Is there really a leadership in organizations with which the follower, subordinate, employee or whatever you want to call, really trust the actions and strategies to take his superior, and moreover, actions are motivating employees to innovate, create or add value to your daily activities?

Organizations today are lack of leaders with vision, ability to convince, with empathy for the worker. Long Sentence today need a leader, who has the charisma to convince, to radiate optimism, that recognizes that labor now becomes a fundamental part of the organization, you need a leader who provides and meets the needs of their partners, because it is true that an organization with apathetic employees healthy is not an organization, you need happy employees, they are taken into account, and that they will meet their basic needs for their activities carefully.

The true leader is one who works focused on service, customer satisfaction, good organizational climate, human capital development, which so long has been forgotten in the recesses of the organization, a leader knows his strengths and weaknesses, goals and objectives known shape, grow professionally and grow to his followers, knows how to communicate!.

Maybe?, This last point is the conflict that is exposed to any leader of an organization, not knowing how to communicate their ideas, and not see crystallized their projects in a timely manner.

A leading provider is what every organization needs to achieve its objectives and goals.

Popularity: 3%

Children Leaders: born or made? Apparently, some people are born to be leaders, but scientists have no doubt that most need to possess and develop skills to gain the trust of others. Although some children are more easily accepted by their peers, which could make them more liable to become tomorrow’s leaders still need to cultivate the qualities that guide has the everything: confidence, charisma and ability to play the role that others would delegate.

On raising a child without highlighting the social and cultural differences of those around you do to form tolerant and respectful, qualities considered essential for leading a group. To ensure that a child develops this virtue is recommended that parents talk with their children constantly on global current affairs, giving the impression that the problems of people in other countries are as important as they suffer and thus grow his desire to help and guide their peers.

The parents of a child leader should discuss with him positive leadership qualities and show what you can achieve if well channeled their ability to mobilize others. “To do that,” parents should guide, for example, on the theme of solidarity, so that it always present to others and can understand that through your leadership, can help peoples in need and serve both to society. “

Long Sentence is another important quality of a leader, and therefore, it is recommended not to put pressure on children to choose a certain career, but the boost to be the best at what they choose and commit to moving forward, remember “Not all people have to be doctors or lawyers, a child may choose to be a teacher if you really like and become the best.”

As a leader entails responsibility, should teach children from young to think about the consequences of their actions with examples, “If you teach a child to use the credit card is spent much more than paying cash, you will learn to think about the future consequences and become more responsible and mature. ”

From three years old children begin to interact in groups and learn little by little to play and share with other children their age. This period is marked by a strong sense of self-centeredness and sense of ownership, very normal and expected for this stage of development but the origin of negative leadership is not in the own resources of the child’s personality, but it takes place in an emotional deprivation. “Leaders are negative children with relatives who do not feel sufficiently loved by their parents who are not valued by them as what they are, and they are constantly being questioned and required by their performance or behavior”

A good leader is one who uses his talents for the benefit of others, and you Miss Verb through your way of being and doing, helping others.

Popularity: unranked

A constant always, everything in life changes sooner or later, everything moves from one place to another whole scenario is changed, any time is altered, all words are subject to being influenced using speakers, everything changes in life to the beliefs, dogmas and passions, everything changes alone the fact that we have to accept the change.

The only constant in life, go to the tremendous paradox is precisely the change in the words of Arthur Schopenhauer “change is the only unchanging thing, everything moves, everything moves, everything in life, the world is subject to fluctuations, an action event in permanent and constant vibration.

We must now asks “where is generated the change? And who should start? Gandhi us answered these questions without a hint of doubt “We ourselves must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

The Mahatma resolves the matter with easy and uncomplicated terms. However, reality shows us a constant opposition and there is no surprise that, since the talk about change, we are referring to uncertainty, instability, risk, danger, unemployment and several additional traumas. So sometimes the change is received with little enthusiasm.

Some object from the beginning and the torpedo by any means, others envision reach but are still unprepared when it comes and that is why we are helpless but then manage to react and adapt. Others pick up signals with more time, take precautions, they turn to their lives and activities, and get ahead, happy and empowered pending further changes to which are also prepared.

Equally there are those who do not object or the adjustment, or anticipate, who are they? Neither more nor less than the “guilty” of the welter. Those responsible for the break with the status quo: they are generators, the drivers of change, the powerful machines that turn the transformations with these people, bold leaders whose initiative the world remains in constant oscillation.

It is necessary to discuss the details of the environment in which best moves: its propensity to take initiatives and put them into practice would be the bold and courageous way, their main problem as we have said is dealing with resistance to change.

Popularity: unranked

A very important for success in all activities of our life is the ability to Lead. John C. Maxwell says that “Everything rises and falls every issue of Leadership.” Leadership is important, because not only will you be able to lead others, but be prepared to take ourselves. No one is completely successful only by being a follower. Sometimes, we simply must find a new path, be bold and follow it.

Being a good leader is more than just being in front of a crowd. A leader must act. There are many people who see or hear as leaders, but rarely perform actions of leaders, and that is the true test of leadership.

However, to become good leaders ourselves, we must focus on actions rather than mere appearances. In this article refers to eight steps to be taken as actions to perform regularly.

First, be alert to new possibilities. “Reality” is not an absolute; everything is subject to constant change. Think of inventors, explorers, and social change agents who have achieved greatness. Some might says simply that some people are successful because they have been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. Maybe so, but if you’ve had your eyes open for an opportunity, and then would not have mattered if they were in the right place.

Second, take inspiration from wherever it comes, even our adversaries. The wisest of the leaders constantly look at her competition. In war, politics, business and constantly see examples of this research and recognition.

Third, learn something new and promote new ways of doing things every day. This means that you should try to broaden your horizons, both internally and externally. Eat with new experiences and knowledge, broaden your horizons. Find and meet new people and immerse themselves in new social situations. You never know when these new experiences will help you in your leadership role.

Fourth, seek and find answers in unusual places. Look under the surface. This is an extension of the third stage when it comes to finding new knowledge. We must find those answers where most of people do not seek them. Attend seminars to extra instruction, attend forums or places where there is more room for questioning and debate. Find information of thinkers, teachers and / or unconventional writers.

Fifthly, improvise, if there are no existing solutions. No excuses. Necessity is the mother of an invention. How do you know it will not work if you’ve never tried before? Look at your problem from different angles and deal systematically with different solutions and different combinations.

Six, make one person happy every day. Make someone happy also feeds our own personal happiness. Imagine how much better the world would be if all we put our grain of sand to spread a little happiness.

Seven, offer help, although there is no apparent reward for you. This means giving your time and energy, and yourself. Sometimes this means helping someone who does not know and sometimes can be a very personal action.

Finally, never let negativity take over you. Always accentuate the positive aspects of everything and this will increase the chances of getting a positive result.

Following these eight steps of action cannot only be better leaders, but we will have a more fulfilling personal life.

Popularity: 1%

Cognitive acceleration programmes are intervention approaches which seek to enhance learning through the use of innovative methods centring on thinking skills.

Knowledge bank

Cognitive acceleration programmes first came to the attention of schools thanks to the work of a team of researchers at King’s College, London during the 1980s. Through academically rigorous trials with learners, the team have helped to cement the approach as one of the most respected and well-researched ways of enhancing learning so far documented.

The initial focus for the work was in science and was called Cognitive Acceleration Through Science Education (CASE). The project was subsequently developed to encompass other curriculum areas – maths (CAME), technology (CATE) and geography (CAGE).

The team leading the work in science devised a series of teaching interventions called ‘Thinking Science’ which were taught to a group of learners in years 7 and 8 instead of the standard science curriculum.

The teaching programme challenged children’s previous concepts in science and presented them with problems they were unable to solve using current knowledge.

The CASE programme resulted in significant improvements in learners’ science understanding compared to the control group who were taught the standard curriculum, together with greater gains in reasoning ability. Their GCSE results in science were higher than a control group who did not take part in CASE, and also amazingly in maths and English.

Ask yourself

• To what extent have cognitive acceleration programmes been embraced by your school?
• What are the key messages of the approach for your classroom?
• How do cognitive acceleration programmes link with other work taking place in your classroom or school?

To do list

• Find out more about the cognitive acceleration programmes currently on offer and what is relevant to your own teaching.
• Observe some cognitive acceleration programmes in action in a neighbouring school.
• Study in more detail some of the excellent publications available on cognitive acceleration programmes.

Popularity: 1%

Accelerated learning is a set of principles and approaches to promoting effective learning. It rests on a foundation of neuro-scientific research from which is extrapolated a series of models and strategies that enhance the capacity of learners.

Knowledge bank

Accelerated learning has a number of underpinning principles:

• A focus on learning
• A positive and purposeful learning environment
• Connection to other learners
• A cyclical approach to learning
• Awareness of the styles and preference for learning that exist amongst learners.

It makes use of neuro-scientific research to inform classroom practice. In particular, it draws on research from functional scanning techniques about how the brain responds to learning tasks.

There has been some criticism of accelerated learning for drawing broad general rules about learning in classrooms from discrete laboratory experiments, sometimes involving animals other than humans. This has been countered by case studies from teachers and schools using it to effect positive change in schools.

Accelerated learning draws broad inferences about how we should plan for learning with the brain in mind, and although there is a range of interpretations of accelerated learning in the UK, a cyclical process is suggested by each proponent.

The approach favoured by the authors is Alistair Smith’s four-stage cycle consisting of:

• Connection (connecting learners to what they already know, to the content, the process of the learning and with one another)
• Activation (offering new ideas, concepts and activating thinking through a rich sensory immersion)
• Demonstration (the opportunity to show what has been learnt, to gain feedback and to practise skills, techniques and knowledge)
• Consolidation (the opportunity to review learning, and review how learning has taken place, to use techniques to commit learning to long-term memory and to consider ways in which learning could be transferred to other areas of school or home life).

It incorporates models of thinking which both explain levels of cognitive challenge and also provide methodology to extend levels of thinking. Bloom’s taxonomy of thinking is used as a framework to encourage six different types of thinking. These include knowledge recall, comprehension, application of learning, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis (or creative development of ideas).

Accelerated learning provides a number of useful ways to think about the classroom and learners including:

• The notion that intelligence is varied and modifiable, drawing on Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory.
• If we take care of the self-esteem and motivation, the behaviour will take care of itself. Accelerated learning draws on six elements of self-esteem which can be developed in classrooms using a range of strategies.
• All learners have different needs including sensory preferences
• There are no mistakes, only learning, which enables learners to take risks in their learning without fear of ridicule or derision.
• Classrooms are places of improvement not comparison, which puts an emphasis on self-motivation and improvement rather than a league table approach to success.

Tools and strategies for promoting motivation, self-esteem, varietal thinking and memory are all included under the accelerated learning umbrella. These include a raft of memory improvement techniques and an education of learners about how their memory is organized and how they can improve it using memory techniques.

Ask yourself

• How much are you currently utilizing research about the brain to inform your teaching?
• What are the principles you’re currently operating on in your classroom and how do they compare with those outlined for accelerated learning?
• How much do you understand about the cyclical process of learning?

To do list

• Consider reading more about brain function and its relationship to learning.
• Share what you know about brain function and learning with your learners.
• Consider being even more explicit with your learners about the principles upon which you operate your classroom.

- Read a book on accelerated learning within the next three months.

Popularity: 1%

Brain breaks are pauses in learning taken in order to carry out physical activities for the purposes of enhancing learning. They can be set within a philosophy of a healthy lifestyle for effective learning.

Knowledge bank

There are many commercially branded brain break activities which claim specific brain-related benefits. In some cases these brain break regimes include reference to the importance of nutrition and hydration in learning, and a quest to educate young people about the benefits of proper nutrition and hydration, sleep, exercise and laughter.
Brain break activities are said to influence a range of aspects of learning and development including:

• overall improvement in balance and coordination
• integration of the brain’s function between the so-called left and right hemispheres of the brain, via the brain structure the corpus callosum
• improvement in attention through physical, intellectual and emotional reprieve; taking a break from your learning improves your concentration
• enhanced cardiovascular and respiratory function
• stress relief.

Caution needs to be exercised in promoting some of the proposed benefits, as much of the science behind the claims has not yet been properly evidenced. However, many teachers report a range of benefits in their learners as a result of introducing brain break activities.

Some proponents of brain break activities make claims that their approach has particular benefits for young people with dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

One approach advocated by Alistair Smith in Move It (2002) identifies eight different categories of movement:

• relaxers to support emotional awareness of relaxation and anxiety
• energizers to lift the energy levels of a group
• stretchers to improve physical flexibility
• lateralizers to assist children to develop a sense of left and right and to support coordination and balance
• little and large movements to improve hand-eye coordination and voluntary muscle movements
• coordinates done with other people in partnership, developing observation skills, mental rehearsal and cooperation
• linkers to link directly with learning and content
• eye trackers designed to improve eye movement tracking in relation to reading.

Two examples of a brain break activity are:

• Cross crawl — it is claimed that this helps to improve coordination and balance and is also a useful energizer activity. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, once you are stable in your stance, lift your right knee and move your left hand across to touch it. Bring the knee down and the hand back to your side then repeat with the right hand and left knee. This should be repeated with each side 10-12 times.
• Active punctuation – designed to assist learners to learn content in the lesson. It consists of a series of movements to represent different aspects of punctuation, e.g. a small jump for a full stop, two hands in the air inclined to the left to start speech. These actions are added to prose as it is read out.

Ask yourself

• How much movement do your learners currently enjoy in lessons?
• What might be the benefits of learners having more structured movement in lessons?
• How could you bring movement into lessons safely?
• What else do you need to know or experience to take this further?

To do list

• Read a good book or visit a website on educational kinesiology, brain breaks or Brain Gym.
• Experiment safely with what you find out with a group of learners with whom you have a good relationship.
• Trial a range of brain break activities at different times of the day, and with different groups, and get feedback from learners using a question like: ‘What were the benefits of the exercise?’
• Encourage learners to research the impact of diet, hydration, sleep and exercise on learning and to share their discoveries with the class.

Popularity: 2%

Mentoring is a process of supporting others to develop through the provision of challenge, support, sharing relevant experiences and providing solutions.

Knowledge bank

Mentoring, as distinct from coaching, provides support and challenge for an individual or group from a mentor who has experience and expertise in the field in which they are helping.

Mentoring involves exploring perspectives, setting goals with the mentee and negotiating the agenda. The agenda for mentoring may well be set by the institution or might be more flexible.

On the whole mentoring tends to be provided rather than sought and is typically used for new teachers, and for those growing into new roles within the profession. Additionally, mentoring is often provided to learners who the school sees as needing support, i.e. they are in a particular group such as the C/D borderline.

Although mentoring is traditionally an advice-based helping process it is often combined with coaching and even counselling skills. In this way a blended approach to support is offered.

Mentoring can be seen as the provision of advice, guidance and suggested solutions; coaching as the unblocking of attitudes and empowerment; and counselling as exploring and acknowledging emotional responses to situations.

One model of mentoring suggests a three-step process:

• Exploration – where the mentor takes the lead, develops the relationship, clarifies the objectives and negotiates the agenda.
• New understanding – where the mentor listens and challenges, gives feedback, demonstrates skills and provides information and advice.
• Action planning – where the mentor examines options for action, negotiates and agrees action plans and monitors progress and outcomes.

The power relationship in mentoring is different to that of coaching. In mentoring there is a power difference created by the expectation that the mentor is experienced and has answers to problems. This can be efficient and effective in the early stages of a teaching career or in situations where individuals need direct suggestions to make progress.

Schools that offer mentoring to colleagues, parents or learners need to have clear policies in place to ensure the consistency and effectiveness of the process. A key element of this will be to evaluate (usually through questionnaires) the impact of the mentoring that has taken place.

Ask yourself

• How effective is the mentoring process in your school?
• How are mentors chosen, trained and monitored?
• How aware are people involved in helping others in one-to-one relationships of the differences between coaching and mentoring and to what extent do they blend the processes?
• What are your strengths as a one-to-one supporter of learning? What areas do you need to develop?

To do list

• Consider this briefing on mentoring and that of coaching. How would you characterize the support you offer to, a. colleagues b. learners c. parents?
• Seek permission to tape mentoring sessions and listen to your interactions with the mentee after the session. What are the strengths of your intervention? What would you change? How will you make those changes?
• Appraise your skills using the tape and seek further support from colleagues, by engaging in learning conversations about supporting others.
• Consider and plan your CPD needs in relation to mentoring and coaching for the coming year.

Popularity: unranked

The National Strategies for schools are a series of high-profile government-backed programmes to promote reforms to the education system and what is taught in schools. They include:

• The Primary National Strategy – launched in 2003
• The National Literacy Strategy – launched in 1998 and now part of the Primary National Strategy
• The National Numeracy Strategy – launched in 1999 and now part of the Primary National Strategy
• The Key Stage 3 National Strategy – launched in 2000
• The Secondary National Strategy for School Improvement 2005-6 – launched in 2005
• Plus a range of smaller strategies dealing with specific subject areas – e.g. technology, languages.

Knowledge bank

The National Strategies for schools have impacted on the work of teachers perhaps more than any other government initiative over the last five years – especially in primary schools.

Teachers are now working under much more prescription about what they teach and even how they teach it than ever before -notably in literacy and numeracy – though there have been recent moves to allow more flexibility following something of a backlash from teachers.

The National Strategies have, nevertheless, done much to help improve standards in schools, especially where whole schools have been committed to taking on board the principles – across the curriculum as well as in the more obvious areas.

A key challenge for teachers is how to embrace the National Strategies – which have often come with statutory force – while still covering an appropriate curriculum and by teaching in ways that are in line with their own and their school’s ethos and values.

Secondary schools have been less influenced by the National Strategies, though targeted efforts at Key Stage 3 have been necessary and subject teachers have been required to consider the cross-curricular implications of the other strategies.

One of the criticism of the strategies is that there have been rather too many of them, on top of a range of other new initiatives, projects and targets for schools to consider.

A renewed Primary Framework for Literacy and Mathematics was launched in October 2006, updating and refreshing many of the materials in the original National Strategies.

Ask yourself

• How do the National Strategies for schools impact on your day-to-day work in the classroom? Which has/have the most influence on your work?
• In what ways do the National Strategies aid your work as a teacher? How can they hinder your work?
• How easy is it for you to incorporate the principles and practicalities of the National Strategies into your personal vision for education? If there are conflicts how can they be resolved?

To do list

• Ensure that you’re fully familiar with the sections of the National Strategy documents that refer most to your day-to-day work. You cannot form informed opinions unless you understand the contents of the documents and the implications for your teaching.
• Learn how other teachers in similar circumstances to you are making sense of the National Strategies in their schools. Identify things you can try in your own classroom. Share your successes with others.
• Draw up an action plan that will enable you to ensure that any work to promote the National Strategies is in line with your school’s and your own personal philosophy for education.

Popularity: unranked

Research in education seeks to discover patterns, trends and truths that can inform the work of teachers and school leaders. Action research is a specific type of research which is designed to provide insights that will enable an improvement in performance – in the case of education, usually more effective teaching and learning.

Knowledge bank

Whereas medicine tends to be an evidence-based profession, relying on what we know tends to work, education has evolved a dynamic all of its own, which combines common-sense ideas on what works in the classroom with some findings from the world of research.

This is actually a rather curious anomaly, given that over £20 billion is invested into schools in the UK every year by the government. Many observers feel that we need to move towards education being based much more on evidence about what is successful.

The analogy that is sometimes used is that teachers should become experts in learning, rather like doctors are experts in healing.

The ‘science’ underpinning most research into learning is psychology, since in characterizing learning we are interested in analysing human behaviour.

A key problem in translating what we know about learning into practical measures for the classroom is that the concept of ‘proof is much more elusive in psychology than in the purer sciences.

The nature of human interaction, as manifested in activities such as teaching and learning, is so complex that it is very difficult to identify precisely which factors result in which outcomes.

Instead of being able to show conclusively that a particular teaching method is successful at achieving specific intended outcomes, education researchers often talk about their research findings supporting an overall theory or paradigm for learning. These are usually underpinned by a leading figure in psychology who has written extensively in the field and has attracted a prominent following.

The difficulty of using research findings to transform classroom practice is made even more challenging by the fact that few research studies are actually carried out in real classrooms. This is due to a variety of practical, ethical and financial reasons.

Despite the above provisos, there is much we can learn from the world of education research that can illuminate what’s happening in our classrooms and schools. In particular, there are many case studies and more rigorous experimental procedures that help illuminate the methods which are likely to be more successful.

Education research lies on a spectrum from action research in a single school carried out by an individual teacher, to a large-scale standardized programme across many schools to test a particular method or approach. Most researchers accept that larger the scale of the study, the more likely it is to reveal generalized patterns that may be relevant in your own school.

Ask yourself

• What education research are you aware of that informs your practice on a day-to-day basis?
• To what extent is research in education important to you?
• What questions about learning are you most curious to find the answers to?

To do list

• Read more about a specific aspect of learning that interests you.
• Consider engaging in some action research in your own school.
• Attend a conference that allows you to make contact with some leading thinkers in the world of education research.

Popularity: unranked