Happy New Year – a little late if you are in the West, a little early if you are in China! Wishing you, your family and friends health and happiness this coming year and hope for a more peaceful, kind and safe world for everyone.

This newsletter contains links to conferences, Circle Solutions SEL training in London, global organisations revisioning education, research and offers. Click on anything of interest.

Conferences:

March 18-21: Online: World Education Summit – there is a 20% discount using this code SPEAKER24. My recorded talk will be shown on Thursday 21 March on the Global Amphitheatre and I will be there for questions afterwards. Other speakers include John Hattie, Michael Fullan, Alison Peacock, Andy Hargreaves and Debra Kidd amongst many others.

July 10-13: Innsbruck, Austria: European Conference on Positive Psychology – I am running a pre-conference workshop on the ASPIRE principles.

5-7 September, Chania (Crete), Greece: European Network for Social and Emotional Competencies

November 1-2: Cologne, Germany: Practical Pedagogies Conference by teachers for teachers.

November 22-24: London and Online: Bright Start Early Childhood International Conference

Circle Solutions Training: BOOK EARLY (before 8 March) for discounted prices!

Social and Emotional Learning for primary, secondary and community settings. How children and young people learn how to be and how to live together is central to outcomes. The ASPIRE pedagogy underpins Circle Solutions. Come and find out how.
Circle Solutions Introduction on Wednesday 24th April – one day course to enable educators to run Circles with classes and other groups.
Minimum participants 8: Maximum 25.
Circle Solutions Trainer on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th April – two day course. This accredits participants to teach others and embed Circles as a tool for wellbeing. Minimum participants 4: Maximum 10.
It is a pre-requisite to have attended an Introduction day in order to be signed up for the Trainer.
Both are in Covent Garden in London (just along the road from the Matilda the Musical!)  Costs have increased so prices need to – but this training is good value, and there are substantial discounts for early / multiple bookings.

BOOK for the Introduction to Circle Solutions here.

BOOK for the Circle Solutions Train the Trainer here. The Trainer course fee includes a copy of Circle Solutions for Student Wellbeing.

BOOK for both courses at a further discount here.

[NB – if you get a ‘critical error’ message from the booking site, it should go away if you refresh the page – still looking for a solution to this intermittent problem!]

Check in with these organisations rethinking education across the world

It has been thrilling and reassuring to get to know more about these important global initiatives and find we are on the right track and others are in this journey with us!
Salzburg Global Centre for Education Transformation
Global Citizenship Foundation
Karanga – Global Alliance for Social and Emotional Learning
OECD Transformative Competencies 
A guide to more inclusive and intergenerational convening – New Education Story
The Empathy Lab – The Read for Empathy Collection launches on 8th February with recommendations for empathy rich books for all ages. Empathy Week 2024 will be from 26th February to 1st March and this year’s theme is ‘Home’.

Research: 

From the Australian Conversation: Potential breakthrough in school bullying – all to do with developing a positive classroom climate – well who knew?!
From the BPS Research Digest Love and laughter in romantic relationships,  the role of humour.
Also from the BPS: 7 ways the seasons affect us. As someone who experiences low spirits in the darker months and sparkles under the sun (!) this was of particular interest. I expect it is true of many others.

Book, Podcasts, Resources and an Offer

Mette Ledertoug and Nanna Haarup interviewed 18 international educators for their book The Quest for Optimal Learning – many of us giving reasons why we need a revisioning of education.

Working on Wellbeing podcasts including psychological safety, harnessing negative thoughts, building kindness and inclusion in the workplace.

Free classroom resources for Children’s Mental Health Week  Feb 5-9.

Sage Books: Circle Solutions for Student Wellbeing, Changing Behaviour in Schools and the New Teacher’s Survival Guide to Behaviour have a 20% discount with the following code at the Sage website until the end of 2024: UKAUTHR20. There is an even greater discount for bulk buy.

If you have any information for the website and/or this newsletter – conferences, research, books or webinars please let us know  admin@growinggreatschoolsworldwide.com