Learning and development opportunities Flyer

This flyer has been out for a while but its the first time I have seen it. It gives an overview of all the training available to volunteers. The first page lists the mandatory training compulsory for all leaders. The inside of the flyer lists all the optional development opportunities. Training as we know it is listed as "Face-to-face". Programme training which used to make up most of the trainings I delivered only appears on the first (mandatory) page as "Being a leader/section training" the method is listed as 20-30 mins E-learning and face to face. The only other programme type training is listed as being on the Promise on the optional development opportunities. How many of the ones listed can you tick off?

 

Once upon a time we started every training with a reading.

Another find today whilst catching up with admin - I had forgotten about this really useful book. Once upon a time we used to start each training and in fact most P & T meetings with a reading. They never struck me as being particularly religious; but when we changed the wording of the Promise the custom seemed to disappear. At one point a lot of trainers had this book, I notice you can buy a 2nd hand version on Amazon for 1p, and the Kindle version is available for £4.99.                                

It was really interesting to see the pages I had left bookmarks in as I had used those readings to start trainings including one about change!   One of my favourites is on 4th September about LEARNING and concludes with "The next time a "wrang-wrang" drops into my life, I have he option to recognize that person as a teacher."

ISBN 978 0 06 073624 8

7 key Active Listening Skills

Just catching up on my paperwork, following last months tutor's & reviewers meeting which included a quick refresher on questioning skills. We looked at the following slide, which I had never seen before but rather like it as it captures it all on one picture:

Crystal Palace Maze update

I have had an update on the Maze, locally known as "The Tea Maze", after the victorian custom of drinking tea and doing maze's in the afternoon. There is more information available if you google Tea Maze. The ten granite monoliths around the paths, which I couldn't understand, each bear a patrol emblem from the natural world, and are scattered around to help the maze traveller locate where they are and where they have been!

Neither did I appreciate that the paved circle in the centre, which surrounds the trefoil featured in my photo, is an exact replica of the maze itself, how coool is that! I will look at the badge with renewed interest.

If you ever get the chance this really is worth a visit.

Kiersey Temperaments & Training delivery

We have been doing temperament types today, re-visiting Kiersey, which I originally explored years ago as part of looking at my own personality and learning type in preparation for training. I haven't changed I'm still very much a Guardian, with learnings towards Rationalist. So on this occasion thought I would take a look to see what each temperament means in the training delivery environment and came across the following information:  

THE ROLE OF PERSONALITY IN K-12 EDUCATION

Pennock, Anthony J. The Robert B. Miller College & Moyers, Kelly L. The Robert B. Miller College  Proceedings of ASBBS Feb 2012, 19(1), p711 

 "Guardians “speak mostly of their duties and responsibilities, of what they can keep an eye on and take good care of, and they're careful to obey the laws, follow the rules, and respect the rights of others” (www.kiersey.com, n. d., para. 11). It is widely accepted that teachers are typically guardians because “teachers tend to be those individuals that are practical and conscientious, or innovative and comfortable with value/emotion-laden judgments” (Decker & Rimm-Kaufman, 2008)."


Which temperament most matches your style and what is the impact on your training?

New Safe Space Pocket Guide

The latest version of the Pocket Guide received with this year's membership card has an extra panel added, making it slightly larger than the last one. The new panel includes the wording of the Volunteer Code of Conduct on one side, with the line I love:

"Follow Girlguiding policies and procedures and re-read them from time to time as they may be amended."

The other side of the extra panel talks about the Volunteer Responsibilities under the 2018 Working together to safeguard children guidance e.g follow through within 24 hours if it is an emergency or an immediate risk of significant harm.

There are smaller, pocket size versions of the guide available from the safeguarding team that can be carried easily.

100 year Centenary Maze

I've had a lovely Mother's Day trip today to the Centenary Maze at Crystal Palace Park. It's been on my wish list for a while as I was living in Germany when Girlguiding renovated the maze as part of centenary celebrations. (This is where the original Scout Rally was held, where some girls turned up who wanted to join in, the rest is history).  Even my teenage boys enjoyed getting to the centre of the maze, even though they scoffed as the hedges were only waist high it wasn't a dodle.

It was gorgeous weather, and lovely to hear children laughing and calling to each other and parents to try and find the centre of the maze. I love the words in the middle "follow in their footsteps, pause here a while, listen to the echoes past, present, future" we used the cheat gate to get out; as we had a table reserved at Brown & Green café at the Triangle, which I can recommend if you are over that way ever. I earned the badge!

Glad I printed off the park map as there were none to be had in the park. There were some brass pictures mounted in the ground around the maze - an owl and an oak leaf were obvious but I didn't get the connections of the other ones. I suspect there is a document somewhere about the renovation of the maze that will describe the significance of the brass pictures but I can't find it!