The Art of Teaching

Ep 237: Nicole Dyson: How Future Anything empowers students to change the world.

Today’s guest is Nicole Dyson, one of Australia’s most influential voices in future-focused education, youth entrepreneurship, and system-wide innovation. Nic’s journey from classroom teacher to award-winning entrepreneur has reshaped how thousands of young people think about learning, creativity, and possibility.

She’s the founder and CEO of Future Anything, an organisation with a bold mission to turn ideas into action. Over the past decade, she’s worked with more than a hundred thousand young people and educators across Australia and New Zealand, influencing the learning of more than a million students. Her work spans everything from YouthX, Australia’s only startup accelerator for school-aged entrepreneurs, to Catapult Cards, a design thinking tool now used by classrooms around the world.

Nic’s impact reaches well beyond our region. She’s an Obama Foundation Leader, a three-time honouree on The Educator’s Most Influential List, and her organisation is the only one in the Southern Hemisphere contributing to the IDEEC project, a major European Union initiative shaping global best practice in entrepreneurship education.

At the heart of it all is her belief that youth-led ideas can bend the future, and that every young person deserves the chance to discover their passion and potential. Today, we get to hear how she helps educators and systems bring that belief to life.

Ep 236: Glenys Oberg: Trauma-aware practice, compassion fatigue and the cost of not caring.

Today I’m joined by Glenys Oberg (FHEA), an author, educator and researcher whose work sits at the crossroads of wellbeing, neuroscience and teaching practice. Glenys explores how compassion fatigue, moral injury and emotional resilience shape the lives of educators, and how trauma-aware, evidence-informed approaches can create healthier and more sustainable ways of working in schools

What I value most about her work is how clearly she bridges research and practice. She takes insights from neuroscience and psychology and turns them into practical support for teachers, helping them understand not only the science of wellbeing but how to bring it to life in everyday school contexts.

Glenys is the author of The Cost of Not Caring and Creating Trauma-Informed Classrooms, two books that continue to influence how we think about care, trauma and teacher wellbeing. This conversation is a thoughtful look at what it really takes to support both students and the educators who stand beside them.

Jeffrey Jordan: Innovation, equity, and the complex work of principals.

Today we’re joined by Jeffrey Jordan, an inspiring school leader who’s currently in his third year as an elementary school principal. Jeffrey’s career spans classrooms and continents. He’s taught English Language Arts across primary and secondary settings, led as a vice principal for six years at the second-largest English high school in Quebec, and even taught English as a Second Language in South Korea.

Throughout his career, Jeffrey has been driven by a passion for helping every student thrive. He’s a strong advocate for educational and assistive technologies, digital citizenship, and resource support for students with learning difficulties. His leadership is grounded in inclusion, innovation, and the belief that schools should be places where all learners feel seen and supported.

Amy Green: Wellbeing Leadership: a new approach for school leaders.

Today, I'm talking about something that sits right at the heart of great leadership - wellbeing. Not as a buzzword or a side project, but as the foundation for how we lead, teach, and thrive together. In her new book Wellbeing Leadership, Amy Green challenges us to rethink what leadership in schools can look like when wellbeing isn’t an afterthought, but the starting point. She explores four essential qualities that create a wellbeing-centred workplace, and eight characteristics that empower staff to feel, work, team, and lead well. This conversation isn’t about quick fixes or checklists. It’s about courage, clarity, and the willingness to do things differently - to lead a wellbeing revolution in education.

🎧 Here’s the conversation: The Art of Teaching Podcast: https://lnkd.in/gBQRRz27

📘 Find Amy’s work and resources at The Wellness Strategy:
https://lnkd.in/g4pBZUUa

A conversation with Andrew Cornwell: On teaching, accreditation, and growing together.

This episode’s a little different. Instead of me asking the questions, I’m the one being interviewed. Highly Accomplished teacher Andrew Cornwall and I sit down to talk about teaching, accreditation, and what it means for all of us to be expert practitioners.

We dig into how great teaching grows through shared practice, honest reflection, and the everyday work we do alongside our colleagues. It’s a relaxed, thoughtful chat about the craft of teaching, the challenges of accreditation, and why supporting each other as professionals matters more than ever.

Tom Mahoney: Teacher agency, educational ideologies and the power of curiosity.

What is the purpose of education? It’s one of those questions that sounds simple but cuts right to the heart of what we do as teachers and school leaders. Too often, it’s pushed aside as though it’s already been settled.

My guest today, Tom Mahony, doesn’t accept that. He’s a teacher, leader, and educational researcher who believes that revisiting this question isn’t a philosophical indulgence—it’s essential to shaping how we teach, lead, and connect with students.

Through his blog The Interruption on Substack, Tom explores contemporary issues in education through this central lens, helping educators reclaim a greater sense of agency and alignment between what we value and how we practise.

In our chat, we talked about curiosity, purpose, and what it means to live out the question of education in real schools, every single day.

Cameron Paterson: Harvard's Project Zero, leading learning and reimagining professional growth.

Every teacher and every school want their students to achieve and thrive. Through his leadership, innovative approaches, and dedication to learning, Cameron Paterson, Director of Learning at Wesley College in Melbourne, is helping students and teachers do exactly that.

Cameron Paterson is an educator who has never stopped learning. A History teacher for more than 30 years and now Director of Learning at Wesley College, his work with Harvard’s Project Zero and the Project Zero Australia Network explores how curiosity, reflection, and design thinking can transform teaching practice.

As a classroom teacher, Cameron’s creativity knew no bounds. From producing audio e-books to historical documentaries, his innovative projects led to remarkable student engagement and achievement — including students winning prestigious awards such as the Simpson Essay Prize. During his tenure at previous schools, academic performance improved significantly under his leadership.

Cameron himself is no stranger to recognition. His awards include the 21st Century Learning Initiative Global Innovation in Teaching Award, a Premier’s History Scholarship, a Minister’s Quality Teaching Award, a Churchill Fellowship, and the Dr Paul Brock Medal.

At Wesley College, Cameron is leading a strategic focus on middle years teaching, cultivating a learning culture grounded in curiosity and deep thinking. He initiated and co-leads the Project Zero Australia Network, which provides free professional learning to thousands of educators — including hosting a major conference this year, keynoted by Harvard researcher Ron Ritchhart.

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Jen Buchanan: THINK Global School - The World's First Travelling High School.

Up next is a conversation with Jen Buchanan, the proud Principal of Think Global School, the world's first travelling high school, where students study in eight countries throughout their two years, experiencing truly global, experiential education. With extensive experience leading innovation across international progressive schools and organisations, including Green School in Bali and as Director of Engagement with Future Anything, Jen has dedicated her career to reimagining what's possible in education. I previously met Jen when she was convenor of the Future Schools Alliance, working with school leaders across Australia and globally to co-design learning environments that unlock student agency and creative potential. It has been a full circle for Jen, as she shares with us her adventure from across the globe.

 

 

 

Amelia Martin: Helping every student feel seen, heard and valued

Today on The Art of Teaching Podcast, I’m joined by Amelia Martin, Senior Education Advisor for Middle Years with Brisbane Catholic Education.

Amelia works passionately to deliver on a powerful vision — that every child deserves to feel a sense of belonging, connection, and success at school.

With experience across primary and secondary settings, Amelia has dedicated her career to supporting teachers and school leaders to create learning environments where young adolescents thrive — academically, socially, and emotionally.

In this conversation, we explore what it really means to teach for belonging, how we can reimagine the middle years, and why relationships must sit at the heart of learning.

🎧 Listen here: The Art of Teaching Podcast

Dr Nathaniel Swain: How do we harness the science of learning?

Today I’m joined by Dr Nathaniel Swain - a teacher, instructional coach, researcher and writer with a deep passion for language, literacy and learning. Nathaniel is dedicated to helping teachers create effective and engaging learning for every student. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Learning Sciences and Learner Engagement at La Trobe University’s School of Education.

He is also the founder of Think Forward Educators, a community of teachers and education professionals committed to the Science of Learning. Most recently, Nathaniel has authored Harnessing the Science of Learning — a practical guide for teachers and school leaders that distils key insights from research into clear, actionable strategies to drive school improvement.

In this conversation, we’ll explore his journey, the ideas behind his book, and how schools can harness the science of learning to transform teaching and student outcomes.

Here are a few useful links: 

https://luminary.nathanielswain.com/

https://www.nathanielswain.com/cognitoriumblog/2024/7/canvas-for-thought