Prue Car is the Deputy Premier of NSW, Minister for Education and Early Learning, and Minister for Western Sydney.

Prue grew up in Western Sydney and has represented the Western Sydney seat of Londonderry in NSW Parliament since 2015. Following the 2023 NSW election, Prue was appointed Deputy Premier, Minister for Education and Early Learning and Minister for Western Sydney. In her role as Minister for Education and Early Learning, Prue has prioritised listening to teachers, principals, and parents and is working tirelessly to improve the NSW education system. Prue’s goal is to ensure every child in the state can access high-quality public education and achieve their potential. In September 2023, Prue made a historic agreement which saw the state’s 95,000 public school teachers receive the largest pay increase in a generation. Prue has also prioritised addressing the needs of growing communities, addressing the backlog of school infrastructure needs in the state. The NSW Labor Government’s first Budget invested $3.5 billion over four years for new schools and school upgrades in Western Sydney, and an additional $1.4 for new schools and upgrades in regional NSW. Prue is also delivering the largest ever expansion of public preschools in the state’s history, investing a record $769 million to deliver 100 new public preschools by 2027. Together with the Premier of NSW, Chris Minns, Prue is committed to working hard for the students, families and people of NSW.

Her website is: https://www.pruecar.au/

Rachael Lehr is the foundation Associate Principal at Dayton Primary School, which opened in 2023, and the WA Branch President of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders. She is deeply committed to empowering teachers and leaders to believe in themselves and reach their full potential.

Rachael leads by example, embracing lifelong learning, stepping into discomfort, and continually seeking personal growth. Her work is grounded in the authentic integration of digital technologies and STEM in the classroom, an area she is currently exploring through her doctoral research at the University of Western Australia. She is a strong advocate for instructional coaching as a driver of meaningful change in teaching and learning, and firmly believes that positive relationships sit at the heart of success. Above all, Rachael is guided by a simple but powerful belief that every child deserves to feel seen, valued, and that they truly matter.

Here is the conversation I had with Dr Ray Boyd, who was mentioned in this episode. https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/ray-boyd-lessons-from-long-distance-running-getting/id1552506400?i=1000590711649

With a passion for reimagining education, Dave works with educational organisations across Australia and internationally to help build new systems and unlock innovative outcomes. As Director of Future Schools, he partners with executive leadership teams, boards, associations and education organisations, supporting educators to discover, design and implement innovative approaches to teaching and learning.

At the centre of Dave’s work is a focus on systemic change. He works alongside school leaders and educators to navigate complexity and build the adaptive leadership and thinking needed to create future-focused schools.

With deep expertise in change leadership, culture and innovation, Dave has supported successful transformation across a wide range of educational settings. Through collaboration, thoughtful dialogue and the exchange of ideas, he helps schools and leaders rethink practice, reshape learning environments and lead meaningful, lasting change within their communities.

For more than two decades, Damian has worked alongside teachers, school leaders and policymakers to explore how research and thoughtful reflection can strengthen teaching and learning in technology-rich classrooms. As a research professor at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development, his work focuses on designing and leading research that helps schools make sense of innovation and translate ideas into meaningful practice.

Damian is a widely respected author and speaker, contributing numerous articles, book chapters and the book The School Mission Statement, which explores how a school’s local vision can shape, illuminate, and sometimes even limit the ways we define and measure success.

He is also the founder of Reflective Educational Research, where he serves as a “Researcher in Residence” supporting thousands of classrooms across Apple Distinguished Schools. Through this work, Damian helps schools democratise access to research tools so educators can better understand their impact and continue refining their practice.

This conversation explores research, reflection, and the powerful role schools play in defining what success truly means. It is a thoughtful and practical discussion about how evidence, curiosity and collaboration can help education keep evolving.

Up next on The Art of Teaching is Charlie Burley.

Charlie is a former primary school teacher who knows, from lived experience, the pace, pressure and emotional weight that often come with life in the classroom. After feeling the toll that the profession can take on personal health and well-being, Charlie made a significant shift in his own career, choosing to focus on helping educators look after themselves with the same care they give their students every day.

Today, he is a qualified nutritionist, health coach, and the founder of The Teachers' Health Coach Ltd. Through his work, Charlie supports teachers and school staff to build sustainable habits that strengthen energy, resilience and overall wellbeing. His approach brings together practical strategies around nutrition, movement and mental health, helping educators manage stress, improve focus and find a healthier rhythm both inside and outside the classroom.

Charlie is also the host of the Rewriting Wellbeing Podcast, where he explores the realities of educator wellbeing and shares thoughtful conversations designed to help teachers flourish in a demanding profession.

In 2025, he released his book Healthy Habits for Teacher Life, a practical guide that helps educators embed small but powerful habits into their daily routines.

At the heart of Charlie’s work is a belief that resonates deeply with many teachers: educators deserve to thrive, not merely keep going. When teachers take care of their own well-being, they are far better placed to sustain their passion, their energy and their impact for the long run.

Here is my conversation with Charlie Burley.

Kerrie Quee is a nationally accredited Highly Accomplished teacher with over 40 years of classroom experience. Kerrie has a strong commitment to equity in education, inspiring the next generation of teachers and leading teacher professional growth. She works as an EAL/D Education Leader for the Department of Education, supporting schools to strengthen evidence-informed pedagogy and improve outcomes for multilingual learners.

Today’s guest is Olli-Pekka Heinonen, one of the significant voices in global education and a leader who has spent decades shaping how the world thinks about learning.

Olli-Pekka is the Director General of the International Baccalaureate, guiding a worldwide community of schools committed to developing curious, capable and principled young people. Before stepping into this global role, he served as Finland’s Minister of Education and Culture and later as State Secretary, playing a key part in the evolution of Finland’s internationally respected education system.

He is also the author of Learning as if Life Depended on It, a powerful reflection on why education must help us see the world anew. Drawing on Finnish heritage, statesmanship and a deep understanding of global challenges, Olli-Pekka explores what it means to move beyond being overtrained and undereducated, and why learning is central to the future of humanity itself.

In this conversation, we explore leadership, identity, global responsibility, and what it truly means to educate for a world that is changing faster than any curriculum ever could.

It’s thoughtful, expansive, and quietly urgent. A conversation that reminds us why this work matters so much.

Heidi Horne is a Stress Strategist, keynote speaker, and Wiley author of The One-Minute Reset, available across Australia. For close to 20 years, she’s worked in high-pressure environments where burnout is common and attention is constantly pulled in a hundred directions.

Heidi believes that when stress hits, we don’t need more theory or another long program. We need something simple, practical, and backed by science. Her work focuses on powerful resets that take 60 seconds or less and can be used right in the moment, before stress hijacks focus, performance, or well-being.

Trusted by organisations including Bupa, Rydges, and Cisco, Heidi is also a regular voice across television, radio, and print media. She helps people and teams find calm and clarity when the pressure is real, not later, but right there in it.

Natalie is a passionate and enthusiastic teacher who shares her journey and key takeaways from a career in education spanning decades. Having taught across a wide range of year levels, she reflects on the insights, strategies and practical tools she has gathered along the way. In this conversation, we explore what experience really teaches you about the craft of teaching. Whether you’re early in your career or a seasoned educator, Natalie’s hope is that teachers feel supported, inspired and genuinely valued in the work they do every day.