7 Courses

In this lively interactive workshop we will explore the challenges faced by leaders of schools when tackling inclusion issues. We develop the concept of the leader as being central to the web of an organisation and the web of inclusion. Information flows freely to and from the leaders and interconnections are a premium. We explore shared leadership and consensus building using the Native American ‘Medicine Wheel’ to guide and structure our management of change. Course Category Inclusion Description In this lively interactive workshop we will explore the challenges faced by leaders of schools when tackling inclusion issues. We develop the concept of the leader as being central to the web of an organisation and the web of inclusion. Information flows freely to and from the leaders and interconnections are a premium. We explore shared leadership and consensus building using the Native American ‘Medicine Wheel’ to guide and structure our management of change. Testimonials ‘Inclusive practice has become more daring, more radical, more inspirational, more inclusive. How exciting and encouraging!’ ‘What a moving and energising day – there is so much we can do together’ Learning Objectives Increased confidence regarding developing leadership for inclusive practice in mainstream schools Access to a wider range of practical strategies to impact on team building Deeper understanding of developing vision and consensus Opportunity to reflect on professional attitudes and behaviour towards staff, parents and pupils New skills and processes to make inclusion successful Who Is It For? Heads and Deputies Leaders Managers of Chidren’s Centres Managers of Early Years settings Local Authority Support Services Course Content The course answers the questions: How to get a team thinking and working more inclusively? How to create and share my vision? Where do I start to think about developing a more inclusive setting? How can I get the best out of my team? We will cover a range of areas including: Establishing a welcoming team Building Vision and values Developing Trust Creating inclusive staff teams and communities of acceptance Creative Team problem solving Organisational models Curriculum access and curriculum design for inclusion Work with parents Consensus building If you liked this course you may well like: LEADERSHIP: CREATING AND SHARING YOUR VISION

This radical way of building empathy is inspired by the work of the ‘Roots of Empathy’ organisation in Canada. Roots of Empathy (ROE) is dedicated to building caring and peaceful societies through the development of empathy in children. It is a parenting education programme for elementary school students (between the ages of 3 to 14 years) based on monthly visits to the classroom by a parent and infant from the school neighbourhood. Course Category Behaviour and Relationships Autism and Communication Meeting emotional needs Description This radical way of building empathy is inspired by the work of the ‘Roots of Empathy’ organisation in Canada. As Mary Gordon founder of this way of working describes: ‘By regular visits to the classroom of local mums and their children build an empathic relationship with the baby.MARY GORDON Roots of Empathy (ROE) is dedicated to building caring and peaceful societies through the development of empathy in children. It is a parenting education program for elementary school students (between the ages of 3 to 14 years) based on monthly visits to the classroom by a parent and infant from the school neighbourhood. We teach teachers and educators to help children to observe, over the school year, how their baby forms an attachment to his or her parent. Children are encouraged to record how the infants develop. The children learn to spot their babies cues and unique temperament, while celebrating developmental milestones. Children are prepared for responsible and responsive parenting as they increase their knowledge about human development, learning, and infant safety. The baby project program brings about the development of empathy and emotional literacy: As children learn to take the perspective of others they are less likely to hurt through bullying, exclusion, aggression, and violence. Children learn how to challenge cruelty and injustice in their own classroom. Messages of social inclusion and activities that are consensus-building contribute to a culture of caring that changes the tone of the classroom. Involving fathers and men provides rich models of male nurturance Testimonials ‘13% increase in empathy scores for our year 1s’ ‘Years 2s empathy had increased by 35%’ ‘Now that I am older I can be happy for other people’ (6 year old) ‘Everyone is special – thats the truth – but when I was small I thought its not fair when someone got a present and I didn’t’ (7 year old) Dramatic improvements in children taking responsibility for actions and being less defiant over the year of the project. Learning Objectives Understanding of method and approach to building empathy with babies Full understanding of background to this approach Practical advice received as to how to set up baby project in classrooms across school Who Is It For ? Teachers School leaders Project Coordinators Social Care Course Content We will provide theoretical and evidence back ground to impact of this work. We will describe existing UK school based work. We will inspire staff in attendance to want to actively engage in this work There may even be a baby to hold!!

In this practical and engaging workshop there is input on team building, problem solving as a team, improving communication and handling conflict. This is participatory day of paper, pens, graphics, music and activity. There are no PowerPoint slides or even a projector and screen! Course Category Team Building and Leadership Early Years Inclusion Description Want a really creative, effective, inclusive team? In this practical and engaging workshop there is input on team building, problem solving as a team, improving communication and handling conflict. This is participatory day of paper, pens, graphics, music and activity. There are no PowerPoint slides or even a projector and screen! We keep the focus on interpersonal processes for getting the best out of the team. Making teams both creative and inclusive is fully explored and processes for maximising this examined. Effective leadership and management, which can transform teamwork through collaboration and consensus-building processes is covered. We refocus the team on its capacities and gifts as well as give insights into what to do when individuals are off track. The Native American medicine wheel guides us through four quadrants of leadership, vision, community and management.Harrison Owen in his work on ‘Open Space Technology’ depicts the ancient Medicine Wheel (Owen, 2003). This is derived from centuries of tradition among First Nation Americans and has informed many cultures in different ways. We have found this an extremely powerful metaphor for understanding the process of team and organisational change and renewal. The wheel of change begins in the north with a leading idea, for us – there is a better way of creating a team for inclusion. Travelling clockwise to the east we develop a shared vision of what this could look like in our setting, school or community. Then moving south we ask who needs to come with us on the journey. We wish to take as many community members along with us as we can. In an Early Years setting , this would mean enrolling the support of manager, the wider staff group, parents and ultimately children. Finally, at the west, we manage and implement the idea. We take action and turn the inclusive team into reality. The cycle of this medicine wheel is an excellent way to view change processes for any team, organisation or community. When we contemplate change, the risk is always that we will jump prematurely from the big ideas (leadership) to practice (management) and ignore the other two important phases of creating vision and engaging the wider community. When the going gets tough and the inclusion of a child or young person is beginning to seem extremely difficult if not impossible many will conclude that the child should no longer be present. We would like to challenge this. Why do we move so quickly to assuming the child is in the wrong place? Surely the real question should not be ‘do they belong here?’ – but rather – ‘what team support is needed here for this to work?’ Or even more fundamental, ‘who needs a team around them at this time?’ Who needs the team? Who is struggling with the inclusion most? Is it the young person, their practitioner or teacher, their headteacher, setting manager, their parent or even a member of the local support services? Whatever the answer a team may need to be built, rallied or reformed. The nature of and number of that team will depend upon the situation. Diversity of membership will most surely be important to strengthen the quality of the support and of the ideas generated. Use radical rethinking when creating a new team or when revitalising an existing one. Creating effective teams for inclusion requires a courageous capacity for understanding and nurturing change both within the team and with those who the team work with. Testimonials ‘What a fun, enjoyable day its been. Motivating and made me laugh not fall asleep!’?? ‘This was everything a team building day was supposed to be. I have learned a lot about the people I work with and my role within the organisation’ ‘I had reservations about attending yet another team building day but this was executed by two great facilitators and they worked with us so we truly understood what we were thinking and feeling.’ ‘Innovative and refreshing’ Learning Objectives Empowerment of team players Deepened insights into team processes Practical strategies for team building learned Processes for enhancing creativity of team members explored Celebration and recognition of existing strengths and talents   Who Is It For ? Any team Course Content This course answers the following questions: How can we re-energise our team? How can we make our team more inclusive? What tools can we use to work creatively in our team? We work around the ancient medicine wheel as it guides us through the four processes of leadership, vision, community and management. We place leading ideas in front of your team including ‘no kvetching’ and shared promises. We create a shared vision of how your team would love to be. We explore who the team is. When are they at their best? What happens when someone is off track? What do they really need? How do we take the community with us at a time of change? Finally we look at the management role of the team. Getting things done together. We use problem solving together as our focus for this. Finally your team will be asked to reflect. What has the training meant to them? If you liked this you may like: SUPPORT AND SUPERVISION FOR LEADERS

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