that, that I think keeps everybody going because it does sound a bit soft, but they are the energy behind us, I think, and what school business leaders fail to realize is the impact they are having on those young people and however old, they are impacting their lives for the better.
14
00:02:09,192.00343864 --> 00:02:20,447.00343864
And they are another adult in the life of these young people that really contribute to them and their growth and their development and their wellbeing and their education.
15
00:02:20,897.00343864 --> 00:02:34,397.00343864
So my answer to when you are feeling a little bit low is, go and stand at the back of a classroom or in a corridor, or just in the playground or in the middle of the field, and just watch what they're doing.
16
00:02:34,397.00343864 --> 00:02:35,897.00343864
It's in, it is incredible.
17
00:02:35,987.00343864 --> 00:02:49,742.00343864
And I, I removed into consultancy over a year ago now, and that's one thing I really, really miss is being part of that energy, that, because you can often, I used to say you cut the air with a knife in the maths corridor.
18
00:02:49,867.00343864 --> 00:03:02,232.00343864
The, the brain power was exuding into the classrooms and out into the corridor and the enthusiasm for learning, is an excitement of being with their friends.
19
00:03:02,232.00343864 --> 00:03:08,832.00343864
You know, I could talk about it for ages, but yeah, that's where you need to be if you're feeling like it's all getting on top of you.
20
00:03:09,482.00343864 --> 00:03:17,462.00343864
We all need something or someone to sustain us through the year because there undoubtedly will be tough times and challenges.
21
00:03:18,32.00343864 --> 00:03:30,452.00343864
One of my most memorable moments in the podcast this year was listening to leadership coach Viv Grant, who shared her experience of a very difficult time being diagnosed and treated for a serious form of cancer.
22
00:03:31,322.00343864 --> 00:03:36,272.00343864
What kept her going was painting trees, getting more connected to nature.
23
00:03:36,902.00343864 --> 00:03:43,922.00343864
It's given her a new perspective on her work with head teachers and how we face the challenges that life and schools bring.
24
00:03:44,492.00343864 --> 00:03:45,392.00343864
Let's hear from Viv.
25
00:03:45,892.00343864 --> 00:03:54,592.00343864
Because you know, my background is in headship and the work that I do is with school leaders, it's very much for me, this thing, we ask for our leaders to be wise.
26
00:03:54,922.00343864 --> 00:03:59,512.00343864
We ask for them to be able to have the capacity to make wise decisions.
27
00:03:59,782.00343864 --> 00:04:10,762.00343864
But the fiction that goes alongside that is that you get there by brushing things aside, by being strong and resilient and pretending everything is is okay.
28
00:04:10,762.00343864 --> 00:04:21,502.00343864
But again, another thing that's happened, you know, through the cancer and coming out on the other side, I've really turned to nature and learning and just really leaning into what nature has to say to us.
29
00:04:21,502.00343864 --> 00:04:28,192.00343864
And I do feel that is, again, through the paintings, we, because it was just the trees, I mean, a lot of my paintings were rooted in nature and trees.
30
00:04:28,192.00343864 --> 00:04:38,842.00343864
And this sense that, you know, we, we look at oaks and we admire them, don't we? We admire these great big ancient oaks that stand in our parks, in our woodland.
31
00:04:39,742.00343864 --> 00:04:47,872.00343864
But again, those oaks, they don't happen, they don't, that strength, that majesty that we see doesn't happen overnight.
32
00:04:48,352.00343864 --> 00:04:55,972.00343864
They face storms the same that we do, but their roots grow deeper and deeper with each storm.
33
00:04:56,2.00343864 --> 00:05:00,382.00343864
The bark, it gets stronger and stronger with each storm.
34
00:05:00,682.00343864 --> 00:05:02,842.00343864
We are not separate from nature.
35
00:05:03,562.00343864 --> 00:05:28,163.26277155
And if we can see ourselves in relation to what nature has to say to us about what it means to be alive even, and that you know that difficulties and challenges are a part of the experience of being alive, then perhaps we'll have a different way of engaging with life, with the challenges of leadership.
36
00:05:28,943.22464644 --> 00:05:45,53.22464644
So I wonder what storms have you survived this year? What difficulties have you experienced? Do you think you've grown stronger as a result? Or is there damage that's been done? Because we can't underestimate the impact that the crises and difficulties can have.
37
00:05:45,503.22464644 --> 00:05:47,183.22464644
Recovery takes time.
38
00:05:47,393.22464644 --> 00:05:54,353.22464644
That was a key theme of my conversation with Paul K Ainsworth, school improvement leader and author of No Silver Bullets.
39
00:05:55,13.22464644 --> 00:06:10,193.22464644
Paul had recently read Lucy Easthope's book Come What May, Life-Changing Lessons For Coping With Crisis, and it really got him thinking about the difficult situations he supported school leaders through and how it's not a simple moving on.
40
00:06:10,793.22464644 --> 00:06:18,293.22464644
There is a process, there are ups and downs, and there's a point at which you feel like you'll never get to the other side, but it will happen.
41
00:06:18,713.22464644 --> 00:06:19,673.22464644
Let's hear from Paul.
42
00:06:20,320.45523746 --> 00:06:28,490.45523746
One of the things that I'm really aware of at the moment is so many school leaders are in this stage of it feels like it's one crisis after another.
43
00:06:28,670.45523746 --> 00:06:29,840.45523746
The perma crisis.
44
00:06:30,50.45523746 --> 00:06:34,640.45523746
It just feels like one more domino and another domino, then another domino and another domino.
45
00:06:35,0.45523746 --> 00:06:39,430.45523746
And some school leaders have reached out to me and say, that is how I feel.
46
00:06:40,40.45523746 --> 00:06:44,495.45523746
And I'm very aware of that from the school leaders that I coach and work with at the moment.
47
00:06:44,885.45523746 --> 00:06:48,395.45523746
But I genuinely believe it will get better.
48
00:06:48,845.45523746 --> 00:06:54,705.45523746
And I think that anything that we can do that rebuilds our reservoirs of hope is so important.
49
00:06:54,925.45523746 --> 00:06:57,325.45523746
And that's what I want people to go away from this conversation with.
50
00:06:58,30.45523746 --> 00:06:59,740.45523746
You might be having a tough time.
51
00:07:00,160.45523746 --> 00:07:01,720.45523746
Other people have had a tough time.
52
00:07:02,20.45523746 --> 00:07:03,340.45523746
It will get better.
53
00:07:03,610.45523746 --> 00:07:06,430.45523746
Please talk to somebody and get support from someone.
54
00:07:06,680.45523746 --> 00:07:09,170.45523746
Reaching out and asking for help is so vital.
55
00:07:09,430.45523746 --> 00:07:12,530.45523746
It's definitely one of the things that helps us to keep going.
56
00:07:13,10.45523746 --> 00:07:19,970.45523746
It came up in the conversation between head teacher Jo Smith and principal Carl Smith about the notion of staying power.
57
00:07:20,600.45523746 --> 00:07:28,370.45523746
Both Jo and Carl have been in their schools and leadership roles for a number of years, and Jo really wanted to explore what makes that possible.
58
00:07:29,330.45523746 --> 00:07:35,630.45523746
So let's hear Carl talking about the importance of having people to turn to for support, and a question to ponder.
59
00:07:35,990.45523746 --> 00:07:43,212.12190413
Who do you turn to when times are tough and you need someone to keep you going? But on another level, when times are tough, I don't know.
60
00:07:43,372.12190413 --> 00:07:44,422.12190413
I don't know about you, Jo.
61
00:07:44,622.12190413 --> 00:07:45,962.12190413
It depends on what it is.
62
00:07:46,922.12190413 --> 00:07:55,912.12190413
That you rely a lot on knowing that the people around you are genuinely with you.
63
00:07:56,812.12190413 --> 00:08:05,632.12090413
And if you feel like, and it's hard as a head teacher, that can be not easy because there are times when you are kind of on your own on things.
64
00:08:06,272.12090413 --> 00:08:17,282.12190413
But if you feel like the people that you've got or enough people you've got around you are genuinely wanting to support you and genuinely want the best.
65
00:08:18,422.12190413 --> 00:08:22,132.12190413
Then that helps you get through almost everything.
66
00:08:22,752.12190413 --> 00:08:25,382.02190413
It's people and connections that keep us going.
67
00:08:25,832.12190413 --> 00:08:28,852.12190413
You know, get us through the worst times.
68
00:08:29,162.12190413 --> 00:08:41,402.12190413
I mean, you like me would have been, very much in the thick of leading a school during the height of the pandemic, and not only the height of the pandemic, but in the immediate aftermath.
69
00:08:42,572.12190413 --> 00:08:43,792.12190413
And it was insane.
70
00:08:44,632.12190413 --> 00:08:50,387.12190413
And it was in many ways overwhelming for people.
71
00:08:51,367.12190413 --> 00:09:01,357.12090412
And yet somehow, maybe because of the stage we were in our career, maybe because of other things, who knows, but somehow we both got through that, that period.
72
00:09:01,397.12190412 --> 00:09:06,617.12090412
And I think we are, you can see the legacy, but we are moving gradually away now.
73
00:09:07,517.12190412 --> 00:09:17,422.12190412
And I think during those very, very dark times, you hung on to, well, one, you hung on to your sense of integrity.
74
00:09:17,422.12190412 --> 00:09:41,162.12090412
If you felt you were doing your best, if you felt you were doing, you know, you were true to your values and what you thought was right, then that I think certainly made me feel a little bit less overwhelmed because I thought, well, what else can I do? But this, what else can I do, but my best in this situation? You have to be self forgiving as well.
75
00:09:41,422.12190412 --> 00:09:48,612.12190412
You do have to be somebody that is prepared to say, Hey, I can't get it right all the time.
76
00:09:48,672.12190412 --> 00:09:54,417.12190412
In fact, probably get it wrong a lot of the time, but I'm doing the best I can.
77
00:09:55,207.12190412 --> 00:10:00,97.12090412
You do have to have that sense in you because if you're not then it's going to be torturous at times.
78
00:10:00,597.12090412 --> 00:10:07,292.1199041
I think it's very true that one of the traits that I've seen in people that have stuck around is a sense of hope and optimism.
79
00:10:07,642.1209041 --> 00:10:19,572.1209041
And enjoyment and positivity, and I hope people listening to this podcast know how important it's the work that they're doing to generate those kind of feelings in the teams and the, and the people they lead.
80
00:10:20,172.1209041 --> 00:10:24,552.1209041
I think that reminder to give yourself grace is definitely something to take with you.
81
00:10:25,2.1209041 --> 00:10:28,542.1209041
And I also love hearing Jo speak about hope and optimism.
82
00:10:28,992.1209041 --> 00:10:32,22.1209041
Hope is a word that's come up a lot on the podcast.
83
00:10:32,112.1209041 --> 00:10:46,472.1209041
We just heard Paul talking about reservoirs of hope, and it's made me think about hope as a verb and action, something that we have to practise consciously, especially as leaders, which is exactly what they do at Tees Valley Education.
84
00:10:47,312.1209041 --> 00:10:55,22.1209041
Sean Harris, their director of PLACE, shared how CEO Katrina Morley has instigated a practise of counting the flowers.
85
00:10:55,262.1209041 --> 00:10:58,892.1209041
A termly session where trust leaders share the things that have gone well.
86
00:10:59,12.1209041 --> 00:11:01,592.1209041
The green shoots, the causes for celebration.
87
00:11:02,522.1209041 --> 00:11:11,762.1209041
In a trust that's committed to tackling poverty and inequality, there's a lot going on that's difficult, so they need to practise that sense of hope and optimism.
88
00:11:12,431.45423743 --> 00:11:18,311.45423743
So what flowers can you count? What's gone well this year? It doesn't have to be something dramatic.
89
00:11:18,521.45423743 --> 00:11:26,921.45423743
It might be building a relationship with a challenging group, simply being there every day or seeing something that you've instigated take root.
90
00:11:27,431.45423743 --> 00:11:38,96.45423743
What do you want to celebrate? I hope that whether you're in school over the next few weeks, on a sun lounger somewhere, or just taking some downtime, this is a period when you can rest and refresh.
91
00:11:38,366.45423743 --> 00:11:47,546.45423743
And if you're seeking some mental nourishment, remember we've got a host of reading recommendations from podcast guests in the Creating Value in Schools bookshop.
92
00:11:47,906.45423743 --> 00:11:50,726.45423743
There's a real mixture of things in there, including some fiction.
93
00:11:51,56.45423743 --> 00:11:53,996.45423743
So check out the link in the show notes or description.
94
00:11:54,776.45423743 --> 00:11:57,956.45423743
And thank you for all your listens and support over this year.
95
00:11:58,286.45423743 --> 00:12:02,966.45423743
Rest well and for those embarking on term seven, don't worry, we are still here.
96
00:12:03,266.45423743 --> 00:12:04,376.45423743
Be back in a fortnight.
