Put your own oxygen mask on first!

1. FísFoghlaimForbairt
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Self - Care
Olive Laffoy

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Celebrate Success.
Activity 1:
What will be your
three key priorities
for the first week of
term?

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Celebrate Success.
Activity 2:
How will you know if
you have been
successful as a
Principal at the end
of the school year?

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In order to
look after
others you
have to look
after yourself
first

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Where was ‘self-care’?
Why do we relegate
ourselves to the end of the
‘To -Do’ list’?

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Building and nurturing Networks
You can do what I
cannot do. I can do
what you cannot
do. Together we
can do great
things. - Mother
Teresa
What support
networks will you
connect with
during the next
school year?

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Possible Networks
Centre for School Leadership (CSL) / Mentoring.
National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD)
JMB/AMCSS/ ACCS/ETBI
Misneach Cohort
Trustees Le Cheile/Ceist/ ERST….
Trade Unions
Carecall
Local Education Centre

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• https://docs.google.com/a/stlouiscs.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQL
SdGCb8SUpJ6tr9RKLunfDf_yFg33O-
Y5PO2Wps0NUrOPRufnA/viewform
Survey

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“It is the quality of fragility, the capacity for
being ‘shaken up’, that paradoxically is the key
to growth. Harris (2007).
Emotional Pendulum

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The Pillars
1. Family
2. Values
3. Relationships
4. Fun and Recreation
5. Work
6. Finances.
Wheel of Life!

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The ‘Big Rocks’

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Prioritisation Matrix

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Celebrate even small achievements, creating
an atmosphere where praise is a perfectly
normal part of the day to day life of the
school.
Be Brave!

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Leading adaptive change in the times we are
in requires taking care of yourself. Taking
care of yourself is not self-indulgence. The
world needs you to be at the top of your
game. And you cannot be at the top of your
game if you have not had a good night’s
sleep, eaten well, had some exercise and,
yes, received the love and affection of family
and friends to feel like a whole person.
If you care about education…take care of
yourself…
Leading and Managing Schools, 2011 (Edited by O’ Sullivan,
H. and West-Burnham, J.)

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Sustaining Leadership practice involves a
duty of care towards the ‘self’. Not easy.
Self caring is a pre-requisite for ethical
practice and for being effective in the
interpersonal and community focused
aspects of the role. Senge 2005
Caring for ‘self’ is within the ‘gift of the
leader’
Educational Research

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• It’s not self indulgence.
• It needs time and space.
• Schedule it.
• Put it on staff agenda for
ALL.
Self care.

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• Take Care.
Best of luck.