GPK Daily

Schools are back and this episode takes a quick look at what it's like for all the teachers and classroom assistants who have been instrumental in bringing about this return. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mrkellysvirtualclassroom/message

I'm back after a couple of weeks that have been surreal. It's taken a while to get my head around all of this so this is me getting back to Podcasting. I also talk about a new venture into YouTube and how I plan to link this in some way to the Podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

This the beginning of a whole new experience for all of us and a large part of my day is online. I will be using the podcast where possible to give you an insight as to how I am coping, or not, as the case may be. I have 38 years experience in education and as with everyone I have never experienced anything like this before so we are essentially all in this together and if my podcast can help in any small way then I have been successful. My main thrust will obviously be toward those in education but I am not excluding anyone outside of that sphere as all of a sudden the 'education' community has exponentially grown overnight with the onset of all of this #homeschooling. So everybody is welcome aboard. The typical day that we have all got used to is no longer, so this is a documentation of how my life and experiences are being affected and hopefully it will help others with their new experiences and routines as we all strive to achieve a new structure around the whole area of wellness and work-life balance. #Wellness #WorkLifeBalance #OutreachSupport #Schools #Behaviour #ClassroomManagement #ADHD #Social #ASD #EmotionalIntelligence #Teaching #Covid-19 #LockDown #SocialDistancing --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

In this episode I take a look at how decisions around the coronavirus on how it is affecting schools and on how on the island of Ireland we have two different states of emergency. I'm dedicating the bulk of the production and output of the Podcast through the anchor.fm platform at present it is available on 10 other podcast platforms. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

In the latest episode of A Teacher's Story I talk about patience and long term thinking regarding both personal and work goals. It's always appropriate at any time of year to much focus on goals and planning to look at them in a pragmatic way. Nothing easy is ever achieved quickly or by 'fast tracking' the preparation for it and in education we have to be mindful of continuous evaluation of the success or otherwise of our planning and delivery. Just like a footballer has to spend many hours training before reaching a high level of performance during actual games. We also have to apply this type of thinking when trying to effect personal change or even work related changes, none of them will just happen they will only occur if we put in the effort. This particularly applies whenever we run into difficulties or struggle with or attendance at the gym or necessary learning associated with personal improvement....Patience Is Key! Don't forget you can link to me on Twitter just search for A Teachers Story and you can also voice message using the link on the podcast's home page. #patience #long term thinking #solution focus #planning #personal goals #work goals #work life balance --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

What better way to get into a new season than to revamp the podcast, well it's a bit of a retro fit to be honest as I'm going way back to my A Teacher's Story format and I have linked this to my Twitter account, just search for me on @ATeachersStory. As a lot of the content I put out is around education and my work within this sector this has become more of a launch pad for revamping the podcast and trying to encourage more participation with it on both a professional and personal level around interviews etc so that is what I will be working towards over the next number of weeks and I'm going to trial different ways in which to engage audience participation. #ATeachersStory #Education #Teaching #ADHD #Autism #Outreach #Counselling #JourneyToBetter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

The beginning of Series 10 and just a couple of days have passed since our school was informed that it would be subject to a Full Inspection. While this would normally mean pandemonium I'm really interested to see how the process pans out as in Northern Ireland the Teaching Union I'm a member of is not engaging with Department of Education Inspectors as part of ongoing industrial action.  We are unique as a Special School we also have an Outreach Service that also works with children who have Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. We have also a number of full-time and part-time classes on our dedicated school site that compliments our support work around schools in the Greater Belfast area. #School #Behaviour #Emotional #Social #Autism #ADHD #Outreach #Counselling #Therapeutic --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Yes, I'm ending Series 9 with the news that the dreaded Inspection Process notice has arrived for our School and Outreach Service. While this would normally mean pandemonium I'm really interested to see how the process pans out as in Northern Ireland the Teaching Union I'm a member of is not engaging with Department of Education Inspectors as part of ongoing industrial action. We are unique as a Special School we also have an Outreach Service that also works with children who have Social, Emotional and Behaviour difficulties. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

In this episode I do a round up of the sport that has caught my eye or interest over the past weekend, Manchester United's draw away to Everton, the Honda Classic in Florida and my own lack of golf due to the horrible weather. I especially concentrate on the United game and give my take on where it went right and wrong and also what I think the future direction should be regarding a number of players. With this podcast I will continue to track my typical day/week as part of the journaling process with a look at work I'm doing with individuals and groups of children, I look at the thinking behind that support work and the ultimate ends that I'm try to achieve with each individual. This also involves commenting on the schools' responses to various interventions and advice's that I give and how these work out. I also intend to include a little personal stuff linked to sporting interests and life events and my hope is through the whole package that I can provide some help or guidance for others on their own #JourneyToBetter. Do feel free to join in the conversation by using the voice comment/message facility.  #Wellness #WorkLifeBalance #OutreachSupport #Schools #Behaviour #ClassroomManagement #ADHD #Social #ASD #EmotionalIntelligence #Teaching --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

In this episode I explain why I'm may be taking a break from Podcasting and concentrating on a smaller number of Social Media platforms. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

With this podcast I will continue to track my typical day/week as part of the journaling process with a look at work I'm doing with individuals and groups of children, I look at the thinking behind that support work and the ultimate ends that I'm try to achieve with each individual. This also involves commenting on the schools' responses to various interventions and advice's that I give and how these work out. I also intend to include a little personal stuff linked to sporting interests and life events and my hope is through the whole package that I can provide some help or guidance for others on their own #JourneyToBetter. Do feel free to join in the conversation by using the voice comment/message facility.  #Wellness #WorkLifeBalance #OutreachSupport #Schools #Behaviour #ClassroomManagement #ADHD #Social #ASD #EmotionalIntelligence #Teaching In this Episode I have a look at the player ratings for Manchester United after the Carabao Cup match where we beat City 1-0 but still failed to qualify as the aggregate score was 3-2 to City. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

With this podcast I will continue to track my typical day/week as part of the journaling process with a look at work I'm doing with individuals and groups of children, I look at the thinking behind that support work and the ultimate ends that I'm try to achieve with each individual. This also involves commenting on the schools' responses to various interventions and advice's that I give and how these work out. I also intend to include a little personal stuff linked to sporting interests and life events and my hope is through the whole package that I can provide some help or guidance for others on their own #JourneyToBetter. Do feel free to join in the conversation by using the voice comment/message facility.  #Wellness #WorkLifeBalance #OutreachSupport #Schools #Behaviour #ClassroomManagement #ADHD #Social #ASD #EmotionalIntelligence #Teaching --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

In this episode I take a brief look at how I use calming boxes to help some of the children I work with. They have proved particularly useful for children who are anxious, worried or dysregulated., and also work well with children who are finding it difficult to concentrate or who have experienced trauma or a loss in their life. With this podcast I will continue to track my typical day/week as part of the journaling process with a look at work I'm doing with individuals and groups of children, I look at the thinking behind that support work and the ultimate ends that I'm try to achieve with each individual. This also involves commenting on the schools' responses to various interventions and advice's that I give and how these work out. I also intend to include a little personal stuff linked to sporting interests and life events and my hope is through the whole package that I can provide some help or guidance for others on their own #JourneyToBetter. Do feel free to join in the conversation by using the voice comment/message facility.  #Wellness #WorkLifeBalance #OutreachSupport #Schools #Behaviour #ClassroomManagement #ADHD #Social #ASD #EmotionalIntelligence #Teaching --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

With this podcast I will continue to track my typical day/week as part of the journaling process with a look at work I'm doing with individuals and groups of children, I look at the thinking behind that support work and the ultimate ends that I'm try to achieve with each individual. This also involves commenting on the schools' responses to various interventions and advice's that I give and how these work out. I also intend to include a little personal stuff linked to sporting interests and life events and my hope is through the whole package that I can provide some help or guidance for others on their own #JourneyToBetter. Do feel free to join in the conversation by using the voice comment/message facility. #Wellness #WorkLifeBalance #OutreachSupport #Schools #Behaviour #ClassroomManagement #ADHD #Social #ASD #EmotionalIntelligence #Teaching --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

With this podcast I will continue to track my typical day/week as part of the journaling process with a look at work I'm doing with individuals and groups of children, I look at the thinking behind that support work and the ultimate ends that I'm try to achieve with each individual. This also involves commenting on the schools' responses to various interventions and advice's that I give and how these work out. I also intend to include a little personal stuff linked to sporting interests and life events and my hope is through the whole package that I can provide some help or guidance for others on their own #JourneyToBetter. Do feel free to join in the conversation by using the voice comment/message facility. #Wellness #WorkLifeBalance #OutreachSupport #Schools #Behaviour #ClassroomManagement #ADHD #Social #ASD #EmotionalIntelligence #Teaching --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

As the documentation continues in this episode I am just in the middle of #StormBrendan as I travel around my Outreach Schools and I still have to get home to probably power cuts etc. With I this podcast will continue to track my typical day/week as part of the journaling process with a look at work I'm doing with individuals and groups of children, I look at the thinking behind that support work and the ultimate ends that I'm try to achieve with each individual. This also involves commenting on the schools' responses to various interventions and advice's that I give and how these work out. I also intend to include a little personal stuff linked to sporting interests and life events and my hope is through the whole package that I can provide some help or guidance for others on their own #JourneyToBetter. Do feel free to join in the conversation by using the voice comment/message facility. #Wellness #WorkLifeBalance #OutreachSupport #Schools #Behaviour #ClassroomManagement #ADHD #Social #ASD #EmotionalIntelligence #Teaching --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

As the documentation continues in this episode I just have a summary of my weekend. With this podcast I will continue to track my typical day/week as part of the journaling process with a look at work I'm doing with individuals and groups of children, I look at the thinking behind that support work and the ultimate ends that I'm try to achieve with each individual. This also involves commenting on the schools' responses to various interventions and advice's that I give and how these work out. I also intend to include a little personal stuff linked to sporting interests and life events and my hope is through the whole package that I can provide some help or guidance for others on their own #JourneyToBetter. Do feel free to join in the conversation by using the voice comment/message facility. #Wellness #WorkLifeBalance #OutreachSupport #Schools #Behaviour #ClassroomManagement #ADHD #Social #ASD #EmotionalIntelligence #Teaching --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

The popularity of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone makes it a joy to work with and gives you opportunities you wouldn’t have with other texts. Children who know the book will be keen to revisit it, and I use it in video slots of 20 minutes and link this to text work and also discussion work around different topics. The magic is still at work two decades later and children readily associate with the characters and this allows for comfortable entries to sometimes difficult discussions around PSHE related topics that I have to deal with. Children will want to talk about Harry’s wizarding world and their own experiences there as readers. They express strong feelings about the characters – Harry and his friends seem real and children like to treat them as such. Their involvement is frequently expressed through play, making the book a natural and rewarding starting point for cross-curricular activities. I use it as a standalone resource for my work with children experiencing Social, Emotional & Behavioral Difficulties as it easily lends itself to discussions around , friends, bullying, home situations, making good choices etc. This is a Unit of work that I always look forward to in my cycle of work that I undertake with the children I visit on Outreach and it lends itself very easily to a once weekly visit as it is easy to pick up from where we left off due to their familiarity with the story. I also use video a lot as this takes away any difficulties that could be encountered due to the disparity in reading ability between the children that I encounter over the course of a weeks outreach. For more information on how I use it or indeed how you use Harry in your classroom drop me a message on the voice message facility. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Hi everyone, as it is the start of the New Year indeed a New Decade, what better time than to change some of the format around my podcast. I suppose the actual naming and content of this podcast over the course of the last year reflects my own slightly schizophrenic tendencies as I continually jump from topic to topic and interest to interest!  You know exactly what you want in life. But you can’t seem to get there. You have all these resolves. You’re going to get healthy. You’re going to write that book. You’re going to be more present with your loved ones. You’re going to start that home-based business. You’re going to learn another language. You’re going to be more patient and happy. You’re going to get out of debt. You’re going to be more organized. You’re going to be a better friend. You’re going to overcome bad habits. But the problem for all of is that doing any these is really hard and it gets harder every day. Some days, it seems more realistic to just give up entirely. The whole taking one step forward and one or two steps backward pattern is getting old. So this podcast is my attempt to journal my journey as a record of my ups and of course downs in order to help me and hopefully you can achieve a modicum of success. Rather than continuing with You telling yourself: “Today is the day!” only to fall into old ways before the day — or if you’re lucky, the week — is spent. The podcast is not only a diary but a means of accountability Conversely, Gandhi has said, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” These podcast sessions will be an attempt to have post-work reflection time. The idea is to account to myself what you got done that day and what needs to be moved to tomorrow. Write the things you learned and experienced. They will also allow me the chance to let go of feelings or notions that I may have stored up previously and this would have led to stress, the episodes will be an opportunity to let go and hopefully allow me by verbalization to process and formulate a way of moving forward. I intend to use the content of the episodes as a keystone habit in the morning and evening, to enable me see the incongruities in my life. I'm hoping that this will bring more clarity to my path in life, but also improve my ability to make small and large decisions along the way. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Everyone is full into 2020 and all the 'good things' that we are going to do to help ourselves be better. If your like me you will have stretched it out until the very end and with me only going back to work today the 6th of January, the New Year only officially starts today for all the 'resolution' caper! Well, while it seems like a great idea to suddenly embrace this 'new you' complete with eating changes, lifestyle changes and work goals, all we really do is pile immense pressure on ourselves both physically and mentally and end up failing within the first couple of weeks. This may be a message of doom and gloom that really doesn't seem to fit with all the 'positivism' that the world around us is swimming in at the minute. Far too many of us don't make the most of who we are now and go off seeking some 'nirvana' that the media etc has set as the ideal that we should strive for. I'm not saying you should ignore losing weight or getting fit for health reasons - just don't be fooled into believing that a New Year warrants a new, and better, you. Instead, how about taking an alternative, and potentially more life changing approach? Making the most of who you are and what you have going for you. And yes, you’ll have plenty – if you look for the good stuff instead of picking up on your ‘faults’. Until you do this and have a strong inner confidence you will always be searching for something better. And that can't be healthy. So give yourself a break and rather than make another round of New Years’ resolutions, look deeper into you. You might not be able to change the people around you – or even your circumstances, but you can always choose how you respond to both. Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t, which is a waste of energy. And be careful who and what you listen to, including that pesky, critical, inner voice of yours. Know that nothing can hold you back, unless you allow it to. It’s OK to get things wrong as long as you stay true to who you are, and focus on being you at your best. So stop with the resolution making, change ‘I should be doing’ into ‘why do I have to?’ and wave goodbye to the pressure to keep up and conform.  I'm not saying you should ignore losing weight or getting fit for health reasons - just don't be fooled into believing that a New Year warrants a new, and better, you. These changes should be based around what works for you spend January becoming comfortable in 'Your Own Skin' and that includes the mental as much as the physical. This will leave you with a better starting point to work from as the change will be for reasons you want and the choice to not change something, will be based on an equally valid process. The biggest tip that I will give everyone that will really help them through January and into 2020 is to get more SLEEP! If there’s one health-enhancing thing you can do this year, it’s to sleep better. Sleep is the ultimate performance enhancer. When we fall asleep we’re not only helping ourselves in the short term – mentally, emotionally and physically – but improving our long-term health, too. Sleep can make us happier, improve heart health, boost memory, even reduce the risk of dementia. If sleep were a pill, it would be prescribed by every single doctor on the planet. It does everything – and it’s free. Sleep is as important to our health as eating, drinking and breathing. It allows our bodies to repair themselves and our brains to consolidate our memories and process information. Poor sleep is linked to physical problems such as a weakened immune system and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. So try to aim for the magic 8 hours as a minimum & if you can build in more do so. A 1 hour nap is really beneficial, set the timer, so as not to oversleep, it will boost you, also cut down screen time up to 30 mins before your main sleep. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Season 9 sees me back to simple documentation of my life alongside my music choices. Nothing massive here just my thoughts on end of holidays and returning to work routine. Get linked to anchor.fm with Spotify & you can hear the music --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Yes, the beginning of Series 9 as I get my own holidays and begin the time of year I love when all the family are home for Christmas. Closing down my Outreach with my schools and attempting to wind down. It's actually nice this year as I have a number of days including a weekend to have before Christmas Eve so there is plenty of time to get prepared.  Part of this for me is winding down and appreciating the fact that all the family are home and we always have everyone for Christmas dinner and then all the relations come over to ours on Christmas night for a get together.  I also had my emotions twinged by a news report on older people suffering from dementia and the round the clock care that their spouses and other family have to undertake because of a lack of a proper social service care system. I have personal experience of this as I cared for an elderly relative for the last five years of his life and can agree with their sense of sheer despair and continuous tiredness. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Hi everyone, yes, in this episode I look at some of the work I'm involved with in the last week of term and also have a little philosophical rant regarding good deeds and how some people do them just so that they can publicize the fact that they have done them! Amazingly it is Series 8 Episode 120 and I have a avoided the dreaded pod-fade, despite a few wobbles along the way. By now I have settled in a very simple format of chat on my work and leisure alongside some music choices that can be accessed by those using the anchor platform. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Yes, just closing down the whole hype of the election it's all over and #Brexit is going to happen. How it will impact on Northern Ireland is anybody's guess at this point. Northern Ireland throws up its own electoral surprised with Nationalist Politicians now in the majority at the end of an election for Westminster, history is made. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Patrick Reed insists he will not allow fierce criticism of his actions in the Hero World Challenge to "derail" him in this week's Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne. Video evidence clearly shows him improve his lie not once but twice!! He is sure to face a difficult week Down Under after Australian Cameron Smith, a member of Ernie Els’ International team, brutally criticised the former Masters champion over the excuse he made for improving his lie in the Bahamas. "If you make a mistake maybe once, you could maybe understand but to give a bit of a bulls--- response like the camera angle ... that's pretty up there (inexcusable)," Smith told the AAP at the Australian Open on Sunday. "I don't have any sympathy for anyone that cheats. I hope the crowd absolutely gives it to not only him, but everyone (on the American team) next week. I know Pat pretty good and he's always been nice to me, so I don't want to say anything bad about him. But anyone's cheating the rules, I'm not up for that.” Reed (29) was handed a two-stroke penalty for improving his lie and line of play in Friday's third round, ultimately finishing two shots behind winner Henrik Stenson in third. But while he's been the subject of ridicule from his peers and could face even more flak when he tees it up as a captain's pick this week, he's adamant he will not let it affect him, that may be so but he definitely is on my 'Naughty List' and will no longer get any support from me. In this the last week of Electioneering I look at the Tory Brexit position with a little help from the BBC who also seem a little confused! The biggest fear I have is a clear majority for the Tories as this gives Boris Johnson a Carte Blanch on pushing through anything he likes and that IMO is the road to disaster. A hung Parliament or a Labour Coalition at least allows for some checks and accountability. Manchester United dealt a crushing blow to Manchester City's title hopes with a stunning derby win that leaves the defending champions 14 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool. Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial fired United into an early lead and although Nicolas Otamendi's late reply set up a thrilling finale, the visitors held on for arguably the most impressive victory of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's 12-month reign. Both United goals came in a breathless opening half-hour at Etihad Stadium, where they repeatedly carved open City's creaking back-line to devastating effect. Rashford opened the scoring from the spot after he was clumsily knocked over by Bernardo Silva, with the penalty awarded by video assistant referee Michael Oliver. The in-form England striker, who has now scored 13 goals in his past 14 games for club and country, hit the bar moments later but United did not have to wait long to extend their lead. United's next attack saw Daniel James find Anthony Martial on the right of the area, and he had space to turn and squeeze his shot inside Ederson's near post. The game was marred by allegations of racist abuse towards the United midfielder Fred in the second half, while there were also reports of objects being thrown at him from the stands. There is of course an opportunity for you the listener to comment back, ask questions or even request music through the unique Voice Comment link. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Yes, great start to December as United win against Spurs at Old Trafford, this was breathless display from United and it felt strange, when I think of how lost they can look against sometimes lesser opposition. Inconsistency is the hallmark of young teams, of course. So, too, the inability to kill off opponents, as United had failed to do with Spurs as the interval neared. So it was that a sublime Ali touch-and-finish meant his team were back level in a contest that should already have been over. Mourinho did not gloat over the equaliser. Solskjær, meanwhile, berated the fourth official. It meant the second half was a test for United – and their manager. They passed it admirably, thanks primarily to Rashford, who won and then converted the crucial penalty for a ninth league strike of what may prove the watershed season of his young career. In the buildup Solskjær had spoken of the need for patience and how victories can speed up the development of his side. This result has to galvanize both the team, the coaching staff and give the manager some respite from the pressure of those calling for his head at the first sign of a blip. As for Mourinho, the newfound humbleness should mean the greeting of his first Spurs loss with the grace of, well, the Humble One. I also note that the 'Last Task' on #TheApprentice is a sure sign we are nearing the real run in for #Christmas as the dreaded interviews will make compelling viewing next week. Alongside my take on these I have also included a music mix which naturally enough given it is December starts to include some Christmas themed tunes. There is of course an opportunity for you the listener to comment back, ask questions or even request music through the unique Voice Comment link. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Yes this time I am really dropping #SocialMedia and concentrating on close friends and family, the podcast will be my only outward communication on how I am feeling regarding different life events and it will provide an opportunity for others to comment back, ask questions or even request music through the unique Voice Comment link. I am continuing to include music of my choice and the best way to get the full experience is to link your Spotify Premium account to anchor.fm. You can of course just listen to my ramblings on any of the other 10 podcast platforms that I am on. I have spent a lot of time 'toying' with this idea, as I have become more and more disillusioned with the content and the commercialism surrounding the whole area of Facebook and Instagram in particular. I recently looked to start a page linked to the podcast and wanted it to be just a community page, suddenly I was bombarded with encouragement to 'pay to boost my page/post reach' and I'm classed as a business!! I have an increasing number of friends who have headed for a detox space and many of my children's generation in their late 20's early 30's are extremely watchful of their 'screen time'. They’ll deactivate an account (or at least delete an app) to avoid the negative feelings that too much social content can foster. I have taken time off of social before but always got lured back with the thought of how it could help promote the podcast, but after falling into one too many late-night vortexes or stressing about a lack of likes, I can certainly understand the appeal. And according to a new studies my generation isn’t the only one feeling the need to cleanse its social palette. Many of today's teens are also opting out largely because of the effect social media has on their mental health. Thirty-five percent of social media users cited that there was too much negativity floating around, while seventeen percent said it made them feel bad about themselves. Social media is often linked to anxiety, depression & low self-esteem and eighteen percent said they felt too much pressure from sites to get attention. My work involves a lot of work with young people experiencing difficulties in these very areas so I feel that it would be hypocritical of me to not join in. I too have been monitoring my own engagements and how meaningful they are, what responses they get & the number of engagements and I must admit to being shocked at how easily we all succumb to the trap of a celebrity-driven marketplace that is engineered to sap users’ time and attention at the cost of their well-being. As someone once said: “It feels like we’re all addicted to a drug that doesn’t get us high anymore, so I wanted to make space for something that really does.” That space will become reserved for family and close friends, the 'REAL PEOPLE' who should matter to everyone. I'm changing things subtly like removing my Snapchat emoji code from my profile pick and sticking to WhatsApp as its linked to contacts I choose from family & work. This may be invaded by some of them posting something linked to a Facebook or Twitter link but if I can't access that because I no longer have an account, so be it. I no longer have a Twitter link in my program notes and any previous notes that have the link, it is no longer viable. So there it is as I include my first Christmas songs in my Podcast, my only means of promotion from here will be on the anchor.fm site through my own choice of favorites and also Podcasts I link to through comments. Yes, it's December and the real #ChristmasCountdown has begun and its a time of year when I get quite nostalgic but that is for another episode. On the back of this one maybe you to can have a look at your own social media time and assess if you can improve how you use it with a view to an improved experience. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November—this year, on November 28th and it has already been celebrated in Canada, on the second Monday in October the 14th this year. Turkey has become the traditional choice for Americans after Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. It was part of Christmas history as far back as the 16th century, and popular history tells of King Henry VIII being the first English monarch to have turkey for Christmas. The 16th century farmer Thomas Tusser noted that by 1573 turkeys were commonly served at English Christmas dinners. Although these were feasts for the rich, royalty and landed gentry. Even though turkeys are much more affordable today, they still remain a celebratory symbol of bounty. In fact, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin ate roast turkey in foil packets for their first meal on the Moon. November seems to now have become the launchpad for the #ChristmasCountdown as #BlackFriday has now become a fortnight of sales in the run up to the last Friday in November and the media has started to hit the consumer with a plethora of enticing advertisements all designed to encourage the consumer to part with their hard earned cash. It's a commonly held belief that Christmas makes itself known sooner year on year. But is there any truth to the "Christmas creep"? Here, John Lewis' adverts are widely regarded as the "official beginning" of the Christmas season in the UK. The same Christmas season that, by the way, does not start earlier every year. Since John Lewis' "Sweet Child o' Mine" Christmas ad of 2009, the brand's adverts have come out around the same time of year for the past six years, between the 6th and the 12th of November. But how often have you seen a box of mince pies in the supermarket in October and we have have only just had Halloween and the Family Circle boxes are on offer at the beginning of November. It's a commonly-held belief that Christmas comes earlier every year, along with all the other once-a-year festivities. Valentine's cards come out as soon as you chuck your Christmas tree into the neighbor's skip; Easter eggs immediately after that; and on and on, until all holidays overlap into one big commercial mess. But is there actually any truth in this? Are people just idealizing a past in which capitalism had less of a stranglehold on society – in which they had less of an understanding of what exactly capitalism was, because they were stupid children – and forgetting that we've been subjected to all of this seasonal bullshit since birth? I try to rationalize it all by working on the premise that these early displays allow some of us to spread our spending wisely in the run up to the 'big day/holiday'. Some of the children I work with come from less well off homes and this time of year can be extremely difficult for them as they are bombarded by advertisements for lots of goods, their families will go into debt to get them the 'latest in toy' and others will struggle with just having a Christmas Dinner. A babysitter that looked after my children was a wise old woman, sadly no longer with us and she attacked the January Sales with gusto, as this was her gathering time for the next Christmas! Now that really is #ChristmasCreep. It makes sense; once retailers have stopped offering barbecues and cocktail shakers, the natural progression is to slyly shift towards marketing the warm and cosy, there to ward off the impending dread that comes with only seeing 30 minutes of sunlight a day. But does all that change our behavior as consumers? Have Your Say Now - Hit these links: Voice Comment or on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Have Your Say Now - Hit these links: Voice Comment or on Twitter Pochettino for United? The International has seen the shock sacking of the Spurs manager and the appointment of Jose Mourinho within a day of him leaving. I also talk about essential administration, yes I hate it but at this time of year in order to ensure a proper transfer of support for the children I work with as they move from Primary to Secondary Education there is an onus on me to deliver essential information through Status Reports and updated Intervention Advices. I also have included my usual #musicmix as part of the episode. Remember you can only avail of the full music & chat experience by listening on anchor.fm with a Spotify Premium account. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Have Your Say Now - Hit these links: Voice Comment or on Twitter More music and chat in this episode around how I spend my Saturday and how do you spend yours? I also talk about Boris Johnson and his links before becoming Prime Minister and how this makes me question his credibility to hold the highest office. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Yes, music radio is back in this episode for anchor.fm listeners with a Spotify Premium account. Pick The Music Now - Hit the Voice Comment link and leave your music request and even dedicate to someone or some cause. Continuing the theme of chat & songs, get a Spotify Premium account and link it to anchor.fm for the FULL MUSIC & CHAT EXPERIENCE!! You can also join in the conversation on Twitter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Yes, music radio is back in this episode for anchor.fm listeners with a Spotify Premium account. Pick The Music Now - Hit the Voice Comment link and leave your music request and even dedicate to someone or some cause. The transition to music has begun as I have once again linked up with Spotify Premium to play a mix of music that you hopefully enjoy while also commenting on my own life journey alongside my interests in sport, current affairs and politics. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Have Your Say Now - Hit these links: Voice Comment or on Twitter Here we go 110 episodes I never would have thought it possible. Firstly, to the win in Europe for Manchester United There is so much negativity on here about this result... 'Look. If you can't enjoy a 3-0 win in which all your forwards score moral boosting goals and the youngest of them takes another step forward then maybe football and United is not for you...? With an average age of 21, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer unleashed a Manchester United forward line that looks every bit the future of the club. Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood fired United into the knockout stages of the Europa League – but, more importantly, offered a tantalising glimpse of what Old Trafford could come to expect from this thrilling front three. All pace, movement, menace and technique – they are the epitome of the modern-day attack. And though still raw – Greenwood has just turned 18, while the veteran of the group, Martial, is still only 23 – they could well be the basis on which Solskjaer builds his United revolution. Against Partizan Belgrade they clicked in a manner in which United simply haven't this term – each scoring picture-book goals and creating enough chances to make a 3-0 score-line even more emphatic. The question now is whether Solskjaer is prepared to stick with an attack that scored two first half goals at home for the first time since January? Also, is this side beginning to move out from the shadow of the absent Paul Pogba and gain an identity and playing style that matches with their enthusiasm for football rather than their social media presence? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Have Your Say Now - Hit these links: Voice Comment or on Twitter In the first part of this Episode I consider the breaking news that Cian McBride has opted to join AFL side Essendon on a two year contract and the fact that this is a blow to both the County Team and also his club St Ultan's going forward. The highly rated eighteen year old was set to be part of the Royal's set up on their return to the top flight in the National league in 2020. The 6ft 5in youngster impressed at trails in Dublin last monthe and was quickly recruited. Essendon general manager, Adrian Dodoro stated that 'Cian had impressed with his athleticism for his height by recording a six minute, seventeen second 2KM time trial along with 2.99 seconds in the 20m sprint'. It of course is a blow to both his club and county and it is another example of the young talent that is now being targeted by Australian Football and as a consequence lost to our own home games. While larger counties may be able to absorb such losses, smaller counties loose the top young talent and also then struggle to find any continual means of gaining on those already dominating the 'top end' of the GAA hierarchy. The whole issue around replays in club championships and eventual sudden death playoffs was once again to the fore this weekend in Ulster but are they a legal way to decide a game? There is some confusion over the actual legalities of the so called penalty shoot out, as it has hastily replaced the free kick shoot out and may not have been ratified properly! The question is and there enough legal buffs around the halls of GAA clubs etc to test this out, are the results of games decided in this way open to an appeal from the losing side? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Have Your Say Now - Hit these links: Voice Comment or on Twitter In today's episode I examine the Facebook & Twitter moves over political advertising on their respective platforms. I also reference the fact that John Bercow steps down as Speaker of the House of Commons after 10 years in post. Also in the initial phases of Electoral jousting we are still in Europe as another promised deadline passes us by...on and on we go hopefully there will be some light at the end of the tunnel and Santa Claus can deliver a credible Parliamentary majority to allow us all to move on. This episode is one that I have put together over my Halloween break and consists of a number of topic areas that have drawn my interest no doubt there will be many twists and turns in the election campaign before we conclude on the 12th of December and that leads me nicely into the next scary date on the calendar..Friday the 13th of December will be the date for a New Prime Minister to take the walk up Downing Street and into Number 10, yes, it's been a year of strange deadlines and dates!! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Have Your Say Now - Hit these links: Voice Comment or on Twitter Yes it's finally here the Halloween Holiday, this last week seemed like it was forever and lots of teachers that I talked to felt the same. Even though we all agreed that the actual period between coming back to school and this the first recognized break has really flown. Halloween recognised as the time for Ghosts and Ghouls also had a far greater significance this year as it is meant to be the deadline for Brexit. Boris Johnson pledged to take the United Kingdom out of Europe on 31st October with or without a deal and it's looking extremely unlikely that this timetable will actually fall into place due to many factors. However, the Brexit deal that he negotiated has caused consternation among the Unionist community in Northern Ireland as they feel betrayed and used as a bargaining chip. I have included a number of clips of various politicians speaking on these issues as part of this episode to give some clarity around why this is the case. Essentially the Boris Deal has led to a friction-less border on the island of Ireland as enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement and has resulted in essentially a customs/VAT border in the Irish Sea. This has enraged the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), as everything that they stand for is bound up in their link with the United Kingdom and indeed their 'confidence & supply' voting arrangements with the minority Conservative Government have helped Boris get to this point. Indeed the same Boris spoke at last years DUP Party Conference and guaranteed no change to Northern Ireland's position within the union. It can be a little hard to work out what the DUP actually want on occasions and perhaps they have had a dose of their own medicine as Boris has played fast and loose with them throughout and it looks like he has sold them out. They consistently cry they want Northern Ireland to be the 'same as' the rest of the United Kingdom and yet within Northern Ireland they back different laws with regard to LGBT rights, same sex marriage, abortion and language acts and they also misquote the Good Friday Agreement as and when it suits they are against it but at this juncture they are now looking to use it to stop this East/West trade barrier, this very same agreement that they refused to sign up to or back from its inception! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Have Your Say Now - Hit these links: Voice Comment or on Twitter Join in on any of the topics discussed on this episode or indeed topics that you would like discussed in future episodes. In this episode I look at the leaders of the two so called Super-Powers and the men at the top. This is a tale of two cynics: Donald Trump and Boris Johnson. They’re equally volatile and dangerous, but they afflict their two nations differently. Trump is a president who says a hurricane is threatening Alabama when, actually, it isn't; who believes wind turbines cause cancer; who purges references to climate change in government reports; and on, and on. He doesn’t read, and he likes to be surrounded by ignoramuses. Few of his lieutenants are appointed for their expertise. Dr. Ben Carson, a former neurosurgeon, knows nothing about housing policy; Betsy DeVos is the Education secretary who visited the nation’s largest school district and didn't stop at a single public school. And few of Trump’s notions are original: They are the fancies of his evangelical-oligarchic-Fox News alliance, who believe that climate change is either nonexistent or part of the cosmic order of things, that America is “infested” by nonwhites, that open-carry gun laws save lives, and so on. Trump stands out as a weirdo. His contempt for knowledge would not fly at the top of any serious business, yet he has come from a business background. His economic advisers are outliers. And his reversals cause whiplash. When Trump named Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of State, for instance, he commended him for his “tenacity, broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics.” When he fired Tillerson after a year in office, he tweeted that Tillerson was “dumb as a rock” and “lazy as hell.” Boris Johnson, is also given to wild spins with a distinct lack of respect for what is true. Johnson and most of his predecessors learned the arts of debate, slapdash generalization and high-level schmoozing at Oxford. Johnson even knows how to go lowbrow, having recently boasted: “The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets.” He undoubtedly is overseeing a political strategy similar to Donald Trump, as 22 of his own party lost the whip after voting to stop a no-deal Brexit, his response was “Trumpian” in terms of the type of language being used and the overall tone of debate. At divisive Downing Street, briefings he uses words like 'collaborator' and riles up party activists in a way that all belong to a strategy that corresponds more to Trump than to the long tradition of the Conservatives particularly Winston Churchill, whom he often compares himself to. It is easy to liken Johnson and Trump, “They are very different personalities but in terms of political strategy, what we see from No 10 is divisive and exercising the base and that is very similar to Donald Trump. Today, both countries are deeply riven socially — between winners and losers of globalization, between rural and urban voters, and between generations. These divisions also cut through their main political parties. In this polarized environment, many British and American politicians have concluded that they must ride the populist tiger rather than search for votes in a barren center ground. Compromise offers few rewards now, and moderates seem to have left the field. Are we the electorate indeed reaping what we have sown by allowing politics to become like this because of our choices? Also, the lack of credible alternatives is frightening in a time when both nations need a coherent opposition both are frighteningly unavailable. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Have Your Say Now - Hit these links: Voice Comment or on Twitter United draw with Liverpool and it left a bitter sweet taste, if you'd offered me a draw before the game I'd have taken it but having watched it I ended up a little disappointed. Sometimes, a team's prospects cannot be boiled down to the outcome of one game. As tempting as it is to assess Liverpool's title credentials or Manchester United's ability to kick-start their faltering season after the 1-1 draw, sometimes the outcome is nothing more than what it is: the result at the end of 90 minutes. Some will suggest that Liverpool displayed the hallmark of champions by getting a 1-1 draw on a bad day, but that's an easy cliche to trot out. As Klopp said, Liverpool grabbed a point and nothing more. And just as this result does not offer a crystal ball into Liverpool's future, the performance produced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's players should not be used as a yardstick for the rest of their season either. However, as a Utd supporter I am more than happy with the way the team acquitted themselves and again I saw evidence of the fact that this team is so much more fluid when Pogba is not at the heart of things. In my opinion he slows things down, where those quick transitions yesterday were the bedrock of the attack and also the reason for disorganization in the Liverpool back line, Pogba does not add that when he plays in central midfield. Liverpool’s winning run ended at 17, one short of the record, but they will be happy enough after Adam Lallana’s late equalizer put them six points clear at the top. Although it was a scruffy game of few chances, there was always something going on and it was fascinating tactically. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer set United up expertly in the first half, with a 3-4-1-2 formation and split strikers, but they ran out of steam in the second. Solskjaer was arguably too passive with his substitutions, although he didn’t have many options. And while Liverpool were nowhere near their awesome best, they probably deserved a draw for their persistence and territorial dominance. There was VAR controversy, inevitably, and some of the usual derby needle, Daniel James in particular on the receiving end of a few hefty challenges! United looked deflated because of the late equalizer and as a fan I to was disappointed but when the dust settles, they will reflect on a pretty good day. Marcus Rashford on the talismanic side of immense, and there were plenty of signs that United are going in the right direction. In this case, admittedly, that means moving from 14th to 13th in the league, but fourth place is still a realistic ambition but in order to achieve it every game has become a cup tie from now until the actual one against Chelsea in the FA Cup. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Yes, in this podcast I look at my tactics for my weekend golf in winter conditions and I also reminisce about Match of the Day and how much it has been part of my Saturday night for the last 50 years..scary thought!! https://anchor.fm/gpk/message --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

This episode contains an overview of the major County Club finals taking place over the course of the weekend, twenty in all! Eighteen are taking place on the Sunday with two on the Saturday and also on Saturday, a double header in Club Football with both semifinals airing back to back on RTE. I also focus on the Ulster Club Championship. Club weekends don't get much bigger than this one coming up. Sunday is the busiest day of the season on the county final front with eighteen on the schedule across all four provinces - many of them high-profile fixtures. Add in two more on Saturday. Back-to-back All-Ireland champions Corofin will be bidding for a remarkable seventh successive Galway SFC title at Tuam Stadium, where they face the local Stars. Clontribret are looking to steer Scotstown's 'drive for five' off course in Monaghan while Ballymacnab and Crossmaglen cross swords in the Armagh SFC final once again. Naomh Conaill will be keen to avoid their third successive Donegal SFC final defeat when they face holders Gaoth Dobhair in a repeat of last year's decider at MacCumhaill Park (live, TG4). In Kildare, there will be an eight all-Newbridge SFC final in nineteen years as fierce rivals Moorefield and Sarsfields prepare to do battle. Slaughtneil slayers Watty Grahams are set to contest their first-ever Derry SFC final, against a Magherafelt side who are appearing in their first in 36 years. The Waterford SFC final is between Ballinacourty and Rathgormack after the latter reached their first Conway Cup showpiece in 19 years. Miltown-Malbay (Clare), Tir Chonaill Gaels (London), Newtown Blues (Louth) and Tourlestrane (Sligo) are set to defend their respective championship crowns. Also on Sunday, the opening game of the provincial club SFC takes places at Corrigan Park, where Antrim winners Cargin face Fermanagh's five-in-a-row champions Derrygonnelly. On Saturday evening, all eyes will be on the Mayo SFC final as reigning champions Ballintubber and Ballaghaderreen go head-to-head for the Moclair Cup. Meanwhile, live coverage of the first two Kerry SFC quarter-finals (Killarney Legion v St Brendans; Dingle v East Kerry) will be available to watch on RTE2. Ulster club JFC quarter-finals Collegeland (Armagh) v Buncrana (Donegal), Athletic Grounds, 2pm Killinkere (Cavan) v Bright (Down), Kingspan Breffni, 2.30pm Blackhill (Monaghan) v Maguiresbridge (Fermanagh), Inniskeen, 2.30pm Ulster club SFC first round Cargin (Antrim) v Derrygonnelly (Fermanagh), Corrigan Park, 2.30pm --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

This episode has literally been put together as events have unfolded throughout a fast moving day. After seemingly endless stalls and many days, weeks and indeed months of going around in circles it's finally across the line. I have given my own personal take from the unfolding news. The UK government negotiating team have eventually reached a workable agreement, unfortunately it's still not totally finished. As one long journey has been completed there is another difficult one about to start. The vote in Westminster is about to become pivotal and I include some thinking on where that will possibly go within this episode. You can connect with me on https://twitter.com/GPK__ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Yes, as I go into my one hundred and first episode I take a look at the way forward for me and podcasting. I have had severe doubts about continuing but having gone this far I feel that I am at least going to see this out until Christmas and then review the whole podcast experiment for the New Year. Yes, it seems terrible to be talking about that time of year and we haven't even got past Halloween yet! My target when I started this one year ago, was to try to complete one hundred episodes and see how I felt, well here I am. I have had a little 'pod-fade' in the middle of the year but essentially I have continued to post regularly. My greater concern as I have gone on has been a drop in listeners and I am reviewing how I am presenting my content to see if this affects the numbers.  Despite this my greatest reason for doing this has been to have some kind of record of me and how I feel on a variety of topics, that said the listening figures are important, even just from a personal justification point of view. So during the next month I am experimenting with some changes and I hope that they will invigorate both me and my listener base. The first of these has been to change the whole branding around the podcast; renaming it @GPK makes it more personal to me and also removes the notional 'burden' of a title that included daily within it. I am also reducing my social media output to focusing only on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GPK__ with it essentially becoming my written output and the podcast becoming the verbal output. I am also going to focus more on my anchor links as a method of increasing audience engagement and look at ways in which I can also link more with the audience on this platform. I give a brief overview of my work linked commitment for this school year regarding the number of pupils I'm engaged with, the type of schools I work in and also the range of care and support needs that I have to put in place to help these children with their own individual #JourneyToBetter  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Yes, that's 100 episodes in a calendar year I have hit my target! In this episode, I am continuing with including another example of a Talk Script that I use with individual & groups of children and also adults as part of a short Mindfulness Session that can be easily done after break at the beginning or end of the day as a means of helping your subjects connect with themselves and also the environment around them while also hopefully helping them become calmer and release some of their anxiety. The beauty with a short session like this done regularly is that everyone involved can benefit in some way and that each individual can approach it with their own needs in privacy, as it is their individual focus and that these don't need to be exposed to the group. I advise schools in particular to incorporate sessions like this into their daily classroom routine with a view to having an incremental benefit for their children over the course of a term or school year. Each individual becomes more proficient with greater practice and involvement with the process. As part of the work I do with schools, I look at how teachers can incorporate the program into their whole school Pastoral Care & Wellness Policy and effectively provide positive outcomes for their children's mental health, right through the whole school community. My work with individual schools regarding the context within their own school and to encourage appropriate time slots and also activities that can be made available for this valuable part of the social skills curriculum that is being ignored in many schools today. I would welcome your comments on any aspect of the Podcast, particularly on any topics that you would like me to discuss in future episodes. You can do this by using the Podcast Audio Comments facility or by linking with me on either Twitter or I am also available on Facebook and I can be contacted individually be emailing me on: gpkdaily@gmail.com #JourneyToBetter #Mindfulness #GrowthMindset #LifeChanging #MentalHealth #Teacher #Educator #Education #ClassroomManagement #Students #SocialSkills #ADHD #Autism --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Yes, almost at the target of 100 episodes and in this one Episode 99, I am including an example of a Talk Script that I use with individual & groups of children and also adults as part of a short Mindfulness Session that can be easily done after break at the beginning or end of the day as a means of helping your subjects connect with themselves and also the environment around them while also hopefully helping them become calmer and release some of their anxiety.  The beauty with a short session like this done regularly is that everyone involved can benefit in some way and that each individual can approach it with their own needs in privacy, as it is their individual focus and that these don't need to be exposed to the group.  I advise schools in particular to incorporate sessions like this into their daily classroom routine with a view to having an incremental benefit for their children over the course of a term or school year. Each individual becomes more proficient with greater practice and involvement with the process. As part of the work I do with schools, I look at how teachers can incorporate the program into their whole school Pastoral Care & Wellness Policy and effectively provide positive outcomes for their children's mental health, right through the whole school community. My work with individual schools regarding the context within their own school and to encourage appropriate time slots and also activities that can be made available for this valuable part of the social skills curriculum that is being ignored in many schools today. I would welcome your comments on any aspect of the Podcast, particularly on any topics that you would like me to discuss in future episodes. You can do this by using the Podcast Audio Comments facility or by linking with me on either Twitter or I am also available on Facebook and I can be contacted individually be emailing me on: gpkdaily@gmail.com #JourneyToBetter #Mindfulness #GrowthMindset #LifeChanging #MentalHealth #Teacher #Educator #Education #ClassroomManagement #Students #SocialSkills #ADHD #Autism  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

Yes, a weekend of mixed fortunes on the sporting front:  United lose again, to Newcastle! Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faced fresh calls to bring the curtain down on his Old Trafford tenure during Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Newcastle. The Red Devils traveled to the north east desperate to get back to winning ways having failed to secure victory in 90 minutes since September 19. But, as much as they huffed and puffed at St James' Park, they failed to make a breakthrough and get themselves on the scoresheet. United's woes were compounded in the second half when Newcastle debutant Matty Longstaff finished off a flowing move to put Newcastle 1-0 up. The goal, which proved to be the winner, opened the door for a wave of criticism to be directed towards Solskjaer, with fans venting their fury towards the Norwegian on social media. "Solskjaer is clearly out of his depth at this level, but not a single pundit or former teammate will say it though," said one fan on Twitter. "It’ll all be the players and boards fault.” Semi-final time in GAA Club football and I take in Armagh and Derry semi-finals.  In Armagh a double header semi-final spectactular ended up as a rather damp affair particularly in the 2nd game as the first between Ballymacnab &  Granemore proved enthralling despite atrocious conditions with an injury time equaliser from Granemore ensuring the 'Nab had to work really hard in extra time to ensure a repeat of the 2018 final against Crossmaglen who eased past Maghery in conditions that were more akin to a swimming gala than anything that could have been conducive to good football. Final scores for both games: Ballymacnab Round Towers 0-16 v 0-13 Granemore AET Crossmaglen Rangers 2-9 (15) v 0-8 Maghery Sean MacDiarmada In Derry, I travelled to Owenbeg, Dungiven on Sunday where I was delighted to witness Glen, Maghera deservedly deny Slaughtneil a return to the Derry Senior club decider in a game of goals and goal chances, holding on for a famous victory, that saw the Watty Graham's appear in their 1st Senior football final, in a finish that was more nerve-wracking than it needed to be.Glen would have been happy to win an awful game – they were delighted to edge this enthralling encounter by a score of Watty Graham's, Glen 3-7 (16) Robert Emmet's, Slaughtneil 1-11 (14). They will now face another local neighbour as Magherafelt O'Donovan Rossa who have qualified for their first senior county final in 36 years by beating Banagher on a scoreline of 1-10 to 1-9 in the other semi which was played on Saturday in equally atrociuos conditions the the Armagh double header. The 19th typhoon of the season which has been named Typhoon Hagibis has formed just south of Japan and forecasters say it is rapidly making its way towards the mainland, could quite literally blow Ireland's QFinal qualification away. Ireland are due to play Samoa on Saturday in Fukuoka, which is in southern Japan. World Rugby have already confirmed that if any World Cup games are cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, the result will go down as a 0-0 draw. If the worst case scenario was to unfold, it could leave Ireland on the brink of elimination, if Scotland were to win their remaining two games against Russia on Wednesday and Japan on Sunday. I would welcome your comments on any aspect of the Podcast, particularly on any topics that you would like me to discuss in future episodes. You can do this by using the Podcast Audio Comments facility or by linking with me on either Twitter or I am also available on Facebook #ManchesterUnited #RedDevils #DerryGAA #ArmaghGAA #UlsterGAA #Ireland #RugbyWorldCup2019 #Japan #Typhoon #Hagibis #WattyGraham's #GlenMaghera #Ballymacnab #RoundTowers #CrossmaglenRangers #Magherafelt #O'DonovanRossa --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

This podcast is a continuation of my journal-ling of my work with children who are experiencing social, emotional and behavioral difficulties, the focus of today's episode is children learn what they live. I begin by looking at some of the negatives that can impact a child's life and while a lot of these may be external to schools some of them are also unfortunately evident within school environments and indeed some classrooms. I concede that some of these negatives can have become embedded before children enter the schooling system but that this actually should make us even more aware of accentuating the positives of encouragement, tolerance, praise, acceptance, approval, recognition, sharing, honesty & fairness, security, friendliness and serenity. I ask the question, what are the children in our schooling system living? I would welcome your comments on any aspect of the Podcast, particularly on any topics that you would like me to discuss in future episodes. You can do this by using the Podcast Audio Comments facility or by linking with me on either Twitter or I am also available on Facebook #BehaviorHacks #Children #Schools #Education #LifeValues #Social #Emotional #Behavioral #Autism #ADHD --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

This one is from the heart after having watched our poor performance on Monday night against Arsenal and also having witnessed the worst league start in 30 years with our lowest points haul for the first 7 games, ever, in that length of time! I give my take on the current situation at Manchester United. I start off watching a Spurs Champions League game and wish for Its to have as much passion and for the crowd experience there once was at Old Trafford when I stood in the Stretford End. Reality hits when Spurs score & concede in the space of 5 mins...they go on to lose 7-2 at home...do we want Poch? I give my take on his Spurs problems and our own #GlazerOut problem & that man Woodward. I really want United fans to listen & give me their take, do they agree or disagree? What do they think we need to happen if we are going to address this current malaise? I would welcome your comments on any aspect of the Podcast, particularly on any topics that you would like me to discuss in future episodes. You can do this by using the Podcast Audio Comments facility or by linking with me on either Twitter or I am also available on Facebook #ManchesterUnited #GlazersOut #NewtonHeath #WayForward #DirectorofFootball #PochforUtd #RedDevils --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

In this episode, I return to educational content and I look at what it takes to be a Life Changing Educator, I talk about how these teachers help their students feel safe. Undoubtedly any students that I have worked with who have social, emotional or behavioral difficulties really appreciate a culture of safety and support. All of the best teachers that I work with have a contagious enthusiasm and pass it on to their students. Life-Changing Educators know when to be tough, they challenge and demand their students to become more yet they do so in a way that allows their students to trust them and believe in their own ability to stretch themselves. I also link this to 10 things that I think that I have seen in their classrooms, consistently across the schools that I visit. This is based on a Solution Focused Approach that allows them to incorporate Growth Mindset values seamlessly into their teaching delivery, so as to help them be great educators and in turn encourage the children they work with to blossom. All of the great teachers that I have come into contact with and had the privilege of working with also know how to and when to model patience, they find a way to stay calm amid the chaos that is school life. Crucially they believe in their students and help the students to believe in themselves, they see the new potential and help the children they work with find it. Most importantly they love their students, the single most important impact of Life-Changing Educators is showing that love to their students, through small, meaningful, acts of kindness. I also take a look at 'Choosing Time' otherwise known as 'Golden Time or simply 'Reward Time' depending on the school that it is being used in, this has close links to how excellent teachers use this time as a means of promoting not only learning but also good behavior. I look at how I think it should be used and some 'golden rules' that I would apply to its use within a classroom and indeed the wider school environment. As I point out in the Podcast I work with individual schools regarding the context within their own school and appropriate time slots and also activities that can be made available for this valuable part of the social skills curriculum that is being ignored in many schools. I would welcome your comments on any aspect of the Podcast, particularly on any topics that you would like me to discuss in future episodes. You can do this by using the Podcast Audio Comments facility or by linking with me on either Twitter or I am also available on Facebook #LifeChanging #GoldenTime #BehaviorHacks #Teacher #Educator #Education #ClassroomManagement #Students #SocialSkills #ADHD #Autism --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

In this episode I continue my documentation of current happenings and with something as fluid as Brexit (as the deadline approaches) I'm quite happy to go with the flow, while also taking in some relevant sporting events and other current affairs that interest me. I hope you enjoy the format and would welcome your comments. You can do this by using the Podcast Audio Comments facility or by linking with me on either Twitter, I am also available on Facebook or you can email me on gpkdaily@gmail.com. In today's episode I touch on the irony of the fact that the Conservative Party Conference is on in a conference complex the construction of which was funded for the most part by the European Union! I also touch on Rory McIlroy, this guy just can't avoid giving the media soundbites that come back to haunt him. On this occasion he literally slags off European Tour courses in general as being to easy. I also give a brief take on Japan's victory over Ireland in the Rugby World Cup. More on that as the week progresses and what it means for Ireland going forward in this World Cup. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

In episode 93 Northern Ireland, missed opportunities by the DUP to negotiate a unique deal where Northern Ireland could have been a haven for international business looking to trade in both the UK and the European Union. I also take a look at the current state of play around the whole call for a general election and give my take on why Labour have got it right. The Labour Party is a center-left political party in the United Kingdom that has been described as an alliance of social democrats, democratic socialists and trade unionists. The party's platform emphasizes greater state intervention, social justice and strengthening workers' rights. I talk about To get his way at Labour conference, Jeremy Corbyn had to turn his showdown with Labour Remainers at his party's conference into a loyalty test. Afterwards, many Labour MPs who wanted an unambiguous pro-Remain stance were more pessimistic than ever about the party’s chances of winning an election, or even coming close. Labour’s Remainers will fight on, saying that pressure to overturn the conference policy will only continue to build in the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) and shadow cabinet. They hope it will be tweaked when the election manifesto is eventually decided. But I suspect that now he’s cleared the conference hurdle, Corbyn’s “all things to all people” approach will prevail. His allies claim that Remainers refuse to take Yes for an answer. Indeed, a year ago, they would have given their left arm for a cast iron pledge of a Final Say referendum with an option to Remain; now, Labour’s center of gravity has forced Corbyn to give up his anti-referendum position. But he has stuck stubbornly to keeping Leave in the frame so that Labour can “unite the country” – and, crucially, so it can appeal to the Leave voters Boris Johnson is eyeing in the North and Midlands Yet for all the talk of appealing to as much of the electorate as possible, Labour is now saddled with a policy that many MPs believe will be unsaleable on the doorstep. However, I think it is possible to get it across on the doorstep but when it is taken into the arena of a television debate with Jeremy Corbyn selling it, it just doesn't seem to work. While the Tories say they will deliver Brexit and the Lib Dems promise to halt it immediately, Labour is stuck in the muddled middle. MPs fear a repeat of the European Parliament elections in May, where Labour fell between the two stools of a polarized country and was roundly beaten into a poor third place. As one said: “We will go into a Brexit election saying ‘we’ll tell you what we think about Brexit when it’s over.’ It’s nonsense, and not credible.” I also give a brief commentary on my take on some of the language used by MPs in last nights debate in the House of Commons. As I have said before this podcast is starting to move more towards documentation of current happenings and with something as fluid as Brexit as the deadline approaches I'm quite happy to go with the flow, while also adding in some planned content, I hope you the listener enjoy the format and would welcome your comments. You can do this by using the Podcast Audio Comments facility or by linking with me on either Twitter, I am also available on Facebook or you can email me on gpkdaily@gmail.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message

In today's episode I have a look at the Supreme Court Ruling regarding the proroguing of Parliament and the fact that a unanimous verdict was carried on all counts against Boris Johnson. I particularly examine where that places the DUP who have been willing bedfellows with the conservative administration, due to their 'confidence and supply' arrangement with the Tories in government. They have in essence gone from 'kingmakers' to being reduced to an afterthought and have spent the last month and particularly the last fortnight trying to reinvent their stance on Brexit while maintaining an alignment with their grassroots voter base! I also begin to look at how the Border while being seen as a nuisance in the guise of the so-called 'backstop', as far as the mainland voter is concerned, is a real problem and live issue, if you happen to live in Northern Ireland and also in The Republic of Ireland. Brexit, while reaching a stage of overkill because it just won't go away as an issue, keeps enthralling, shocking and frightening everyone As I have said before this podcast is starting to move more towards documentation as opposed to predetermined content and I'm happy to go with the flow while also adding in some planned content, I hope you the listener enjoy the format and would welcome your comments. You can do this by using the Podcast Audio Comments facility or by linking with me on either Twitter, I am also available on Facebook or you can email me on gpkdaily@gmail.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ateachersstory/message