The Art of Teaching

Ep 264: Andrew Gabriel Former NSW Public Guardian: Building Trust with Vulnerable Young People.

A career spent at the sharp end of human services tends to clarify your priorities. After decades in executive roles across the sector, Andrew eventually served as NSW Public Guardian, leading an organisation safeguarding the rights and dignity of people who depend on others to make decisions in their best interest. Andrew then made a late career change by transitioning to the ‘best job in the world’ – being a teacher. Working in alternative education with young people who don’t always fit neatly into other settings, his approach is grounded in nervous system support —creating calm, predictable and empowering environments and taking every available opportunity to treat young people with dignity and respect.

Ep 263: Amy Berry PhD: The Engagement Hub, learner agency and formative evaluation.

Amy Berry PhD has worked in education for more than 20 years as a teacher, researcher, author, and professional learning facilitator. She is the creator of The Engagement Hub and is widely recognised for her work in learner engagement, agency, formative evaluation, and play-based learning. Her work has supported educators across Australia, the United States, Asia, and the Middle East.

Ep 262: Benjamin Freud, Ph.D: The Green School Bali, Biomimicry and valuable lessons from nature.

Dr. Benjamin Freud is Head of School and Strategic Lead, Regenerative Education at Green School Bali. He founded the Biomimicry for Regenerative Design (BiRD) Lab, K-12 programme built on the recognition that life has been designing for 3.8 billion years longer than we have. Students learn to look closely at how the living world works and to bring what they find into the things and processes they design.

He holds a PhD in History, along with an MSc in Education, an MBA, and an MA in International Relations. His background in sociology, philosophy, and history shapes how he thinks about schools, as places where students learn to contribute to the wider community, human and other-than-human.

Reciprocity sits at the centre of his work: the idea that learning should gift back to the people, places, and forms of life it draws from, rather than take from them.

Ep 261: Andrew Gray: The Power of Systems Leadership, Mentorship and Building Self-Awareness

Andrew Gray is an experienced board member, CEO of not-for-profit organisations, consultant, leadership mentor, and entrepreneur who owns and runs multiple businesses. With a strong track record across governance, leadership, and organisational development, he brings both strategic insight and real-world execution to the spaces he serves.

He spent 18 years on the board of a private Christian school, including 13 years as Chairman, where he played a key role in shaping vision, culture, and long-term sustainability. His depth of experience in education governance and leadership makes him a trusted voice in both school and organisational contexts.

Andrew is also an in-demand keynote speaker and trainer, known for delivering practical, values-driven leadership frameworks that translate into real impact. As a podcaster, he engages in meaningful conversations around leadership, personal growth, and cultural challenges.

Ep 260: Dr Adam Fraser and Bob Willetts: Helping Schools and Educators Flourish.

I’m joined by Dr Adam Fraser PhD, and Bob Willetts to explore The Flourish Movement. Their work focuses on the real experience of educators. Not the surface-level conversation, but what sits underneath. The emotional load. The cognitive demand. The quiet accumulation that builds over time.

At the centre of this conversation is Secondary Traumatic Stress. It is present in schools more than we often think. It shapes how teachers think, feel, and respond. It also shapes whether people stay in the profession.

Adam and Bob bring both research and lived experience. They speak with honesty about what they are seeing across schools, and what needs to change. This is not about adding more to a teacher’s plate. It is about understanding the conditions that allow people to do their best work and remain well while doing it. We talk about what Secondary Traumatic Stress looks like in practice.

This is a grounded and important conversation. One that speaks to the reality of teaching, and the responsibility we all hold to care for the people at the heart of it.

Ep 259: The Honourable Prue Car on Equity and the Future of Public Schools.

Prue Car is the Deputy Premier of NSW, Minister for Education and Early Learning, and Minister for Western Sydney.

Prue grew up in Western Sydney and has represented the Western Sydney seat of Londonderry in NSW Parliament since 2015. Following the 2023 NSW election, Prue was appointed Deputy Premier, Minister for Education and Early Learning and Minister for Western Sydney. In her role as Minister for Education and Early Learning, Prue has prioritised listening to teachers, principals, and parents and is working tirelessly to improve the NSW education system. Prue’s goal is to ensure every child in the state can access high-quality public education and achieve their potential. In September 2023, Prue made a historic agreement which saw the state’s 95,000 public school teachers receive the largest pay increase in a generation. Prue has also prioritised addressing the needs of growing communities, addressing the backlog of school infrastructure needs in the state. The NSW Labor Government’s first Budget invested $3.5 billion over four years for new schools and school upgrades in Western Sydney, and an additional $1.4 for new schools and upgrades in regional NSW. Prue is also delivering the largest ever expansion of public preschools in the state’s history, investing a record $769 million to deliver 100 new public preschools by 2027. Together with the Premier of NSW, Chris Minns, Prue is committed to working hard for the students, families and people of NSW.

Her website is: https://www.pruecar.au/

 

Ep 258: Rachael Lehr: Leading by Example, Sweeping Sheds, and Driving Change Through Instructional Coaching.

Rachael Lehr is the foundation Associate Principal at Dayton Primary School, which opened in 2023, and the WA Branch President of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders. She is deeply committed to empowering teachers and leaders to believe in themselves and reach their full potential.

Rachael leads by example, embracing lifelong learning, stepping into discomfort, and continually seeking personal growth. Her work is grounded in the authentic integration of digital technologies and STEM in the classroom, an area she is currently exploring through her doctoral research at the University of Western Australia. She is a strong advocate for instructional coaching as a driver of meaningful change in teaching and learning, and firmly believes that positive relationships sit at the heart of success. Above all, Rachael is guided by a simple but powerful belief that every child deserves to feel seen, valued, and that they truly matter.

Here is the conversation I had with Dr Ray Boyd, who was mentioned in this episode. https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/ray-boyd-lessons-from-long-distance-running-getting/id1552506400?i=1000590711649

 

Ep 257: Dave Runge: What If Schools Were Designed Differently?

With a passion for reimagining education, Dave works with educational organisations across Australia and internationally to help build new systems and unlock innovative outcomes. As Director of Future Schools, he partners with executive leadership teams, boards, associations and education organisations, supporting educators to discover, design and implement innovative approaches to teaching and learning.

At the centre of Dave’s work is a focus on systemic change. He works alongside school leaders and educators to navigate complexity and build the adaptive leadership and thinking needed to create future-focused schools.

With deep expertise in change leadership, culture and innovation, Dave has supported successful transformation across a wide range of educational settings. Through collaboration, thoughtful dialogue and the exchange of ideas, he helps schools and leaders rethink practice, reshape learning environments and lead meaningful, lasting change within their communities.

Ep 256: Damian Bebell Ph.D: Lessons from Seymour Papert, Meaningful Data and Small Shifts That Transform Schools.

For more than two decades, Damian has worked alongside teachers, school leaders and policymakers to explore how research and thoughtful reflection can strengthen teaching and learning in technology-rich classrooms. As a research professor at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development, his work focuses on designing and leading research that helps schools make sense of innovation and translate ideas into meaningful practice.

Damian is a widely respected author and speaker, contributing numerous articles, book chapters and the book The School Mission Statement, which explores how a school’s local vision can shape, illuminate, and sometimes even limit the ways we define and measure success.

He is also the founder of Reflective Educational Research, where he serves as a “Researcher in Residence” supporting thousands of classrooms across Apple Distinguished Schools. Through this work, Damian helps schools democratise access to research tools so educators can better understand their impact and continue refining their practice.

This conversation explores research, reflection, and the powerful role schools play in defining what success truly means. It is a thoughtful and practical discussion about how evidence, curiosity and collaboration can help education keep evolving.

Ep 255: Charlie Burley: Healthy Habits for Teacher Life and small changes to help teachers thrive.

Up next on The Art of Teaching is Charlie Burley.

Charlie is a former primary school teacher who knows, from lived experience, the pace, pressure and emotional weight that often come with life in the classroom. After feeling the toll that the profession can take on personal health and well-being, Charlie made a significant shift in his own career, choosing to focus on helping educators look after themselves with the same care they give their students every day.

Today, he is a qualified nutritionist, health coach, and the founder of The Teachers' Health Coach Ltd. Through his work, Charlie supports teachers and school staff to build sustainable habits that strengthen energy, resilience and overall wellbeing. His approach brings together practical strategies around nutrition, movement and mental health, helping educators manage stress, improve focus and find a healthier rhythm both inside and outside the classroom.

Charlie is also the host of the Rewriting Wellbeing Podcast, where he explores the realities of educator wellbeing and shares thoughtful conversations designed to help teachers flourish in a demanding profession.

In 2025, he released his book Healthy Habits for Teacher Life, a practical guide that helps educators embed small but powerful habits into their daily routines.

At the heart of Charlie’s work is a belief that resonates deeply with many teachers: educators deserve to thrive, not merely keep going. When teachers take care of their own well-being, they are far better placed to sustain their passion, their energy and their impact for the long run.

Here is my conversation with Charlie Burley.