The Friday Mindset - Issue #53

May 27, 2022

Fist-bump! A half-term Friday reached; this one marking the end of a full exam week.

So why not take a minute or two before you head home - you deserve it - and consider this?

What does a really good post-exam summer term look like?

We've been thinking about what a great June and July should contain for KS4 and 5 students in particular. We get to see 12s who've finished their end-of-year mocks; we have 10s gearing up to their last year; 9s who are about the begin an exciting new key stage. We should be signalling these transitions, supporting and reassuring of course, but challenging too.

A great summer term should be - as the lyric goes - an "annual reminder that we could all be something bigger."

So with that in mind, we're exploring the kind of sessions we can run in the summer - the questions we can ask, the possibilities we can nurture, the development we can encourage. We're taking a break next week, but after that, we'll share a few ideas we're working on right now.

Let's dive in.

Something to try...

With the half-term break starting, our influence over students' preparedness for exams is waning fast. Sure, we might be running drop-in sessions or quick boosters, but it's pretty much down to them now. Which means we can turn our attention to the future - and to thinking about the question above.

This week we've got a presentation for you called Mission Control, 1969. It was inspired by a recent interview with Richard Wiseman, Professor of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. Wiseman looked at the characteristics and qualities of moon-landing mission control staff, and we've used three audio clips and a bunch of old photos to explore his findings.

And we've also got a clipped-together video of the mighty Seth Godin challenging us to stop waiting for someone in power to pick us, and instead pick ourselves. Then it's down to you - giving the kids some thinking and planning time, giving them space to discuss outrageously ambitious plans, share dreams, make schemes.

Hopefully it's a fitting start...

A presentation about problem-solving and 'picking yourself'

Something we've been reading...

Cal Newport's A World Without Email is a rewarding read. In it, Newport argues that our 21st century work arrangements operate in a way he refers to as 'the hyperactive hivemind'; email has created conditions in which we're constantly bombarded with asynchronous messages that bring questions, ideas, challenges, requests... and that expectations have accreted so that senders expect speedy replies. The average office worker receives over 100 emails a day, and checks their inbox every 6 minutes.

Keeping our mind on one thing, focussing on it, thinking it through properly - feels increasingly impossible. Measures of productivity have gone down all over the world because it's harder to do good work in these conditions.

Newport makes a compelling case for removing email and using other workflow options. It's an eye-opener; he expresses ideas so clearly and persuasively. Check it out:

Buy A World Without Email: Find Focus and Transform the Way You Work Forever (from the NYT bestselling productivity expert) by Newport, Cal (ISBN: 9780241341414) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

Our latest offer(s)...

We've got a book giveaway this week. Seth Godin's What to Do When it's Your Turn was inspired by the viral Youtube video of the two executives stuck on an escalator. Remember that one? Well it's time to dig it out again because most kids don't know it exists anymore and it's such a powerful exploration of proactivity versus 'waiting to be picked.'

Anyway, Godin's book is short, pithy and powerful. It certainly changed the way we thought, built as it was from blogposts we both read around ten years ago and that we credit (alongside the seminal 4-Hour Work Week) with nudging us towards publishing the VESPA stuff.

You know the drill - first person to email us at [email protected] and give us a work address to send it to gets it! If you're reading this on Friday 27th May and it's about 3:30, you've got a chance. Go for it!

AND even more exciting, it's our summer training day coming July 7th. If you'd like to come along, follow this link and book yourself a place:

Eventbrite - Steve Oakes & Martin Griffin presents VESPA - London in-person training day - Thursday, 7 July 2022 - Find event and ticket information.

We'd love to see you there.

OK, that's it for this week. No newsletter next week - we'll see you the week after that. Have a sunny week off. Positive vibes to you and yours,

Steve and Martin

p.s. currently experimenting with Happify. Seems like it could be good for stressed-out students. Has anyone had any experience with it?