Forrest Gump famously said: “Life is like a box of chocolates”.

I say a school is like an orchestra, when everyone is working in harmony and playing their part the music is sweet. But, when there is dysfunction in one part, the sound is completely off key.

NEXT time I have the pleasure of attending a school camp I must remember to clock off at 4pm and enjoy the free time.

Maybe head to the beach for a leisurely swim, enjoy a latte, or catch up on some reading. Well, that is what Dr Jim Watterston of the School Education Group believes teachers do on camp.

IT must be tough starting out in teaching nowadays.

Four years hard slog at university followed by the scramble to get a job lined up for the following year, only to find that the best you can get is a 12 month contract.

I REMEMBER reading something that grabbed my attention some time back.

I can’t recall where I stumbled across it, but the comment was along the lines of emotional skills being a more accurate predictor of success than IQ.