Captivating Communication – Petite Teacher

Fresh & Foul, Stone & Sand, Music & Maths: 3 inspirational stories for you!

12th October 2018 4 Comments

After reading my own blogpost about the awesome autumn cakes I couldn’t resist baking one (again). Having lots of apples at home, I chose to bake the apple fudge cake. You only need two apples for the recipe, so I picked 2 good looking apples and started cutting them into pieces for my cake. The first one was absolutely fine, juicy and fresh. The second one however, one that was just as good looking as the first one, was bruised and mushy inside. That reminded me of a powerful metaphor. Since it has been a while that I have posted a story on my blog, I decided to do so this week. And because it has been so long, I have selected not 1, but 3 inspirational stories for you. Enjoy them!

Captivating Communication, Lieske's Looks

7 tips for comfortable and classy outfits with the right shoes

7th September 2018 8 Comments

Avoid “Shoepidity” and choose your shoes for more than just looking great!

Are you familiar with the term “Shoepidity”? It is something that I avoid as a teacher. “Shoepidity” is the act of wearing ridiculously uncomfortable shoes just because they look good.

As a teacher comfort is your number 1 rule for your outfits and certainly for your shoes. That said, it doesn’t have to stop there. You can easily add some classy elements to your outfits, so you are still comfortable while looking stylish too! I am sure this is something that appeals to every woman.

This blogpost is all about comfortable shoes (so welcome in the classroom, the shop, the hospital, for running errants, for exploring cities…) and how to make them work for your outfits!

Captivating Communication, Life Lessons

What’s in a name? 5 tips to learn and remember names!

24th August 2018 6 Comments

The name Macbeth is associated with blood and drama!

What’s in a name?

I am sure you are familiar with the above quote. It’s from the famous Shakespeare Play “Romeo & Juliet”. To give you an answer to that question: there is a lot in someone’s name! Actually, you can say that our name is the most important word in our vocabulary. Just think about what you feel when your name is misspelled, mispronounced or even worst: forgotten! Because a name means so much to each of us, it is a good thing to remember and use other people’s names. That is true for teachers with regard to pupils’ names, but it is equally true for almost every profession and for almost everyday encounters with others. I will tell you why exactly and, because knowing and using names is so important, I will also provide five tips so you can better learn and remember names.

Captivating Communication, Life Lessons

What do you see?

15th June 2018 5 Comments

Dress: H&M, Shoes: Vans, Sunglasses: Cerjo (all previous seasons). More photos here

If you follow me on instagram you are most probably interested in what you see on the photos. Yet……..what exactly do you see? Look at the above photo. Do you see a 40+ woman? A small woman? An English teacher? A woman who likes travelling?

The funny thing is that I post one photo and then there are so many different views, feelings, thoughts and so on people can have when looking at it. When you realise that there are always different perspectives, you will enable yourself to see situations from different angles and that has got some advantages. Let me explain in more detail!

Captivating Communication, Life Lessons

A perfect match

25th May 2018 No Comments

Colour-wise my jumper is matching with this typical Dutch windmill. The two of us are in perfect harmony. This principle of matching in order to create a feeling of harmony can be used in communication as well. It is a great tool in many interactions, both inside and outside the classroom.

Captivating Communication, Lieske's Looks

Dot dot dot is hot…

16th March 2018 4 Comments

Dress: H&M

Dotted dresses are always a good idea and this spring season they are even one of the many fashion trends. (see this Funky Forty post for 5 more spring trends) Great, since I absolutely love polka dot dresses. I have got a black & white one with romantic ruffles and an olive green one with bell sleeves. Both dresses can be styled into casual or formal wear and anything in between. I can also wear both dresses nearly all year long. I am sure you see why I love them…

Dress: H&M (previous season)

Captivating Communication, Life Lessons

To say not or not to say not, that’s the question

2nd February 2018 8 Comments

In two of my previous blog posts I have written about the power of some 3-letter words. The word “but“ in a sentence has got the power to undo what came before. The word “yet“ has got the power to add possibilities and options when put at the end of a negative sentence. Today, I’d like to discuss the power of the word “not“ and how to make the best use of it.

Captivating Communication, Lieske's Looks

A scarf to style a sweater and to protect my voice

25th January 2018 5 Comments

Trousers: H&M, Jumper (new): Tally Weijl, Scarf: Vögele, Boots: Piure

Temperatures have dropped, soft and white snow has fallen (see here). It’s winter wonderland in the mountains in Switzerland: time for cosy and warm jumpers.

As soon as I saw this blue jumper I fell in love with it. It’s very soft, a perfect fit for petites and the curved hem reminds me of tulips. Combined with a pair of camel coloured trousers and a matching scarf I create a comfortable and classy outfit for in the classroom. An additional benefit of the scarf is that it also protects my voice.

Captivating Communication, Lieske's Looks, Life Lessons

Wild and full of passion

12th January 2018 5 Comments

Hat and Jumper: H&M, Bag: Tally Weijl, sunglasses: Cerjo, Trousers: Jacqueline de Yong (previous seasons)

Saying ‘Hi’ to the next semester of this school year. I am in the middle of the theme ‘wild animals’ with some of my classes, so I have chosen to wear this jumper to school this week (without the hat of course). Pupils really pick up this kind of subtle details, like with my halloween dress for example.

Captivating Communication, Teacher's Travels

Rubjerg Knude lighthouse and the importance of a solid basis for language learning

8th December 2017 No Comments

Dress & Jacket: H&M, flipflops: Teva, Sunglasses: Cerjo (all previous seasons)

Last summer we spent our holidays in Denmark. On the above photo you can see one of the most famous sights of Jutland, Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse. It’s a well known tourist attraction and absolutely worth visiting. The lighthouse was specifically built on the highest part of the coastline to warn ships at sea. Normally you always make sure that your fundaments are such that they can support your building for a very long time. In the case of this lighthouse, location was more important than a fundament on solid rock. Understandable, but the shifting sands and the erosion caused by wind and sea pretty soon had a decaying building as a result. What you see on the photo is the remaining part of the lighthouse. The rest is buried. If you like what you see, go and visit this place in the near future, since they expect the lighthouse to fall into the sea in 10-15 years time.