Right Now

“Teaching is a job that will take everything if you let it.”

So how do we stay steady when there is so much demanding our attention and still make room for the parts of the job we love?

In this live recording from the National Education Summit in Melbourne, Dr Jodi Richardson, former secondary teacher and anxiety and wellbeing speaker and author, speaks with incredible warmth and wisdom about stress, anxiety and what happens when we’re constantly “on”.

In this episode we explore:

• The importance of punctuating our day and what that can actually look like
• The difference between stress and anxiety, and why it matters
• Where the biggest levers are when we’re feeling stretched
• What can help when children and young people are overwhelmed too

Jodi shares practical ideas for noticing what's happening in our bodies, creating moments of pause and making the transition from work to home. We also explore how we can support young people with anxiety while building their confidence and independence.

Jodi beautifully acknowledges that many educators already know what fills their cup, and she reminds us to “do things for you that are just joyful.” It might be returning to something you love, seeing a friend, walking the dog, making time for a hobby or learning something new.

And when things are particularly hard, she asks: “On your worst day, what can you do?” A reminder that the small things matter, particularly when we’re feeling most stretched.

It’s a thoughtful conversation about stress, anxiety, nervous system regulation, connection and how we can look after ourselves while making space for the parts of teaching and life that matter to us.

Learn more about Jodi Richardson:

Dr Jodi Richardson

Connect with Jodi:
LinkedIn: @Dr Jodi Richardson
Facebook: @Jodi Richardson

Books:
Anxious Kids — co-authored with Michael Grose
Anxious Mums

There is no single story about staff wellbeing in Australian schools.

While national statistics can give us an important picture of educator wellbeing, they don't always capture the different contexts, challenges and strengths shaping the experience of staff in individual schools.

In this episode, Anita talks with school wellbeing consultant and strategist Adrienne Hornby, whose work is helping to build a deeper understanding of what staff wellbeing actually looks like across Australian schools.

Drawing on data from more than 80 schools, Adrienne has gone beyond national averages to explore the patterns, strengths and challenges emerging in different school contexts. Her work recognises that while schools may be facing similar issues, the experience, and therefore the response, can look very different from one setting to another.

Adrienne shares why understanding the context of a school matters and gives this advice:

"Don't copy and paste anything. Work out what it is that your school actually needs and what your staff want."

We explore:

• why national averages don't always tell the full story and the importance of understanding staff wellbeing in different school contexts

• what it means to think about staff wellbeing as an ecosystem, including the role of culture, relationships, morale, satisfaction and workplace conditions

• why consultation is more than collecting feedback and the importance of closing the loop with staff

• how data can help schools recognise their strengths, better understand areas of challenge and focus their energy where it can make the biggest difference

Adrienne brings compassion and nuance to the conversation about staff wellbeing, encouraging schools to listen closely to their own people and use evidence to understand what is really happening beneath the surface.

It's a thoughtful and hopeful conversation about making meaningful change in schools by understanding your own context, people and priorities and building from there.

Find out more about Adrienne Hornby:

Website: adriennehornby.com.au

Podcast: Well-Led Schools

LinkedIn: Adrienne Hornby

Adrienne has written three national reports on staff wellbeing in Australian schools, including her most recent analysis exploring patterns, strengths and opportunities across different school contexts.

Full report: https://mailchi.mp/adriennehornby/band-report-full 

Summary report: https://mailchi.mp/adriennehornby/band-report-summary 

Teacher Wellbeing Report, 2025: https://adriennehornby.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Teacher-Wellbeing-Report-10.2025-1.pdf

Staff Wellbeing Ecosystem Report: https://adriennehornby.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Staff-Wellbeing-Ecosystem-Report-Adrienne-Hornby-2026.pdf 

“Competence equals confidence.”

For many young people, some of the hardest moments at school aren’t about schoolwork - they’re about friendship - feeling left out, being bullied, friendship ending. Or just not knowing where they fit.

In this episode, Anita talks with Michelle Mitchell about friendships and how we can help young people feel more capable and confident in their relationships. Michelle shares why friendship is one of the most important and often overlooked skill sets we can help young people develop.

We explore:

• the safety, chemistry and effort framework for understanding what makes friendships work

• practical “one-liners” that help young people set boundaries and say no with confidence

• the difference between validating a young person’s feelings and simply taking their side

• loneliness and bullying among young people, and how technology is changing relationships — including the growing tendency for some young people to turn to AI before a trusted adult or friend

• how we can build young people’s capability in friendships, rather than simply trying to fix their friendship problems

It’s a reminder that confidence isn’t something we can hand young people. It’s something they build through experience, supported by the adults around them.

I loved this conversation and the warmth and wisdom Michelle brings to this important work.

Find out more about Michelle Mitchell:
michellemitchell.org

Facebook: @michellemitchell.author
Instagram: @michellemitchell.author

Buy Michelle’s latest book, Friendship Smart:
https://michellemitchell.org/friendship-smart-book/

“Schools are not there to extract better data points from young people - they are there to build better people.”

There’s a clarity and challenge running through this conversation with Adam Voigt as he unpacks what it means to re-centre education on purpose, culture and humanity.

Adam Voigt is an education leader and passionate advocate for teachers and school leaders, specialising in healthy school cultures, educational leadership and restorative practices. Drawing on his experience as a school principal in some of Australia’s most challenging locations, Adam brings an evidence-based approach to helping schools and the people within them.

He speaks to the growing tension in schools between performance pressures and the deeper work of helping young people flourish in life, build strong relationships and contribute meaningfully to the world around them.

Adam explores how school culture is not something written on a wall, but something built through behaviour, language and the everyday decisions adults make about how they show up for young people. He argues that many of the challenges in education are not about effort or intent, but about a lack of shared definitions and a drift away from purpose.

Along the way, Adam makes a compelling case for the power of language, clarity and consistency in creating strong school communities. At the heart of the conversation is a call to trust teachers as professionals and protect the craft of teaching.

We explore:
• why culture is defined by what is tolerated and what is encouraged
• how language shifts can reshape behaviour and relationships at scale
• why schools need to reassert their purpose as places that build people, not just performance

A challenging and grounding conversation about what becomes possible when schools return to clarity, trust and purpose.

Learn more about Adam's work with Real Schools:

https://realschools.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/RealSchoolsAustralia/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-voigt/

"If kids are not benefitting from the time we’re spending looking at this data, it’s a waste of our time.”

Dr. Selena Fisk is a data storyteller who helps schools and educators use data in practical and meaningful ways to support positive change in schools. With teaching experience across Australia and the UK, Selena now works with educators and leaders around the world to build data-informed cultures that support student growth.

What I really appreciate about Selena’s work is how practical and empowering her approach feels. She helps schools move beyond overwhelm and use the data they already have with greater clarity, confidence and purpose.

In this conversation, Selena shares why strong data cultures are built through collaboration, shared understanding, and clear systems. Where data is explored collaboratively with people, not done 'to' them.

We explore:
• what effective inquiry cycles look like and why “closing the loop” matters
• how schools can build staff confidence and data literacy over time
• practical ways teachers can use formative data without increasing workload
• supporting students to engage meaningfully with their own growth and progress
• how schools can communicate data clearly and helpfully with families

Selena's advice is both incredibly practical and deeply affirming for educators.

Learn more about Selena:

https://selenafisk.com/

Instagram: @selena fisk

LinkedIn: @selena fisk

Make Data Talk Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/make-data-talk/id1725459001

Books:

• Using and Analysing Data in Australian Schools: Why, How and What (2019)
• Leading Data-Informed Change in Schools (2020/2021)
• I’m Not a Numbers Person: How to Make Good Decisions in a Data-Rich World (2022)
• Data-Informed Learners: Engaging Students in Their Data Story (2023)
• Using and Analysing Data in Australian Schools (expanded 2nd edition, 2023)
• Leading Data-Informed Change in Schools (updated 2023)

“Leaders feel like they’re doing a million and one things and none of it well.”

Aimee shares this is the theme of 2026 when she speaks with school leaders.

There’s a grounded honesty in this conversation with Aimee Presnall as she explores what it looks like to lead in schools today. She keeps returning to a simple idea: many of the challenges in education are not about effort or care, but about clarity, capacity and whether leaders have the time to think.

Aimee founded Well-Nest after 16+ years in classrooms and leadership roles across Australia and internationally, driven by watching exceptional school leaders burn out. Through her work, she focuses on dismantling the conditions that create burnout and building leadership cultures where sustainability is possible.

Aimee unpacks how schools are operating in a state of constant change while leaders are still expected to hold direction, culture and people at the centre.

Throughout the conversation, there’s a tension between doing more and doing what matters. She challenges the reflex to add initiatives in response to problems, rather than stepping back to see patterns.

Amy also emphasises the relational side of leadership as the foundation of everything that happens in schools. Whether it’s staff, students or parents, the quality of connection shapes culture, trust and learning.

We explore:
• why schools have more data than ever, yet leaders need more clarity than ever
• why thinking time and resisting the urge to add initiatives are essential
• why “buy-in” matters, but real ownership is critical for sustainable school change

Aimee poses this question: What if the wellbeing of a school depends on the wellbeing of its leaders?

I’m incredibly grateful for the honesty, clarity and insight Aimee brings to this conversation.

To learn more about her work:

https://well-nest.com.au/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimee-parkinson/

TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjGM4esebQU

“Connection is one of the strongest protective factors for wellbeing, and it relies on our ability to build and sustain relational skills.”

Today, we're joined by Kristy Elliott, an international educator and founder of Restorative Pathways, who has spent over two decades working alongside schools to create inclusive cultures centred on dignity, connection and accountability.

This conversation sits right at the heart of what so many schools are navigating right now. Kristy speaks to what many educators have been noticing: that both young people and adults are arriving in our spaces carrying heightened levels of stress, overwhelm and dysregulation.

And her message is clear: lasting change doesn’t come from punishment alone, but from environments where high expectations sit alongside high care.

Kristy shares what a restorative, whole-school approach actually looks like in practice, moving beyond individual classrooms into a shared culture. In this kind of environment, values are not just words on a wall, but lived, visible and consistent across every part of the school day.

We explore:
• What a restorative conversation is, and just as importantly, what it’s not
• What becomes possible when we shift toward a more relational understanding of human development
• Why schools have a responsibility to teach young people about relationships just as intentionally as any other area of learning

At the heart of Kristy’s work is empathic curiosity. Seeing behaviour as a moment for teaching and learning, not control or correction.

What emerges is a powerful reminder that when we intentionally prioritise relationships in schools, the impact extends far beyond the classroom - shaping not just learners, but the kind of society we are contributing to.

To learn more about Kristy's inspiring work, visit:

https://restorativepathways.com.au/

LinkedIn: @Kristy Elliott

“The children are reflecting back to us that it’s not working.”

There’s something both affirming and deeply honest in the way Lael speaks. 

She invites us to step back and consider the system we are asking young people to learn in and whether it is truly serving their development, wellbeing and curiosity.

Lael challenges us to reflect on what we prioritise in schools - what we keep, what we might need to strip back and what learning could look like if we held space for both academic outcomes and the real-world and emotional skills young people need.

Throughout the conversation, there is a strong thread that this isn’t about blame or polarised views, but curiosity, experimentation and a willingness to rethink what we’ve always done.

We explore:
• What success really means and how we nurture the strengths of each young person
• What shifts for children when connection is present in their learning

 • The growing reality that many students and educators are not thriving and what might need to change

At its heart, this is a conversation about what school is for. Not lowering expectations or abandoning structure, but examining it honestly and considering what might need to shift so young people can learn with greater curiosity, connection and purpose.

And how we support educators, leaders and families alongside them.

I’m so grateful to Lael for the honesty and depth she brings to this conversation.

You can find out more about her work at: 

http://www.laelstone.com.au/ 

https://www.facebook.com/laelstone/ https://www.instagram.com/laelstone/ 

https://www.woodlineprimary.com.au/ 

https://www.aboutbirth.com.au/ 

Humans, Being Podcast - https://humansbeing.au/

TedX Talk - How to Raise Emotionally Intelligent Children - with over 3 million views

Books:

Raising Resilient and Compassionate Children

Own Your Story

“When you’ve got a really strong, collective learning culture, anything is possible.”

There’s something powerful about walking into a school where you can feel the energy straight away: a sense of purpose, connection and possibility. Tracey Ezard has spent years observing what creates that kind of environment, and she has a unique ability to articulate the patterns she sees.

In this conversation, Tracey invites us to think deeply about the kind of learning cultures we are creating, not just for students but for every adult in the system. Because when a culture of growth, trust and collaboration is strong, people feel seen, valued and inspired to keep learning.

Known for her ‘Ferocious Warmth’ leadership approach, Tracey brings both head and heart to this work. She challenges us to hold high expectations while deeply caring for the people around us and to recognise that thriving schools are built on both.

We explore:

• the purpose of education - how we grow great humans alongside strong learners

• the patterns seen in schools that have that unmistakable ‘buzz’

• why human connection sits at the centre of positive learning cultures

Throughout the conversation, there is a sense of hope and optimism. A belief that education can be different. More innovative, more connected and more joyful.

Tracey encourages us to question the status quo, to push boundaries and to follow the passions and curiosities that make learning meaningful. Not just asking what we are teaching, but why and what it truly means for the young people in our care.

I’m incredibly grateful to Tracey for leaning into this conversation with both head and heart, wisdom and warmth.

Tracey is the author of Ferocious Warmth, Glue and The Buzz, supporting education leaders to create cultures where people and learning thrive.

To learn more about Tracey’s work:

LinkedIn: Tracey Ezard

www.traceyezard.com

www.thebuzz.academy

“How are the humans going?”

When talking about schools, Meg brings such a human lens that resonates at every level of my being as an educator. 

It’s part of why I started this podcast.

Over the past decade there has been a huge focus on student wellbeing - and there should be. But if we want schools to truly flourish, we need to focus on every human in education.

That means supporting the educators, leaders, administration, support staff and families who guide our young people each day - people who are doing deeply important work in increasingly complex environments.

As a Teacher Wellbeing Specialist and host of The School of Wellbeing podcast, Meg shares insights into what she consistently sees in educators who are uplifted in their work and truly thriving. 

We explore:
• the importance of tone and creating opportunities for staff to connect, share, laugh and reflect on how they are going
• why student and staff wellbeing are inseparable
• how meaningful change in schools can grow from inspiration rather than desperation

Meg speaks about schools that are flourishing and how you can just feel it when you walk into them. There is a sense of humanness, emotional congruence and belonging. People know each other’s strengths and struggles, and there is a quiet confidence that someone has your back.

Meg's hope is for schools that are not merely surviving, but thriving. There’s more fun, lightness and laughter. In this episode, she shares the small but powerful shifts that make it possible.

To learn more about Meg's work, visit:

https://www.megdurham.com/

Listen to 'The School of Wellbeing' podcast

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-school-of-wellbeing-with-meg-durham/id1586749038