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7 Templates You Need in Your School

  • A template with actions to undertake when a new student enters your class.

  • A template to outline the steps for organising school trips

  • A letter template for quick notes home.

  • A template with methodologies you’ve tried – when helping students with SEN

  • A template to help new teachers get to know the school quickly and independently

  • A template that outlines when special learning weeks (e.g. Maths Week etc) will happen each school year.

  • A template with ideas that you could post to your LinkedIn or social 


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Jan 23, 2023 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #DeputyPrincipal, #Opportunity, #primaryschoolteacher, #education, #teachers, #leadership, #AssistantPrincipal, #principal, #CPD, #Growth mindset, #LAOS & #TeacherIreland
1 min read
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AP2 roles - are they worth it?

After reading lots of teachers talk about teacher burnout - I’m sharing my thoughts on applying for AP2 roles.

When making changes to your life - always weigh up the pros and cons. Know what you have to give and plan in advance what you are WILLING TO GIVE.

My energy is a positive and loving one here - I’ve made decisions in the past and regretted them in the end - but coaching has greatly helped me to understand my decision-making processes and treat myself and others with greater compassion. It’


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Jan 10, 2023 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #jobapplications, #careercoaching, #Teacher, #careerchange, #SAF, #education, #AP2, #AP1, #jobs, #opportunity, #Career Change, #whatcanido, #saf, #teachers, #teacher, #Job Applications, #Primary, #leadership, #Leadership & #principal
3 min read
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These simple strategies will transform your leadership job application

  • Use positive words like impressive, special, support,

  • Give the results. Use the STAR technique in your job application. State what you did, break it down into the actions you did and give the result of your actions.

  • Expect that they will want to hear your best stories. (*No, they aren't judging you- you're supposed to be telling your best career stories).

  • Add your LinkedIn profile link if you're active on the platform.

  • Make your job application easy to read using headings and subheadings.

  • Remembe


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Jan 1, 2023 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #jobapplications, #careercoaching, #Teacher, #SAF, #STARtechnique, #AP1, #AP2, #jobs, #opportunity, #Career, #News, #resume, #Job Applications, #permanentjob, #leadership, #Primary & #AP positions
1 min read
Evidence of LAOS

What Are The Most Challenging LAOS Topics?

The main concerns in interviews that my clients have are...

  • How to answer the conflict question.
  • How to answer the challenging situation question.
  • The fact that they feel that their competition ‘is high’ for the role
  • How to answer the ‘vision’ question.

School principals can avail of coaching to help them plan their vision, to help them strengthen team dynamics, to help them reflect on how they responded to incidents of conflict or discuss challenging situations. Isn’t that cool?

Most 


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Dec 26, 2022 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #jobapplications, #careercoaching, #primarymockinterviewpreparation, #DeputyPrincipal, #primarymockinterview, #Interview questions, #careerchange, #STARtechnique, #SAF, #primaryschoolteacher, #AP1, #AP2, #Opportunity, #AP positions, #postprimaryteacher, #News, #Career, #Teaching, #leadership, #Mock Interview Preparation Primary, #sellingyourself, #AssistantPrincipal, #Interview, #education, #Teacher, #teachers, #saf, #cv, #principal, #Interview Preparation & #Leadership
2 min read
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Time Management Tips For Interviews

Let’s talk about tips for ➡Time Management⬅.

It’s one of my FAVOURITE topics to help clients with - because there are loads of ways they save time and they don’t notice it.

In this interview question, you need to tell them all the ways that you manage your time.

Examples here might be: 

  • Your calendar/diary/wall planner - ensures that you have records of things you need to do. If you manage your diary correctly – you won’t miss important events etc. Is this something you do?
  • You may forwar


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Dec 25, 2022 08:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #careercoaching, #primarymockinterviewpreparation, #Interview questions, #DeputyPrincipal, #primarymockinterview, #STARtechnique, #Teacher, #education, #primaryschoolteacher, #AP1, #AP2, Learning, Leadership, #Quality Education, #career, #ourschools, #Teaching, #principal, #Mock Interview Preparation Primary & #postprimaryteacher
2 min read
How is LAOS 2022 different to the LAOS 2016 version?

How is the LAOS 2022 different to the 2016 version?

I've always loved the Looking at Our Schools Document because it provides teachers with a framework to assess and reflect on how we are developing as professionals. I created a resource with practical questions that help teachers to reflect on how they are progressing in their careers. You'll find it here.

As we progress and make changes in the education system the LAOS document is a fantastic place to allow career and executive coaches to support schools as an organisation and their school leade


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Dec 1, 2022 07:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #Uncertainty, #primaryschoolteacher, #AP1, #AP2, #jobs, #teachers, #permanentjob, #jobapplications, #careercoaching, #primarymockinterviewpreparation, #Interview questions, #EdTech, #DeputyPrincipal, #primarymockinterview, #Teacher, #News, #Career, #Quality Education, #ourschools, #LAOS & #Lookingatourschools
3 min read
How do I deal with an unsustainable work load with my AP1?

How do I deal with an unsustainable work load with my AP1?

Today we are talking about teaching sustainably. I had a query lately that I feel it's important to share and offer my thoughts on the matter. Here's the query from a follower. 

Hi Orla, I’ve recently secured an AP1 post and there are so many duties that need to be covered. I don’t know how I’ll get through them all. I know I can do it but it seems like such a mountain of things to cover. What should I do? 

Firstly, congratulations on getting the role! How did you celebrate? In life, we ofte


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Nov 30, 2022 07:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #AP1, #AP2, #careercoaching, #Uncertainty, #Primary and Post Primary Interviews, #Leadership, #TeacherIreland, #MĂșinteoirBunscoile, #MĂșinteoirMeĂĄnscoile, #permanentjob, Learning & Leadership
2 min read
How do I give evidence if I'm not in a managerial role?

How do I give evidence if I'm not in a managerial role?

Today’s question is a common question that I'm asked by clients. 

I am currently filling out the deputy principal application form and looking at this doc but where I am struggling is regarding answering some of the major questions (seeing as I am not in a managerial role - and some of these questions are written regarding what you are doing already). Would the language be a case of "I would" rather than I do - or what would be your advice here? Getting the language right is really stumping me.


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Nov 29, 2022 07:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #jobapplications, #careercoaching, #AP, #Job Applications, #DeputyPrincipal, #primarymockinterviewpreparation, #STARtechnique, #SAF, #AP1, #AP2 & #jobs
2 min read
classroom practices in leadership interviews

Qn: What are the chances of classroom practices and teaching the curriculum coming up in a leadership interview?

 

Sometimes I receive interesting queries from clients and I know that you will find them useful. So, I've decided to create a series of blog posts with FAQs. I received this query from Mary*  who wants to know: (*anon)

If a principal job is advertised and states you will be interviewed under the 4 domains but it is likely a teaching principal, what are the chances of classroom practices and teaching the curriculum and, for example, Irish questions coming up?

My thoughts are this:

In eve


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Nov 28, 2022 07:00am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #primarymockinterviewpreparation, #Interview questions, #DeputyPrincipal, #primarymockinterview, #STARtechnique, #primaryschoolteacher, #Uncertainty, #Quality Education, #ourschools & #TeacherIreland
2 min read
How do you answer the question on the vision for the role/vision for the school?

How do you answer the question on the vision for the role/vision for the school?

This question is one I get again and again from clients and they need to put their thinking caps on! 

How do you answer the question on the vision for the role/vision for the school?

One thing that I noticed when I began leadership coaching is that teachers sometimes were sometimes frustrated and they could sometimes use this question as a chance to vent. For this question, I always recommend that the energy is positive. This question IS NOT a chance to rant and tell them what you believe is g


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Nov 22, 2022 10:04am
By Orla Dempsey
Under #Career Change, #Uncertainty, #Opportunity, #AP1, #AP2, #primaryschoolteacher, #Leadership, Learning, #whatcanido, #News, Leadership, #Quality Education, #Mock Interviews for Primary, #primarymockinterview, #DeputyPrincipal, #Interview questions, #primarymockinterviewpreparation, #careercoaching, #jobapplications, #teachers, #Interview, #leadership, #Mock Interview Preparation Primary, #Confidence, #principal & #CPD
3 min read

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