standards

High expectations and deep humanity

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

Quote Principle in East Sussex

This week I was given a gift by a friend…this quote. It came from a Head Teacher my colleague was doing a visit with. These five words are how she encapsulated the vision for her school. When I heard these words my neuron pathways lit up like a Christmas tree with way too many lights on it…the ones where you can’t see the tree, basically I was in awe.

This is my new favourite quote and whilst I’ve joked about having it printed on a t-shirt, this is already underway and is waiting to be dispatched.

Taking the quote out of the education system and into any aspect of life, it works. Lets go big with examples first…imagine a world where everyone had high expectations, nobody was thought less of for disability, race, ethnicity or gender…but we look at the individuals journey and circumstances with empathy, we didn’t give out sanctions for children who don’t come to school in the correct uniform because we took time to speak to the individual and help them find solutions to those issues, surely this is the world we’d all love to see our children grow in.

Like all goals I prefer to start off small and then perhaps next week we’ll branch out into world domination.

For yourself, think about an aspect of your life that you’d like to improve on, if you were coaching you, what would you say you needed to do. *honestly, we all know what we need to do, we often don’t do it and hide behind reasons we can’t. Let’s say you’d like to improve your quality of sleep, you could make a list and include some nonnegotiable’s around the topic. For example, you’ll make sure you’re in bed at a certain time and you’re nonnegotiable’s could be that you won’t have your phone or blue light devices in the same room as you, you’ll stop drinking caffeinated beverages six hours before bed time, the list of what you will and won’t do may go on, as will your high expectations for sleep and exquisite sleep hygiene, this will become your daily norm. However, perhaps a full moon, a neighbours car alarm or the stress you also snuggled to sleep with disturbs you’re routine and you wake up beyond tired. Give yourself ‘deep humanity’ speak to the inner child and don’t criticise yourself. You did the best you could, you kept to your nonnegotiable’s, you will do better tonight. Kindness, forgiveness and love are three things we aren’t always great and giving ourselves.

Whilst I can’t suggest all of your sleep patterns will be corrected in a few nights, often these issues are complicated and influenced by many factors, I am going to speculate that your standard would improve and as a result and over time so would your sleep.

If we take the quote back to educational institutions; I am working daily to ensure that schools hold all children to high expectations despite data, life experiences and life chances. If we all thought each child could do better, they would become better. If we raised our standards our children would rise with us BUT only if they felt seen and heard as individuals. Children don’t fit into a policy designed for all, not all have the same lived experiences because children aren’t crayons in a box. But strong policies that do allow reasonable adjustments for individuals, schools that take time to give children a sense of belonging that’s something that is worth writing on a t-shirt close to my heart.

What you allow is what will continue

~ Fridgesays ~ 43 Comments

Quote from the wise but absent named ‘Anon’

This quote is accountable.

This quote reminds me that I am responsible for my own life, decisions, health and overall well being. For this reason, this quote gets stuck in my throat slightly. I honestly believed growing up that adults knew everything, had all the answers and had their lives all mapped out. Ummm… how wrong was I? Every day I am winging it, some days more than others, there are goals but how we arrive at our destination alters weekly, I lose track of intentions, frankly I often forget what I’m saying half way through a conversation. The adult world is tough and if I’m honest I feel like Barbie made it look so easy. Her and Ken used to get married weekly in my bedroom, often went on holidays, she wore big dresses to big parties, drove a sports car…Barbie never worried about the washing basket over flowing, never argued with Ken about council tax payments, she never doubted an outfit change, or worried how she would fit the school run in between her career as a ski instructor.

Perhaps we should be more Barbie. Enjoy the moment, live for the now. I think if Barbie could see this quote she would fully embrace it.

This weekend we watched Deadpool 2, in it are various super hero’s with crazy mutant powers and my favourite is Domino. Not just because her name reminds me of a popular pizza chain, but because her super power is luck. She has more self belief than a religious denomination, she is seriously cool. As I was watching her fly through the air and land on a giant inflatable panda…yup thats a real scene from the film, I was captured by her vocabulary. She was so kick ass confident and assertive I couldn’t help but notice that she had high standards and didn’t falter.

Aspects of our lives are often out of our control, but there are elements that we can do something about. Setting standards for how we will be treated and how we will let others treat us is a huge issue for many. Its probably worth grabbing a pen and paper at this point and writing down things you’re not happy with. Do you need to book something fabulous to do with a friend or partner because you never get to see them, do you need to set an hour aside with a giant box and clear that cluttered cupboard that frustrates you every time you attempt to open the draw and the contents cascade out. Do you need to speak to a work colleague or perhaps you need to reprioritise yourself on your ever growing ‘to do’ list.

Often in films the main characters are faced with huge challenges (with Marvel its always saving the world with some kind of time issue) but perhaps what we might miss is that they also take on those challenges and make sacrifices or changes to live happy ever after. Just because you allowed it last week, doesn’t mean you have to this week, just because its always been that way, doesn’t mean that has to continue. Life is often short, precious and wasted, seize this quote and make your life accountable you may just end up with a better quality of life, or at worst finally get that cupboard organised.

Set some goals and then demolish them 

~ Fridgesays ~ 1 Comment

 Quote by Anon.
I’m a really good goal setter, what I’m not so good at is sticking out goals out for long periods of time, or I get so excited I want to do them in unattainable time limits.

Being a teacher i’ve recently returned for a new academic year and this is the time I set new goals, of course I always set the classic ‘I will mark books more efficiently’ and ‘I will organise the planning of lessons more efficiently’ and then inevitably life gets in the way…

Recently, I have committed to reading the top 100 books, of course I’ve already read some of them – but I’d like to reread them and I’ve decided to pop a little review inside each one. At the moment I’ve begun with number 1: To kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. I have read it before but not for a long time. So why have I set myself this challenge? Because if I’m honest I’m not very eloquent or particularly ‘wordy’ and id like to improve my diction. (I’ll keep you posted on how it’s going via Twitter @whatmyfridgesay)

Next up is a challenge I set my New year 7s – write down a list of five achievements you have already done. Then add one that you succeeded in today.

The list is individual to you – maybe it was a success to get out of bed this morning or despite the traffic get to work on time. May be (like half of my class) you are part of a team that can win certificates / medals or competitions. It really doesn’t matter how big or small they are, or that anyone else noticed – what matters is that you are demolishing goals and proud to look at the list. Warning: this technique for self motivation is highly addictive and you may end up keeping a regular journal on them or find lists in places you never thought they would be.

Give it a go…set your goals and then demolish them! 😉 let me know your current goals below