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News

The challenges of being a teacher – and how to overcome them

No matter what industry you work in, workplace challenges can and will arise. They may come in the form of conflict with co-workers, goals that appear unachievable, or more unpredictable avenues such as the sudden onset of stress or, worse, burnout.

In all these challenging situations, however, you can apply specific skills to overcome them. Leah Shmerling, an educator, journalist, author and trainer for more than 25 years, shares these skills in her latest TTA instalment Mentoring and Development – Dealing with Workplace Challenges. We sat down with Leah to discuss how educators of all experience levels can adopt these skills and use them to become high-level achievers.

Resolving conflict constructively

Leah’s four-part ‘Mentoring and Development’ series focuses on a range of skills teachers need to be the best educators they can be. But it’s ‘Dealing with Workplace Challenges’ that is arguably most useful to modern teachers. In a profession that has seen increasing numbers of graduates and young teachers leave the industry within their first five years, Leah believes teachers must understand how to resolve conflicts positively, as well as overcome challenges like time management.

“We’ve all got the same workplace challenges associated with time,” Leah says. “But how are we able to manage that time? How are we able to adapt and be flexible? It’s here that we need to look at work-life balance.

“Conflict resolution is also one of my favourite topics, because how do we resolve conflict? It’s the word constructive that I always add in. We learn how to resolve conflict constructively in the course because we need to manage stress. And when we talk about managing stress – because life is so busy – what do we do with it? How do we look after ourselves?

“We go through an assortment of skills, including the gift of feedback. Most people are not always willing to give that open and honest feedback, and especially to receive it. That’s why it’s called the gift.”

Empathy matters

While Leah began her teaching career in the TAFE system in the mid-1980s, it was her foray into writing that opened her up to a whole new world of education. And through that writing, she recognised just how crucial empathy is to the entire teaching process. Not just being able to empathise with students, but with co-workers who are perhaps struggling with their own challenges and stressors. Empathy is a core element of her TTA course and one she believes can help teachers reach their full potential as educators.

“We cannot assume that teachers naturally have interpersonal skills. It’s a skill that must be developed. Importantly, you need to be able to listen. As a teacher, it is not only about giving information, but hearing what students are saying to you. What’s their body language, what is their emotional constant regarding that message? It is through listening skills that we develop empathy.

“So, all of the sudden, it’s reversed roles – you put yourself in the shoes of another person. As a teacher, you must be able to do that incredibly naturally. Most people are not very good at being open and honest, because we are socially constructed. We may think we are good at it, but we’re not. Maybe because people aren’t sufficiently praising their life.”

Leah’s top tips

  • Teachers must be passionate: “Without passion, you will never last as a teacher. You must be passionate about anything you ever do in your life. Because your passion shows. If you want to get up in the morning, if you want to enjoy life, if you want to inspire others then you have to inspire yourself first.”
  • Be thorough and prepared: “When I write, I don’t just write one draft. I do what it takes and there are no shortcuts. If you want to succeed in the workplace, you have to do what it takes to produce good-quality work. I also think you have a responsibility to make sure you have the latest, updated information.”
  • Build rapport with those around you: “You absolutely have to build rapport with your students, but also with your colleagues, with your clients. And you build rapport by understanding them. You need to understand their needs, their challenges. Ask yourself, ‘What are their difficulties?’ And then, ‘What can I do about it?’ If you want to develop your relationships, take it to that next level that goes beyond just empathy.”

In all things, Leah wants to remind educators of her life motto: “Enjoy the process.”

Learning to forgive and move on

Leah has certainly seen her fair share of workplace challenges over the years – from her time as a TAFE educator to working as a journalist at the Herald Sun and even creating professional development programs.

Because of this, she has some career advice for teachers young and old about how to address and overcome workplace challenges.

“People are not always very good at forgiveness. But when you have workplace challenges, you need to forgive yourself when you make errors. You also need to learn how to forgive others, and then be professional about it. Also keep asking yourself, ‘What can I learn from this and how can I grow from it?’

“Sometimes that hurts like hell, but if you really take those life lessons on board, over the course of your lifetime you will be a wiser person. You will be a responsible person. You will be a lot more empathic when you understand your role in a situation.”

You can sign up for The Teacher Wellbeing Toolkit on the TTA website.

Praise for Leah Shmerling’s TTA courses

“The ‘Mentoring and Development’ course provided a good range of tools in order to provide understanding to my own approach to mentoring. Additionally, it offered other insights via reflective activities that supported how I might best provide for fellow teachers I work with and alongside.” – Michael Cunningham, 5 stars

Category: News, Students

Latest News from Career Coaching and Training (formerly Crown Coaching and Training)

Career Coaching and Training has powered ahead to offer some of the most sought-after online and personalised courses in Retirement Planning and Career Change Options in Melbourne and across Australia.

We’re proud to have recently rebranded to Career Coaching and Training, and we have partnered with internationally-acclaimed Everwise.
Furthermore, we are actively seeking collaborative partner relationships.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE:

1. Retirement Coaching and Training
2. Training for your Staff and Members
3. Career Coaching, and
4. Writing and Designing your organisation’s Training Programs.

Welcome to our first newsletter edition!

We understand how daunting Career Transition, Retirement Transition, Resume Writing and Job Application Writing can be, and we offer training to help you

FULFIL YOUR GOALS AND OPEN MORE DOORS TO CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Ask about our specialised
ONLINE RETIREMENT COACHING COURSES TODAY

And select from our full list of
Career Coaching and Training Services and Courses
to Grow Your Future

CHOOSE A COURSE AND ENROLL NOW

• MENTORING – YOUR CAREER JOURNEY
• MENTORING – CAREER TRANSITIONS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• MENTORING – DEALING WITH WORKPLACE CHALLENGES
• MENTORING – INTERPERSONAL SKILLS FOR LIFE AND WORK
• MINDFULNESS FOR WORK AND WORK LIFE BALANCE
• RETIREMENT PLANNING: FLOURISHING IN RETIREMENT
• WIN-WIN NEGOTIATION TRAINING.

Work with us at Career Coaching and Training to:

1. Increase Your Career Opportunities – explore your unique skill-sets and maximise your potential with Career Counselling Coaching. Realise your career aspirations, understand your key strengths, and achieve! We are here to help make it happen.
Find Out More about Career Coaching

2. Overcome Barriers to Your Future Success – find out what is holding you back and discover keys to personal and business growth. With us you can undertake Mentoring and Self-Development Online Training. We will help you understand who you are with our personalised mentoring courses that are tailored to helping you grow – both in business and as an individual.
Book a Career Counselling Session TODAY

3. Retire With Confidence By Looking and Planning Ahead – we will show you how! For those who are planning to retire, or maybe you have already taken the leap, you will learn skills to help make the transition to living the life you deserve, with Financial Strategies and Lifestyle Choices Training.
Retirement Planning Training Available Online – FIND OUT MORE

4. Improve Your Job Seeking Prospects with Career Coaching Training – learn how to showcase your best attributes and sell yourself to a potential new employer. Learn the art of Resume Writing and Cover Letter Writing to ensure you make a powerful impression AND get the job you want. We also offer a LinkedIn Review Service.
Learn More About our Training Courses

At Career Coaching and Training, our Course Options include:

  • Online, Self-paced Professional Development Training Modules – including Career Coaching. Learn in your time 24/7 – when it suits you!
  • Face-to-Face Training
  • Webinar Training
  • Self-Development Career Counselling
  • Coaching to help you transition from the life you currently have to a future footpath – become a better Cover Letter Writer, strengthen your LinkedIn Profile and Resume, and work with a Career Consultant to improve your interview techniques with interview preparation and practise training.
  • Retirement Seminars, and
  • Corporate Company or Organisations can access our options to tailor training, outplacement, and/or Retirement Training programs that can be specifically designed to meet your needs and requirements. We offer online courses for your whole staff or group, or as a face-to-face program. Contact Us for more information and we’ll also share how we structured a recent company retirement program session for Chabani Yogurt in Victoria.

“Helping people to unlock their potential to achieve a higher level of performance and a deeper understanding of the learning and skills required to continuously grow, both as an individual, and as an employee, is the core of Career Coaching and Training. We are here to help you set new goals, renew your enthusiasm, and find new purpose and enjoyment in your life and future.

With Career Coaching and Training, no matter what your needs, or learning style, we will tailor our approach so that you achieve the ultimate benefit of structured life lessons, retirement planning and career counselling that will give you the opportunity to access better career options, help you lift your game, and nurture untapped skills to live a more rewarding and fulfilling life.” Leah Shmerling (2019)

FREE DOWNLOAD Leah Shmerling

Get your copy of Your Career Journey: A Reflection of the Past and Present

Browse through our website and find more information about our focused, on-target and highly-effective training courses options, so that you can move forward.

PLAN YOUR FUTURE
GET A BETTER CAREER
IMPROVE YOUR LIFESTYLE
WITH CAREER COACHING AND TRAINING

CONTACT US

Email: info@careercoachingandtraining.com.au
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Category: News

You want a new Career? So now what?

 

As individuals change their career five to seven times in their lifetime, change jobs, and transition from one life stage to another, we undergo a personal career journey. During the journey, we search for meaning and fulfilment in our work and career to integrate into our life.

The career journey consists of four phases:

  • self-awareness
  • exploration of the labour market and jobs of interest
  • making decisions, and
  • taking actions to attain our next step.

Below are the steps, and considerations at each stage.

 

Step 1 – Self awareness

Self-understanding is the basis from which you make your career decisions. You are looking at yourself; reviewing your present situation and planning for the future. You are reflecting on what you want out of your career and your job. It is a time of deep contemplation as you consider important and honest questions to commence your career journey. These questions include:

  • Who am I?
  • What are my strengths? My weaknesses? How can these be overcome?
  • Where am I now?
  • Where would I like to be?
  • What are my interests?
  • What are my skills?
  • What is important to me?

During this stage, you gain valuable information about yourself to set the foundation for your actions and decisions.

 

Step 2 – Career exploration

You are now ready to research careers, occupations and jobs that are of interest, in order to put together a preferred shortlist. Ask yourself:

“Where am I going?”

For each job, note the specific skills and qualifications that are required to work in the field. The exploration will provide you with a realistic list from which you can assess your skills. At this stage, keep your options broad to enable you to look at the ‘big picture.’ At a later stage, the options will be reduced.

As you answer the question, use your understanding of your skill set from stage one to evaluate how your skills match the occupations of interest. That is, review your skills against the jobs that you are seeking. Where a skills gap exists – the gap between the job that you are seeking and your current skill level, consider how the gap can be addressed and reduced by attaining the required skills or training.

You may need to consider: studying to attain qualifications, obtaining work experience, work shadowing, undertaking voluntary work, or working at a lower level to gain professional experience with the view to a promotion to work at a higher level. Where skills are transferable from one job or context such as your studies, hobbies, voluntary or community work, highlight your skills and experience.

Exploration also involves reviewing the labour market to assess the job availability of particular jobs. Some jobs are harder to find employment in than others. These include: Financial Advisors, Accountants and Auditors, Sales Managers or Human Resource Managers. Consider the labour market as a guide to attain work, but importantly, follow your passion in an area that meets your interests and skills.

 

Step 3 – Decision making

From the list of occupations and jobs that you have devised in step two, narrow your options to create a specific list. Your preferred list may be based on considerations of your interests, skills, size of the skills gap, job availability, personal responsibility, and work/life balance. Ask yourself:

“What decision will provide me with the career outcomes that meet my goals and current situation?”

Weigh the advantage and disadvantage of each option for both the short and long term. This will enable you to review your situation in perspective, and design a strategy to work towards attaining your career goal.

 

Step 4 – Action

The culmination of the planning that you have undertaken in steps one to three position you to take action. For many, this will entail a job application. Ask yourself the questions:

  • How am I going to get there?
  • What actions will help me to achieve my work and career goals?

The action that you take will involve a range of strategies to access jobs and contact with an employer. The job application process will involve writing or updating a professional resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, and interview preparation.

Consider both your internal and external resources available to support you. Your inner resources include: your personality attributes such as resilience, persistence, hard work, goal orientation, and the external resources are your network and people that can assist you.

Once you complete the four step process, you gain self-knowledge, understand the labour market, select a preferred option, and strategise your actions. Keep an eye on the future to strengthen your position with ongoing learning and development to stay current. Ask yourself:

“How do I maintain peak performance?”

 

Best wishes for your career journey! Please share any additional ideas you may have below in ‘Comments.’

About Leah Shmerling

Leah Shmerling

Leah Shmerling is the Director and Principal Consultant of Crown Coaching and Training, and has extensive experience in career development, life coaching, education and training.

Leah is the author of two books in careers and business communication, a former freelance writer for The Age and Herald Sun, and publisher of two accredited online short courses, Mentoring and Development and Foundations in Career Development Practice.

Leah is a professional member of the Career Development Association Australia (CDAA), a Certified Retirement Coach and is Board Certified as a Career Management Fellow with the Institute of Career Certification.

Leah Shmerling can be contacted here

 

Category: Careers, News, Transition

How to manage your time for effective results and personal wellbeing

Time management is not cramming more into your day. Time management will help you spend your time according to your goal.

Effective time management is essential to attain your career and personal goals.
If you are unclear about what you are trying to achieve, it is difficult to achieve it.
We all have twenty-four hours in a given day, seven days in the week, and fifty-two weeks in the year. Our time needs to be managed effectively and efficiently to meet work goals and priorities, balance work and personal life, reduce stress and increase motivation.
Time management entails selecting the most relevant task to complete from all the possibilities available, and then by doing it in the best possible way. Action needs to be planned. Action is not an end in itself, rather a means to attain a goal.

There are misconceptions about time management. Examples include:

 

  • ‘I work better under pressure; time management would take away that edge.’

We need to control how we use our time to reduce stress and produce higher-level outcomes. Both urgent and the longer-term important tasks need to be completed.

 

  • ‘Time management takes away one’s freedom and spontaneity.’

When we control our time to reach our goals, we spend our time to its fullest advantage, rather than ‘firefighting’ issues.

 

  • ‘Time management takes time I don’t have!’

Research shows that investment in planning gives us more time. We need to invest time to use our time effectively – doing the most important things first, and efficiently – in the quickest and best way.

In the workplace, we are under pressure to maximise our time to achieve set outcomes. This is easier said than done when we are confronted with time wasters. Sometimes, these can be unavoidable. Other times, these can be overcome with a change in approach. The first step is to identify these time wasters. Examples include:

 

  • Information overload with emails or paperwork
  • Difficulty saying ‘No’
  • Telephone calls or meetings that are unfocused and too long
  • Doing too much at one time

Time management problems are caused in two ways:

 

  • Internal problems – problems that are within one’s control. These include lack of self-discipline to work, procrastination, failure to delegate, or being interruption prone.
  • External problems – problems that are beyond one’s control. Examples include phone calls, over-dependent/untrained staff, or lack of support.

Aim to view the time management problem as being internal rather than external. By internalising our time management problems, we are able to have greater control and improve our time usage. Conversely, when time management problems are regarded as being external to ourselves, many believe things just happen with little control. This refers to the internal and external locus of control.

Five strategies to manage time

Time management strategies assist us to focus our energy on the important tasks at the right time to achieve better results. Below are five strategies to assist you.

1. Set goals

Realistic and achievable goals help you to manage your time and provides a focus for your activities. Set goals that are SMART:

Specific – Specify what you are going to do.
Measurable – Goals can be measured.
Attainable – Goals can be achieved within the time frame. Ensure that the goal stretches you, but is also achievable.
Realistic – You are willing and able to complete the tasks to achieve your goal, and the timing is realistic.
Timely – Allow enough time to complete the task, and for changes along the way.

2. Make a ‘To Do’ list and prioritise your tasks

List activities and tasks that you need to complete. All the activities that we undertake have a relative value. Therefore, you can accomplish more and move towards your goals if you prioritise your tasks/activities using a priority system of A, B and C tasks.

Category A – Essential and urgent tasks
These include: assisting customers, addressing staff management issues, dealing with a workplace issue or problem.
Category B – Essential, non-urgent task
These include: working on projects that are longer-term, or spending time with family and on your health.
Category C – Remaining tasks that don’t fit into categories A or B
These include: distractions from staff or technology, responding to emails, or dealing with responsibilities that arise.

3. Learn to say ‘No’

Recognise the reasons that this is a problem. It may be a way of:

 

  • Avoiding difficult and unpleasant tasks
  • Trying to be nice
  • Avoiding conflict
  • Fearing the consequences
  • Trading short term gratification for longer-term self-respect

To help to say ‘no’, identify the important things in your career and in your life. These are the bigger picture ‘yes’ values. Then, you can say ‘no’ to those things that do not fit with these values.

Many people are uncomfortable with saying ‘no.’ It takes time and practice but is worth the effort.

4. Remove distractions

Unfortunately, distractions are part of the course! Examples of distractions include interruptions with questions or work/personal ‘drop-ins,’ text messages, colleagues who are loud with their conversations, social media or other websites, or personal email.
Distractions can cause stress and lead to poor performance. We have a responsibility to manage or avoid distractions by creating time and space and limiting technology to help focus on our work.

5. Match your energy level to complete tasks

Our energy level will vary during the day. This is natural. Use the body’s guide to suit your tasks and activities. During your peak energy time when you are most alert, undertake the tasks that require greater attention. This may include writing a document, analysing data or interviewing/meeting another party. It may help reduce the time spent completing the task. During lower energy times, undertake less demanding tasks such as photocopying or filing. Consider taking a break to pick up your energy.
By managing our time to achieve the goals that we seek, we are able to master our time, improve our wellbeing, and achieve success. What challenges do you face to manage your time?
Connect with Leah Shmerling via LinkedIn and website careercoachingandtraining.com.au, and check out the blogs.

Leah Shmerling is the Director and Principal Consultant of Crown Coaching and Training and has over 30 years’ experience in career development, life coaching, education and training. Leah is the author and publisher of the nationally accredited online short course Foundations in Career Development Practice.
Leah is a professional member of the Career Development Association Australia (CDAA), a Certified Retirement Coach and is Board Certified as a Career Management Fellow with the Institute of Career Certification.
Leah can be contacted by email. More about Crown Coaching here.

Recommend Leah on Facebook.

Please register online for the next Crown Coaching Jobseekers Program demo in June.

Category: News

What Can Deakin Do to Support it’s Graduates?

Crown Coaching and Training response to help student employability

The above article appeared in The Age Sunday – about how Deakin can help graduates to get jobs after they leave. As an educator, Crown Coaching steps up to the mark with the vital skills needed to actually get the job, not just have the pre-requisites for the job.

Crown Coaching and Training are licensed to offer an online Job Seeking Skills program includes many features and benefits. With onlinelearning being an exciting platform for learners as they are savvy, use this medium naturally and it is available 24/7. Importantly, it is cost effective for the institute.

The Job Seeking Skills program provides best practice career tools to assist students in the job application process. It is user friendly. Topics include: self-assessments with reports, letter writing, resume writing, interview skills, etc. It provides assessment tools for self-understanding, content, templates, sample documents (letters, resumes) and videos on job seeking skills. It includes a recording system for job interviews! Individuals can research organisations of interest as part of their job application process, and there is access to jobs via SEEK and INDEED.

Leah Shmerling is the Director and Principal Consultant of Crown Coaching and Training, and has over 30 years’ experience in career development, life coaching, education and training. Leah is the author and publisher of the nationally accredited online short course Foundations in Career Development Practice.

Leah is a professional member of the Career Development Association Australia (CDAA), a Certified Retirement Coach and is Board Certified as a Career Management Fellow with the Institute of Career Certification.

Leah can be contacted by email. More about Crown Coaching here.

Recommend Leah on Facebook.

Category: News

Feedback is the breakfast of champions says Ken Blanchard – Why don’t you give the gift of feedback?

‘You have written a good report, however, it omitted visual aids to summarise the data. It may be helpful to include a graph or photograph to capture the content easily.’

Feedback is a gift to let the person know what they are doing well, and where they can improve. When a person deserves constructive feedback and you remain silent, a mistake will be repeated.

Yet, many managers find it difficult to give constructive feedback as it can be associated with criticism. Done correctly, well thought-out and tactful feedback opens communication with a shared understanding between both parties, commits to quality standards, and builds the relationship to assist the individual to improve on their work practice.

Effective feedback needs to be delivered carefully and with tact. It is situation specific, timely as close to the event as possible, and clearly understood by the other party. When feedback is delivered continuously as part of your communication as a learning experience, rather than when mistakes are made, it will create a positive learning environment, rather than a negative connotation to feedback.

Feedback is a two-way process between you and the other party as you deliver the message. It is based on your observations, rather than being judgemental, critical or harsh where the person can feel belittled. Offer a solution approach with a plan on how the performance can be improved. During the feedback process, ensure that the individual is given the opportunity to express his or her views on the feedback.

An important skill when you provide feedback is to reframe a negative situation into a positive and constructive message. The feedback sandwich technique is a three-step process to provide a structure to giving feedback. The sandwich feedback method involves discussing corrective feedback that is ‘sandwiched’ between two layers of praise.

The sandwich feedback model is also known as KKK – kiss, kick and kiss. It consists of:

  • Kiss– praise
  • Kick – corrective feedback
  • Kiss – praise

The benefit of the sandwich model is that it confirms two positive messages, and ‘softens’ the impact of the corrective feedback.

Here are some tips to how to give constructive feedback:

  • Prepare your comments so that you are clear, and there is less room for ambiguity
  • Focus on the behaviour instead of the person, and make sure you give feedback to support rather than hurt them
  • Feedback will need to be given in a suitable setting, preferably in private and face-to-face. When this is not possible, offer online or telephone communication
  • The phrasing and tone of the feedback is important, because how you say something often carries more weight than what you say
  • Limit the information to two or three items. If you overload the person, they can disregard what you say
  • Feedback can be confronting and powerful. Be aware and sensitive of the effect of your feedback
  • Follow up on the feedback to monitor the progress to what changes have been made

Learning to give and receive feedback takes time. The gift of feedback is your opportunity to let the person know what they are doing well, and how they can develop. This is a lifetime gift that can validate the individual, and lead to their personal growth and success.

Leah Shmerling is the Director and Principal Consultant of Crown Coaching and Training, and has over 30 years’ experience in career development, life coaching, education and training. Leah is the author and publisher of the nationally accredited online short course Foundations in Career Development Practice.

Leah is a professional member of the Career Development Association Australia (CDAA), a Certified Retirement Coach and is Board Certified as a Career Management Fellow with the Institute of Career Certification.

Leah can be contacted by email. More about Crown Coaching here.

Recommend Leah on Facebook.

Category: News

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