Mark Dalton
banner
mrkdltn.bsky.social
Mark Dalton
@mrkdltn.bsky.social
Key takeaways:
1️⃣ Well-being strengthens outcomes, not weakens them.
2️⃣ Build flexibility into timetabling before you need it.
3️⃣ Leadership is about systems, not dependency.
4️⃣ AI could make time-off seamless.
5️⃣ Model the culture you want to see.
January 31, 2025 at 7:00 PM
📌 With my daughter’s school on a training day, we had a day of cinema, sushi, and time well spent. A leader’s well-being is just as important as their team’s. We model what we expect from others.
January 31, 2025 at 7:00 PM
✨ The next couple of years are going to revolutionise how tools support our leadership of work like this.
🔹 AI-driven scheduling will optimise staff flexibility
🔹 Tools will predict cover & adjust timetables dynamically
🔹 Personal Days integrated with minimal disruption
January 31, 2025 at 7:00 PM
📣 I say staff well-being matters—but continue to question whether our systems make it possible? There are risks that time off is met with stress, guilt, or extra work for others. Culturally , mutual support should be a given, not a favour.
January 31, 2025 at 7:00 PM
🤝 We've improve a lot over the past 18 months through a lot of visible and invisible leadership. Proud to say that things don’t fall apart when a leader steps out. It wasn't always this way. We built better systems and structures, and balanced impact and presence.
January 31, 2025 at 7:00 PM
📅 We build flexibility into our timetable. Every teacher has some bonus time, meaning staff can support each other without scrambling for last-minute cover.
January 31, 2025 at 7:00 PM
💡 Well-being isn’t separate from excellence, it strengthens it. When leaders model balance, staff feel valued. But here’s the key: this only works if it’s systemised. A school that relies on individuals rather than systems could be fragile.
January 31, 2025 at 7:00 PM
The impact can be transformational:
✅Teachers feel less rushed and have more energy for teaching.
✅Classrooms become hubs of learning, fostering focus through stability.
✅The school runs more smoothly, with fewer disruptions.
January 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Our decisions reflect our core values.
⭐Belong: Teachers and students feel supported with consistent spaces.
⭐Excel: Teachers focus fully on high-quality education without logistical barriers.
January 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Building a strong timetable takes practical and values driven thought (all at once):
✅Use school layouts to group rooms effectively.
✅Prioritise rooms that match subject needs.
✅Manage student flow to prevent bottlenecks.
✅Seek feedback from teachers to improve.🤝
January 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
🚨My challenge - Science!
With high demand for labs and limited capacity, achieving sufficiency is tough. We’re exploring:
🔬 Rotating practical / theory lessons to maximise lab time.
🔬 Long-term planning to identify demands.
🔬 Reviewing regularly & adjust as needed.
January 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Our timetable tools enables us to:
✅Quickly analyse room usage and find inefficiencies.
✅Visualise scenarios for room and teacher allocation.
✅Match subject needs to the best available spaces.
✅Adjust this throughout the year as needs change
January 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Subjects like science, art, and music need special facilities:
✅Prioritise these rooms for practical lessons.
✅Ensure resources are available when needed.
✅Optimise how these spaces are used to maximise learning.

Specialised rooms mean better experiences! 🔬🎨🎼
January 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Home rooms give teachers a consistent base:
✅Materials and resources stay organised.
✅Students benefit from stable, familiar environments.
✅Teachers save time setting up, letting them concentrate on their teaching.
January 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Long distances between classes waste time and energy:
✅ Assign rooms close together, especially for consecutive lessons.
✅Group related subjects or year groups in nearby spaces.
✅Keep walking distances short so teachers can focus on teaching.
January 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
🌟 Fads fade. Leaders should prioritise scalable, sustainable projects that enhance curriculum delivery over time. The TES article asks, “What if schools had unlimited budgets?” Often, innovation isn’t about money, it's about intent, partnerships, and focus.
January 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM
📊 Leaders should be as critical as possible and come up with some success criteria for any tech investment. For us, it’s about engagement, critical thinking, and student reflection. Regular feedback from students and staff ensures we refine future efforts.
January 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM
The experience was, for many today, a transformative one. I firmly believe that technology works best when it complements teaching. Today VR helped immerse students in a complex scenario, but the learning was solidified through teacher-led reflection.
January 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM
🤝My school didn’t need to buy the VR headsets. The team brought the tech, expertise, and structured the learning. In principle, I'm drawn to letting big business absorb the high early adopter R&D costs while waiting and using proven tools to deliver real educational value.
January 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM
💷 Schools have overspent on flashy tech without clear impact. I started teaching when interactive whiteboards were so very expensive and costly shiny tablets couldn't replace pen and paper! A strong TES article recently warns against chasing trends.
https://buff.ly/4amuzc5
January 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM
💡 Start with why. In this case, VR enhanced the usual PSHE input, offering immersion, decision-making, and reflection that short films or talks can’t replicate. The tech supported—not replaced—human-led teaching and rich student discussions.
January 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM