These workshops offer a highly experiential introduction to techniques that work and principles that can be applied in practical ways at 'the chalk face' outside the rarified atmosphere of the training room.

The crafty attributes and techniques of Curiosity Responsiveness Assertiveness Focus Thoughtfulness and a Yes attitude will enable you to remain grounded, centered and functionally intelligent in the midst of looming chaos by applying and teaching

Will this stuff always work? Probably not!
Will it stop every problem from flaring up? Improbable!
Will it prevent you 'losing it' from time to time? Unlikely!
Will it make you more popular? Who can tell?
Will it make you more effective? Absolutely!

The workshop supports and facilitates what schools in England are now required to do by the powers that be: Ofsted.

Competence in rapport building, for example, will aid and abet the Respect for All principle.

You can, if you need and want to:

  • Develop a skilful use of concise and incisive questions
  • Learn how to be more assertive and better able to listen
  • Be able to respond rather than react to provocative behaviour
  • Be seen and heard as more authoritative and less authoritarian!
  • Improve confidence in standing your ground when students drive you up the wall
  • Learn techniques based on sound theory that will make you a more effective leader
  • Increase self-awareness and Emotional Intelligence
  • Have time to think and a chance to reflect
  • Gain personal insights that will inform your attitude and actions

    You will also develop influencing and questioning skills that will help the pupils to feel included by reinforcing their readiness to attend i.e. to be present, by increasing their desire to participate and by improving their sense of achievement.

    Crowd Control: Easily learned and easily taught techniques to calm groups and individuals.

    Owning’ the space: If you're not in charge of what's going on around you, you are probably not in control of what's going on inside you - and that's a very bad thing indeed!

    For all this to work, you need to practice and persevere with the techniques, otherwise you will almost certainly revert to habit, which is fine if what you are doing works.


  • If you give up at the first frustration, say, or try to fit a new idea into your old, comfortable paradigm, because it meets your emotional needs, despite the ulcer, then, no, the training will not make you more effective.


  • If you are one of life's whingers, refusing to accept responsibility for what you contribute to your ongoing problems and, after the training, leap back on to the misery-go-round, and then you will take little away from the training.Why do I mention this here? Because I want you to understand how my training calls on the best in people rather than reinforcing old habits. I invite and encourage people to join in at levels of honesty and discomfort (see 'They Say...).