Featured Teacher
His desire to teach abroad once again resulted in his appointment as Head of The English School ( TES ) in Kuwait in 2013 .
Once settled at TES , and with the school firmly established as a wellrespected member of the BSME , Kieron noted that there was very little liaison among the IAPS ( The Independent Association of Prep Schools ) in the region . In a bid to promote the sharing of good practice and collaboration among the schools , he worked tirelessly with colleagues to accomplish the ratification of IAPS ME as a fully-fledged district in September 2016 .
He is currently District Representative ( Chair ) for the 14 member schools located across the region ( UAE , Bahrain , Qatar , Turkey , Cairo and Kuwait ).
Kieron has unlocked the key to doing things right and continues to do the right things in maintaining , developing and promoting TES as an exceptional school . The work that he and the other schools are doing exemplify sharing good practice in lifting education standards not only across the region , but the globe . Let ’ s get to know a bit more about Mr Kieron Peacock .
Who inspires you most ?
My greatest inspiration comes from watching others teach . Throughout my teaching career and as an inspector , each time I observe someone teaching , I learn something new . Young and newly qualified teachers also bring huge amounts of energy , enthusiasm and ideas into schools , which freshens things up . Education has always been in a state of flux and always will be , and you can learn just as much from those new to the profession as you can from experienced professionals .
What advice would you give to a teacher who is struggling with work life harmony ?
In all schools , work-life balance and well-being are very much on the radar , for staff and pupils , and there is no ‘ one size fits all ’. At the start of the school year , I always remind staff , regardless of their role in the school , to identify peak weeks , days and events where 100 % effort will be required . Working at 100 % all of the time is impossible and will cause burnout . So , plan your time , lessons and workload smartly . There are no easy teaching jobs these days . By understanding your own psyche and approach ; by evaluating your teaching and additional work commitments ; by having strong and dedicated support from colleagues , you should be able to keep life on a fairly even keel . All staff should try to have some ‘ me ’ time as an inked in appointment during every week . Whether that be coffee with a friend , a trip to the cinema , dinner at your favourite restaurant , a workout or two at the gym , or anything that takes you away from that school mind-set . It refreshes mind and soul , allows time for reflection and helps you to keep things in perspective . Often , after a good night ’ s sleep , what seemed like an insurmountable problem the previous day now seems small . Distancing yourself both physically and mentally from the problem invariably helps this .
Share 3 things that you do to keep staff motivated throughout the school year .
1 . Celebrating staff successes and achievements is also an important way of recognising and maintaining motivation .
2 . Avoiding micromanagement and allow staff , middle managers and senior managers to make decisions and trust their judgements .
3 . Lunchtime treats every half term or so from outside caterers always go down extremely well with staff and often help , for a short while , to relieve work pressures .
I also handwrite personal thank you notes to members of staff in recognition of individual achievements and work done above and beyond the call of duty . As one head teacher once said at a leadership seminar , ‘ If you can ’ t find at least three people on the staff team to write to and thank at the end of each working week , then you aren ’ t looking hard enough and you are certainly not in tune with your school and what the staff do !’
What gadget do you use most ? How does it assist in making your personal and professional life easier ?
I work from a ‘ stand-up ’ desk madeto-measure by the school ’ s carpenter . This means that I am more likely to keep moving and to get out and about , as well as helping my posture . On my desk , I have my laptop , iPad and iPhone , all of which I quite happily work from . They are all synced to my diary and my school ’ s Google account . I usually have my iPhone and sometimes my iPad with me when I am visiting classes during lessons or interacting with students , staff or parents . The school ’ s daily routines revolve around the use of technology and I like to be in touch with what is going on . However , the school does have an unofficial ‘ no work emails in the evenings or at weekends ’ policy unless it is about something very important .
What is the greatest life lesson that you have learnt as an educator ?
My greatest life lesson as an educator is a simple one - listen to others . If you listen to others you may well learn something new . If you spend your whole life talking and not listening you only regurgitate what you already know .
Share one fun thing about you that would surprise your staff .
My love of cooking … One of my greatest forms of relaxation is spending time in the kitchen preparing dinner to share with family and friends . Woe , betide anyone who uses my beloved Wüsthof knives without carefully checking with me first !
What is the best advice that you have received and how has this helped you ?
The best advice I ’ ve received from a friend and very experienced head , was to only worry about the controllable . If you can ’ t control factors , worrying about them will make no difference . I place tasks , thoughts and concerns into mental boxes , keeping the lids open if I can do something about the content . This has helped me to prioritise and cope with workload , especially when managing more challenging situations . Equally important is to deal with a problem as soon as I am able , even if it is by communicating a holding pattern . Otherwise , it may grow to become a ‘ monster ’ and much more of a challenge .
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| | Nov - Dec 2016 |
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