Business Plus Baby

July 1, 2015

8 Awesome teacher training hacks

So, you wanna be a teacher – cue Bugsy Malone style inspirational montage with singing – well, there’s lots to be done before you are placed in front of that class of tiny people who need to be steered, encouraged and cajoled in the right direction.

First up, you’ve got some teacher training to get through. Think of it like a high impact interval training session that throws you in at the deep end with in depth theory lessons in a classroom environment and then practical sessions in an actual classroom with actual students all looking to you to teach them. Scared yet? Don’t be.

Here are some great ‘hacks’ (well, helpful tips) to get you through that year of teacher training and on your way to becoming someone’s new favourite teacher.

Find work experience

If you have a spare afternoon in your training regime don’t think about lying at home lounging around. You are not a fresher now. Instead, ask for work experience at a school in your area – it will give you the inside scoop on what’s going on until your training course places you in one permanently.

Read

There are plenty of books and articles out there on teaching to sink your teeth into – like a predatory teacher on hallway duty telling students not to run. To stay on top of those important developments in education you should be reading up on things, even once you are qualified.

Read some more

Here’s a list of great books to get you started. Yes, extra homework for you! The Tough Kids Book is a great guide on how to deal with those one or two disruptive children (and they will always be there) in a classroom while Letters to a New Teacher, by Jim Burke, gives the reader some insight into exchanges between a new teacher and the author and highlights how important your mentor will be in that first year.

Erin Gruwell’s Freedom Writers Diary is another great book to get your hands on and details a real teacher’s account of turning an underprivileged class who were deemed incapable of learning into respectable students.

Revise

You need to be the expert in your specialist subject so be sure to revise the latest curriculum. You don’t want any awkward, ‘I’m not sure, let me check moments’ in front of a class of smug ten year olds.

Be relevant

Students need to understand how what they are being taught impacts on the world, always be on the look out for ways to tie current events into lesson plans, VE Day is the perfect opportunity for a history lesson on World War II or a new development in electric car technology can support a lesson on the importance of caring for the environment.

Practice

Many students go through teacher training without any idea of their ‘style’ of teaching. Are you going to be loud? Reserved? Friendly? Scary? Teaching can be compared to acting, the best teachers are the ones who can take a boring subject and make it exciting for a class through sheer enthusiasm and style. Practice your teaching style on your family and friends, borrow small children or just talk at your dog and see if it holds their interest.

Make friends

It’s funny how some people can join a course and not speak to anyone. You’re all in the same boat, make friends with your fellow trainee teachers and the year will go a lot smoother – plus you’ll have someone to turn to when you’re struggling with an assignment or had a tough experience with a class.

Watch other teachers closely

While training you will get to sit in on lots of different lessons, watch closely and see how the masters do it. You might pick up a fun trait that works well for them or make a note on how to avoid a certain situation based on their actions. In your teacher-training year simply be a sponge and take everything in.

Fictional teachers are also great inspiration

John Keating, Albus Dumbledore, Mr Feeny – there are so many inspirational fictional teachers out there whose slightly unorthodox ways might raise eyebrows but they get the job done. So while you might not be a wizard or fancy jumping on desks shouting ‘oh captain, my captain’, it’s still a good idea to watch some of these inspirational teachers in action for some tips on how to inspire your students.

Plan ahead

Once you’ve passed that scary teacher training course (okay, it’s not really that scary) but aren’t guaranteed a position in a school it’s time to look for a job! Bookmark a site such as Edustaff or start reaching out to local schools early and get a head start on the competition. You’ll thank yourself later.

Finally, be prepared for how small the children will appear to be then be prepared to marvel as they all grow taller than you. What are parents feeding kids these days? Miracle-Gro?

June 28, 2015June 26, 2015

Colour and Branding: How Colour Affects Your Brain (and that of your customers)

Colour theory is an often-overlooked aspect of branding; too many people think of branding as nothing more than a logo and it’s styling, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Typography, styling, spacing and colour all have the potential to create a massive impact when it comes to the perception of your brand, with colour psychology taking the front-seat when it comes to importance.

To put it simply, certain colours typically provoke certain emotions, so the colour of your brand will have an effect on how your customers feel when they interact with your company.

What’s more, colour can also be used to achieve recognition. In fact, in some industries, certain companies literally “own” certain colours (think red and Coca Cola, for example).

Below, we’re going to delve deeper into colour and branding, and explore how it affects your brain, the impact it has on different people, and how you can use it to your advantage when branding a company.

Think of it as a crash-course in colour and branding.

Let’s go!

The Colour Emotion Guide

There have been a lot of attempts over the years to simplify the subject of colour psychology into handy infographics, guides and resources; the most well known of which is perhaps the one featured above (created by The Logo Company). Continue reading “Colour and Branding: How Colour Affects Your Brain (and that of your customers)”

June 26, 2015June 24, 2015

6 workplace health and safety laws you probably aren’t aware of

Health and safety laws can save your life, protect your wellbeing at work and haven’t just been instituted at the whim of a bored bureaucrat. Here are six laws that you might not be aware of:

Lead based paint

If you’ve ever admired the beautiful Nash designed buildings surrounding Regent’s Park, you probably aren’t aware that their immaculate cream coloured frontages are protected by lead based paint. In the UK, only specialist firms, including rawlinspaints.com are allowed to sell these types of products. The reason is simple – lead is a poison, and domestic DIY practitioners aren’t allowed to buy this material. If you want advice on how to remove lead paint from your home, then have a look at the government website.

Gardening can be dangerous

Health and safety laws protect the self-employed as well as those working as employees. Power tools are dangerous and independent landscape gardeners should be aware that it’s against the law to remove any safety covers on lawn mowers or guards on drills and electric saws drills. Make sure that the tools you use are covered by the European CE verification code. Always store your gear safely, if you run a commercial business you could be fined if you don’t follow these laws.

Employers have to carry out regular risk assessments

The 1999 Health and Safety at Work regulations demand that employers carry out regular risk assessments. These will ensure that all who work within a building are protected from fire, accident and health hazards. Although many employers complain that these practices are unnecessary, without them a company might have to cope with hefty insurance claims, or illness among staff.

Many complaints about health and safety law aren’t backed up by legislation

Bizarre stories in the press relating to so-called health and safety legislation reveal a catalogue of myths. These include stories about dangerous daffodils and the banning of custard pie fights. A report on the UK government website makes amusing reading. The website also highlights the fact that many use, ‘health and safety… as a smokescreen, to hide poor customer relations.’

Pregnant relief

While this doesn’t strictly come under the umbrella of health and safety, pregnant women do often suffer from an unbearable urge to urinate. It is legal for a woman in this condition to urinate in public should the need arise. Policemen’s helmets have been mentioned as useful alternative lavatories.

Change is afoot

The whole of the UK’s healthy and safety legislation is currently under review.

The days of banning children’s sack races as a result of safety concerns, or kite flying in east Yorkshire will no longer be able to be offered as an excuse to stop people enjoying themselves. Reporting accidents in the workplace will be simplified according to the Health and Safety Executive. Perhaps after years of being the butt of so many jokes, health and safety laws will be simpler and easier to understand.

June 25, 2015June 14, 2016

Innovative resolutions to common commercial security problems

Business owners have to think more innovatively than ever about how to protect their companies. Cyber crime is on the increase and conventional crime shows no signs of easing.

Protect the outside of your building

Roller blinds are one of the most effective ways of protecting the exterior of your company. Some local authorities do ask that you seek planning permission before fitting these invaluable security devices, so it’s always a good idea to consult with the planning department before going ahead with an installation. Click here to see a wide range of blinds, shutters and grilles that can protect your premises.

Talk to the police

It sounds obvious but many commercial property owners fail to talk to their local police force about security. Most forces across the UK have informative websites where business owners can keep up to date with the most effective trends and types of security devices. For example Surrey police force even advises on how to make the best use of your CCTV and offers guidance on different types of alarms. A very useful piece of information suggests that business owners frequently change their security codes on their doors and other points of access. It’s not just the criminals that can harm a building; a dissatisfied former employee can also damage a business. Continue reading “Innovative resolutions to common commercial security problems”

June 24, 2015June 24, 2015

Seven business growth strategies CMOs can get on board with

In order to stay ahead, continue to make profit and run a healthy business, growth is important. Here are some business growth strategies that make perfect sense and are important for a CMO to get on board with…

Try new marketing activities

A varied marketing mix can help your business to grow. Different activities can reach different types of customers and this is so important when you’re trying to find new markets. When looking at your options keep an eye on the activities that give the best return on investment. One overlooked activity is SMS marketing – take a look at GlobalMessaging for more information on how you can tap into an effective method of reaching customers on their favourite device.

VIP events for customers

It’s so important to keep your customers on side and one way to make them feel special is with VIP events. Knowing they are valued and looked after will just help to build the relationship between them and your company.

From here your account managers can work with these customers to continue to develop that relationship and bring in more revenue.

Identify where to make cuts and where to invest

Being ruthless is important in business so time needs to be taken once a month to have a look over expenditure to see what’s necessary and what, in terms of marketing, is working. Have a bigger review each quarter and don’t keep going with something if it’s not working as it should be. It might have sounded like a good idea – and may have even worked in the past – but if it’s once it’s apparent that something is not working then it’s time to ditch It and move on. Continue reading “Seven business growth strategies CMOs can get on board with”