The Art of Teaching

Ep: 247: Tim Bullard Leading AITSL, setting the standard and why great teaching will always matter.

Today I'm joined by Tim Bullard, a leader whose career spans law, public policy and large-scale education reform. Tim began his professional life as a lawyer before moving into senior policy roles in Australia and the United Kingdom. Over more than a decade with the Department of Premier and Cabinet in Tasmania, he played a key role in major national reforms, including the development of Child and Family Learning Centres and the negotiations around the Gonski schools funding agreement. In 2016, Tim joined the Tasmanian Department of Education and later became Secretary of the Department for Education, Children and Young People, where he led the integration of education, child safety and youth justice into a single values-based system focused on ensuring every child and young person is known, safe, well and learning. Most recently, Tim has been appointed CEO of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, @aitsleduau, commencing October 2024. It’s a thoughtful conversation about leadership at scale, the complexity of education systems, and what it takes to build structures that truly support teachers, schools and young people.

Ep: 246: Natalie Kradolfer: Why Arts education matters more than we think.

Natalie, co-founder of Amplify Music Education, sits at the meeting point of music, education and entrepreneurship. From being the kid who woke early every Saturday to watch Rage, collecting CDs, vinyl and ticket stubs, to helping build a national organisation championing high-quality music education, her story is shaped by curiosity, persistence and a deep conviction that music matters.

In this conversation, we explore what music offers young people beyond technique and theory, why school leaders need to rethink the place of the arts, and what it takes to build something meaningful from the ground up. Natalie brings a grounded honesty, quiet optimism and a practical, solutions-focused way of thinking that lingers long after the conversation ends.

If you care about creativity, leadership and creating schools where music is valued for the role it plays in students’ lives and communities, this is a conversation worth spending time with.

Ep: 245: Professor Viviane Robinson: The power of student-centred leadership.

I’m joined today by Professor Viviane Robinson, one of the most influential thinkers in educational leadership. This is the second time that I have the privilege of speaking with her.

Viviane is the author of Student-Centred Leadership, a book that has quietly but powerfully reshaped how school leaders around the world think about their work. At its heart is a deceptively simple question: What leaders do, day to day, that genuinely makes a difference to students.

In this upcoming conversation, we explore what student-centred leadership really demands in practice. Not the slogans or surface-level frameworks, but the hard choices, the relational work, and the moments where leaders have to keep learning at the centre, even when the pressure is on. We discuss trust, instructional leadership, goal setting, and why well-intentioned leaders can sometimes stray from the very students they aim to serve.

It’s a thoughtful, challenging, and deeply practical conversation for anyone leading in schools or considering a leadership role. One to sit with, reflect on, and return to as you think about impact and purpose in your own leadership work.

Ep: 244: John Goh: What does excellence in NSW Public Schools look like?

John Goh is an educator who has never been afraid to question the way schools work, or why they work that way at all.

Across his career as a principal and system leader, John has led bold changes around time, space and learning culture, always with a clear focus on what helps students thrive. Known for opening walls, rethinking routines and building strong partnerships with families and industry, his work shows what’s possible when curiosity and courage sit at the centre of leadership.

John is also a sought-after speaker with a strong online presence, sharing practical ideas about innovation, technology and human-centred school design. His thinking continues to challenge leaders to move beyond compliance and towards schools that feel alive, purposeful and deeply connected to their communities.

If you’d like this tightened further, reframed as a “coming soon” teaser, or written in a more conversational podcast voice, I’m happy to shape it.

 

Ep 243: Casey Ellis: Trust, risk and why good systems always start with people.

Next is a conversation I recently had with Casey Ellis, a global leader in cybersecurity and the founder of Bugcrowd.

Casey has spent his career thinking deeply about risk, trust and what happens when you invite smart, curious people into complex systems. Through Bugcrowd, he helped pioneer crowdsourced security, connecting organisations with ethical hackers from around the world to find problems before they become crises.

In this conversation, we explore leadership under uncertainty, the ethics of technology, and what education, schools, and systems can learn from the way cybersecurity approaches prevention, responsibility, and human behaviour. It’s a thoughtful discussion about vigilance without paranoia, openness without naivety, and why good systems always start with people.

I think you’ll find this one stretches your thinking well beyond cybersecurity and straight into the heart of leadership and learning.

Ep 242: John Skene: Is Inclusion Truly Inclusive?

With over fifteen years of experience as a teacher in special education, John has worked across Schools for Specific Purposes (SSPs) and support units in primary schools within public education. Now serving as an Assistant Principal Special Education, he is deeply committed to building the confidence, knowledge and capacity of colleagues and teachers, so inclusive practice is not an add-on, but a shared responsibility across the school community.

John’s work is grounded in the belief that every student deserves to be seen for their strengths, potential and possibilities. He leads with care, clarity and high expectations, advocating for learning environments where difference is understood, valued and supported.

Disability does not mean inability.

Here is John's article: https://cpl.nswtf.org.au/journal/semester-2-2025/is-inclusion-truly-inclusive/

Ep 241: Dr. Vanessa Urch Druskat: The Emotionally Intelligent Team.

I’m joined today by Dr Vanessa Urch Druskat, a leading organisational psychologist whose work has reshaped how we think about emotional intelligence in teams.

Together, we explore what helps groups think clearly, collaborate well and stay steady under pressure. We talk about trust, shared norms and the often invisible emotional work that underpins strong teaching teams and healthy school cultures.

It’s a grounded, practical and quietly powerful conversation for anyone who leads, teaches or works closely with others.

Here is a link to her resources: https://www.vanessadruskat.com/about

Ep 240: Peter DeWitt (Ed.D.) and Michael Nelson: The Instructional Leadership Collective.

If you ask ten people what instructional leadership means, you’ll probably hear ten different answers. At its heart though, it’s the everyday work of helping teachers grow and helping students learn in ways that are intentional, evidence-informed, and grounded in trust.

It isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating clarity, building shared purpose, and keeping everyone focused on the practices that genuinely shift learning. Instructional leaders make learning visible, link practice to impact, and cultivate the confidence and capability of the people around them. They stay curious, reflect openly, and use evidence to guide improvement rather than to judge.

This idea sits at the centre of the work led by Peter DeWitt and Michael Nelson, who together lead the Instructional Leadership Collective. Their approach shows that instructional leadership isn’t something held by one person. It lives in teams, in the way we talk about learning, in walkthroughs and planning sessions, and in those quiet, hopeful moments when someone says, “Let’s try this together.”

When we define instructional leadership clearly, we can collectively grow it. And students feel the difference long before the data catches up.

Ep 239: A (very honest!) conversation with Ash from Rainbow Sky Creations.

Today’s episode is something a little different. I sat down with the amazing Ash from Rainbow Sky Creations for a raw and honest chat, and this time I found myself on the other side of the microphone. It felt a bit strange being the one answering the questions, but Ash has a way of making you feel safe enough to tell the truth about your work, your why, and the messy bits in between.

We talked about teaching, life, purpose, and what it means to try and make a difference in this wild and wonderful profession. It’s a conversation filled with heart, a few laughs, and some vulnerable moments that I’m really proud to share.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed being part of it.

Ep 238: Dr William DeJean: What makes learning stick?

Today’s guest has spent more than 25 years focused on one big idea, helping learning truly stick.

Dr William DeJean is the founder and CEO of Unleash Learning, working with schools and organisations around the world to build professional learning that lasts. His journey began in San Diego, where he taught high school for a decade and was named the 2003 San Diego County Teacher of the Year.

He went on to complete a masters and doctorate in education, lectured in universities across the US and Australia and supported leadership teams through major change. His work brings together deep research, real classroom insight and a clear understanding of what makes learning meaningful and sustainable.

William now leads Unleash Learning, hosts Unleash Learning TV and the Unleash Learning podcast, and presents at events including TEDx, Young Minds and Happiness and Its Causes. You can learn more about him on the Unleash Learning founder page.

This is the second time I’ve had the chance to speak with him, and it’s a real pleasure to welcome him back. Let’s dive in.