The prospect of a street food market at lunchtime was the only excuse Dave Keeling needed to hotfoot it to Coventry and deliver a keynote and workshop for Castle Phoenix Trust - a collection of six schools.  

The workshop was Flip-It Thinking, a cognitive toolkit to help teachers think better thoughts and take better actions. It was aimed at enabling staff to spend time reflecting on how they can create space to renew, refresh, and rethink why they do what they do with tips and techniques to help manage their well-being.  

Dave covered in a variety of engaging ways:  

• Wonky thinking and the 3xNs to combat negative thoughts  
• How to focus on your circle of control  
• The F*ck It bucket  
• Magic Questions  
• And how to thrive, not survive, through rest, refresh and re-invigorate  

He then sprinted (he only had 2 minutes between sessions) to the main space to explore his keynote, ‘Stop, Collaborate and Listen’, with 150 staff members. 

This session explored the power of creating space to change the way we react and respond to a fast-paced, challenging environment. It placed a big emphasis on the true art of collaboration and how we can share the workload while upskilling one another. 

 Dave focused on: 

• Fast and slow thinking  
• The DOSE of happiness  
• Curiosity and the desire to truly understand the stories of the people we work with  
• Active listening to build long-lasting, trusting relationships  

Both sessions were packed full of conversations, actionable techniques and – most importantly - laughs a-plenty.  

But since Dave had a prebooked date with Avanti, he missed out on the opportunity of a street food buffet and instead had to settle for a butty on the train. Maybe next time…  

To work with Dave or any of the Happy-Centred Schools team for your school INSET, get in touch - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.