Teachers' Voices

Should learning be easy or effortful? What’s the zone of failure and why is it useful for learning? How can teachers design tasks for deep learning?

In this episode, Nina talks to  Manu Kapur, Professor of Learning Sciences and Higher Education at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. When Manu was a teacher of grade 12 mathematics, he noticed that student understanding was quite shallow, even when explanations were very clear. This inspired him to study why that happens, and what can be done about it. The science shows that deep learning happens “in that zone which is beyond your current skill sets and abilities”, Manu says. Tasks need to be in that zone of failure for students to learn something new.

Next Nina hears from primary school teacher Katharine Young who works in Spain. Katherine sees a move away from teachers simply passing on information. “We have to present meaningful learning situations”, she says. Katherine focuses on active, project-based learning, where students learn by doing.

Nina also meets Toyin Awofeso from Rwanda DOS International Montessori School in Rwanda. In Montessori classrooms, lots of autonomy is given to the students, but teachers plan for every child. Toyin lets her students figure things out on their own in their projects, leading to aha moments. “Having them discover the concept you are trying to teach them makes the memory everlasting for them”, Toyin says.

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Guests and resources

Manu Kapur: website, book, PDF book chapter, LinkedIn, Instagram

Katharine Young: LinkedIn

Toyin Awofeso: LinkedIn

Why is sleep important as children grow? Are young people getting enough sleep? How can schools work with families to make sure children get the sleep they need?

In this episode, Nina talks to Jared Saletin, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University and the Associate Director of the E.P. Bradley Hospital Sleep Research Laboratory in Rhode Island, the US. “Sleep is critical across the entire lifespan”, Jared says. “And it's critical for mental health. It's also critical for physical health.” Jared tells Nina about the ‘perfect storm’ of adolescence, whereby teenagers’ lives are scheduled in opposition to their biology. Even one night of insufficient sleep compromises memory, attention, and mood, he says.

Nina hears from three teachers who share experiences from their classrooms. Ganiyat Muritala Wuraola from Nigeria helped a student who was sleeping in class by talking to her family, who then made sleep a priority.

Rocío García Solca, a Chemistry teacher from Argentina, discovered that many of her students were getting just five hours’ sleep a night. She encourages them to sleep well the night before an important or difficult lesson.

Kawita Thani teaches teenagers in Vietnam. At Kawita’s school, they’re making a change in the schedule in response to the sleepiness students feel at different times of the day, in the hope it helps students to learn.

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Guests and resources

Jared Saletin: LinkedIn, website, Frontiers for Young Minds article

Ganiyat Muritala Wuraola: LinkedIn

Rocío García Solca: LinkedIn

Kawita Thani: LinkedIn 

In this episode, Nina first meets Chaitra Murlidhar, in Boston in the US. Chaitra is the Global Lead of Leadership Development at Teach For All. Teach For All developed a Teaching as Collective Leadership Framework, which puts growing student leadership at the core of its approach to education. “Nobody can do this alone”, Chaitra says. “We are all connected with the common challenges we face in education.”

Next, Nina speaks to Hamlet Khachatryan, who teaches English as a foreign language in Armenia. He noticed that students in his classroom weren’t listening to each other, so he encouraged them to listen to each other’s voices and understand that everyone’s ideas matter. Hamlet says, “listening is an indicator of being a good leader”.

Finally, Nina meets Nicole Ames Chipana, who shares her experiences teaching science in a rural school in Peru. Nicole gave students challenges that mattered to them in their real lives, not just for school. “Leadership is about taking action and believing in your own power to create change.”

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Guests and resources

Chaitra Murlidhar on LinkedIn, on X

Teach For All on LinkedIn
Teaching as Collective Leadership

Hamlet Khachatryan on LinkedIn, on Instagram, and on Facebook

Teach For Armenia on LinkedIn, and on X

Nicole Ames Chipana on LinkedIn, and on Instagram

Enseña Perú on Facebook, and on X

In this short bonus episode, teachers Magdalena Balica, Kawita Thani and Sanja Vičević Ivanović share their tips for supporting teacher and student wellbeing in the classroom. Magdalena Balica and Sanja Vičević Ivanović, who were guests on the full episode about teacher wellbeing, suggest using mindfulness techniques for stress relief, cultivating the social side of wellbeing, and focusing on your purpose and meaning as an educator.

Practitioners also shared with Nina the following ten ideas for slowing down and nurturing wellbeing in the classroom.

1. Guide students through some deep breaths as they sit comfortably. Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, and exhale for 4. It can help young students to suggest smelling a flower for 4 counts, freezing for 4, and then gently blowing out a candle for 4.
2. Lead the class in some simple body stretches to release tension. Include neck rolls, shoulder shrugs, and side bends.
3. Ask students to tense and relax their muscles. Inhale for 4 counts, tense all the muscles for 4, then exhale and relax all the muscles for 4. Repeat 4 times. On the last go, tense all muscles to their maximum. For a variation, guide them to breathe in while moving the neck to one side, and breathe out coming to a neutral position. Repeat the exercise using different parts of the body.
4. As students inhale, they draw the breath with a crayon. When they exhale, they move the crayon in a different direction.
   For a variation, students draw a circle whenthey inhale, and a line when they exhale. Start with 10 breaths or set a timer for 3 minutes.
5. Ask students to concentrate on the sensory details of something in nature, ideally outdoors. If you’re indoors, provide something from nature such as a flower. Ask students to observe and feel the texture, the colours, the patterns, the smell etc. 
6. Read a story aloud for 5 minutes each day or play an engaging audiobook.
7. Challenge students to find and count items of a certain colour or shape they can see in the classroom within 2 minutes.
   For a variation, ask students to close their eyes and focus on the sounds around them for 1 minute. They can share them with the class or keep them in a journal.
8. On a rainy day, or as you play the sound of rain, ask students to close their eyes for 30 seconds as they concentrate on the rhythm of the rain. In pairs, one student gently taps with the tip of their fingers on the wrists of their partner, mimicking the rhythm of rain falling. Each partner does this for 30 seconds.
9. In pairs, students lay on their backs, placing a small stuffed animal or a book on their stomachs, focusing on the item rising and falling with their breath.
10. What am I doing well (in my life, at home, in school, anywhere?) Write a note of appreciation for yourself in the centre of the page - what are you doing well in life, at home, in school, or elsewhere? Scribble a continuous line around it, twisting and turning, in and out, left and right.

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Guests and resources

Magdalena Balica on LinkedIn

Sanja Vičević Ivanović on LinkedIn

Kawita Thani 

What supports teachers’ wellbeing? Can improving teacher wellbeing impact students’ wellbeing and their learning?

In this episode, made in collaboration with the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB), Nina first talks to IB researcher Magdalena Balica from the Hague in the Netherlands. Magdalena looks at three elements of teacher wellbeing: Satisfaction with school life, positive emotions, a sense of purpose and meaning. Teachers’ wellbeing is often considered a personal matter, says Magdalena, but “in many cases, it’s a systemic problem that we need to support and address”.

Nina stays in the Netherlands to meet Claudia Casalino-Korevaar, a chemistry teacher and coordinator of the middle school years program at a school in Amsterdam. “When teachers take care of their own wellbeing, they are better positioned, leading to a more supportive and productive learning environment”, Claudia says.

Finally, Nina meets Sanja Vičević Ivanović, a language teacher and primary school years IB program coordinator in a school in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. They take wellbeing very seriously at their school, including for teachers. “Taking care of our own wellbeing is absolutely the key when it comes to taking care of students’ wellbeing,” Sanja says.

Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.

Guests and resources

Magdalena Balica on LinkedIn, policy research paper What is well-being?

Claudia Casalino-Korevaar on LinkedIn

Sanja Vičević Ivanović on LinkedIn

International Baccalaureate

Research Well-being for schoolteachers, Why well-being matters during a time of crisis, Supporting student well-being in a digital learning environment

Podcast episode Teacher Wellbeing: The Key to Student Success

HundrED’s Spotlight on Wellbeing in Schools report

What support do teachers need from their leadership teams? How does school leadership impact children’s learning?

In this episode, Nina first hears from Shulammite Ajayi, a science teacher in Nigeria. Encouragement from her school leader helps Shully to motivate her students. “ When teachers are encouraged, when teachers are well-equipped with tools, with 21st century strategy, teachers want to work.”

Jazzera Muneer is a special educator in India. “Inclusive education should not be a privilege, but a standard practice across all schools”, she tells Nina. Jazzy believes that inclusive education starts with inclusive school leadership.

Next, Nina hears from Egoitz Etxeandia, a Spanish teacher. “School principals and school leaders are one of the pillars and the most important stakeholders to transform education.” Leaders build the environment for teachers to innovate in, he says.

Nina then speaks to four members of the African Centre for School Leadership in Rwanda. Regional coordinator Fay Hodza tells Nina that “effective school leaders brings back the dignity to the teacher”. Nina also hears from technical lead Chantal Kabanda Dusabe, and education advisors Joselyne Cyiza Kirezi and Etienne Ntawigira. They tell Nina how strengthened school leadership can improve learning outcomes and wellbeing for teachers and learners.

Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.

Guests and resources

Shulammite Ajayi on LinkedIn

Jazzera Muneer on LinkedIn

Egoitz Etxeandia on LinkedIn

Fay Hodza on LinkedIn

Chantal Kabanda Dusabe on LinkedIn

Joselyne Cyiza Kirezi on LinkedIn

Etienne Ntawigira on LinkedIn

African Centre for School Leadership website, on LinkedIn, on Facebook, on X

VVOB Rwanda website, on Facebook, VVOB on X

School leadership in Africa

School Leadership for Equitable Quality Education

What could solve the challenge of teacher shortages around the world? What inspires teachers to become teachers in the first place? How do teachers find a connection with their students?

In this episode, Nina talks to Carlos Vargas, Head of the Teacher Task Force Secretariat at UNESCO. The Teacher Task Force was formed in 2008. Its mission is to fill the gap in quantity of teachers and quality of teaching, to provide equitable, inclusive and quality education for all. “We forget that the working conditions of teachers are the learning conditions of students”, Carlos says. He argues that motivation will suffer if teachers do not have good working conditions or believe they’re making a difference.

Next, Nina meets Teemu Kuutila, a teacher of primary and middle school children in Jyväskylä, in the north of Finland. Teemu loves his job, and finds teaching very rewarding. He tries to be a good role model, he uses humour, and he brings personality into his teaching. “My advice would be to share about your personal life with the students. I've noticed that it has a tremendous effect”, Teemu says.

Nina then talks to science teacher Hina Mahmood, in Bahawalpur in Pakistan. Hina takes an integrated approach to teaching science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), giving students projects that involve applying knowledge to real world situations. “I love my subject area and want to share that enthusiasm with my students”, Hina says. “ I chose this profession because teachers influence the thoughts, values, beliefs of the students, helping to mold the next generation of citizens.”

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Guests and resources
Carlos Vargas-Támez - Teacher Task Force website, resource centre, Strategic Plan, on YouTube, on X, on LinkedIn
Teemu Kuutila - on YouTube
Hina Mahmood - Roots Ivy International Schools on Instagram

Teachers are one of the most influential and powerful forces for equity, access and quality in education. They provide children with the knowledge, skills, attitude and tools needed to reach their full potential.

Join Nina Alonso for the fourth season of the podcast in which she shares powerful stories from teachers around the world, talking in their own words about their own experiences. Every episode, Nina invites international experts on learning and child development to give their thoughts on the big topics in education. 

How does teacher wellbeing impact student wellbeing? How important is sleep for learning? What does strong school leadership look like? Explore these questions and many more in our fourth season, and hear from inspiring teachers and amazing guests.

Contact

Join us on social media: https://twitter.com/BOLD_insights and https://twitter.com/VoicesTeachers

Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices here: https://boldscience.org/podcasts/teachers-voices

Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning when you subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter here: https://boldscience.org/

Get in touch with us: [email protected]  

The final episode of Teachers’ Voices season 3 opens with Sister Zeph, winner of the 2023 Global Teacher Prize, talking directly to teachers. “You are a future maker”, she says. These words inspired the rest of this mini-episode, which explores futures literacy. What is futures literacy? What do students gain from futures literacy? How can teachers incorporate it into their classrooms?

Former teacher Michelle Blanchet, co-author of the Startup Teacher Playbook and Co-Founder of The Educators’ Lab answers these questions for Nina. Michelle is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Futures literacy is “a way to encourage young people to use their imagination and their agency to adapt, invent, recover, prepare for all the changes that we're experiencing”, Michelle explains.

Teachers’ Voices will be back for season 4 later this year. 

Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.

Guests and resources

Sister Zeph - LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Global Teacher Prize
ZWEE Foundation of Sister Zeph - Facebook, Instagram

Michelle Blanchet - LinkedIn, Twitter/X
The Educators’ Lab - Twitter/X, Medium, Facebook

UNESCO - Futures Literacy

Contact

Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.

Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices.

Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter.

Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning at bold.expert.

Get in touch with us: [email protected].

Why is it important to make sure children have words to name their emotions? How can teachers promote mental health and wellbeing? Is it possible to remove academic pressure from school?

In this episode, Nina first meets Sarah Griffiths, a Senior Research Fellow at University College London and Co-Director of the Wellbeing and Language Lab in UCL’s department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology. “Language, particularly words for emotions, are critical for understanding emotions,” Sarah explains. Emotion understanding is not innate, children learn about emotions through conversations.

Next, Nina meets Riffat Arif, known as Sister Zeph, winner of the 2023 Global Teacher Prize. Sister Zeph talks to Nina from Gujranwala in Pakistan. She has given thousands of marginalized children and women access to learning. “Mental wellbeing has always been my priority”, Sister Zeph says. The children at her school are traumatised from poverty, hunger, and physical and mental violence, and Sister Zeph provides them a safe space.

Nina speaks to Virna Talarico, a teacher working in primary education in Zurich in Switzerland. Virna shares that they talk about emotions in the classroom - children have the right to feel emotions and other children have to respect that. “It is important that the children feel they are taken seriously”, she says.

Nina’s final guest is Joyce Mininger, Learning Director of the LearnLife primary years hub near Barcelona in Spain. “We take away the pressure of school”, Joyce explains. At their school, they reduce academic pressure to support children’s wellbeing. They also foster healthy relationships between learners, and work on teacher wellbeing too, which impacts children’s wellbeing.

Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community guidelines.

Guests and resources

Sarah Griffiths - Lab, Twitter/X, UCL

Sister Zeph - LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Global Teacher Prize
ZWEE Foundation of Sister Zeph - Facebook, Instagram

Joyce Mininger - LinkedIn
LearnLife, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter/X

Dr Ross Greene explains Plan B, a technique to solve problems collaboratively with children

Virna Talarico

Contact

Join us on social media: @BOLD_insights and @VoicesTeachers.

Listen to all episodes of Teachers’ Voices.

Subscribe to BOLD’s newsletter.

Stay up to date with all the latest research on child development and learning at bold.expert.

Get in touch with us: [email protected].