The Friday Mindset - Issue #60

September 16, 2022

Happy Friday folks, and welcome once again. Hope your week's been OK. Grab a brew, pull up your usual seat, and snaffle a slightly stale Bourbon Cream from the office staff, we've got some good stuff for you this week.

It's our sixtieth letter. Onward!

Something to try...

We were impressed by this short blog post - "The A Level Student Who Made Every Lesson Count" - and it's going to become part of a discussion we have with classes over the next few weeks.

It's such a quick and easy read, a case study that features three things a particular student does right: (1) levels of concentration and focus in class (the effort element of the model) (2) self-quizzing (the practice element of the model) and (3) responding constructively to feedback (the attitude element of the model.) It references A levels, but works just as well at level 2.

We're going to try a quick questionnaire where students use a never-sometimes-always response to the three characteristics discussed:

  • High levels of concentration in class, asking questions regularly

  • Regular practice tests, quizzes, or recall activities to ensure learning

  • Close analysis of teacher feedback with adjustments in approach as a result

Then we're going to explore what a longer list might include if we wanted to 'make every lesson count', to see what else gets suggested.

Hope it's useful for you!

Something we've been reading...

We've been fans of Jim Collins since Good to Great way back. I don't think we've ever recommended it, though, so consider this our belated shout-out. This week we've only just got our hands on a follow-up piece published in 2009 - How the Mighty Fall. In it, Collins examines - via case studies - how once successful companies collapse.

It's not for everyone of course, but it's been a fascinating read for us. Collins suggests a five-part timeline for company failure and the similarities between failing companies and failing schools is self-evident.

We shared this picture on Twitter, for example:

The number of meetings we've sat through in schools and colleges where 'on the way down' behaviours were evident.... too many. Equally though, we've been lucky enough to work in some outstanding organisations that typified 'on the way up' behaviours as well. It's a quick read, and a handy keep-on-your-desk reminder of what good leadership looks like.

"The Conference Board and the Leader to Leader Institute would like you to come to West Point to lead a discussion with some great students," she said.

Our latest offer...

We have a book giveaway this week. If you'd like a well-read copy of Cal Newport's cracking A World Without Email, just be the first to - ironically - email us at [email protected]. Do it as soon as this newsletter comes out, and you're in with a chance!

A quick reminder for newer readers. We don't get given free books. We have next-to-no contacts in publishing, apart from a few staff at Crown House, who are good enough to put our own books out. We buy books, read them, think about them, steal the best bits then post them out to you lot. So you'll get them with folded page corners and broken spines OK?

And that's it for this week folks. Go and enjoy your weekend! All the best to you and yours,

Steve and Martin

P.S. If you haven't booked your VESPA Academy Platform session yet, Tony will be running demonstrations all week, showing you how you can use the platform to boost student performance. The booking form is below.

An introduction to the VESPA Academy portal. This session will run daily from Monday 19th September until Thursday 22nd September, between 4-4.45pm (GMT)