Partners in Joy

Thanks so much to everyone who has supported us this year. A very happy Christmas to you all and fervent wishes for a peaceful New Year.
Love
Siobhan and Maureen

We're fairly sure that Jane's words resonate with most educators. It can be hard to know what enough actually is in a system that sometimes feels insatiable.

When you join a profession fuelled by a desire to be part of positive change, it's easy to keep giving until you burn out.

As Jane discovered when she worked with us last year, taking the time to get super clear on your own boundaries about what enough means for you can be transformative. A small change with big consequences. That's why we've included a unit on enough in our new programme, Practivism for Educators.

Find out more and book your spot for January here https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

When a system is built on staff's dedication rather than their capacity, it often feels like having boundaries is frowned upon as selfish and, in a worst case scenario, could disadvantage you in the workplace.

So what if I asked you about the 'enough' you want for other people - your ECTs, middle leaders or other members of your team? Maybe your children have followed you into the profession - what do you want to be enough for them? Do you wish for more for them than you do for yourself?

One things for sure, when you consistently work beyond your capacity the only destination you'll reach is burn out. Until we can say, 'I don't have capacity for that', we'll continue to watch talented teachers and leaders leave the profession every year.

When we took feedback from the inspirational educators who participated in our last programme, their biggest take away was 'now I know what enough means for me'. That's why Practivism for Educators includes units on working out your personal 'enough,' what stops you keeping to it and how your can support yourself through the challenging conversations with yourself and others that will lead you away from overwhelm and burn out.

Find out more and sign up here to start the new year as you mean to go on.https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

If you are a leader in education and Charlotte's story resonates, we can help. There are just a few weeks left to book the final spots on Practivism for Educators starting this January. Explore ways to make your career sustainable and find the space and vision to be the leader you know, deep down, you were meant to be.

Find out more and book your spot at https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

So why should you join us at Practivism for Educators?

With 40+ years of experience in education between us, we know the system inside out – the joy and the pain.

Maureen is a highly experienced executive coach and leadership mentor for school leaders specialising in emotional intelligence, resilience and self compassion.

Siobhan worked as a teacher and AST for 17 years, and then as a teacher educator, before retraining as an educational coach. She coaches everyone from ECTs to school leaders and still works in an amazing Bristol school 2 days a week, coaching students.

Our vision for the talented educators with whom we work is firmly based in reality but also filled with hope for the profession. We want you to feel brave, bold and well. We want to build a movement of connected practivists, changing the system, one courageous but manageable action at time.

Start the new year the way you mean to go on. Join us here https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

Looking for what Charlotte found? Join us at Practivism for Educators in January. Just click the link to find out more and sign up. https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

You went into education because it mattered that you made a difference, first for your students and then the staff you led. But between managing ever diminishing (and miscalculated) budgets, staff shortages, and a growing national cost of living and mental health crisis, you could be forgiven for wondering where that vision went.

Practivism for Educators is a programme designed not only to allow you find your own unique vision of leadership again but to develop a toolkit that will help you to overcome the self doubt, overwhelm and fear of judgement that can hold you back.

Best of all, it will bring you into a community of fellow practivists,ready to start changing the way we think and work one practivist action at a time.

Find out more and sign up to start in January here https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

Staff working in education are 12% more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety thant the general population of Great Britain. That's close to half of the adults working with children in this country. (Source Teacher Wellbeing Index, 2023, published by Education Support)
Things have to change now, we can't wait for the roof to fall in. If you are leader in education desperate to create changes for the better for you, your staff and your students, then join Practivism for Educators, starting January. You'll find the courage, resilience and community needed to push back and change a system that is letting us all down. Click here to find out more and claim your spot.
https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

With a heavy heart, I'm about to sit down to read this year's Teacher Wellbeing Index. This starter for 10 will come as no surprise to anyone who is or knows an educator. Stress levels are high and times hard all over at the moment, but teacher wellbeing has been reported as lower than that of the general population every year for the last 4 years.
Current conditions are unsustainable. We need change now before the teaching profession is damaged irrevocably. If you are ready to start taking action to make those changes happen, starting with you and your school, then take a look at our Practivism for Educators programme, starting in January. https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/
The time for change is now

Teacher wellbeing hits five-year low The education workforce is 'stressed and unhappy at work,' warns teacher support charity

With hardworking talented leaders leaving the education system every day it's time to take action.

We created Practivism for Beginners for leaders like you who are desperate for change but stuck in ways of working that simply don't work anymore.

You will join our community of likeminded practivists for a mixture of group and one to one coaching, self reflection and accessible online learning.

You'll get back in touch with what you want and need from the job you once loved and then plan to go out and get it, not just for you but for your staff and students too. Best of all, all resources are available after the course ends so that you can continue the work personally and in your school.

Find out more at https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/ and book your place to start in January.

If this sounds like something you want to be part of, find out more about our programme, Practivism for Educators here https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/
or DM us to have a chat about what we can offer you and your school.

Summoning up the bravery to push for change requires vulnerability because there's no way we can get everything right first time. But in a system where accountability is high, vulnerability feels risky.

Unit 5 of Practivism for Educators will encourage you to take on the challenges of being vulnerable and consider the benefits of a more vulnerable school culture for you, your staff and students.

Click here https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/ to find out more and sign up.

If you would like to know more about how Practivism for Educators can help you to make your career feel sustainable again, contact us here or go to https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

Got that back to school feeling? We know what that's like.

It’s easy to feel that creating the changes we want in education is beyond our reach as individuals. That our choices are to stay and suffer or leave education altogether.

Most of us joined education to make a difference so we propose an Option C - to stay and make a difference from within but on your terms, and with the support of a community of practivists.

Go to https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/ to find out more and reserve your place in our exciting community.

A Teacher Tapp poll this month, told us what we already know - nearly one third of SLT report experiencing burn out. At Partners in Joy, we are committed to changing this.

So many things feel out of our control in the profession at the moment. That's exactly why we have designed Practivism for Educators, to help you focus on the things you can control and realistically change. Not just in the short term but the long term too so that education becomes a place that dedicated professionals like you want to stay, not yearn to escape.

The 12 units focus on educators' everyday challenges like never feeling enough, prioritising crucial self care, having the courage to speak up and speak out and building communities for change.

We would love you to join us. You can find out more and book your spot here https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/teacher-wellbeing-school-leader-burnout-mental-health

School leader burnout more than doubles Senior leaders are being ‘broken’ by the pressures of workload, accountability and funding shortages, warns union leader

If you

* long for teaching to feel sustainable for you and your teams but can't get past your own feelings of overwhelm
* want to be part of courageous action for the better but have no idea where to start
* would love to connect with other teachers and leaders just like you

then we have exactly what you need.

Go to https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/ to find out more about how you could become part of our practivist community and get ready to make changes that really matter.

As a practivist you are committed to taking action but what if the job leaves you so depleted that you can’t even get started on the changes you're so desperate to see happen ?

Often the most important action you can take towards change is meeting your own basic needs, yet in our work with educators we have found time and time again that this area is the one most likely to be avoided.

Unit 3 of Practivism for Educators explores how

* understanding the stress cycle can completely change the way you respond to stressors
* to get out of your head and back into your body so that you meet your basic needs
* to work mindfully with the energy you do have rather than powering through and burning out.

Interested? Find out more and sign up here https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

As Catherine found out, when change feels hard, having easy to implement strategies to hand can be the difference between getting started and resigning yourself to things staying the same.
Each of the 12 units on the Practivism for Educators programme will provide you with a toolkit of easy to use strategies, designed explicitly with educators in mind. Three one to one coaching sessions will help you to clarify your vision for change and plan to make those changes happen. Best of all, resources will remain available after the programme ends meaning that you can continue your journey with your own school.

To find out more and sign up
go to https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

Education Support’s recent report, ‘Teaching: the new reality’, paints a worrying picture of what happens when schools are asked to fill the gaps caused by underfunded public services and increasing student and staff needs.

We know you are desperate for change. We also know how hard it can be to find the time and energy for change when there are a million and one fires to fight on a day-to-day basis.

At Partners in Joy we have over 40 years of experience working with and as educators and we believe, even with times as hard as they have ever been, change is possible for you, and the system. Our programme, Practivism for Educators has been designed to focus on what is possible so that you can
• overcome your blockers.
• maintain inspiration and momentum for change.
• be part of a supportive community of practivists who will make sure that you make your changes happen.

To find out more and sign up go to https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

If there's one question that keeps educators awake at night this has to be it? When a system is built on staff's dedication rather than their capacity, it often feels like having boundaries is frowned upon as selfish and, in a worst case scenario, could disadvantage you in the workplace.

So what if I asked you about the 'enough' you want for other people - your ECTs, middle leaders or other members of your team? Maybe your children have followed you into the profession - what do you want to be enough for them? Do you wish for more for them than you do for yourself?

One things for sure, when you consistently work beyond your capacity the only destination you'll reach is burn out. Saying, 'I haven't got the capacity for that right now.' can feel incredibly challenging but until we start saying it, we'll continue to watch talented teachers and leaders leave the profession every year.

When we took feedback from the inspirational educators who participated in our last programme, the one take away that kept coming up was 'now I know what enough means for me'. That's why Practivism for Educators includes units on working out your personal 'enough,' what stops you keeping to it and how your can support yourself through the challenging conversations with yourself and others that will lead you away from overwhelm and burn out.

Find out more and sign up here https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

Schools are both a community in themselves and at the centre of the communities which they serve. Nevertheless, most educators will recognise the 'teacher loneliness' that Catherine mentions. Even leading in your classroom can have its own kind of isolation but it's often as you climb the career ladder that loneliness can really kick in.

Practivism for Educators is as much a community as a programme. We want you to connect with other educators like you, who understand your challenges and share your aspirations. We believe that in bringing you together we will not only create exciting conversations, new perspectives and warm support in the sessions but beyond them as well.

To become part of our community go to https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

Schools are FILLED with conversations. They take place every minute of the day in classrooms, offices and on corridors. But have you ever thought that the conversations you have help to create the culture in which you work?

I imagine most educators consider this in terms of the conversations they have with learners but what about those that we have with each other?

How many of the conversations that you have in a day help you to move forward or create new thinking? It might be surprisingly few and there are all sorts of reasons for this.

If you are time poor you will often find yourself avoiding all but necessary communication or suffering conversations with growing irritation thinking of all you have to do. Maybe you're brain is so scrambled by the sheer volume of tasks that need to be completed that you can't concentrate when you are involved in conversation.

Perhaps the way people communicate in your organisation has an impact on what you talk about? Maybe it feels that admitting you are finding something a challenge is frowned upon or perhaps people let off steam to alleviate stress with negative interactions that leave you drained? Maybe some voices get heard at the expense of others?

Now think of time when you felt inspired by the conversations you were having at work. Those times you were able to be creative and in flow. When you felt inspired by those around you, like something really important was going to come of what was said. When you could safely speak your mind and hear a range of differing views.

Who was it with? What was the focus? How long did you spend on the conversation? Did you feel heard by the others taking part? How could you work like that again?

At Partners in Joy, we want as many conversations to feel like this as possible. Not just the ones that take place on our programme,
but the conversations you have every day at school too.

Practivism for Educators gives you time and space to talk openly and honestly with other educators like you. With units on finding your voice, communicating effectively, reframing confidence, knowing what is enough and making connections, we know you will leave confident that your conversations will count.

To book your spot and find out more, go to https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

At Partners in Joy, nothing makes us happier than educators being able to stop and truly appreciate what an amazing job they do. If you need a bit of what Charlotte found, go to https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/ to see how Practivism for Educators could help.

A desire to change things doesn't always equate to action. In fact that desire can often feel so overwhelming that you find your self unable to start at all.

There are lots of reasons for this. Perhaps the demands of the job itself leave you in survival mode, fire fighting day to day issues and never getting to the big picture. Or maybe you worry that you won't do justice to your vision for change or get caught up in what others might think about your ideas.

Our programme, Practivism for Educators was created with exactly these challenges in mind. You'll be able to clarify your priorities, tackle blockers like overwhelm, lack of self-belief and creating boundaries about what is 'enough'. You'll feel excited about what is next for you and your school.

We want you to remember that doing anything is doing something. The biggest journeys start with the smallest of steps. Take your first step - find out more and join us here https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

This weekend's Rethinking Ed conference gave me so much to think about. One really strong thread running through the conference was the importance of being clear on your 'why' - in other words, your purpose and what you stand for as an educator.

So why does clarity on 'why' matter? The school leaders and teachers that we work with at Partners In Joy often realise that beneath the day to day challenges they face, they are losing sight of the values and purpose that brought them into the job in the first place.

Without knowing your 'why' as an educator, it can be hard to create a compelling vision that inspires you and your team through the tough times and even harder to make bold decisions about what you need to let go of to create the job, school and education system you really want.

Practivism for Educators begins with a one to one coaching session to help you get clarity on what you stand for and want for yourself and your school so that you can use the programme to start moving towards the fulfilment and delight of making a real difference again.

Join us here https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

So why should you work with us at Partners in Joy? With 40+ years of experience in education between us, we know the system inside out – the joy and the pain.

Maureen is a highly experienced executive coach and leadership mentor for school leaders specialising in emotional intelligence, resilience and self compassion.

Siobhan worked as a teacher and AST for 17 years, and then as a teacher educator, before retraining as an educational coach. She coaches everyone from ECTs to school leaders and still works in an amazing Bristol school 2 days a week, coaching students.

Our vision for the talented educators with whom we work is firmly based in reality but also filled with hope for the profession. We want you to feel brave, bold and well. We want to build a movement of connected practivists changing the system, one courageous but manageable action at time.

Siobhan will be attending the Rethinking Education Rethinking Ed Conference in London this weekend, hoping to meet as many likeminded educators as possible to start plotting! If you are one of them, then find her for a chat. She looks just like the right hand side of the logo but with a face, and she’s really friendly. Look out for the ‘resist’ necklace.

These recent statistics will come as no surprise to those who work in education. The cost of losing and then recruiting a teacher is a huge drain on school finances and that's before the human cost for the teachers, leaders and students involved is considered.

Retaining experienced staff and recruiting a new generation of teachers is vital and will mean making bolder changes that we have ever done before at a time when change can feel out of reach.

Practivism for Beginners is designed for this moment. It will allow you to
* Gain clarity on what is most important for you and your school.
* Work through blockers like overwhelm and fear of failure whilst building the courage and resilience needed for challenging conversations and bold action.
* Build a community of like minded practivists to help encourage you, and hold you accountable.

Best of all, online resources will remain available after the course to support you as you, and your school, continue on your practivist journey.

Sign up for January is open just follow this link https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

We're fairly sure that Jane's 'one change' resonates with most educators. It can be hard to know what enough actually is in a system that sometimes feels insatiable.

When you join a profession fuelled by a desire to be part of positive change, it's easy to keep giving until you burn out.

As Jane discovered when she worked with us last year, taking the time to get super clear on your own boundaries about what enough means for you can be transformative. A small change with big consequences. That's why we've included a unit on enough in our new programme, Practivism for Educators.

Find out more and book your spot here https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/

At Partners in Joy, we are committed to empowering talented educators build the courage and confidence to create change for themselves, their schools and beyond. With more than 40 years of working in education between us, we are clear that educators long for change, now more than ever. We also know that sometimes making change happen can feel impossible.

Over the last year we have combined everything we have learned as coaches, trainers, facilitators and teachers to create a programme that will leave you believing change is possible, and that you are ready to make change happen.

We’ve combined online learning and personal reflection with group and one to one coaching. Plus you’ll be supported by an inspiring community of fellow practivists so that you can

*Develop awareness of your needs to be physically, mentally and emotionally ready for change and courageous action
*Gain clarity around what kind of action you want to take (for you and your school)
*Rediscover a sense of joy and purpose that means you’re uplifted to make a difference
*Find your voice for change - speaking up and speaking out
*Develop resilience to get through the challenges of change and putting your head above the parapet.

If this sounds like exactly what you need then find out more and book your spot at https://partnersinjoy.co.uk/practivism/