Friday Mindset #126

Happy Friday fellow travellers.

Nearly there eh. We’ll do another newsletter next week - a sort of ‘best of’ featuring the posts, ideas and giveaways that have gathered the most positive feedback, then we’ll call it quits. Scottish readers will have already bailed by then, as will some of our independent school colleagues, so though we’re soldiering on until the mid-twenties of July, we won’t put the rest of you through our pain!

Exciting stuff to share this week - let’s dive in,,,

Something to try...

This article explores the blank sheet method of learning, sort-of a tricked-up version of Closed Book Notetaking from The VESPA Handbook. It’s from the Farnam Street blog (mission statement: ‘to help you master the best of what other people have already figured out’,) a consistently thought-provoking source of ideas in case you’re interested.

And it’s very clearly presented here; simple, visual, effective. Students could use the blank sheet method for each of the topics they cover in a class next year, and keep them in a revision folder. Lovely stuff.

Something we're reading...

This is one for anyone starting a new job… or indeed trying to see their old job with new eyes… this September.

The three of us have all been external appointments to leadership positions in our careers - some of us a few times over - and this piece really resonated with us; a technique for keeping track of those moments of unanticipated shock where it becomes clear things are being done in a really weird way around here.

Nat Bennett, a software engineer and team leader, has a good way of capturing these wait what? moments, and for collating them and coming back to them.

Ladies and gents, we give you the WTF notebook. Maybe you’ll need one next year. Start it now!

Portal Talk...

We have been up and down the country delivering lots of student sessions recently, particularly to Year 10 students as they prepare to start their final year of GCSE’s.

We’ve found them to really receptive to discussions around VISION, as they realise the important education choices they will be making in Year 11. A great workshop we used this week at Rainham Mark Grammar School, which went down really well, is called ‘Career Icebergs’ and there are a few slides below for you to give it a go.

Alternatively, if you would like us to come and deliver any student sessions or workshops, we still have availability in September and October. Please get in touch at [email protected] or use my calendar link to schedule a quick call.

Our latest offer...

The VESPA Bundle, as the lovely people at Crown House are calling it, is an offer that covers all three of our books. That’s right folks, you can get ten years’ worth of blood, sweat and tears for a mere £40.

But it ends in two days’ time! You’ve got until Sunday to scoop our oeuvre for the price of dinner out. The picture below is hyperlinked for you:

And that’s it for this week, folks. Go easy. All the best to you and yours,

Martin, Steve and Tony

p.s.

A clip for you to use if you’re interested in overcoming fear of failure amongst students. It’s Roger Federer, speaking to a group of graduates in a commencement address. He explores what percentage of points he won in his matches over the course of his professional career.

It’s not a very impressive figure. But it’s all he needed to ensure he won. Losing points is something you just have to get used to, he argues.

Check it out:

p.p.s.

“scoop our oeuvre” sounds absolutely disgusting. Sorry.