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www.teachwire.net | 53 – especially you – that the meeting has finished. Go digital Why not consider virtual meetings, too? Not every conversation has to be in person, and if working through a pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we can collaborate in a variety of ways (and that not commuting saves bags of time!). If a parent or carer doesn’t have access to a computer with video, you could use smartphones or even the regular old landline. Diaries The idea may fill you with trepidation, but bear with me – consider an electronic diary. It’s always on your phone, so you don’t have to worry about another thing to forget; you can access online calendars (like those from Apple or Google) from any device, so even if you leave your work laptop behind, you can still check your schedule; you can easily share it with others, so they can see when you’re available (or not!); and you can combine your personal and work diaries to show up on the same calendar (just make sure to turn off the personal function on your work devices – nobody needs to know when you have that dentist appointment). Do they need you? Sometimes you’ll be invited to meetings or other congregations because you’re The SENDCo. But do you really need to be there? Make sure anything to which you RSVP ‘yes’ is a good use of your time. Again, it’s not rude, it’s just good practice. Live in the moment Have you ever used ‘live’ minutes for meetings? Honestly, they’re a game changer. Instead of taking copious written notes, which are then forgotten in the flurry of other work and never typed up, take your laptop with you and type as you go. You can use a shared online document like Google Docs or Word Online, and then you don’t even need to disseminate notes – they’ll be available for all participants immediately following the meeting. Look twice I’m not quite sure how I managed before I had a second monitor on my desk! If you can get a second screen, I highly recommend it. That smugness you’ll feel as you copy and paste across them is something to celebrate. If you can’t get another monitor, the split screen facility available on most laptops is a good second best. Snip it The snipping tool is a life saver for busy SENDCos. You know that PDF you have that you can’t change into a Word document, but from which you really need the information? Fear not – just use the snipping tool to take a snapshot of whatever you need, and copy and paste it into your word doc. Not sure where to start? There’s a good step-by step at tinyurl. com/tp-WindowsSnip (for Windows) and tinyurl.com/ tp-AppleSnip (for Mac). TP “I’ve often found myself trying to be invisible, but that’s not sustainable” Ginny Bootman is SENCo at four primary schools in Northants, a keynote speaker, and the author of Independent Thinking on Being a SENDCo (£11.99, Independent Thinking Press). If you don’t put a cap on a meeting’s length, it can go on and on – we always manage to fill time we don’t actually have to spare! Ringfencing a certain time will also mean that the other members of the meeting can plan their schedules effectively. Get up At the end of a meeting, stand up. I know, it can feel rude, but I promise it’s not. It’s professional, and it is a really good physical reminder to everyone @sencogirl ginnybootman.com tinyurl.com/tp-IToBaS 5 questions for SENDCos Should I be doing this? Is it my job? Will the time it takes to find out about this supposed time-saving tip actually save me more time in the long run? (I refer back to this a lot) Who is my gatekeeper? Am I prepared for the fact that there is a 50/50 chance the change I have requested (e.g. for more resources, time allocation, or training) won’t happen? Who can be my tech buddy? (If you’re not 100 per cent comfortable with the tech tools at your disposal, find someone who is, and won’t judge you for needing help.)