In one's working life, praise is often in short supply. However, praise can be like rocket fuel - it gives us a boost and encourages us to carry on, to keep putting our shoulders to the wheel - week in and week out.
For sixteen years, I was The Head of English in a north Sheffield secondary school. During that span of time, I worked closely with up to a hundred other English teachers. Some were with me for years while others lasted for no more than a single teaching year. And there were student teachers, supply teachers, even an Australian teacher who was with us for a year on an exchange programme.
I led them all - the young ones, the older ones, women, men, competent teachers and incompetent ones, teachers prone to tears and teachers who went the extra mile to serve pupils to the best of our ability.
I led by example and by listening to other teachers - showing that I valued them as colleagues and by encouraging them - often with praise that might spur them on. It was my natural style and I am proud to say that in general I earned both their respect and their affection.
It must have been just after the turn of the millennia that a young university student teacher called Sarah joined us on a successful teaching placement. She was a happy, intelligent human being with drive and personality. After her placement, we gave her a job and she joined my English department on a permanent basis.
Fast forward the tape twenty years and now Sarah's youngest son goes to the same pre-school nursery that our Phoebe attends.
Earlier this week Sarah had her first ever conversation with my daughter Frances. She said that I had been the best "boss" she had ever had. I was respected by staff and pupils alike. I listened to colleagues and made time for them and intervened when discipline issues cropped up.
Even after all these years, this report gave me a lift and caused me to reflect upon my leadership skills in those very busy working years. Though I wasn't perfect, I think Sarah's summary was pretty fair for I gave my all and I guess that I have every right to feel proud of my performance and my endurance.
A real lift, indeed. Congrats.
ReplyDeleteThank you DBS. I am glad you understand.
DeleteAND you had a near-Beatles mop top!
ReplyDeleteI have still got it. Gangs of girls scream hysterically when I walk by singing, "From Me To You" or "Please Please Me".
DeleteIt's nice getting a compliment for being yourself. Well done Mr. Pudding.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice that you understand Nurse Lily.
DeleteExcellence This is what happens when the right person finds the right job and does well at it. I'm glad to hear you mentored so well.
ReplyDeleteWe all thrive on encouragement and appreciation, don't we; both in our private and our working lives. Your personal approach to leadership is sensible and speaks of warmth and kindness, taking your work and your colleagues seriously.
ReplyDeleteMy boss and my clients often express their appreciation for me. In turn, I give my boss feedback, telling him where I think he is a good leader, but also where I see a need for improvement (he told me explicitly to tell me such things, too).
As for the placard you're holding in the first picture - Slow children crossing? What about the fast children, were they crossing elsewhere? ;-P
Ha-ha! The school had used that terrible sign for years in relation to the annual sponsored walk so in my defence I will just say that I did not make it!
DeleteSarah is hardly like to open a conversation with 'How I hated your father'. But ok, praise where it is due and I am sure it is well deserved. Intervening with disciplinary issues sounds difficult and to do so successfully puts me in awe. Do you now use a high sheen mud product on your hair to give it a lift? Short and spikey might look good. You're too old for a mullet, pony tail and manbun.
ReplyDeleteMy hair is pretty much the same now as it was then. In adulthood, I have never obsessed about my appearance.
DeleteWell done YP.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave.
DeleteYorkshire Pudding forgot a comma Meike and him an English teacher, tut, tut, ;) But yes it must have been good to get praise for your leadership and you well deserve it. The Booker Prize goes to a Norwegian called Fosse. He writes with no full stops so perhaps we can all drop our full stops and commas eventually.
ReplyDeleteI had not heard of Fosse till yesterday. We have punctuation marks for good reason. They help to enable understanding and for Fosse to ditch them seems like a huge self-indulgence to me. By the way Thelma - I did not make that sign! Honest!
DeleteJon Fosse won the Nobel Prize in Literature, not the Booker! X
DeleteIt helps to hear that you have done good. Did the bright children cross at another crossing?
ReplyDeleteThe bright children did not join the annual sponsored walk. They stayed at home reading "On The Origin of The Species" or "Love's Labour's Lost".
DeleteWell done Mr Pudding. You must have been a great teacher to be remembered so fondly.
ReplyDeleteAll I know is that I gave it my all and who could ask for more?
DeleteThat must have been a very nice thing to hear indeed.
ReplyDeleteSince the antibiotics episode I have been feeling a little blue so this gave me a much needed lift.
DeleteHow nice for you to hear that from one of your former employees! Treating people fairly and with respect goes a long way.
ReplyDeleteSo often people forget to say the good things.
DeleteSo did the interview taking place in the bottom picture ever make the radio?
ReplyDeleteLocal radio yes. I can't quite remember what it was all about. It was thirty years ago.
DeleteIt's nice to have complimentary feedback, Neil! Sounds like you did a terrific job and it was so important to the teachers and students! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteMostly I soldiered on without praise like a workhorse.
DeletePraise helps people go a long way. Praise kept me going. You looked around at some teachers who struggled and they did not give praise or receive that much. Now one question. What is the photo all about? It looks like it could be a blog post all by itself.
ReplyDeleteThe top one was a school sponsored walk and I was manning a road crossing point. The second one was for a local radio programme.
DeleteWhy didn't we have teachers like you when I was at school?
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to be recognised, it can make all the difference to whether we are able to continue or not.
ReplyDeleteBask in the glow of a fond memory, you deserve it!