The Art of Teaching

Stephanie McConnell: Lindfield Learning Village, changing educational landscapes and why we must question everything.

Today I have the great pleasure of sharing a recent conversation with the brilliant Stephanie McConnell who is the Principal of Lindfield Learning Village.  As the founding Principal, she had the unique opportunity to design a new educational model and build a school to make this model a reality. Lindfield Learning Village is a ‘stage-not-age’ K-12 public school where student agency, voice and choice are at the centre of the learning design. Their transdisciplinary approach to learning goes beyond the curriculum and allows students to pursue their passions through a human-centred design thinking approach.  I hope that you get as much out of this discussion as I did.

Brendan Lee: Starting with the evidence, building a culture of trust and the complexities of school improvement.

Today I have the pleasure of sharing a conversation that I had with the brilliant Brendan Lee. Brendan is a school leader, researcher and podcaster from Sydney NSW. After 

After almost 10 years as a high school teacher, he left the profession and opened up a cafe. While that time in his life taught him a lot about running a business it also left him with a sense that he had unfinished business in education.

Since returning to teaching, he has a fresh sense of purpose, passion and a commitment to supporting as many educators as possible in becoming more evidence-informed so that they can apply it to their teaching. He runs a great website called Learning with Mr Lee and a podcast called the Knowledge for Teachers podcast. 

I hope that you get as much out of this discussion as I did. 

 

 

Professor Michael Anderson: Transformative learning, education as an infinite game and the CREATE Centre at the University of Sydney.

Michael Anderson is a Professor of Creativity and Arts Education in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work at The University of Sydney and Co-Director of the CREATE Centre. He is an internationally recognised educational leader in school transformation processes. He has taught, researched and published in education and transformation for over 20 years, including 17 books and 55 book chapters and journal articles.

The Art of Teaching Podcast resources: 

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/artofteaching

Here is the link to the show notes:

https://theartofteachingpodcast.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/theartofteaching

 

Sally McGrath: Burnout, exhaustion and other essential conversations.

Today I have the privilege of sharing a recent conversation that I had with Sally McGrath. Sally runs an organisation called Health that Heals. We are all tired, we are all juggling multiple projects and responsibilities and we are all trying to be as present as we can for our loved ones. In our busy, hyper-connected, complex lives, Sally’s work is a breath of fresh air.

And just a reminder, if you are going through a challenging time, you are not alone.  Here are some services to reach out to: 

The Mental Health Commission of New South Wales

Beyond Blue

Head Space

I hope that you get as much out of this discussion as I did.

 

Emma Gentle: The Grad Guide, behaviour as communication and leading from within.

Recently I had the privilege of interviewing the wonderful Emma Gentle from The Grad Guide. We talked about parenting, balance, launching a business, and the importance of self-compassion. Emma’s work centres around how teachers can build trust, acceptance and compassion with their students. She argues that we need to remind ourselves that students as human beings who are still learning to navigate their feelings, their experiences and their environments. 

You can connect with Emma here

he Art of Teaching Podcast resources: 

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/artofteaching

Here is the link to the show notes:

https://theartofteachingpodcast.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/theartofteaching

Mary Featherston AM: Designing great spaces for children, adaptability over flexibility and why rich pedagogy requires rich environments.

Mary Featherston AM is an Australian interior designer and designer of child-friendly play and learning environments. She is known both for her furniture and design collaboration with Grant Featherston, as well as her work researching and designing educational spaces for children. 

In 2020 Mary was made a Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for her significant service to the arts, especially industrial and interior design.

Here are some publications about Mary: 

https://www.heide.com.au/exhibitions/design-life-grant-and-mary-featherston/

https://www.design.org.au/hall-of-fame/mary-featherston

http://dharn.net/biography-mary-featherston/

he Art of Teaching Podcast resources: 

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/artofteaching

Here is the link to the show notes:

https://theartofteachingpodcast.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/theartofteaching

 

Dave Reardon: Vulnerability, being an example worth following and lessons from a YouTube empire.

Today I have the great pleasure of sharing a conversation with Dave Reardon. Dave and his wife Ann have had more of an impact on my life than any other people. Over the years we have spent countless hours, eaten many meals and shared numerous cups of tea at their dining room table. Dave and Ann are brilliant leaders, youtube sensations and just incredible, authentic people. Even to this day, my life continues to be impacted by their lives.

 

The Art of Teaching Podcast resources: 

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/artofteaching

Here is the link to the show notes:

https://theartofteachingpodcast.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/theartofteaching

 

 

 

Tammy Anderson : NAIDOC 2023, honouring culture and bridging the gap by being the best educators we can be.

NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to come together to celebrate the rich history, diverse cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the oldest continuing cultures on the planet.  

Tammy Anderson has been an educator and passionate advocate for Aboriginal education in schools for 20 years. A Biripi woman from Airds in NSW, Tammy is the principal at Briar Road Public School, a 2021 Narragunnawali Reconciliation in Education Awards finalist.

I have heard Tammy speak a number of times and each and every time I am speechless - which is rare for me. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talked about uncomfortable truths, why this year’s NAIDOC Week celebrations are particularly significant here and why the most effective way to bring the gap is to be the best teacher you can be.

Dr Nathaniel Swain: Musical theatre, the science of learning and why his mum was right all along.

Nathaniel is a Teacher, Instructional Coach, Researcher and Writer. He is passionate about language, literacy and learning, and effective and engaging teaching for all students.

In addition to his experience as a teacher, he is a Senior Lecturer of Learning Sciences and Learner Engagement at La Trobe University’s School of Education.

In this interview, we talked about many things including his lessons from musical theatre, the importance of putting yourself out there and why his mum was right all along.

Who would you like to invite to a dinner party? 

Daniel Willingham

Maryanne Wolf

Anita L. Archer

Dr. Silvia Ybarra

Daisy Christodoulou 

The Art of Teaching Podcast resources: 

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/artofteaching

Here is the link to the show notes:

https://theartofteachingpodcast.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/theartofteaching

 

 

Dr Karl Sebire: The intersection between art and technology, beauty in the little things and why focus is the new superpower.

It is my great pleasure today to introduce you to a conversation that I recently had with the brilliant Dr Karl Sebire. He is a researcher, educator, author and speaker in the field of digital dependence, screen time and attention spans.

With over 15 years of experience in the creative and education industries, Karl has researched the way in which teaching and learning have evolved (or struggled at times) to adapt to an audience that consumes media in new and exciting ways. As the ability to focus will be the new differentiator for individuals, Karl consults on how one can harness the myriad powers of technology, whilst attenuating the many challenges it presents. I hope that you get as much out of our discussion as I did.

The Art of Teaching Podcast resources:  Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/artofteaching Here is the link to the show notes: https://theartofteachingpodcast.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartofteaching