David Rogers

I've been running since 2012 when I decided that I was a fat git and needed to get fitter. Almost four years later and I'm a convert and wonder why I never got in to running in the first place. I'm no Olympian but this year has been frustrating with only three races and just over 630 miles in the legs. Due to injury I was gutted not to make the start line at the Lakeland 100. But I will next year! Anyway, teaching is a lot like long distance running and, in the spirit of a light hearted summer blurb vaguely linked to the Olympic Games, here they are: Mantras Many have found that I have a stubborn streak. Indeed, the reason that I strive for longer distances over the mountains is that I haven't found the challenge that has broken me yet. The human body is capable far more than anyone realises. One thing that gets me through the long miles is having a few mantras that I repeat to myself. In school, a handful of simple mantras are very powerful in getting messages...

It's been a mental half term, and it's not over.  My stories have decreased, and the amount of stuff I have to write about has backlogged.  I've been busy working with and for the most important people: those in my school.  To say hello again, here are some musings about leadership.  I should add that I see leadership as vital across all levels. If you work in a school, you're a leader. Get over it. Seeing as I'm attempting to run 50 miles across the Lake District next week, I thought I'd try to link that with school leadership.  I'll let you decide if I've been successful.  1. No body thinks about the hard work in the background. Yes, 36 miles the other day was an achievement, but the culmination of running around 100 miles a month for the past two years.  In June, I ran 185 miles in training, including two marathons.  As a leader, it's the background stuff that no body sees that makes the difference. It's the discipline to follow thr...

I've been a member of SLT for almost 18 months now.  I've become aware of how decisions, however well meaning (and, in my experience, no leadership team sets out to bury its staff in meaningless stuff), can lead to unintended consequences.  But, I also believe that  teachers need to take positive action to manage their own well being.  It's far too easy to use the importance of our job as an excuse to either accept poor leadership decisions or to let your own life disappear in a haze of marking.   Now, this next bit is about running, but actually, it's about teaching and having the headspace to do the job.   I'm not talking here about having a good old moan. I'm talking about positive action.  One thing is running, it's not for everyone, but when I started out, I considered a marathon impossible.  Taking up running has improved my well-being; my professional life; my personal life and, well it's fun.  With the over zealousnes...

I’ve been running now since January 2012.  Whilst some say I started because I was living with my in-laws during the house buying process, it was a decision to get healthy and do something positive. I’m sure I’ll get around to writing about the serious stuff later, I am determined to complete a #nurture1314 post, but that feels a bit wrong at the moment as a) I feel like a fraud spouting off about education and b) the time over the holidays and on the track has demonstrated that there are more important things in life.  So, in 2014 I will blog a bit more about the other stuff in my life.  This post highlights why I run and sets some goals for 2014. They are here because this blog is mainly for me, and setting public goals is a way to carry on the drive. This thing is, running has changed the way I approach work for the better.  It gives me guaranteed reflection time.  In 2013 I completed the Brighton Marathon, around 4 Half Marathons, a couple of 10 mil...