I find this whole debate over swearing really interesting. It seems odd to me that swearing at a teacher carries the automatic penalty of exclusion whereas other behaviours which are potentially physically dangerous do not.
We have to ask ourselves why children swear and what it means to them. For many children this is the language of the home. They have been spoken to like this from birth and hear it everyday. Some children swear at teachers because they are in a corner, or are out of control, it may be the only place they know to go when they are frustrated or angry, others do it to provoke a reaction(and what a reaction if they get excluded).
I think we have to ask ourselves many questions about this. Does the punishment really fit the crime? Although unacceptable, is swearing really as bad as we think? Are we missing something potentially more important if we focus on swearing? Does the teacher really lose their dignity if they are sworn at, is it not the child who has lost theirs?
As a principal I do exclude if a pupil swears at a member of staff. I would add that there is a real dilemma created for me when a pupil swears at a member of staff. I am well aware that I am not necessarily resolving the issue by excluding the pupil, but, I do believe that I am taking a step towards reducing the likelihood of the swearing happening again and, importantly, making a public statement that swearing at or threatening staff is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated. In my school, in the past three years, only two pupils have been suspended on more than one occasion for swearing at staff.I.e. repeat offending.
Pupils at my school know that swearing at a member of staff is a line they must not cross or they will be excluded. This applies to all staff, regardless of their role at the school or their position. On some occasions, because of the circumstances, I have decided not to exclude. In all such cases the reasons are made clear to both the member of staff concerned, the pupil and the family concerned.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Creating your best self!
Creating your best self as an athlete is easier than you think.
It has been great watching the staff take out their old takkies and begin to walk around the track each afternoon. I envy you and hope to join the group real soon. The idea of getting back into shape got me thinking about the creative powers of visualization, you are using your imagination to make-over yourself, literally.
With the seed of your imagination, you can transform any element of your performance - your skills, your shape, even your confidence. As the saying goes, "Little hinges swing big doors." Of course, creating your best self does not mean manufacturing something fake. By showing the world that you are working hard at your health is a positive sign to the learners at the school.
It also means finding your authentic athletic self and allowing it to be expressed. Time has taken its toll on a number of our bodies and the wear and tear is showing mostly on my face and belly. Finding your self is real important and with each passing year we need to reanalyse or health, body shape and fitness.
To start is the greatest problem and how we overcome that barrier will determine our strength of character, which we must use each day in the classroom. The learners can become your biggest competitors.
A lot of aspiring athletes think they need to trash talk and get into the heads of their competitors to win. A classic example of how you handle your biggest competitors. Rugby coaches would shout at the players how much they hate the opposition, hoping this would somehow ignite a fury of success on the field. Imagine if we used this method on our learners in the classroom.
Trash talking, talking down too or arguing with the learner rarely brings out their best self. Show them by training and taking charge of your life.
See you on the track, real soon!
It has been great watching the staff take out their old takkies and begin to walk around the track each afternoon. I envy you and hope to join the group real soon. The idea of getting back into shape got me thinking about the creative powers of visualization, you are using your imagination to make-over yourself, literally.
With the seed of your imagination, you can transform any element of your performance - your skills, your shape, even your confidence. As the saying goes, "Little hinges swing big doors." Of course, creating your best self does not mean manufacturing something fake. By showing the world that you are working hard at your health is a positive sign to the learners at the school.
It also means finding your authentic athletic self and allowing it to be expressed. Time has taken its toll on a number of our bodies and the wear and tear is showing mostly on my face and belly. Finding your self is real important and with each passing year we need to reanalyse or health, body shape and fitness.
To start is the greatest problem and how we overcome that barrier will determine our strength of character, which we must use each day in the classroom. The learners can become your biggest competitors.
A lot of aspiring athletes think they need to trash talk and get into the heads of their competitors to win. A classic example of how you handle your biggest competitors. Rugby coaches would shout at the players how much they hate the opposition, hoping this would somehow ignite a fury of success on the field. Imagine if we used this method on our learners in the classroom.
Trash talking, talking down too or arguing with the learner rarely brings out their best self. Show them by training and taking charge of your life.
See you on the track, real soon!
Twitter you Twit!
When some people hear the word "Twitter," they automatically think of wasting time. After all, how can you have time for work when you're telling people what you had for lunch, or spreading the gossip from your 2 p.m. staff meeting? It's true that Twitter can be a distraction. But it can also be an important resource for both personal and organizational growth.
Twitter is a social networking site that allows users to connect with each other and send short messages, or "tweets," about what they're doing or thinking. Imagine that! What if the school assigned a learner to an educator or vice versa, an educator assigned to an individual or number of learners to monitor their daily activities? Your "followers" would see your tweets in a rolling feed, called a timeline, when they log into the service on their arrival at school.
Each educator could decide what they want to tweet. Tweets can be trivial - "what someone ate for breakfast" example - or they can be significant and valuable, for example, when they highlight key news, or articles from the school.
Here are some tips to help you learn the lingo of ‘tweeeting’
Hashtag - (#) can help people track different topics to find information easily. Simply put the # symbol in front of your tweet's most relevant word, or use it to "tag" a tweet under a certain category. For example, #leadership or #football.
Followers - These are your friends or connections - the people who are following your tweets. Your tweets will appear on their timelines. But please remember, all tweets are technically "public" and searchable unless you decide to make your account private. Be careful what you say.
@ Replies - If you want to tweet to someone else, use @ right before that person's username. For example, tweet "@mary45 I saw your tweet. Interesting!" - and mary45 will get the message in her timeline (if she follows you).
If you put the person's name at the very start of the tweet, as in the example above, only you, her, and people who follow both of you will see the Tweet in their timelines. If you put her name elsewhere in the message, everyone who follows you will see the tweet. For example, this would happen if you tweeted "Me and @mary45 are working on a new matric dance proposal."
Use a strong headline - Most followers simply scan Twitter, so your "headline" should be effective and authentic enough to capture their attention. Keep it short - Twitter allows only 140 characters, so your messages must be simple yet powerful.
Write clearly - Use the same good writing rules you would use when writing any professional document. Grammar and style - and proofreading - still matter with Twitter.
Keep it useful - If you tweet a link or share an article, make sure it's something that your followers will find useful or valuable. Get “tweeting”...
Twitter is a social networking site that allows users to connect with each other and send short messages, or "tweets," about what they're doing or thinking. Imagine that! What if the school assigned a learner to an educator or vice versa, an educator assigned to an individual or number of learners to monitor their daily activities? Your "followers" would see your tweets in a rolling feed, called a timeline, when they log into the service on their arrival at school.
Each educator could decide what they want to tweet. Tweets can be trivial - "what someone ate for breakfast" example - or they can be significant and valuable, for example, when they highlight key news, or articles from the school.
Here are some tips to help you learn the lingo of ‘tweeeting’
Hashtag - (#) can help people track different topics to find information easily. Simply put the # symbol in front of your tweet's most relevant word, or use it to "tag" a tweet under a certain category. For example, #leadership or #football.
Followers - These are your friends or connections - the people who are following your tweets. Your tweets will appear on their timelines. But please remember, all tweets are technically "public" and searchable unless you decide to make your account private. Be careful what you say.
@ Replies - If you want to tweet to someone else, use @ right before that person's username. For example, tweet "@mary45 I saw your tweet. Interesting!" - and mary45 will get the message in her timeline (if she follows you).
If you put the person's name at the very start of the tweet, as in the example above, only you, her, and people who follow both of you will see the Tweet in their timelines. If you put her name elsewhere in the message, everyone who follows you will see the tweet. For example, this would happen if you tweeted "Me and @mary45 are working on a new matric dance proposal."
Use a strong headline - Most followers simply scan Twitter, so your "headline" should be effective and authentic enough to capture their attention. Keep it short - Twitter allows only 140 characters, so your messages must be simple yet powerful.
Write clearly - Use the same good writing rules you would use when writing any professional document. Grammar and style - and proofreading - still matter with Twitter.
Keep it useful - If you tweet a link or share an article, make sure it's something that your followers will find useful or valuable. Get “tweeting”...
Positive Life Style
Professor Chris Barnard was asked the question; “How do you keep so positive in your stressful life”? His answer was very simple, “I walk away from negative people”!
Sometimes it is challenging when dealing with a colleague, friend, or spouse because there seems to be two people in the same body. He's a cold person one day and a warm, supportive person the next. To get respect and consistency from this person, your job is simple:
Avoid the cold person and embrace the warm person.
Let's imagine you have a colleague who tends to be moody at work. Sometimes they even affect your performance, because you take it personally and feel down when they are uncommunicative.
In this situation, most people will try hard to please their colleague when he's in a bad mood. They'll go out of their way to be friendly and nice. This is an excellent approach to try the first time he is moody. If he doesn't respond, though, you must abandon this demeanour.
I recommend you keep your contact with the cold person brief. If necessary, look at your watch and say, 'Wow, I didn't realize it was so late...must get back to that deadline.' This way, you're not creating a distraction for yourself at work. You're also not creating a reason to become angry and resentful of your colleague.
But here's the most important point:
People do not respond to negative words, but they do respond to no contact. When you accept others for who they are using these methods, you communicate self-esteem and flexibility. You're saying, 'I don't need you to be any particular way at
all.' Avoidance is not manipulation. It is acceptance.
Avoidance works because you are not doing it in an attempt to manipulate your colleague. Instead of trying to change him/her by being super-nice (or getting angry), you are merely reducing your social contact with him because it is unpleasant for you.
Using avoidance and indifference with people when they are unsupportive is a radical concept. Most of us need to be in control. If a person is not giving us
the support we want, we try to control him. We go back and forth between being angry vs. nice in an attempt to get our way. This never works, because the person
we are dealing with senses what we are doing and rebels even
more.
Sometimes it is challenging when dealing with a colleague, friend, or spouse because there seems to be two people in the same body. He's a cold person one day and a warm, supportive person the next. To get respect and consistency from this person, your job is simple:
Avoid the cold person and embrace the warm person.
Let's imagine you have a colleague who tends to be moody at work. Sometimes they even affect your performance, because you take it personally and feel down when they are uncommunicative.
In this situation, most people will try hard to please their colleague when he's in a bad mood. They'll go out of their way to be friendly and nice. This is an excellent approach to try the first time he is moody. If he doesn't respond, though, you must abandon this demeanour.
I recommend you keep your contact with the cold person brief. If necessary, look at your watch and say, 'Wow, I didn't realize it was so late...must get back to that deadline.' This way, you're not creating a distraction for yourself at work. You're also not creating a reason to become angry and resentful of your colleague.
But here's the most important point:
People do not respond to negative words, but they do respond to no contact. When you accept others for who they are using these methods, you communicate self-esteem and flexibility. You're saying, 'I don't need you to be any particular way at
all.' Avoidance is not manipulation. It is acceptance.
Avoidance works because you are not doing it in an attempt to manipulate your colleague. Instead of trying to change him/her by being super-nice (or getting angry), you are merely reducing your social contact with him because it is unpleasant for you.
Using avoidance and indifference with people when they are unsupportive is a radical concept. Most of us need to be in control. If a person is not giving us
the support we want, we try to control him. We go back and forth between being angry vs. nice in an attempt to get our way. This never works, because the person
we are dealing with senses what we are doing and rebels even
more.
Confidence
Confidence is believing in your own abilities. You know you're the goods and you believe you can win or succeed. This is where I would ask the staff to look at themselves and their role in the school structures. Success is a truly wonderful feeling. But to gain more confidence, you need to understand one crucial thing and teaching is the one area which highlights the following:
Confidence is NOT a choice.
Most sport psychology books we ask the learners to read, tell you it is. They tell you that if you want confidence, all you need to do is ask yourself for it. You're supposed to repeat to yourself things like:
"I feel great today."
"I'm calm, confident, and cheerful right now."
"Elvin, go out there and be confident."
"The school is going to have a great day today!"
Sort of a 'fake 'it till you make it' approach. Rubbish ...because it doesn't work. You can't trick yourself. Let me repeat: You CANNOT trick yourself.
Here's why...
If you're not feeling confident, it means you're feeling fear, doubt, anxiety, or depression.
And when you're feeling these feelings, it doesn't work to pretend you're not. It doesn't work because 9 times out of 10, your fear is there for a reason. The learners pick up on that fear, doubt or anxiety. They feed off your emotions.
When your body is saying, "Awe! Wake up! Pay attention!” Your blood pressure is through the roof, you are short tempered, these are the signs that your confidence is low.
And when someone as important as your body is talking, the right thing to do is LISTEN.
Usually your body is making a request. Confidence is the gift that keeps on giving.
It keeps you motivated, passionate, and ready to compete.
Confidence is NOT a choice.
Most sport psychology books we ask the learners to read, tell you it is. They tell you that if you want confidence, all you need to do is ask yourself for it. You're supposed to repeat to yourself things like:
"I feel great today."
"I'm calm, confident, and cheerful right now."
"Elvin, go out there and be confident."
"The school is going to have a great day today!"
Sort of a 'fake 'it till you make it' approach. Rubbish ...because it doesn't work. You can't trick yourself. Let me repeat: You CANNOT trick yourself.
Here's why...
If you're not feeling confident, it means you're feeling fear, doubt, anxiety, or depression.
And when you're feeling these feelings, it doesn't work to pretend you're not. It doesn't work because 9 times out of 10, your fear is there for a reason. The learners pick up on that fear, doubt or anxiety. They feed off your emotions.
When your body is saying, "Awe! Wake up! Pay attention!” Your blood pressure is through the roof, you are short tempered, these are the signs that your confidence is low.
And when someone as important as your body is talking, the right thing to do is LISTEN.
Usually your body is making a request. Confidence is the gift that keeps on giving.
It keeps you motivated, passionate, and ready to compete.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Win-Win
October is a very tough month for both teachers/coaches and students. If you pace yourself, you can accomplish everything. Don't worry - everyone feels like they had the toughest workout of their life during the fourth term of school. The best piece of advice I have come up with is to not skip lunch - or breakfast. Many teachers do it; few can keep their eyes open when they return home. Remember to eat regularly during the day.
Most athletes are so competitive they want to beat everyone - even when it's inappropriate.
If you've ever tried to show up a teammate or sibling, you know what I mean.
You realize it's bad for "the team" to be competitive, but you can't help yourself.
You still want to outshine them.
This sometimes carries over into our classrooms and with our dealings with the learners on the sport field. In all conflict and arguments we want to win and so do the athletes we teach/coach, thus tensions rise. Both parties when arguing think “I’m better than you.” When challenged by learners we tend to react poorly. There is a better way. It's called thinking Win-Win.
We need to find a better way of handling challenges. We’d have to think Win-Win. We have to imagine a game in which both of us excel. We must think, how can both of us win in this current situation? The end result must be that we supported each other completely. Rivalry is not a problem. You as a teacher/coach must think...
“Good You want to challenge, you want to argue! You’re making me better!”
This is called a positive rivalry...you feel inspired, not threatened. If we learn these key decisions we can make it will assist us to becoming a teacher/coach. Then we can start to be a team that challenges conflict in the school as one with the same goal. It will fill you with confidence allowing you to win under pressure consistently in the classroom or on the field.
Recognize that anger is nothing more than an outward expression of hurt, fear and frustration.
Trust yourself to come out from behind your desk, clipboard or whistle and deal with what happens, and love them through it.
We are sometimes the only support these children have.
Most athletes are so competitive they want to beat everyone - even when it's inappropriate.
If you've ever tried to show up a teammate or sibling, you know what I mean.
You realize it's bad for "the team" to be competitive, but you can't help yourself.
You still want to outshine them.
This sometimes carries over into our classrooms and with our dealings with the learners on the sport field. In all conflict and arguments we want to win and so do the athletes we teach/coach, thus tensions rise. Both parties when arguing think “I’m better than you.” When challenged by learners we tend to react poorly. There is a better way. It's called thinking Win-Win.
We need to find a better way of handling challenges. We’d have to think Win-Win. We have to imagine a game in which both of us excel. We must think, how can both of us win in this current situation? The end result must be that we supported each other completely. Rivalry is not a problem. You as a teacher/coach must think...
“Good You want to challenge, you want to argue! You’re making me better!”
This is called a positive rivalry...you feel inspired, not threatened. If we learn these key decisions we can make it will assist us to becoming a teacher/coach. Then we can start to be a team that challenges conflict in the school as one with the same goal. It will fill you with confidence allowing you to win under pressure consistently in the classroom or on the field.
Recognize that anger is nothing more than an outward expression of hurt, fear and frustration.
Trust yourself to come out from behind your desk, clipboard or whistle and deal with what happens, and love them through it.
We are sometimes the only support these children have.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Divorce
When I was 11, my parents divorced. My mother moved 2,000 kmaway and my father plunged into an intense affair with his new girlfriend. For the first nine months after the divorce, I did not cry. In fact, I did not think about the divorce at all until my sister said, "Dad thinks you hate him."
Her words shocked me. As far as I was concerned, I wasn't upset at all. I even prided myself on my stoic nature.
See, I thought I could outsmart emotional pain by stuffing it down. No, I wasn't feeling intense pain. But I wasn't feeling confident either. My trademark as an athlete - my unstoppable confidence - was gone almost overnight. Plus I was overwhelmed with negative thoughts about myself, including my skills as an athlete. These thoughts really alarmed me.
I was a great athlete and a nice chap. Why was I filled with negative self-talk?
Simple.
Because confidence is not a quality. It is not a character trait. It is an emotion. And if you want to keep your confidence strong, you need to be able to FEEL. You can’t be depressed, shut down, or numb - for any reason.
But this is exactly what happens when we have trauma, loss, disappointment, and failure - in sport or life. When we are traumatized, our instinctive response is to shut down.
Negative self-talk a symptom that we've stuffed down fear and failure from sport or life. Maybe you lost a big event or maybe you had your personal life turned upside down.
If you watch yourself carefully, you'll see that your negative self-talk happens when you're agitated about a failure or disappointment of some kind.
But you are denying the depth of your emotional reaction. So instead of healing yourself, you're plugging along, hoping your negative self-talk and low confidence goes away on its own.
Your mind is your basic tool for survival. Betray it by stuffing down your fear and disappointment - and doing nothing - and your self-esteem always suffers.
My story has a happy ending. I made an appointment for counseling. There I finally touched my true feelings about the divorce. When the tears finally came, my sadness was so great I feared my chest would split open.
I didn't run away though. Running from myself made no sense. I stayed the course and healed my heart. Little my little my confidence and self-esteem were restored. The wins came back too.
Negative self-talk is a typical stressor or distraction we face in sport. It's easy to defeat IF you know how.
Her words shocked me. As far as I was concerned, I wasn't upset at all. I even prided myself on my stoic nature.
See, I thought I could outsmart emotional pain by stuffing it down. No, I wasn't feeling intense pain. But I wasn't feeling confident either. My trademark as an athlete - my unstoppable confidence - was gone almost overnight. Plus I was overwhelmed with negative thoughts about myself, including my skills as an athlete. These thoughts really alarmed me.
I was a great athlete and a nice chap. Why was I filled with negative self-talk?
Simple.
Because confidence is not a quality. It is not a character trait. It is an emotion. And if you want to keep your confidence strong, you need to be able to FEEL. You can’t be depressed, shut down, or numb - for any reason.
But this is exactly what happens when we have trauma, loss, disappointment, and failure - in sport or life. When we are traumatized, our instinctive response is to shut down.
Negative self-talk a symptom that we've stuffed down fear and failure from sport or life. Maybe you lost a big event or maybe you had your personal life turned upside down.
If you watch yourself carefully, you'll see that your negative self-talk happens when you're agitated about a failure or disappointment of some kind.
But you are denying the depth of your emotional reaction. So instead of healing yourself, you're plugging along, hoping your negative self-talk and low confidence goes away on its own.
Your mind is your basic tool for survival. Betray it by stuffing down your fear and disappointment - and doing nothing - and your self-esteem always suffers.
My story has a happy ending. I made an appointment for counseling. There I finally touched my true feelings about the divorce. When the tears finally came, my sadness was so great I feared my chest would split open.
I didn't run away though. Running from myself made no sense. I stayed the course and healed my heart. Little my little my confidence and self-esteem were restored. The wins came back too.
Negative self-talk is a typical stressor or distraction we face in sport. It's easy to defeat IF you know how.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Size Does Matter
Success is intentional, through your conscious use of choice and decision.
The teaching/coaching world is full of opportunities, but you will only get there by boldness and conviction, by being decisive for the goals you want.
Teachers/coaches are born with great capabilities, but most will not achieve their potential until they call upon themselves to fulfil it. You must rise to the occasion when it presents itself; you must provide occasions to rise to.
Clearly defined goals in your teaching/coaching career path allow you to travel toward another horizon that represents the end of one experience and the transition to a new and better existence. The objective is to choose the right goals.
The difference between what one coach/teacher and another achieves depends more on goal choices than on abilities. The profound differences between successful coach/teachers and others are the goals they choose to pursue. Individuals with smaller talents, intelligence, and abilities will achieve different results because they select and pursue different goals.
Each decision affects what you become. Never overlook the obvious: The nature and direction of your life change the instant you decide what goals you want to pursue.
Once you make a decision, you start down a path to a new destination. At the moment the decision is made, your decision to pursue a goal alters what you are becoming. Just one step - a single choice - can alter your life, your destiny, your legacy.
Think about it - your goal decisions represent and express your individuality. You seal your fate with the choices you make. You define yourself by your decisions. Decisions and goals made must be your own if you are to call your life a success.
Everyone has an official wish list of things they think are "reasonable". What about the unofficial wish list? The one that common sense tells you to ignore? The list that exists deep in your mind, the list that keeps you up at night, that makes your toes wiggle when you think of it? Why not choose that list for a change?
How long have you dreamed of being, having, and doing what you really want? Think big, as when it comes to your goals, the size of your ambition does matter.
The teaching/coaching world is full of opportunities, but you will only get there by boldness and conviction, by being decisive for the goals you want.
Teachers/coaches are born with great capabilities, but most will not achieve their potential until they call upon themselves to fulfil it. You must rise to the occasion when it presents itself; you must provide occasions to rise to.
Clearly defined goals in your teaching/coaching career path allow you to travel toward another horizon that represents the end of one experience and the transition to a new and better existence. The objective is to choose the right goals.
The difference between what one coach/teacher and another achieves depends more on goal choices than on abilities. The profound differences between successful coach/teachers and others are the goals they choose to pursue. Individuals with smaller talents, intelligence, and abilities will achieve different results because they select and pursue different goals.
Each decision affects what you become. Never overlook the obvious: The nature and direction of your life change the instant you decide what goals you want to pursue.
Once you make a decision, you start down a path to a new destination. At the moment the decision is made, your decision to pursue a goal alters what you are becoming. Just one step - a single choice - can alter your life, your destiny, your legacy.
Think about it - your goal decisions represent and express your individuality. You seal your fate with the choices you make. You define yourself by your decisions. Decisions and goals made must be your own if you are to call your life a success.
Everyone has an official wish list of things they think are "reasonable". What about the unofficial wish list? The one that common sense tells you to ignore? The list that exists deep in your mind, the list that keeps you up at night, that makes your toes wiggle when you think of it? Why not choose that list for a change?
How long have you dreamed of being, having, and doing what you really want? Think big, as when it comes to your goals, the size of your ambition does matter.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Marketing WCSS
Our halls and gyms at the Western Cape Sport School, should have huge banners that read such as ‘superior performance’, ‘popular’, ‘challenger’,
‘competitor’, ‘family friendly’, ‘prestige’ and ‘true blue’ (i.e. unique Western Cape values and style).
In each case the nature of the competition, the status of the team or the form of the training we offer must deliver a distinct type of emotional association to the school brand, the relevance and value of which can only be judged in terms of each individual athlete’s particular opportunities and challenges that come their way.
Sport is a reflection of society and we must acknowledge that sport like many aspects of our society sometimes encompasses the worst of human traits, including violence, corruption, discrimination, cheating and even drug abuse.
Our role at the school should be to outweigh the negatives with loads of positives, fulfilling lives from excess loads of core values, the bridging of cultural or ethnic barriers, developing peace and tolerance. The athletes should willingly establish new friendships, enjoy discussions after matches with the opposition and always strive for participation in a sporting code for life. Sport is critical to a child’s healthy upbringing and we should assist them to focus on community wellbeing.
As staff we can all play our role, so go out there and cover your walls with saying s of inspiration and drive. Beautify your surroundings with excellence and sport quotes, uplift the area in which you work and just maybe we can uplift those who need us most.
Enjoy the newly laid lawn and flower bed, a small token of the beauty that lies within and without the walls of the Western Cape Sport School.
Enjoy the sunshine and the rain...
‘competitor’, ‘family friendly’, ‘prestige’ and ‘true blue’ (i.e. unique Western Cape values and style).
In each case the nature of the competition, the status of the team or the form of the training we offer must deliver a distinct type of emotional association to the school brand, the relevance and value of which can only be judged in terms of each individual athlete’s particular opportunities and challenges that come their way.
Sport is a reflection of society and we must acknowledge that sport like many aspects of our society sometimes encompasses the worst of human traits, including violence, corruption, discrimination, cheating and even drug abuse.
Our role at the school should be to outweigh the negatives with loads of positives, fulfilling lives from excess loads of core values, the bridging of cultural or ethnic barriers, developing peace and tolerance. The athletes should willingly establish new friendships, enjoy discussions after matches with the opposition and always strive for participation in a sporting code for life. Sport is critical to a child’s healthy upbringing and we should assist them to focus on community wellbeing.
As staff we can all play our role, so go out there and cover your walls with saying s of inspiration and drive. Beautify your surroundings with excellence and sport quotes, uplift the area in which you work and just maybe we can uplift those who need us most.
Enjoy the newly laid lawn and flower bed, a small token of the beauty that lies within and without the walls of the Western Cape Sport School.
Enjoy the sunshine and the rain...
Coach, Trainer or Teacher?
A Trainer is a person who educates others on specific topics of specific importance
A Coach is someone who offers advice, ideas and perspective when appropriate and in a way you can use them.
A Teacher is a person who provides formal education for others.
"Teaching is the art of assisting others with discovery." Teachers impart their knowledge and wisdom freely to help others develop and grow within them. Trainers focus on specific areas of development, soft skill and technical, to transfer best practices in action and thought process to others. Coaches observe others to understand their strengths and weaknesses then guide them down paths that will assist in developing or correcting those weaknesses. To be effective, especially in the area of adult learning, you must understand how and when to be all three.
I believe that to be truly effective, you need to be all three and because of this overlapping, there is no difference.
Many ways to define this. Just one option is:
a. teacher tells a group of people about certain knowledge,
b. trainer shares his knowledge while working with a group of people,
c. coach shares his knowledge while working with individual people, but also transfers skills, and provides (mental) support,
What they have in common is transferring knowledge. The difference is important when you have to deliver to a customer.
In most cases a trainer is responsible for delivering information - knowledge passes from the trainer to the trainee, and the trainer's success is measured by the trainee's ability to retain and repeat what they learned.
A teacher is similarly responsible for delivering information, however teachers are often more invested in the development of passion for their subject matter. The measure of a successful teacher is that his/her students are inspired to continue to pursue learning.
An effective coach works with clients to help them find tools and resources to answer their own questions and achieve their own goals. The measure of a successful coach is that their clients become increasingly self sufficient and self directed in the pursuit of their own goals.
A teacher teaches you what is fish(conceptual knowledge).
A trainer trains you how to fish(technical skills).
A coach motivates you to fish(empowerment).
A Coach is someone who offers advice, ideas and perspective when appropriate and in a way you can use them.
A Teacher is a person who provides formal education for others.
"Teaching is the art of assisting others with discovery." Teachers impart their knowledge and wisdom freely to help others develop and grow within them. Trainers focus on specific areas of development, soft skill and technical, to transfer best practices in action and thought process to others. Coaches observe others to understand their strengths and weaknesses then guide them down paths that will assist in developing or correcting those weaknesses. To be effective, especially in the area of adult learning, you must understand how and when to be all three.
I believe that to be truly effective, you need to be all three and because of this overlapping, there is no difference.
Many ways to define this. Just one option is:
a. teacher tells a group of people about certain knowledge,
b. trainer shares his knowledge while working with a group of people,
c. coach shares his knowledge while working with individual people, but also transfers skills, and provides (mental) support,
What they have in common is transferring knowledge. The difference is important when you have to deliver to a customer.
In most cases a trainer is responsible for delivering information - knowledge passes from the trainer to the trainee, and the trainer's success is measured by the trainee's ability to retain and repeat what they learned.
A teacher is similarly responsible for delivering information, however teachers are often more invested in the development of passion for their subject matter. The measure of a successful teacher is that his/her students are inspired to continue to pursue learning.
An effective coach works with clients to help them find tools and resources to answer their own questions and achieve their own goals. The measure of a successful coach is that their clients become increasingly self sufficient and self directed in the pursuit of their own goals.
A teacher teaches you what is fish(conceptual knowledge).
A trainer trains you how to fish(technical skills).
A coach motivates you to fish(empowerment).
Friday, March 18, 2011
No respect?
I've learned a secret about what's going on when someone is not giving you the respect, admiration you want. Let me explain...
Most of us are taught that when a relationship is struggling, we should be extra nice, thoughtful, and giving. However, they are usually not the key to getting respect and appreciation from people who are withholding it from you.
Sometimes, we irritate people in oblivious ways:
We wait around for moans instead of making plans;
We ask for direction on tasks when we're really seeking approval;
We talk and tell them about how miserable our work place is;
We socialize when people are trying to work;
We complain too often;
We check up on people and judge their choices;
We become bossy or controlling;
We complain about not being give responsibility; and,
We lay guilt trips on our colleagues should they disagree with our feelings.
When you lean psychologically or emotionally on people or
toward them, it makes others feel uncomfortable.
They resent the weight you are laying on them, and they will
react by denying you.
They don't like your self-indulgence, and your insecurity
reminds them of their own vulnerability; it rattles them.
Consciously and subliminally, they sense the weakness your
moaning creates.
Most of us are taught that when a relationship is struggling, we should be extra nice, thoughtful, and giving. However, they are usually not the key to getting respect and appreciation from people who are withholding it from you.
Sometimes, we irritate people in oblivious ways:
We wait around for moans instead of making plans;
We ask for direction on tasks when we're really seeking approval;
We talk and tell them about how miserable our work place is;
We socialize when people are trying to work;
We complain too often;
We check up on people and judge their choices;
We become bossy or controlling;
We complain about not being give responsibility; and,
We lay guilt trips on our colleagues should they disagree with our feelings.
When you lean psychologically or emotionally on people or
toward them, it makes others feel uncomfortable.
They resent the weight you are laying on them, and they will
react by denying you.
They don't like your self-indulgence, and your insecurity
reminds them of their own vulnerability; it rattles them.
Consciously and subliminally, they sense the weakness your
moaning creates.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Fear of losing
Most athletes fear losing above all else.
I can relate. At one point in my athletic career, I was so phobic about losing that my friends gave me a custom-made t-shirt as a gag.
It said, "Sometimes you just have to lose." I laughed and wore it around for a while.
But I only got the joke years later. That's when I realized my fear of losing was so extreme it was hurting me.
To get over your fear of losing, you need to learn how to handle loss in life. When Comedian Alan Alda was little, his dog died. He was distraught.
His Dad, trying to shield Alda from the loss, had the dog stuffed. Now Alda was doubly traumatized.
His dog was gone and his Dad didn't know how to comfort him. That's when Alda learned how to deal with bad change.
...by accepting loss.
He writes: "You can't hang onto something longer than its time. Never Have Your Dog Stuffed is really advice to myself, a reminder to myself not to avoid change or uncertainty, but to go with it, to surf into change."
How about you? Is there a loss in your past you can't seem to get over? If so, you need to realize that loss is part of life.
You need to grieve every loss and move on. This is the reason so many athletes get too nervous and choke.
The loss you fear has already happened to you. And you think it will be same this time.
My friend, I can assure you this is not the case. You are different now.
You are wiser and stronger. Now don't misunderstand me.
I'm not saying losing is your goal or you should like it. That's ridiculous.
Every athlete and coach hates to lose.
I'm saying that losing happens. And there is no loss you can't handle - as long as you're prepared to accept yourself.
If you know me, you know I'm big on self-acceptance. In fact it's my top value in life.
Teach yourself how to accept yourself, warts and all. If you haven't learned this lesson yet, now is the time.
I can relate. At one point in my athletic career, I was so phobic about losing that my friends gave me a custom-made t-shirt as a gag.
It said, "Sometimes you just have to lose." I laughed and wore it around for a while.
But I only got the joke years later. That's when I realized my fear of losing was so extreme it was hurting me.
To get over your fear of losing, you need to learn how to handle loss in life. When Comedian Alan Alda was little, his dog died. He was distraught.
His Dad, trying to shield Alda from the loss, had the dog stuffed. Now Alda was doubly traumatized.
His dog was gone and his Dad didn't know how to comfort him. That's when Alda learned how to deal with bad change.
...by accepting loss.
He writes: "You can't hang onto something longer than its time. Never Have Your Dog Stuffed is really advice to myself, a reminder to myself not to avoid change or uncertainty, but to go with it, to surf into change."
How about you? Is there a loss in your past you can't seem to get over? If so, you need to realize that loss is part of life.
You need to grieve every loss and move on. This is the reason so many athletes get too nervous and choke.
The loss you fear has already happened to you. And you think it will be same this time.
My friend, I can assure you this is not the case. You are different now.
You are wiser and stronger. Now don't misunderstand me.
I'm not saying losing is your goal or you should like it. That's ridiculous.
Every athlete and coach hates to lose.
I'm saying that losing happens. And there is no loss you can't handle - as long as you're prepared to accept yourself.
If you know me, you know I'm big on self-acceptance. In fact it's my top value in life.
Teach yourself how to accept yourself, warts and all. If you haven't learned this lesson yet, now is the time.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Smile!
Hopefully your school year is flying by. That means you are having fun. If your school year seems have come to a halt, just keep smiling. Research does show us that smiling relieves stress, so you might want to try it. Just remember the old saying: "It takes more muscles to frown than to smile!" In fact it takes 41 muscles to frown and 17 to smile. Judy T., a teacher from Carol's building, uses this fact to her advantage. If Judy is having a bad day and someone tells her she is frowning, she always says, "I'm trying to use more muscles, so I can burn more calories! That way I enjoy my desert with less guilt!" She always makes us chuckle.
Teachers: “A role model is a person whose behaviour is imitated by others.”
We all hope that learners have good, strong role models who possess the kind of qualities that make our students want to be better people. While there is some variation in every teacher’s definition of what it means to be a good person, I believe the following characteristics should remain constant.
Little eyes are watching and little ears are listening. Talk about your experiences to the learners. Someday, they will be in the same predicament and think to themselves, “What did Miss or Mr X do or say when s/he was in the same situation?”
When you have a tough choice to make, allow the learners to see how you work through the problem, show which decision is best, but also how they can to come to that conclusion.
Nobody’s perfect. When you make a bad choice, let those who are watching and learning from you know that you made a mistake and how you plan to correct it. This will help them to understand that everyone makes mistakes; it’s not the end of the world; you can make it right; and you should take responsibility for it as soon as possible.
We all want children to stick with their commitments and follow through with their promises. However, as adults, we get busy, distracted, and sometimes, a bit lazy. That means be on time, finish what you started, don’t quit, keep your word and don’t back off when things get challenging.
While it may seem like a great deal of pressure to be a positive role model; nobody is expecting you to be superhuman. We certainly wouldn’t expect that behaviour from the children who are looking to us for answers and guidance—nor would we want them to expect that kind of flawless behaviour from themselves or others. You can only do your best. And, if you mess up today, you can always try again tomorrow.
Here’s to a great Weekend!
Little eyes are watching and little ears are listening. Talk about your experiences to the learners. Someday, they will be in the same predicament and think to themselves, “What did Miss or Mr X do or say when s/he was in the same situation?”
When you have a tough choice to make, allow the learners to see how you work through the problem, show which decision is best, but also how they can to come to that conclusion.
Nobody’s perfect. When you make a bad choice, let those who are watching and learning from you know that you made a mistake and how you plan to correct it. This will help them to understand that everyone makes mistakes; it’s not the end of the world; you can make it right; and you should take responsibility for it as soon as possible.
We all want children to stick with their commitments and follow through with their promises. However, as adults, we get busy, distracted, and sometimes, a bit lazy. That means be on time, finish what you started, don’t quit, keep your word and don’t back off when things get challenging.
While it may seem like a great deal of pressure to be a positive role model; nobody is expecting you to be superhuman. We certainly wouldn’t expect that behaviour from the children who are looking to us for answers and guidance—nor would we want them to expect that kind of flawless behaviour from themselves or others. You can only do your best. And, if you mess up today, you can always try again tomorrow.
Here’s to a great Weekend!
Building a school’s character
A school needs to create a character or ethos of its own in order for the learners to identify with the school. These characteristics should be positive and inclusive for growth and traditions of excellence to be established.
Lovedale (1824) in the Eastern Cape was a non-racial school which started with 11 black and 9 white children. It was a training institution where book learning and practical application (apprenticeship) went hand in hand. The first Xhosa dictionary was compiled at Lovedale.
It was also a school in which values were promoted and where women were educated as early as 1869. Music was an important part of the curriculum. Lovedale was destroyed in 1954 and is now derelict.
Healdtown (1854) was developed by Methodist Missionaries. In the nineteenth and early twentieth century it was also a centre of learning excellence. Its list of alumni is impressive and includes former president Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki (President Mbeki’s father) and Robert Sobukwe (the founder of the PAC). It is now derelict.
These examples show how tender the life of a school of excellence can be. The powerful people who came from these buildings went on to influence the world, who knows who we have attending classes at the Western Cape Sport School?
Think about the Western Cape Sport School, and its history, purpose and the future in relation to excellence in education. A teacher’s purpose is to manage and foster good traditions. A final question is “How do we water our seeds so that they grow into strong and powerful leaders?”
Let’s see what we as a staff can grow together.
Lovedale (1824) in the Eastern Cape was a non-racial school which started with 11 black and 9 white children. It was a training institution where book learning and practical application (apprenticeship) went hand in hand. The first Xhosa dictionary was compiled at Lovedale.
It was also a school in which values were promoted and where women were educated as early as 1869. Music was an important part of the curriculum. Lovedale was destroyed in 1954 and is now derelict.
Healdtown (1854) was developed by Methodist Missionaries. In the nineteenth and early twentieth century it was also a centre of learning excellence. Its list of alumni is impressive and includes former president Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki (President Mbeki’s father) and Robert Sobukwe (the founder of the PAC). It is now derelict.
These examples show how tender the life of a school of excellence can be. The powerful people who came from these buildings went on to influence the world, who knows who we have attending classes at the Western Cape Sport School?
Think about the Western Cape Sport School, and its history, purpose and the future in relation to excellence in education. A teacher’s purpose is to manage and foster good traditions. A final question is “How do we water our seeds so that they grow into strong and powerful leaders?”
Let’s see what we as a staff can grow together.
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