When Adults Lose Control
Many years ago, when I was still relatively new to leadership, I entered a colleague’s classroom one morning with what I thought was a simple message. I had made a minor mistake and needed to change part of the afternoon…
Will Fastiggi
Introducing The Character Loop Framework
Actions, Reflection, Identity Among the twenty or so behaviour issues that were brought to my office last week, there was one moment that stood out. A Year 5 student sat across from me, having been removed from his music lesson.…
Why behaviour systems don’t build character
Last week, I dealt with 18 separate behaviour issues involving conflict between two or more students. A few of the conflicts were serious. Most, I would say, were small. From my experience at school, conflicts generally follow a familiar pattern:…
Compliance Is Not Character: What Schools Get Wrong About Behaviour
Earlier this year, I delivered a masterclass related to character education at our educational conference at the British School Rio de Janeiro. I began that masterclass by posing a question that has increasingly shaped both my work in school and…
Character Toolkit for Teachers
In my last post, Understanding Character Education, I explored what character education is and why it matters in schools. This post is more practical. I am sharing my notes from Character Toolkit for Teachers by Frederika Roberts and Elizabeth Wright…
Understanding Character Education
Character education has been a central thread running through my professional life for many years. In my day-to-day work at school, this has taken practical form through establishing the Good Citizens Club, developing a Peer Mediation initiative, leading residential trips…
The Boy Crisis
I come to this topic both personally and professionally. I was brought up primarily by my single mum. She was committed and deeply invested in giving me opportunity. I am profoundly grateful to her. Like many children raised in a…
The Philosophy of Ethics
Recently I completed The Philosophy of Ethics course with Professor Stephen Hicks at the Peterson Academy, which has pushed me to think more deeply about what it means to live a good life and to lead well. But before I…
The Lion’s Thorn: Understanding Other People’s Anger
It can feel awful when someone you love is grumpy with you. Maybe a parent snaps, a teacher sounds sharp, or a friend slams a door. It is easy to think, “I’ve done something wrong. This is my fault.”But what…
Politeness as a Quiet Superpower
Ever feel like “thank you” or “my day was fine” is too small to matter? This video reminds us that tiny words can carry huge meaning, especially for the people who love us. Lesson Summary Politeness isn’t about strict rules…