Lazy Training

Arranging training for clients always involves a pre-booking conversation to make sure we are right for each other and that you are getting exactly what you need. If I can’t do what is asked, I will say. It saves disappointment on the day – on both sides.

All sessions are always interactive, reflective and challenging: with a guarantee that they will make you think, laugh and have something new to try at the end of the training.

There are a number of themes which are frequently requested and I have outlined these below. Feel free to contact me to discuss your needs, whether they be for an hour at your conference or a full day of ‘Lazy Training’.

And if you are thinking about booking, then the earlier the better as my ongoing commitments to my own school and other training events do mean my diary fills up quite quickly for the year and beyond.

Typical training requests are:

Lazy Training

Delivered as half day, full day or as part of your day in a single session of up to two hours:

  • Creating a 'why' for the Lazy Way.

  • Practical strategies for the classroom.

  • Systems to embed them in every day school processes e.g. Lazy Self-evaluation and Lazy Lesson Observations.

Lazy Leadership

Delivered as either key note or half day:

  • Barriers to the team performance.

  • Getting more from the team.

  • Leading teaching and learning systems the Lazy Way.

  • The power of a 'leader-leader' system and ditching 'leader-follower'.

Feedback From Recent Work

“I just had to say thank you for a really fantastic session this morning. It exceeded expectations and those were very high. A huge thank you.”

“I'm three days into half-term and I'm still thinking of you and Friday. It really was something special. Thank you so much for everything. There are lots of people who need to know about you, Jim. I shall make it my business to see they do!”

“Thanks again for a really inspirational start to the school year. The staff are really buzzing and I have heard nothing but positive feedback.”

“I felt compelled to write to you to express our thanks. We are still talking about the day and all we have learned, and our whole school improvement plan is now based around the ideas generated by the team during our follow-up meetings. It was an inspirational day: fabulous for team building as well as strategic planning for improvement and we laughed a great deal too.”

“The evaluations were really positive – you got 'excellent' from all!”

“Thanks again for today, I really enjoyed it and was genuinely challenged and excited. A measure of your success was that I forgot to take photos until after lunch.”

“You really inspired our staff – they are looking forward to starting work next term, which is a first!”

“Thank you for giving me the confidence to teach differently”

“I just wanted you know what an impact your session had. We always evaluate INSETs and for the first time we had a 100% positive response (graded on a scale of 1–4, with 1 being ‘extremely useful’, all responses were returned graded ‘1’!). But we also witnessed evidence of your ideas immediately: we are currently doing both learning walks and lesson observations, and 'Jim Smithisms' are everywhere.”

“Thank you for making the time to work with us; it was perfectly pitched and a real boost, not only to learning and teaching, but to morale as well.”

“I have also planned my group work scrutiny, thank you for your ideas ¬– which I also used when explaining the rationale behind the strategy ... I still feel I may have to wear a flak jacket, but one that's only shrapnel proof, not machine gun!”

“Seriously, thank you. The session was ... (I quote from one of our 'Clives') ... 'really quite good'. Trust me, that's high praise indeed!”