Discussion for November - Own your behavious, Master your Communication, Determin your Success

@Annie @micwag I am glad you found it useful! It is good just to do something a little different sometimes.

Thanks for joining in @Wendy Harty I agree how we communicate in the school library setting is so important. Leading by example is the phrase I like to use the most and especially with how we talk to students and teachers.

@Annie I'm so glad you enjoyed it. It was so nice to do something a little different this month wasn't it :)

I always enjoy something when I can see the practicalities and something is made clear to me because of an illustration that is so blinding obvious. I think the main thing to hold in mind though is that we’re not always one colour. Different situations will cause us to react differently, and indeed different situations demand different reactions. In the school library setting different students need different treatment - although need to be fair.

I agree @dawnwoods2000 every situation need to be handled in the right way. Not always easy though...

I love all the comments here... I have always loved giraffes and dolphins and now I have another connection with them. I think when we have unsupportive or unknowledgeable management we tend to retreat into hedgehog mode.

@Annie That is so true. I'm working hard on losing my Jackal & Hedgehog, and feel being meerkat, first, helps towards dolphin & giraffe! I'm also identifying the "animals" in others behaviours.

@micwag I can just imagine how all us in future meetings going 'jackal' 'dolphin' 'hedgehog' etc in our minds as we observe and participate!!!! 🤣🤣

Having said that, this is a good 'tool' to keep in mind as I can see the benefits of being more measured and mindful in my personal life too.

I can think of quite a few situations where if I would just listen, count to 10 then speak the outcome would have been a lot better. The nature of the conversation also plays a big part.

@bathgatew and @Elizabeth I agree with both of you re being a confidant and needing a sounding board ourselves.

@Annie @bathgatew @Elizabeth Definitely! My role as librarian absolutely involves being confidante to both students and staff. As @bathgatew has mentioned, it is interesting to observe different behavourial methods in teachers, and how the students respond.

Also, how certain students provoke certain teachers, perhaps as a direct result of this, and how they "behave" for others.

@Elizabeth I could do it in about 4 Indian languages, German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese. Now only 4 remain!

I am often amazed when reading a particularly good book how I think how unfair the central character is being treated when it seems it’s patently obvious the reason for their behaviour. But it’s so much easier to see that in a book than in real life. So ‘bad behaviour’ in children is often a reaction to what is happening in their lives. What is needed is TIME. Time from an understanding adult to give to that child. You would hope it would be their parents, teachers often don’t have the time and can’t do so in front of a whole class, but a school librarian often has a different relationship with students and can possibly be that more understanding (I’m not say they have more time as school library life can be manic)

@dawnwoods2000 The role of the school librarian is so varied and yes being that ear when it’s needed is also part of that. Well-being is such a focus these days, and rightly so, that the school library does have a central role to play as a friendly welcome space.