Staff Reflections
Staff Reflections
We all know how stressful school life can be, and how important it is to take care of our mental health and well-being, but how often do we pause to be still in our busy schedules?
The idea of these reflections is to encourage you to take a few minutes to consciously stop and reflect. We hope that they will help you to centre yourself and maybe to see things in a new light. There is plenty of research that shows the very real and sometimes unexpected benefits of intentionally attending to our own well-being.
How you do this will look different for each of you. You might choose to sit quietly with a cup of tea, or go for a walk, or simply find a space to be alone with your thoughts – there is no one-size fits all. Before we can support and encourage others, we need to nourish ourselves first, and we hope that these simple, weekly reflections will be a helpful starting point.
“The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.”
2024/2025 Reflections
Foundations, 24th February
The Sears Tower in Chicago was the world’s tallest building when it opened in 1973..... Click to find out more Staff reflection about foundations
Rubik's Cube, 10th February
The Rubik's Cube is a best selling toy ever, with more than 500million being sold worldwide..... Click to find out more Staff reflection about Rubik's cubes
Talk, 2nd February
February 6th is 'Time to Talk Day' encouraging us to check in with a friend, or get together to talk, listen.... Click to find out more Staff reflection about talking
Story, 27th January
Most of us have created a narrative that explains who we are and where our life is going... Click to find out more Staff reflection about stories
True, 20th January
Are we staying true to ourselves, or trying to become someone different? Click to find out more Staff reflection about truth
Flourish, 13th January
What does flourishing look like for you? Click to find out more Staff reflection about flourishing
Dreams, 6th January
Can you imagine a different future? Click to find out more Staff reflection about dreams
Rewind, 16th December
Does the end of the year make you look back and relive the high points and low points? Click to find out more Staff reflection called rewind
Pinecones, 9th December
Pinecones date back to prehistoric times and would probably have been eaten by dinosaurs! Click to find out more Staff reflections about pinecones
Waiting, 2nd December
In our modern, instant society, we’re not used to waiting. Click to find out more Staff reflection about waiting
Hot Water Bottle, 25th November
Are you someone who is trying to ‘heat the person, not the room'? Click to find out more Staff reflection about hot water bottles
Murmurations, 18th November
Starling murmurations are an amazing sight on winter evenings, with thousands of birds swooping in formation...... Click to find out. Staff reflection about murmurations
Kindness, 11th November
Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind..... Click to find out more Staff reflection about kindness
Remembering, 4th November
Schools can seem obsessed with remembering....... Click to find out more Staff reflection about remembering
Ripples, 21st October
Take a moment to be still, close your eyes and breathe deeply..... Click to find out more Staff reflection about ripples
Autumn, 14th October
Summer may be over, but for many people, Autumn is a magical time of year..... Click to find out more Staff reflection about autumn
Story, 7th October
Do you have favourite stories that you return to again and again? Click to find out more Staff reflection about story
Van Gogh, 30th September
The Starry Night is one of Van Gogh's most recognisable paintings..... Click to find out more Staff reflections about Van Gogh
Tension, 23rd September
Find a quiet place where you can sit comfortably...... Click to find out more Staff reflection about tension
Connections, 16th September
It's been shown that trees communicate with other..... Click to find out more Staff reflection about connections
Legacy, 9th September
What impression do you think you make on those around you? Click to find out more Staff reflection about legacy
Reflection, 2nd September
What have been the highlights of your summer? Click to find out more Staff reflection about reflection2023/2024 Reflections
Gratitude
You may have an ever-growing collection of ‘thank you teacher’ mugs and ornaments.... Click to find out more staff reflection about gratitude
Shade
‘A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in.’ Click to find out more staff reflection about shade
Parasols
Parasols were originally luxury items designed for nobles in ancient China and Egypt... Click to find out more staff reflection about parasols
Circles
Does life ever feel as if you’re going round in circles? Click to find out more staff reflection about circles
Playlist
What music sums up the last year for you? Click to find out more staff reflection about playlists
Neighbour
Who is your neighbour? Do you feel as if you’re surrounded by ‘familiar strangers’? Find out more about page
Oceans
8th June is World Oceans Day, celebrating the importance of oceans.... Find out more about page
Balance
Creating balance gives us stability and peace...... Cick to find out more Staff reflection about balance
Gravity
We couldn’t live on Earth without gravity...... Click to find out more Staff reflection about gravity
Dragons
Dragons appear in the mythology of most cultures........ Click to fnd out more Staff reflection about dragons
Blossom
Stone fruit trees such as apples and plums have showy, sweet smelling blossom..... Click to find out more Staff reflection about blossom
Eggs
The tradition of painting eggs developed in countries such as Romania, Poland and Ukraine..... Click to find out more Staff reflection about eggs
Spring
Spring has been described as the season of hope..... Click to find out more Staff reflection about the season of spring
Wellies
Have you noticed how you approach a walk differently if you’re wearing wellies? Click to find out more Staff reflection about wellie
Treasure
Discovering buried treasure is a popular theme in children’s adventure stories...... Click to find out more Staff reflection about treasure
Kindness
February Half Term was also ‘Random Acts of Kindness Week,’... Click to find out more Staff reflection about kindness
Imperfect
Modern society has an unhealthy obsession with perfection...... Click to find out more Staff reflection about imperfection
Potter
A potter can look at a shapeless lump of clay and picture the finished work of art they’re going to create........ Click to find out more Staff reflection about being a potter
Be Kind
“‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ ‘Kind,’ said the boy.” Charlie Mackesy Click to find out more Staff reflection about kindness
Mondrian
Piet Mondrian was a trailblazer (or gamechanger!) in the art world........ Click to find out more Staff reflection - Mondrian
Blue
There is no scientific proof for blue Monday..... Click to find out more Staff reflection - blue
Monopoly
Monopoly has been voted the UK's most popular board game..... Click to find out more Staff reflection - Monopoly
Unplug
'Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. ’ Anne Lamott Click to find out more Staff reflection - unplug
Holly
Holly trees were historically planted in deer parks as the leaves were a good source of nourishment...... Click to find out more Staff reflection about holly
Sticking plaster
Earle Dickson invented the first adhesive bandages in 1845...... Click to find out more Staff reflection - sticking plaster
Juggling
Being able to juggle takes practice..... Click to find out more Staff reflection - juggling
Opportunity
How do we make the most of each day’s opportunities Click to Find out more Staff Reflection - Opportunity
Bridge
In a world where the news is so often shocking and upsetting, it’s useful to think about building bridges, not barriers..... Click to find out more Staff Reflection - Bridges
Bulbs
Planting is a great way to spend an Autumn weekend in the garden...... Click to find out more Staff reflection - bulbs
Starting Block
Starting blocks give a sprinter something to push against...... Click to find out more Staff reflection - Starting blocks
Acorns
A single oak tree can support an entire eco-system..... Click to find out more Staff reflection - Acorns
Balloons
There are times in life when people must know when to not let go..... Click to find out more Staff reflection - balloons
Geese
When geese fly in a V formation they can fly up to 70% faster..... Click to find out more Staff reflection - geese
Laughter
'The most wasted of days is one without laughter...' Click to find out more Staff reflection - laughter
Playmobil
Since the 1970s, over three billion figures have been sold.... Click to find out more Staff reflection - Playmobil
Road
What does the road ahead feel like at the moment? Click to find out more Staff reflection - road2022/2023 Reflections
Book
‘Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten.’ Click to find out more Staff Reflection Book
Ubuntu
The African philosophy of Ubuntu tells us that we’re only fully human when we live our lives connected to other people... Click to out more Staff Reflection Ubuntu
Pebbles
Are you someone who fills your pockets with pebbles when you walk along the beach? Click to find out more Staff Reflection Pebbles
Sunflowers
Sunflowers originally came from the Americas and were grown for food, medicine and dyes... Click to find out more Staff Reflection Sunflowers
Lollies
Mesopotamian nobles built ice houses along the Euphrates River at least 4000 years ago so they could have iced drinks and desserts on hand... Click to find out more Staff Reflection Lollies
Boat
You can row in a purposeful, focussed way, or simply drift along and enjoy the scenery... Click to find out more Staff Reflection Boat