Preparing your organisation for the GDPR
As the enforcement date of 25th May 2018 approaches, your organisation should be promoting a strong culture of protecting data ahead of the General Data Protection Regulation being implemented. As the deadline for this gets ever closer; everyone that deals with personal data will be responsible for ensuring they comply with the GDPR. However, do you know where to start? Background – how does the new General Data Protection Regulation apply to schools? GDPR encompasses any personal data that is stored and processed using computers, as well as any data that is stored on paper in any manual filing system. Whether it is on a standalone computer, a network server, in the cloud or as hand written notes. For example, in an educational setting that means all, and any, personal data held on students, parents, staff and governors. Organisations must be able to evidence how they are actually doing this in practice – not just produce a series of policies or protocols that are compliant. Below, we detail the 3 key steps to get ahead before 25th May. 1)Produce a data map In the example of a school, the setting needs to identify all categories of data that are held about students and staff, the purpose for which it is held and how it is being processed. By doing this the organisation will become familiar with the personal data ecosystem within the school. This information can then be used to run an audit. To help do this the ICO has an audit tool that RAG rates* your current practice and gives a clear indication of where your strengths and areas for improvement are. The result can then be printed off. As you progress you can go back and conduct the audit as many times as you want to measure progress; this provides a useful framework for planning as well as good evidence of action taken. *RAG rating: Red: not implemented or planned Amber: partially implemented or planned Green: successfully implemented 2) Promote good practice Your organisation should already be promoting a strong culture of protecting data. In preparing for the GDPR you should: appoint a data protection officer train staff carry out an information audit update and review policies and procedures tell people why the data is being collected. 3) Ask questions In addition to a clear description of the data, the following questions should be asked of those people that are responsible for collating personal data. What information is being collected? Who is collecting it? How is it collected? Why is it being collected? How will it be used? Who will it be shared with? How long will you keep it for? How will it be kept secure? What process is it needed for? (e.g. admissions, recruitment) How is security maintained? Who has access to the information? Who manages the data? Who are the data subjects? What is the source of the data? What software is used? (if any) Where does the data go inside the organisation? How is the data stored? Does the data leave the organisation? Does data flow outside of borders? (that is national borders to areas not covered by GDPR). Test your GDPR strength against these 3 potential data issues: To identify how prepared you and your organisation are for the GDPR’s enforcement date of 25th May 2018, we have put together 3 questions relating to potential data problems for you to resolve. Answer these below: Issue 1: Governors Confidential papers are being distributed to governors using personal email addresses. They may contain sensitive personal information about staff. When a governor’s term of office finishes you have no control over the deletion or destruction of confidential documents kept digitally. How would you resolve this? Issue 2: Cashless pay system The establishment where you work has introduced a new cashless catering system, which involves both collecting new data for a new purpose and using existing data for a new purpose. What should be conducted? Issue 3: Holding data externally Staff are holding student data on personal USB drives and using them to take student data offsite to work at home. This means that staff may have several USBs with student data on them, and some may have transferred the data to home equipment. For more information on how to prepare your organisation for the GDPR click here
Teaching assistants, school governors and volunteers – who needs a DBS check?
DBS checks are a key part of safe recruitment. It’s clear that teachers need a DBS check – but what about people in other roles? Keeping children and young people safe is one of the most important responsibilities schools have. In particular, schools must have robust recruitment procedures in place to help them identify, reject or deter anyone who isn’t suitable to work with children. Teaching assistants Although their role doesn’t involve as much responsibility as a teacher’s, teaching assistants should still have a DBS check. Anyone who engages in a regulated activity must have an enhanced DBS check with a check of the children’s barred list. In summary, a person will be engaged in a regulated activity if they do one or more of the following: Are responsible, on a regular basis in a school or college, for teaching, training instructing, caring for or supervising children. Carry out paid, or unsupervised unpaid, work regularly in a school or college where the work provides an opportunity for contact with children. Engage in intimate or personal care or overnight activity, even if this happens only once. A full description of the scope of regulated activity is available here. As a teaching assistant’s role falls within this scope, they should have an enhanced DBS with a barred list check. School governors Governors in maintained schools are required to hold an enhanced DBS certificate. The governing body is responsible for applying for a DBS check for any governor who doesn’t already have one. As governance doesn’t involve regulated activity, governors aren’t eligible for a check of the barred list – unless they also engage in regulated activity in addition to their governance duties. Governors of other schools and colleges should also have an enhanced DBS check. Volunteers Volunteers who teach or look after children regularly, or provide personal care in a school or college (even if it’s only once) will be working in regulated activity, and so should have an enhanced DBS check with a check of the barred list. Volunteers who don’t engage in regulated activity but do have the opportunity to come into regular contact with children – for example, supervised volunteers – should have an enhanced DBS check without a barred list check. If a volunteer is undertaking activity that would be regulated activity if it was unsupervised, then they must be supervised by a person in regulated activity at all times. DBS checks in schools DBS checks should be part of schools and colleges’ wider commitment to creating a culture of safety and promoting children’s welfare For more information on a DBS check, see the government’s Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance or click visit www.ucheck.co.uk
Identifying Dyslexia in Students
Clare Othman, Operations Director, Supply Desk, specialists in matching school staffing needs with the best available SEN staff – permanent, long-term and supply – gives her top tips on how to identify dyslexia in students Teachers who are able to identify dyslexia in affected students provide a wonderful benefit to those students. Identification helps enable children to access life-changing support. Dyslexic students learn very differently from other students, and really must be taught differently in order to help them maximise their potential. Why is it important to identify dyslexia? Children with dyslexia who are not identified during the early years of their schooling may develop coping strategies that disguise their dyslexia. While these coping strategies may be positive or negative, they can prevent accurate identification, and this leads to secondary effects. Low self esteem, frustration, loss of motivation for learning, as well as social and emotional issues, can all stem from unidentified dyslexia. On the flip side, dyslexic children who are identified early are more able to access effective instruction, learning support and other tools to help them with their learning difference. Dyslexia identification in children How do you tell if a student is dyslexic? The condition may affect boys or girls, from all backgrounds. One of the more frustrating issues for teachers attempting to identify dyslexia is that, often, dyslexic traits seem to be normal variations in childhood development milestones. Dyslexic traits start becoming more apparent around aged 3, and observant teachers will notice clusters of issues that stand out. Some signs are more obvious than others. Dyslexic children can have a wide range of difficulties, and don’t necessarily experience them all. Dyslexia is often suspected by teachers (or parents) of children who are struggling with speaking, writing, reading, or numeracy. Often the child does not progress as quickly as classmates, or may not seem to progress at all, yet they may also have areas of strong ability. Checklists There are numerous lists of symptoms available which describe specific dyslexic traits to look for at different ages. The British Dyslexia Association provides useful lists of indications for pre-school, primary and secondary students, from which teachers can look for a cluster of difficulties. While a checklist itself cannot provide enough information for a diagnostic assessment, it can certainly be used as a guide to whether further testing would be beneficial. It is important to point out that people who do not have dyslexia can still tick many of the boxes on the checklist. Therefore, checklists must be used with caution, and not in isolation. Diagnostic Assessment Diagnostic assessments should always be conducted by qualified, certified personnel, such as chartered psychologists or specialist teachers/assessors with an Assessment Practicing Certificate. Your local Association, or your school’s SEN Co-ordinator, may be able to recommend suitable practitioners. Identification is crucial Identifying dyslexia is a crucial step in the lives of affected students. Identification can be a catalyst to get the help and support they need. It is so often a ‘hidden disability’, but it is also the most common learning difficulty. Importantly, many schools don’t recognise dyslexia as a disability, simply a learning difficulty. This is because when, taught in an appropriate way, dyslexic students are able to achieve outstanding success in this modern world. Teachers and support staff play an important role in the early identification of dyslexia amongst students and can make a real difference in the lives of many. For further information on Supply Desk please visit http://www.supplydesk.co.uk/
Fire Safety in Schools: What Can be Done?
Pupil safety in schools is paramount. From anti-bullying policies to teaching pupils about being safe online, a large portion of a child’s school day revolves around security and protection. This includes fire safety. All education facilities are required by law to implement a stringent fire policy, with alarms, evacuation procedures and risk assessments. But with the tragedy at Grenfell, which subsequently highlighted flammable cladding on a number of schools, many are calling for improvements. But what steps can be taken? And what additional practices should be implemented? Simple Measures Commenting on this issue, and on what improvements could be made, experts at Rocburn stated that the government needs to review fire safety across the board: “The UK recently saw the serious effects of fire damage in Grenfell Tower (sadly leading to the loss of life) and it’s important that the government and fire regulation rules are reviewed in terms of the exterior (and interior) materials used. Long term plans could be simple measures such as, reviewing what materials are not highly flammable and considering how the better design and structure of fire escape routes could potentially improve the process for when people exit a building.” Interior systems are vital in making sure every occupant is aware that there is a potential hazard and frequent drill procedures can help everyone to practice responding to alarms. Our products such as the smoke control system are governed by standards such as BS EN12101 and it’s these checks that make sure our equipment is the best it can be.” Building Improvements While new school buildings have been designed with better fire safety regulations, many older buildings need further development. As such, Labour have recently pledged £14billion to install sprinklers, but what improvements can school leaders make? “Everyone at Rocburn continuously look for ways to keep our smoke ventilation amongst other products the very best. A well-designed smoke control system for schools can not only protect the occupants within the building but improve external efforts from local firefighters and on-site operations. The Education sector has taken cuts over a period of years and that doesn’t just disturb the children’s rights to have the best education, it can affect their safety too. It’s crucial the schools look to attaining the latest and safest smoke ventilation and fire safety equipment.” Education Finally, in addition to updating building safety and procedures, schools also need to put a greater emphasis on education. Although teaching should take precedence, better fire education could help to save lives. While providing this within budget constraints can be difficult, a spokesperson from Rocburn stressed its importance: “A lot of the time, schools have a set budget in which will be split across the departments. Education for the students does come first, in most cases however there could be ways schools could educate children from the offset. This might include fire safety drills more regularly and showing children in education the dangers of how a fire can spread.”
Teachers on social media – the dos and don’ts
2018 – everyone is online students, teachers and parents In light of recent news that one in three teachers have reported derogatory comments posted about them on social media from parents and children, the discussion around student and teacher communication practices is becoming increasingly vital. The interaction with teachers on social media raises a lot of questions: Is there a need for out-of-school hours communication? If so, what channels should they be using? Do teachers need to be more careful about revealing their identities on social media? First and foremost, we need to be clear that teachers are just as at risk from cyberbullying as anyone else in a public facing role. People can be surprised that teachers fall victim to online hate but, as students (and parents) become more and more social media savvy, some can feel empowered to make negative comments about their teachers online under the guise of anonymity. How to get the right balance Context rather than content Every school has a policy, but sometimes it can be difficult to follow especially when social media is such a natural habitat and part of everyday communication. Students in particular see social media as their communication channel of choice and recognise few boundaries in the nature and purpose of messages used on these platforms. A student with a question about their homework may think they’ll get a quicker response sending you a DM, but anything deemed to be personal (i.e. outside official school channels such as work email addresses for example) takes the conversation away from a safe transparent place; regardless of the topic of conversation, it is the channel that makes it inappropriate. Ideally, your school should have a communication platform that allows appropriate and transparent communication, so students and parents don’t feel the need to approach you on social media, and you have somewhere to drive the conversation towards if they do. If you do find yourself being contacted on your social channels, let them know about the school policy and how it would be best to speak to you. That way, they will understand it’s not you being unfriendly, but a matter of protocol. Fake names and pictures Although everyone has the right to their own personal profile, if you use your full name and have a photo of you on your profile it will make it easy for students and parents to find you. Consider using an anagram of your name and a scenic photo for your main picture. Check your Facebook settings – you are sometimes searchable by your email address or phone number. Facebook regularly change their algorithms so stay on top of your privacy settings and visibility. It is important that you have a clear separation between your personal and professional digital footprints. Your profile Before you feel overwhelmed at having to watch your every move on social media, most professions now warn of the dangers of showing too much online as being harmful to job applications or promotions. As a teacher you are a source of fascination for students who only ever know you in your teacher role. Your public profile should show minimal information. If there’s nothing to look at, there’s nothing for students to gossip about, and there’s less incentive to add you as a friend. New social media When we think of teachers and social media, the problem traditionally lies with Facebook. Not any more. Snapchat, the darling social platform of Generation Z, is a huge no-no when it comes to interacting with students – with messages and images that disappear, it can look suspicious to parents and senior staff that any communication has taken place at all. It’s the same with WhatsApp, with its encrypted messaging system, allowing complete privacy of conversation. Ignore any messages from students on these platforms and bring it back to real-world communication. Good communication Despite the risks, controversy and sensitivities, it’s important to remember the advantages to developing good communication with your students and their parents when done so appropriately. Respecting the feedback loop between parents, students and teachers is not only a good idea, it’s essential to the happy and successful progress of the student’s education – just as long as it’s done in the right way and using the right channels. “If you invest the time earlier to create structure and process around communication, planning, and goal-setting, you can prevent missteps before they occur.” Christine Tsai By Rob Eastment, Head of Learning, Firefly
Top of the Class for Metro Rod!
Busy schools, colleges and universities simply can’t afford to close indefinitely due to issues with drainage, but if proper care and maintenance isn’t scheduled in, that is exactly what they may be forced to do! Drainage experts Metro Rod work with a vast number of education providers, both on a planned maintenance and also reactive basis, ensuring schools and colleges across the nation can carry on providing the great service they do, with minimal interruption. For John Pardoe, from Metro Rod Mersey, working with schools and colleges is a weekly, if not daily occurrence! “We provide Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) to many of our local education providers, because it helps them ensure against any unforeseen drainage issues. It also means we can arrange visits to fall within school holidays to make sure that minimal disruption is caused!” “Our PPM usually encompasses emptying gullies and slot drains, checking and jetting surface and foul water lines if necessary, and clearing downpipes, gutters and grease traps. Maintenance work can also involve small bore pipework (sinks, urinals etc), downpipes and all internal and external drainage runs.” Comments John, who has been with the network for 12 years and has a wealth of experience in this field. “Obviously some things can never be predicted, and so a lot of the work we do is on a reactive basis. We understand drainage issues don’t just occur 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday, which is why we have engineers available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. We also aim to be with our customers as soon as we can, usually within two to four hours after the call-out. “We have developed a hugely loyal customer-base with many education providers, and I think it’s down to the overall level of service we provide. We are reliable, our engineers are professionally trained and each hold DBS checks – particularly important in an educational environment! Our reports are thorough and prompt, and we do whatever it takes to get the job done efficiently and effectively!” says John. Eva Bird, Assistant Facilities Manager at Engie, who provide facilities management services to a growing nationwide portfolio of commercial and industrial customers, including the education sector, has been working with Metro Rod for many years now, and hugely values the service they deliver. “We use Metro Rod for planned maintenance on all our 17 schools across Liverpool and Knowsley, and they also complete on average, 120 reactive works a year on 9 of our Liverpool schools. “We trust Metro Rod to get the job done quickly and that is why they receive so much work from us. The paperwork and communication is also second to none, and we know we can count on Metro Rod to ensure we comply with the very strict Service Level Agreements (SLA) on all our contracts.” John concludes, “We get a great deal of satisfaction from our work with the Education sector and always try to go above and beyond our customer’s expectations, which is really valued by our clients.” If you’d like to read more about the work that Metro Rod do nationally for the Education sector, click here for further case studies. For a completely free of charge assessment of your drainage, simply call 0800 66 88 00 or visit www.metrorod.co.uk, and they’ll be happy to help!
Physical computing: teaching the teachers
FutureLearn offer CPD on the teaching of computing. Here, programme coordinator Dan Fisher and training manager James Robinson explain why their course ‘Teaching Physical Computing with Raspberry Pi and Python’ – using the mini-computers alongside the coding programme – is changing the way teachers think about computing and how they can improve the future of programming in the UK. 1. What is “physical computing”? How is it used in industry? Physical computing means interacting with real-world objects by programming them from a computer. Examples include programming an LED to flash, reading environmental data from a sensor, or even controlling robotic objects. Applications like these are all around us in everyday life, from traffic signals and ticket barriers to driverless cars and assembly lines. Behind each of these applications are algorithms and programs that govern their behaviour. Physical computing is combining hardware and software in order to create something useful or productive, or simply just for fun. 2. Why is it important to teach physical computing to pupils and from what age do children learn these skills? Many concepts in computing are abstract and symbolic, which presents a huge challenge for learners who are new to the discipline. Physical computing connects these concepts to something concrete and tangible, where learners can see the direct impact of the programs they write. When a learner (of any age) flashes an LED for first time, it’s a literal lightbulb moment: instructions they gave the computer produce an output in the real world! From there they can go on to control other outputs, as well as reacting to inputs. A challenge in teaching computing is finding engaging contexts that learners can relate to. We think that physical computing is one of the most engaging and most useful contexts in which learners can thrive. 3. Is it a worry that technology is advancing so quickly when some teachers aren’t receiving adequate training? How can schools combat this? As technology advances, educators and learners alike need to be able to adapt to the new possibilities that it brings. However, there seems little value in focusing on learning about specific technologies, as these invariably adapt, improve, or become outdated. Instead, educators should use current technologies to learn and teach about the core concepts of computing. For example, instead of learning a specific programming language, we should instead focus on learning programming using any appropriate language(s). Teachers should club together to work on physical computing 4. What advice do you have for staff who are concerned that their computing skills aren’t up to scratch? There are many resources out there to support educators. One of the best resources is simply other educators, which is why all our online courses are created by educators for educators and have a collaborative approach throughout. Educators can also sign up for Hello World, a free magazine for computing educators, by other educators. Start an informal computing club such as a Code Club or CoderDojo, test out some ideas, and learn alongside your learners. This way you can find out what works and what doesn’t, discover what engages your learners, and trial ideas that you can then take to the classroom. More advice on how to develop as a computing teacher can be found in our Hello World article by experienced teacher James Robinson. 5. What is the next advancement in computing which you foresee teachers needing training on? As suggested earlier, new technologies don’t necessarily change the fundamentals of computing. That being said, there are areas of computing that, over time, are become more and more important. As technology becomes more and more embedded in our daily and personal lives, there is a greater need to understand how it works and the impact it is having. Topics like encryption, machine learning, AI, and computer ethics are going to become increasingly important for students and therefore educators to understand. A reasonable understanding of the principles of computing is needed in order to engage in these important and highly relevant topics. For more information on FutureLearn, see www.futurelearn.com. For information on RaspberryPi mini-computers, see www.raspberrypi.org
Virtual Reality Learning
Virtual Reality Learning: A Technological Innovation for Education When it comes to classroom study, learning processes are constantly evolving and new developments in technology means that many education practices can be eased through these new innovations. One particular technology which has been changing the face of education and improving learning methods lately is Virtual Reality technology. Having progressed significantly since it first came into existence in 2015, Virtual Reality technology within the classroom is helping to enhance interactive learning, encourage more visualisation, as well as promoting self-learning methods and group interaction. Amongst other technological innovations, VR in education has proved to be one of the most effective learning tools within the classroom. With the development of Virtual Reality, then came along Augmented Reality which created a whole range of new opportunities within the classroom and exciting learning possibilities for both students and teachers. AR in education helps to bridge the real and digital world – it helps to encourage the students to actually become part of the information, as well as letting them literally see what they’re learning right in front of them. There’s VR learning and AR learning, and then there’s the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) which essentially combines both Virtual Reality technology and Augmented Reality technology. This programme and type of learning specifically focuses on cognitive development for students. This includes – language development, numerical understanding, comprehensive improvement, strengthening concept development and engagement within the classroom. If you’ve not heard of the Virtual Learning Environment, or Virtual Reality technology for that matter, then you’re probably wondering what it involves and how it compares to the traditional classroom. The traditional classroom focuses on textbook reading and instructional method of study which results in less comprehension and less engagement within the classroom. The virtual classroom is much more engaging and helps to keep students more interested with simulated people, objects and environments which appear very life-like. With VR headsets and a 360 degree view, the students get to experience the events as they are happening. Modern education really hones in on the element of interactive learning and device-based learning. The Virtual Learning Environment really helps with this, as well as promoting more visualisation and engagement within the classroom. To help you visualise the benefits of VR and Realtime Virtuality, the guys over at Essay Writing Service UK have designed an animated infographic below. The gifographic pinpoints the benefits of the Virtual Classroom, the main differences between the traditional classroom and the virtual classroom, as well as lots of information around the Virtual Learning Environment – a programme which many schools are now thinking of implementing within their curriculum or have already started to implement it. Are you a student? Are you a teacher? We’d love to get your thoughts on technology in education and whether you think that Virtual Reality technology is a great learning tool…
Teacher recruitment leader: “There is no magic wand to resolve workload issues”
Emma Hollis, executive director of the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT), talks to QA Education about the teacher recruitment crisis and has some advice about streamlining marking and planning… What is your background in education and how did you come to work at the NASBTT? “I was a career-changer who trained through school-based provision on the then graduate teacher programme. I taught primary (upper Key Stage 2) in three schools before taking over as Programme Manager for School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) provision at the Two Mile Ash School in Milton Keynes. I later became Head of Milton Keynes Teaching School Alliance alongside managing the SCITT. Whilst in these roles I was invited to sit on the NASBTT management board and had worked with them for 18 months in this capacity when then Executive Director Martin Thompson made the decision to retire. I applied for the job and formally took up the role last September.” What can headteachers and SLT do to make teaching a more manageable role? “There is no magic wand to resolve workload issues and they are not uniform across schools – different schools and teachers face different challenges and pressures on their time. School leaders need to think carefully about any changes they are proposing and consider, as part of their assessments, the impact they will have on workload and teacher morale. Many schools, for example, are looking at their marking policies and considering when and where marking is most effective. Does marking done at a distance (the piles of books being carried home each night) actually have an impact on progress? If not, why is it being done and who is it being done for? There are some great examples of marking policies which have been replaced with feedback polices where feedback is done in the moment where it has the greatest impact on pupil progress. Schools can also look at the data they require teachers to collect and process and consider the value of what is being done. Can pupil progress be measured in more manageable ways? Is there any duplication of effort? What purpose is the data gathered for? Similarly, planning requirements can be streamlined with teachers encouraged to share practice and co-plan where that is appropriate for the children. Leaders can consider the format of planning and whether they require plans to be submitted in a format which encourages the creation of paperwork for its own sake rather than for the progress of the children. Schemes of work and textbooks should be considered where these are of high quality and without formalising or imposing a specific structure on planning which limits individual teacher creativity and passion for their subject.” What can the Government do to reduce teacher workload and raise staff morale? “The Department for Education has already published three useful reports on workload reduction and is continuing to work to ensure that the advice is put into practice in schools. It takes time to change cultures and this will not happen overnight. Schools, teachers and the Government need to continue working together on making workload manageable for the profession. Just as importantly, Government can support this change in perceptions of the profession by: recognising that access to high-quality professional development for teaching staff, both in their early careers and throughout their working lives, should be an entitlement and not a lottery based on whether the school in which they happen to work values professional development; providing sufficient funding for schools to allow their staff the time the need to develop their knowledge and skills and become well-rounded, highly-educated and respected professionals; continuing to support the Chartered College of Teaching which is seeking to develop a Chartered Status for the profession; and, perhaps most importantly of all, committing to allowing sufficient lead-in time for policy changes to avoid uncertainty and confusion within the system. The key to sustainable change within the teaching profession is a period of stability which allows the profession to embed practices over time, without the need to react to constant change and upheaval.” A group of unions are calling for an immediate 5% pay rise for all teachers. Do you think this would help teacher recruitment and boost morale? “Whilst research tells us that pay is not a deciding factor for teachers entering or leaving the profession, the ongoing public sector pay caps do set a tone which devalues the profession and contributes to the negative perceptions which are impacting on recruitment and retention. Recognition, in the form of increased salaries, that teaching is a worthwhile and valuable profession would not solve the crisis overnight but it would be one factor which could help to turn the tide of negative opinion and begin to boost morale. We feel that there is further consideration to be given to the limit on progression for teachers who do not wish to enter a leadership role in schools. Effectively, pay for teachers who remain in the classroom is severely limited in comparison to those who chose to come out of the classroom into positions of senior leadership. At NASBTT, we would like to see career paths and salary progression which recognises the value of experience and expertise within the classroom, for those working directly with children and young people.” What advice would you give to a trainee teacher at the beginning of their career in schools? “Remember this is a marathon, not a sprint! It can be tempting to see the end of your ITT year as the end-goal but the development of a professional takes years and the very best teachers see themselves as continually learning, no matter how long they’ve been in the classroom. Remember why you wanted to become a teacher in the first place. Write it down somewhere and look at it on those days when things feel tough. Keep a note of all those funny moments with the children, as well as the poignant ones, and keep these at the forefront of your mind.