Blog, International
New Zealand Two Fire Training (August 2016)
Unbelieveable eh! While you all were frolicking in the sun, I was working with 40 fabulous New Zealand educators (RTLBs, Principals and Teachers) for a week in an old turn of the century ballroom in the middle of an icy winter flanked by two open fires either end of our training room!! I’ve written many times before about how my QCT model fits in with NZ’s Ministry of Education Initiative; Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) but for anyone interested, please look below this blog for the downloads – handouts that I wrote for them. Murray Bootten, Principal of Naenae Primary School, actively supports QCT – it’s worth having a look at his website too as he has given it its own focus (http://www.schoolground.co.nz/naenaeprim).
My training programme for everyone is called ‘Train the Trainers’ and accredits all the delegates to teach key features to others. Every afternoon we walked down the hill to a small rural school in wonderful Waitomo where one of the teachers who was attending the TTT had been a child at that school – as had his father and his grandfather before him.
The area is mystical, magical and mysterious and the children as mischievous as all children are and full of energy. New Zealand children are very out doorsy. Children go bare foot in winter and are rapacious for new games and ideas for circle time and playtimes.
What a week it was. I love New Zealand teachers – their openness, enthusiasm and sense of fun. It’s intense to spend 6 or 7 hours a day together but time flew by, fuelled by lots of activities and laughter.
Jenny Whitehead and Marion Gauntlett are dedicated to the Quality Circle Time Model and it’s thanks to them that these amazing training courses take place. Just to add to the fun as it’s a residential course they also organise an amazing murd
er mystery evening which, seeming as the hotel we were in was known for its strong ghost life – was very apt.
Website Editor’s Notes
1. This is the first quick blog that Jenny’s written since New Zealand and she’s had some real adventures. I know she’s come back even more passionate about how some key Maori culture features seem to lend even more depth and credence to the philosophy and practice of Quality Circle Time… and although she’s back on the road since last Wednesday working with UK schools I am going to try and persuade her to give us a little series of “vignettes from New Zealand!!
2. Jenny Mosley delivers keynote speeches, seminars and workshops at conferences and training events including headteachers’ conferences in the UK and overseas in local and international schools. For further information about Jenny’s work and availability please phone 01225 767157, email circletime@jennymosley.co.uk or see our training section on the website.
3 . For all enquiries about Closure Days and Working in School Days for positive behaviour, social and emotional skills develoment, staff well-being, circle time and lunchtimes and playtimes in mainstream, special schools and early years settings – click here.
4. Jenny Mosley’s training, consultancy and conferences are for teachers, teaching assistants, headteachers, midday supervisors and everyone who works with children in schools and settings.
5. Jenny Mosley’s Golden Model and training promotes positive behaviour for learning, positive lunchtimes and playtimes, SEAL, SMSC, PSHE and British Values.
6. To see one of Jenny’s new books – “How to Create Calm Dining Halls‘. This book has many initiatives, audits, photographs and ideas for the dining hall such as those mentioned in the article. If you are interested in school dining hall improvement, you may like to see our dining hall articles in Headteacher Update here and the TES here.