Jenny’s Blog
10 May 2013
Laughter in schools
Laughter in schools
Laughter is fabulous. So much has been written scientifically in the last decade about how it is physically so good for you but lets never forget how it nourishes your spirit. It lifts you out of the ordinary every day routine to touch the part that really matters – that we can’t control anything in life. The unexpected ‘likeness of being’ that laughter brings connects us to the real treasure that life has to offer us. The moment when laughter joins us together through giggles, smiles or even belly laughs and we feel the absurdity of our seriousness, we are truly splendidly human.
18 March 2013
Schools Need Each Other!
Living as we do, in such troubled educational times, schools need each other for support, wisdom and inspiration. The old barriers of competition, one-upmanship and insecurity need to be dismantled to allow the winds of a more spiritual approach to sweep through the landscape. We need to be bigger than the problems that trouble us and by reaching out to others we’ll find the solutions for ourselves too. Read on for my blog about a brilliant lunchtimes project!
05 March 2013
Positive playtimes with snowballs and sledges in Geneva!
Read how the children in Switzerland were enjoying their playtimes when Jenny went there to train the school's teaching assistants last week.
13 February 2013
"I am because we are" - Happy Valentines Day to you all
We all loved this little story and would like to share it with you.....
An anthropologist proposed a game to the children in an African tribe. He put a basket full of fruit near a tree and told the children that who ever got there first won the sweet fruits.
29 January 2013
Hi - its Jenny here!
Hi! Its Jenny here! We're so excited - we are waiting for our new 2013 catalogue from the printers (in fun Beano-esque style) and we are sending out the first in our new series of ezines!
21 January 2013
The Incredible Importance of Playing! Just a few places left in Sheffield where you can experience a 'Golden School' for yourself!
We, adults and children, all need our senses inspired and invigorated in order to be really imaginative – and there’s probably no better stimulation in the world than SNOW!! Suddenly play fights, sculptures and snow angels appear from nowhere.
My daughter is 32 … down came the snow and out went Meg with our previously packed away Christmas polar bear to look at the new world from his point of view. Her images made me smile and want to share them with you.
04 December 2012
Jenny shares some family Golden Moments at her Pizza Hut party!
Its Jenny's daughter Meg here - Mum is horribly busy at the moment and can’t find time to write … but she’s not too busy for her 6 grandchildren so we had such a nice night I thought I would sneakily go on Mum’s blog and tell you all about it …
16 November 2012
Oh – WOW AGAIN – more goldenness, this time from New Zealand!
Only last week I wrote about the Greenwich school who had brightened up their children’s lives with the Golden Rules, Golden Tickets ….and the Golden Throne – where the lucky winner of the Golden Draw could choose to sit on the Golden Throne during the weeks assembly. Then, in the same week arrives the story and photos from another Golden Hearted Teacher in New Zealand who, having met me some years ago, has developed a celebration reward called the Golden Walk. Children who have made a breakthrough in any academic, social or personal way are chosen by other children or the teacher to walk the Golden Walk. Barefoot they walk down that carpet with all their peers clapping. Their golden-hearted teacher Wendy reports that they are so thrilled they almost float. But do you know what? The longer I work in schools the more deeply I understand its never the idea that’s working – it’s the passion and enthusiasm from the teacher for the idea that is working. I’ve been in thousands of … read on
15 November 2012
Be the Change You Want To See
Children dressed as GhandiThis simple statement has such a moral ‘punch’ to it. It is attributed to Ghandi – and its simplicity and stark truth are certainly his hallmarks. Many years ago when I first started working in India my daughter and I, when in Mumbai, went to Ghandi’s house. It was as if he’d just walked out of the door. Nothing hidden away, tidied up or behind glass; just notebooks open mid-sentence, pens left on the table, books that he loved tied in string, as if time had stood still and you could actually feel his intensity of activity contrasted with the stillness in pools of light. The only indication that he left years ago was that the sun’s rays could hardly penetrate the layers of dust permeating the tiny wooden room.
For years I have battled with the statement’s challenge – i.e. just be the change! I can think of so many instances when I have demanded, nagged or just plain expected other people to ‘step up’ and understand what I needed. In relationships I wa … read on
28 October 2012
Oh Wow, Goldenness Everywhere!
A few days ago at Greenacres Primary School & Children’s Centre, Eltham, London I walked into an emotional richness and goldenness. Every day in my training I urge schools to put the golden rules into the ‘heart’ of all they do.
26 October 2012
Hong Kong Visit 2012
Jenny wrote this blog entry in the gorgeous - Victoria Shanghai Academy in Hong Kong and enjoyed the view from probably has the best playground view in the world (and that is said from a woman who played queenie, queenie, who’s got the ball with children in Rio – under the glare of the outstretched arms of the Statue of Christ on the mountain!)
12 October 2012
My New Zealand Trip 2012
Jenny had another trip to the stunning New Zealand! Read about how Circle Time fits beautifully in New Zealand!
10 September 2012
A Tribute to Staff in International Schools
I am a lucky woman! My work travels far often via enthusiastic teachers, many of whom have used my ideas in the UK and then taken them successfully to their new international school. I am a consultant too and have trained in many international schools – and have just arrived back from giving a two day workshop to St Ignatious Primary and Secondary schools in the Cayman Islands. It was exciting work and, as well as involving the young people, parents were invited too! As ever – I was knocked out by how fabulous so many of these teachers and TA’s are.
These are people from all cultures, experiences and social contexts many of whom have made a huge decision to leave all that is safe and predictable to live in another exotic challenging country. This decision takes a huge leap of faith, self-belief, courage and vision. I am not saying these are all great teachers but they are definitely all interesting people. In the Caymans I met extraordinarily creative, quirky, sensitive, fun, … read on
05 July 2012
'Going For Gold' with Jenny!
Come and join us! We're 'Going for Gold' to tie in with surge of sporting and Olypmic energy this year! The Olympic and Paralympic Games are more than just about sport, they are underpinned by Pierre de Coubertin’s philosophy. He saw the Games as a great opportunity to promote a set of values that could be applied to sport, education and to society as a whole. These values are:
respect – fair play; knowing one’s own limits; and taking care of one’s health and the environment
excellence – how to give the best of oneself, on the field of play or in life; taking part; and progressing according to one’s own objectives
friendship – how, through sport, to understand each other despite any differences
The Paralympic Values are based on the history of the Paralympic Games and the tradition of fair play and honourable sports competition. They are:
courage
determination
inspiration
equality.
Jenny Mosley Consultancies’ own set of moral values for education are promoted through the Whole School … read on
04 July 2012
There’s nothing like a quick massage to lift your spirits on a rainy day!
owlerbook photo - ResizeHere is a photo of some happy smiling faces in the middle of an ordinary staff room having some training with Jenny. Any staff can get in a shoulder massage line and have bonus golden moments – all tension can leave the back of the neck – and a good laugh can dispel any worries.
“Just wanted to express our thanks for a wonderful training day with Jenny yesterday. All the staff are saying what a fantastic day they all had and that Jenny should be on stage as a comedian? I only sat in for the well being bit and thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so that we are going to set up a well being committee and going to organise lots of exciting events in school, yoga etc. Thank you once again it was a pleasure working with you and hope to do it again very soon. Jo Farrell, Owler Brook Primary School
Website Manager’s Note
Jenny Mosley trains staff in self-care, self-esteem and the promotion of a work-life balance. Jenny believes that the energy and self-esteem of sta … read on
30 May 2012
Beautiful Brazil 2012 - Segment 5: Being in Brazil and those Existential Questions!
My questioning of the meaning of life is so childish and homespun that I should not really be committing these random thoughts to anyone’s sight. Ah well – I might get some help so it may be worth it. In my time, mainly in the brightness of youth, I read amazing philosophers; Sartre, Simone Weil, Bede Griffiths, Theilard de Chardin … I worshipped at the light of their beautiful intellects. But now shadows quickly appear in my brain like veils separating me from the original epiphany or clarity I achieved for a second, when first I was illuminated … so I am left with this nagging humble simple questioning which I am sure is clear to everybody else which is ‘why am I – why are you – so lucky?’ This line of thought always tangles round me whenever I am in countries which have incredible wealth for the few and desperate poverty for the many – and you cannot ignore it. How is it that you and I have such an extraordinary powerful, sensory beautiful life when so many others, in so m … read on
19 April 2012
Beautiful Brazil 2012 - Segment 4: The Conference
The Conference
At the end of the weeks work in St Paul’s school they hosted a huge open conference ‘Educating To Keep Pace With Change’. What was so amazing was that many of St Paul’s parents financially supported it so it could open up to non English-speaking Brazilian government schools as well. Maybe about 300 delegates attended. For non English-speaking delegates they bought in translators. Translators are amazing people who have to quickly understand all your ideas and quirky humour within seconds and then translate them into Portuguese!The Brazilian teachers all have headphones on – I have a mic – and the translator in his booth at the back does his magic. The only problem was that I was running large circle workshops which are very active – so I had to keep running across the circle with a hand mic so any of the contributing delegates could be interpreted as well. Manic – but marvellous! These workshops were very special cos they were truly the biggest mix of teachers … read on18 April 2012
Beautiful Brazil 2012 - Segment 3: St Paul's Seconday School
St Paul's Secondary SchoolDuring my last visit, 2010, we had sowed seeds with the secondary teachers by me running some circle time sessions with senior students – but this second visit was to explicitly spend more time building on this foundation. Lets face it we all know that most secondary teachers throughout the world are operating within an overcrowded curriculum, a climate of Draconian inspections, with very little teacher training on active groupwork where the process of PSHE ie; explicitly to give time to debate and reflect, has been squeezed out of the curriculum and target setting has taken its toll on the universal psyche of secondary teachers. For someone like me to bounce in, asking them to become enthusiastic tutors, PSHE advocates and vibrant and lively subject teachers is like offering the kiss of ‘pastoral care’ death!
new_prefects - st paul\'s sixth form Jenny wants for web - CropThis is the group of 6th formers I worked with to train them to be circle time … read on
17 April 2012
Beautiful Brazil 2012 - Segment 2: Jenny's work in St Paul's School
Brazil – my work in St Paul’s schoolGoldAwardWell, it’s the second visit. I was there two years ago and so much has embedded since my first detailed whole school programme of work. Two fabulous Heads of Prep and Pre-prep have really gone for it! Golden Rules embedded, Quality Circle Time timetabled weekly, whole school golden time, playground policies. In the pre-prep they even have monthly circle meetings with the parents to focus on how they can support their children at home with the golden rules in partnership with the school. Some truly wonderful teachers and teaching assistants work here and it is so exciting, uplifting and heart-warming for me to revisit and help move them on to the next levels. Both schools are considering ‘Going For Gold’ – our campaign to encourage schools to gain gold status in a quality circle time model . So student and adult ‘voice’ are at the heart of all of the key systems. Only once the systems are all embedded, then revisited and shone up w … read on
16 April 2012
Beautiful Brazil 2012 - Segment 1: Brazilian Stamina
Oh, where do I start? Being away for nearly a month in Brazil is huge – and I don’t know where to begin. I think I’ll write it in segments – segments of juicy Brazilian fruits that are so exotic I have never seen or heard of them before. For example small wooden coconut-looking gourds, when cracked open, reveal hidden white fleshy lychee-like pearls of deliciousness. See I am rambling off and I haven’t even started. Ok, so here goes – the first segment.