After the Bell with @educatinglaura

If you do not follow Ellen on Instagram - you must!

We discuss this crazy job that we all love.

The fluctuation of pressure and stress on educators throughout the term.

How to prioritise ourselves and be consistent with our self care.

Ellen speaks about her own health challenges and how she has come to be such an active advocate for teacher wellbeing.

If you would like to hear more from Ellen, she has her own podcast.

Alternatively have a look at her website to work with her as a wellbeing coach.

 

Feel free to support me an dmy work by buying me a virtual coffee.

Just like an English class, my colleagues Jen and John (JR) use the important Indigenous play 'The 7 Stages of Grieving' by Wesley Enoch and Deborah Mailman as a spring board for discussion.

Not only do we discuss the play that we are currently teaching alongside ‘The Longest Memory’ by Fred D'Aguiar, but we also discuss our own Australian identities.

Jen in particular discusses the trauma around not fully having her own identity (potentially Indigenous) really clarified for her and her family. 

John discusses the importance of history in our curriculum and how he became such a strong ally and advocate for oppressed voices, including Aboriginal and Torrest Strait Islanders.

We also talk about

the teaching of empathy through the English curriculum

our favourite texts to teach and why

the importance of storytelling

the controversy surrounding Bruce Pascoe's 'Dark Emu' 

The conversation is not just for educators and students in VCE English, but also a wider audience because the themes are truly universal.

Feel free to support me an dmy work by buying me a virtual coffee.

My conversation with musician turned educator Lisa for @redpoppys_class on instagram.

As someone who had quite the journey to arrive at teaching, Lisa has so much wisdom to share.

We discuss:

the importance of teaching the whole child

advocating for wellbeing

improving student agency

teaching our students about the online world

zones of regulation and the importance of building true emotional support into the curriculum

how parenting her two children has informed her role as an educator

how incidental opportunities turned into a career and so much more

Nathan van der Monde is the one that connected Lisa and I and I would like to shout out to his two episodes on the podcast:

From secondary to primary with Nathan van der Monde

Around the table

 

Feel free to support me an dmy work by buying me a virtual coffee.

Queering the curriculum with Naomi – a secondary high school teacher currently completing her SECOND Masters degree is gifted education. 

 

Naomi has worked in government, private and catholic sectors. 

She has been instrumental in raising awareness for LGBTQIA+ students in her schools and creating safe spaces within education. 

She is passionate about representation, queer and otherwise. 

We discuss identity in many forms.

The classics over more modern literature in teaching.. 

Our big hopes for education as well as big life lessons. 

If you are not following Naomi @queeringthecurriculum – go and do that now…. like, right now! 

 

Resources mentioned:

VATE

The Monkeys Mask

Head On - film

Parrotfish

Marilyn Hacker

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Some exceptional books to read for queer texts include the following.

Should be in every library:

Growing Up Queer in Australia

The Kindred Series Anthology (editor by the amazing Michael Earp) – currently working on a resource for this one, once this madness settles down

The Miseducation of Cameron Post – it is considered to be the queer version of To Kill a Mockingbird

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

The Geography Club

Simon and the Homosapien Agenda

Annie on my Mind

The love and lies of rukhsana ali

Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories

#AusQueerYA Tumblr – has heaps on there!

Film/TV:

Freehold

Gayby Baby

Miseducation of Cameron Post

Simon vs The World

My So Called Life

Faking It

South of Nowhere

Teaching resources:

Queer Inclusion in Teacher Education

Queer Literacies

Queer Voices from the Classroom

Queering Classrooms (book)

Schools Out

Big Gay Adventures in Education

Teaching What You’re Not

We Make it Better: The LGBT Community and their Positive Contributions to Society

The Book of Pride

This is my conversation wtih Dan Jackson from Teachers PD.

From classroom teacher to Deputy Principal, Dan now has a thriving business supporting teachers improve their teaching and learning strategies. He runs online courses, custom PDs as well as a free podcast called the Effective teaching podcast. His podcast is a fantastic opportunity to learn from educational experts that share best practice. The episode are short and sharp and perfect for people who want to know more without having the time to read all of the educational research out there. 

I was even privileged enough to contribute (less as an expert and more as someone on the ground level), listen here: How to leverage learning styles with Laura. 

We talk about:

the importance of networking with teachers

how to improve best practice

the systematic issues within education

the decision to homeschool

how to measure a good school (and my article in the Wine with Teacher magazine)

intellectual property laws for Australian educators

and so much more.

Dan's top educational reads:

Understanding by Design by Grant wiggins and Jay McTighe 

Teach like a Pirate by Dave Burgess

Embeded Formative Assessment by Dylan Wiliam

The Learning Power Approach by Guy Claxton,

Transforming Schools by Miranda Jefferson and Michael Anderson

Additonal:

Deep Work by Cal Newport

Trevor Mackenzie - all books

Sir Ken Robinson 

I also reference this post from Beck (@continuousclassroom) in my intro.

Please look after yourself, put in healthy boundaries and ask for help if you need it. This time of year can be a very stressful and overwhelming time for many of us.

Feel free to support me an dmy work by buying me a virtual coffee.

My chat with my wonderful friend and forever learner, Leslie Allin.

We met as young university students on exchange in England. Leslie from Canada and me from Australia.

Leslie has gone on to complete her PhD in Victorian Literature, published an analytical text, taught at the university level and now teaches womens self defence.

This is a very open and honest conversations amongst two life long friends who are forever each other's touchstones as we enter new phases of our lives.

 

Not only did Leslie publish her first book:

'Penetrating Critiques: Emasculated Empire and Victorian Identity in Africa', but she also became a mum this year. 

So proud of my friend.

 

Shout at to EJ from @kafoopleclassroom on Insta for inspiring me to advocate for my health.

 

Feel free to support me an dmy work by buying me a virtual coffee

My conversation with Karen Caswell.

Karen is a life long learner, experienced educator and advocate for deep connections.

She speaks vulnerably about nearing burn out and disillusionment in the teaching profession and how she navigated her way to find the love of the job again.

She answers big questions like:

What role education has played in her life

What we can do to improve the teacher training process at university

Her evolution as a teacher

Where she finds the  most joy in teaching

Focusing on character building within the curriculum

Hopes for education

Greatest lessons learnt (this one speaks to me)

She also holds a weekly chat on Twitter to connect link minded educators.

 

Links:

Blog https: //www.karencaswell.com/ 

Twitter @kasw1

New Pedagogies for Deep Learning https://deep-learning.global/ based on the work of Michael Fullan, Joanne Quinn and Joanne McEachen

Dave Burgess https://daveburgess.com/about/ ; @dbc_inc on Instagram ; @burgess_dave on Twitter

Tamara Letter https://www.tamaraletter.com/ ; @tamaraletter on Instagram and Twitter

Alicia Ray @iluveducating on Instagram and Twitter

Tara Martin http://www.tarammartin.com/ ; @tarammartin.real on Instagram ; @TaraMartinEDU on Twitter

 

Wine with teacher podcast - with Gabbie Stroud

Around the table podcast episode

 

Feel free to show your gratitude for the chat by buying me a virtual coffee -

I talk to Cam and Emma, my colleagues as well as passionate health educators in this episode.

The curriculum they have developed in the human sexuality space is nothing short of inspirational.

We discuss big topics like:

Fertility as a journey

Endometriosis and chronic pain

Consent

Pornography

Shameful education around sex

Empowering our students around sex

Identity building

Gender as a construct

Body image

Teacher and student wellbeing

The effectiveness of guest speakers when discussing drugs, alcohol and other health related issues

Educational leadership

The pressure on our teens

We also touch on some current issues current in the media, links below:

THAT consent campaign

Teenagers reaction to the Gov consent campaign

Can pain create empathy FULL STORY podcast

College Admissions Scandal on Netflix

Khloe Kardashian unedited photo scandal

 

Feel free to show your gratitude for the chat by buying me a virtual coffee -

I am truly thrilled to bring this episode to you. My discussion with Kayla from: @ourdillybag and @oursonglines

We talk about:

The importance of acknowledging the land we inhabit

Survival Day

Understanding how to appreciate the culture that is most relevant to you as an individual

Identity

Shifts in education around indigenous perspectives

Dismantling some damaging rhetoric around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people/culture and much more

Kayla is informative and generous in her ability to dispell misunderstandings and support many who wish to be better allies to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations

We reference:

'Growing up Aboriginal in Australia' by Anita Heiss

'Dark Emu' by Bruce Pascoe

Alone on the Soaks by Alec Kruger

Bunjil the wedge tail eagle relevant to Victoria, Australia

Rainbow Serpent

Wayapa Wuurk Indigenous earth connection/meditative practice

Chris Hemsworth and cultural appropriation 

Hey Hey It's Saturday black face scandal

 

Indigenous accounts to follow:

Jordyn from @learning_to_ngangaanha

Tramain from @themurriteacher

@missgibbsau

@thekooriteacher

@teachingwithtanna

@thomasamayor

@wingaru_education

@kooricurriculum

@balukarts

 

Support First Nations businesses:

https://firstnationsgifts.com/

https://supplynation.org.au/

 

Feel free to show your gratitude for the chat by buying me a virtual coffee -

This one has been in the works for a while.

 

With impressive professional careers and an impending birth I knew I had to lock these three down for a chat.

 

Serena and Aaron are both APs in NSW and Nathan is a leading teaching and has worked for the department in VIC.

 

It turns out we are all quite deep thinkers and we tackle big topics such as:

The 'why' behind our choice to become educators

How to market schools beyond academic results/data

Self care practices and favourite books

Favourite teaching tools and why

How to move forward in education after Covid

Big hopes for education

How do we foster life long learning

Also I have an announcement regarding the structure of the podcast moving forward.

 

If you enjoyed this chat and you haven't heard their solo episodes I recommend:

 

 

Instagram handles:

@thewrightclassroom

@mr.j.learning.space

@mrvandermonde