With Conny Brandt set to speak at EdExec LIVE Liverpool and The Wirral, we thought it was the perfect time to pull together some of the best bits from her past articles in Education Executive
You might already be familiar with Conny Brandt’s thoughtful contributions to Education Executive – and if you’re not, don’t worry, we’ve popped links to her previous articles throughout this piece! Over the years, Conny has taken us along on her journey of CPD self-discovery, sharing honest, practical and inspiring reflections along the way.
We’ve loved featuring Conny’s insights and are excited to share even more in the future. But for now, we’ve pulled together a ‘best of’ collection – a round-up of some of her standout moments and reflections on the power and impact of CPD. Each excerpt comes from a different issue, but they’re all connected by a common thread: a genuine passion for learning, growing and helping others do the same.
“Never make a promise you can’t keep. If I say that something will be done by Tuesday, then I ensure it is there on Tuesday. If I can’t do it until next month, or can only do it partially, I will say so and if anything changes about that situation, I will let the member of staff know. Get back to people – I get back to staff if they have asked me for something. Even if it’s just to say, “I haven’t got an answer for you yet, because I am waiting for X to get back to me”. I am conscious that it takes time to build trust, and only a moment to destroy it.
On Understanding the Changing Landscape
“Whenever the question arises “why are we doing it like this?”, chances are I know the answer, because I was there when it was introduced. I will also know the reasons and the context and am in a good position to judge whether they are still relevant, or whether it is more appropriate to change a system. I am effectively a repository of organisational knowledge – an accumulated body of knowledge about school. I know just about everything about my school context and about the wider organisation that we are part of because I will have come across it at some point.”
“At my school, we decided to engage the same coach for our SLT members. Whilst each session is individual, and he never shares comments made by our colleagues, this approach really helps him build up an overall picture of how we work together, and how we may respond differently to issues, which means that he can support each one of us more effectively.
However, the main thing is for you to find a coach that you are happy with. When we decided to look for coaching, I started off by looking for recommendations from my networks, and from these I created a shortlist of favourites whom I then contacted for more information. Coaching is something very personal and it is important that you find someone whose style suits you and who you are comfortable talking to.”
Eager to hear more from Conny and take your own CPD journey to the next level? Join her at EdExec LIVE Liverpool and The Wirral on July 1st, where she’ll be leading a seminar, “A Wellbeing Journey: Stepping Stones & Pitfalls.”
Don’t miss this chance to invest in yourself and your professional growth!
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