The Growth in Educational Leadership Podcast

In this week's episode, I share strategies for staying composed when an unexpected interview question catches you off guard. One blip doesn’t mean failure. 

I explain that many questions link to the Looking At Our School (LAOS) leadership competencies, and offer practical tools: don’t confuse surprise with difficulty, give yourself permission to pause, listen for the competency being assessed, decide on one main point, connect the question to an existing experience, use action verbs to organise my thoughts, break multi-part questions into smaller parts, and ask for clarification when needed. 

I stress not inventing answers and instead be authentic, then recovering and moving on.  I end with a 10-second/60-second practice challenge.

You can learn more about the “Help! I Have an Interview in a Week” course here: https://www.orladempseycoaching.ie/page/247284

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:35 Episode Setup and Context
• 01:28 Why Surprise Happens
• 04:12 Pause and Stay Composed
• 06:10 What They’re Assessing
• 08:05 One Clear Main Point
• 09:16 Reuse Your Best Stories
• 10:24 Verbs and Structure Tools
• 12:22 Clarify and Stay Honest
• 15:45 Recover Practice and Wrap

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In episode 58 of the Growth in Educational Leadership podcast, I share practical tips to stop rambling in leadership interviews, based on issues that often come up in mock interviews with my clients. 

I explain that interview answers should focus on the words the panel wants to hear, not everything I want to share, and that each answer needs one clear core message. I recommend answering the question in the first sentence, using one strong example, keeping context brief, and using a tight SAR/STAR-style structure (short situation, focused actions with strong “I + verb” statements, and a clear result). I also emphasize knowing the destination of the answer, stopping once the question is answered, and practicing cutting answers down (including reducing filler words) to fit within about 90 seconds to two minutes. 

For lots more support like this, check out my leadership course, Help! I’ve an Interview in a Week available here: https://www.orladempseycoaching.ie/page/247284

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:53 Stop Rambling Overview
• 01:59 Couse Intro: Help! I've an Interview in a Week
• 03:56 Use Panel Keywords
• 05:26 Define Your Core Message
• 08:23 Lead With Answer
• 09:36 One Example and Structure
• 10:31 Keep Context Short
• 11:24 Strong Verbs and Actions
• 13:14 Know Your Destination
• 14:53 Zip It Up
• 16:03 Practice Cutting Answers

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In episode 57 of the Growth and Educational Leadership podcast, I discuss handling multi-part interview questions that can throw school leaders off under pressure. I explain practical strategies such as asking permission to use a notepad, requesting clarification or repetition, and taking a brief pause to process before answering. 

I show how to decode questions by pulling out the key verbs (e.g., led, engaged, overcame, evaluated) and then chunking the response into clear sections, using sequential language and the rule of three to keep it structured without sounding scripted. I highlight common mistakes like overexplaining context, focusing too long on the first part, and rushing the rest, and I recommend keeping the impact short at the end. 

Learn more about 'Help! I’ve an Interview in a Week' here: https://www.orladempseycoaching.ie/page/247284

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 Welcome and Recap
• 01:34 Why Multi-Part Questions Trip Us Up
• 02:25 Use Notes and Ask Clarification
• 07:45 Decode Questions With Verbs
• 09:07 Chunking and Rule of Three
• 10:21 Check Back and Keep Impact Brief
• 12:10 Stay Grounded and Avoid Common Mistakes
• 13:58 Structure Without Sounding Scripted

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In this episode of the Growth in Educational Leadership podcast, I speak with Anne Jan Van Den Dool, an educational leadership specialist and director at Poel Management, about his 20+ years across primary, secondary, and vocational education, including interim school leadership. He describes learning leadership “the hard way” after becoming a young middle leader, realising that leading teachers is a different profession requiring skills, knowledge, and an identity shift, including clearly “saying goodbye” to the teacher team. 

We discuss differences between Dutch and Irish middle leadership roles, leadership responsibility for teaching quality, aligning school values across all practices, and respecting the school as a system. Andjan explains interim leadership during high-stress periods, em

He explores trust, vulnerability, “limbo” as a growth phase, burnout as feedback, and urges leaders to be true rather than wise.

TIMESTAMPS

• 01:25 Early Leadership Lessons
• 05:43 Teacher or Leader Identity
• 11:19 Responsibility for Quality
• 14:32 Values and Vision Hiring
• 19:14 Interim Principal Work
• 22:40 First Weeks Under Pressure
• 25:33 Why Middle Leaders Matter
• 29:02 Repairing Trust and Culture
• 29:58 Trust and Insecurity
• 31:34 Leading with Vulnerability
• 33:51 Identity Stories in Leadership
• 36:41 First Days as Middle Leader
• 38:44 The Gift of Limbo
• 41:35 Rethinking Career Paths
• 46:09 Burnout and Balance
• 49:46 When Leaders Feel Stuck
• 54:10 Be True, Not Wise
• 56:25 Connect and Closing

CONTACT DETAILS

Contact Anne Jan here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annejanvandendool/

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In this week's episode, I welcome Shane Leaning to the Growth in Educational Leadership podcast, and we discuss his work in Shanghai, including leadership development through Education Leaders and his not-for-profit Work Collaborative, which grew out of his book Change Starts Here, on how schools build confidence to lead sustainable change amid external pressures. 

We explore “othering” as distancing people by treating them as different, including a self-protective form linked to imposter feelings and a more destructive form rooted in stereotypes, and how it shows up in schools as “us and them” divides between leaders and staff. 

Shane shares cross-country similarities in challenges like teacher retention and what systems might learn from each other, plus intercultural examples from UK-China meeting norms. 

We discuss identity in staffrooms, psychological safety, feeling heard, and gratitude as practical ways to build connection and reduce miscommunication.

CONTACT DETAILS

Learn more about Shane's work on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leaningshane/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leaningshane/

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 Welcome and Introductions
• 00:45 Shane’s Leadership Work
• 02:11 How His Projects Evolved
• 06:02 Defining Othering
• 11:14 Shared Global Challenges
• 15:16 Messy Humans and Stereotypes
• 19:56 Us and Them in Schools
• 28:15 Culture Clash in Meetings
• 31:14 Empathy in Interviews
• 35:24 Awareness Over Assumptions
• 37:25 Shane’s Podcasts and Wrap-Up

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The podcast is back! This week I interview Katie Tuite, founder of Empower Dyslexia, a dyslexia specialist teacher and consultant in County Meath, about her business and dyslexia journey. After completing a DCU Master’s in Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia) in 2019, Katie found there is no dyslexia specialist role within Ireland’s education system, so she took a career break after her second child and began private practice in 2024. She discusses how understanding of dyslexia has evolved beyond phonological deficits to encompass broader processing, its prevalence (at least 10%, up to 20% in some areas), hereditary patterns, and higher incidence in some lower-socioeconomic-status or closely related rural communities. Katie provides Croke Park hours (in-person within an hour’s drive or online nationwide), describes building her reputation through Instagram and local parent talks, highlights business realities like taxes and insurance, and emphasises students’ strengths such as creativity, problem-solving, and empathy. Her key message to teachers is that every class likely includes a child with dyslexia and that even average-performing diagnosed students work far harder and need extra compassion; she also stresses the importance of supportive staff rooms and asking for help. 

Contact Katie at [email protected] and @empower_dyslexia.

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:36 From Masters to Private Practice
• 01:53 How Dyslexia Understanding Evolved
• 03:04 Who Dyslexia Affects Most
• 06:02 Training Teachers in Schools
• 08:05 Business Pivot to Teaching
• 09:19 Taking the Career Break Leap
• 10:28 Building a Reputation Online
• 15:01 Going Legit Self Employed
• 17:24 Online Payments Reality
• 17:54 Dyslexia Roots and Workshops
• 18:42 Finding the DCU Masters
• 20:25 Dyslexia Strengths and Empathy
• 22:26 Building Supportive Groups
• 25:51 Specialist Lens in Schools
• 27:21 Compassion for Dyslexic Students
• 28:54 Teacher Support and Staffroom Culture
• 31:23 Belonging and Staying Connected
• 31:55 Contact Details and Farewell

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Orla interviews Siobhan Fitzgerald, principal of Eglish National School, a small rural DEIS school in East Galway, where she says most pupils have experienced significant trauma and many are from the Traveller community. Siobhan describes developing the LET's Stand Public Speaking programme after noticing students could create strong PowerPoints but were unable to present, and she outlines teaching public speaking as incremental skills (e.g., structure with beginning–middle–end, eye contact, body language) using a model–share–guide–apply approach. 

The conversation links public speaking to student voice, listening, confidence, leadership, and teacher self-awareness, arguing that students need practice before being asked to share opinions and that teachers already use public-speaking skills daily. Siobhan discusses teamwork, coaching for school leaders, effective interview communication, and announces a forthcoming 10-book fiction box set for ages 7–13, published by Outside the Box, aimed at wellbeing and connecting children with nature.

TIMESTAMPS

• 02:13 School Context and Trauma
• 03:15 Public Speaking Spark
• 05:05 Building the Program
• 06:44 Kids Need a Voice
• 10:41 Listening and Student Voice
• 12:54 Teach One Skill
• 13:11 Speech Structure Hand Model
• 15:53 Eye Contact and Practice
• 17:25 Getting Staff Onboard
• 19:45 Teachers as Speakers
• 24:03 Skills and Reflection Time
• 26:37 Leadership Reflection Courage
• 29:04 Judgment and Visionary Style
• 31:07 Teamwork and Learning Leaders
• 31:25 Team Roles and Flexibility
• 34:17 Elastic Band Leadership Mindset
• 35:30 Leadership in Small Schools
• 39:01 Impact Over Comparison
• 41:46 Coaching for School Leaders
• 44:38 Public Speaking for Principals
• 48:41 Interview Answers and Authenticity
• 51:49 Jargon Versus Real Stories
• 57:18 New Children’s Book Series
• 01:01:17 Nature, Wellbeing and Farewell

USEFUL LINKS

Here are links to Siobhan's programmes for schools and children

• LET's Stand

https://4schools.examcraftgroup.ie/display-product-page/lets-stand-primary

• Listen, How Child and Student Voice can Change the World

https://www.routledge.com/Listen-How-Child-and-Student-Voice-Can-Change-the-World/KeenanFitzgerald/p/book/9781032750330

• Adventures in Coill Calm series

https://www.otb.ie/shop/well-being-sel-sphe/adventures-in-coill-calm/

[Interview by Orla Dempsey]

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Orla interviews Steven Farrell O Callaghan of Clark Recruitment on the Growth in Educational Podcast about his recent Home of the Year final appearance with his husband Mike, the publicity it brought, and his 18 years with Clark, which he officially took over in 2024 after joining in 2008. 

Stephen explains Clark’s relationship-driven approach to serving both employers and candidates, including on-site client visits, structured competency-based interviewing, candidate coaching, and an aftercare check-in process (weeks 1, 4, 6, 8, and 12). 

He discusses application volumes (e.g., ~300 for admin roles), international sourcing via partners and a work permit department, and the value and limits of psychometric tools (InnerMetrics/DISC) for hiring and team development. 

The conversation covers interview best practices, STAR storytelling, issues with untrained panellists, overly long multi-stage processes, and encouraging educators to take risks, apply even without every requirement, and seek mentoring.

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:48 Home of the Year Spotlight
• 02:52 From Publicity to Networking
• 03:17 Recruitment Relationship Building
• 06:07 Sourcing and Application Volume
• 08:18 International Partners and USP
• 09:51 Leadership Qualities and Listening
• 11:27 Aftercare and Psychometrics
• 14:41 Better Interviews and Panels
• 22:05 Candidate Prep and Storytelling
• 24:23 STAR Technique Breakdown
• 25:20 STAR Story Endings
• 26:11 Interview Surprise Fallout
• 27:09 Too Many Interview Rounds
• 29:09 Why In Person Matters
• 30:24 Hiring Timelines Reality
• 31:56 Coaching Strengths Answers
• 32:51 Recruiter Value Explained
• 35:24 Long Term Relationships
• 36:52 Psychometrics For Teams
• 42:33 Competencies And AI Gaps
• 45:36 Apply Anyway Take Risks

CONTACT DETAILS

• Clarke Recruitment Website:  https://clark.ie/
• Watch Stephen and Mike on Home of the Year here: https://www.rte.ie/player/series/home-of-the-year/SI0000000759?epguid=IP10017032-12-0007
• Clarke Recruitment on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarkrecruitment/

[Interview with Orla Dempsey}

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Orla interviews primary teacher and Instagram creator Aislinn Nic Pháidín: (Is Muinteoir Mé) about taking a two-year career break to become a Teacher Fellow in DCU’s BEd programme after teaching since graduating from Marino in 2013/2014. Ashlyn describes her hesitant application process, fear of change, and practical trade-offs, including commuting, longer days, no school holidays, and a pay cut, balanced by funded further study and a Master’s. 

She explains the fellowship’s purpose of bringing current classroom insights into third-level teacher education, mentoring and visiting students on placement, and why it is limited to two years. Aislinn reflects on realising she was near burnout, feeling refreshed, revisiting best practice, and promoting relationship-building, balance, and well-being for student teachers. 

She discusses how drama built confidence, and how COVID led to webinars, Irish-language resources, and a bilingual teacher planner.

TIME STAMPS

• 00:43 Aislinn's Teaching Journey
• 01:52 Applying for the Fellowship
• 03:38 Fear of Change and Decision
• 06:32 Tradeoffs and Master’s Funding
• 07:15 Why It’s Only Two Years
• 09:13 Returning Refreshed
• 11:52 Sharing the Move Online
• 15:17 Qualities of Teacher Fellows
• 19:06 Imposter Syndrome and Team Balance
• 21:03 Relationships First
• 21:36 Teacher Wellbeing Boundaries
• 23:26 Rest Is Productive
• 25:23 Priorities And Time
• 27:13 Drama Builds Confidence
• 29:59 Showtime In Class
• 34:14 Planner Born In Covid
• 38:20 Helping Teachers Take Risks
• 39:10 Leap Of Faith Closing

[The Growth in Educational Leadership Podcast

Host: Orla Dempsey]

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In this episode of the Growth in Educational Leadership Podcast, I interview Brien Kearns, administrative principal of Castletown National School in Navan, County Meath, about his career from an early HR role in the Department of Justice to nearly 20 years in teaching and becoming a principal in 2020 just before COVID.

Brien explains how HR experience shaped his approach to relationship-building, communication, professionalism, and handling grievances, and how principals spend much of their time on “managing the organisation.” He discusses hiring for fit and strengths, supporting staff at different life stages, and the value of reflection through school self-evaluation and critical friends. 

Brien shares lessons from failing principal interviews before succeeding on his third attempt, emphasising credible, evidence-based answers, preparation, feedback, and perseverance. He advises using AI carefully without losing authenticity, and stresses following policy, circulars, and frameworks for fairness, trust, and protection. 

He closes with advice for new principals: be genuine, empower staff, seek help, show humility, and accept ongoing learning and imposter syndrome.

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:23 From Teacher to Principal
• 02:28 HR Roots in Justice
• 05:31 Relationships Drive Schools
• 08:17 Hiring and Staff Fit
• 11:02 Duty of Care for Staff
• 12:38 Learning From Interview Failure
• 17:13 Postgrad and Answer Structure
• 18:36 Advice After Rejection
• 21:02 Feedback for Middle Leaders
• 23:12 Self Awareness as a Leader
• 23:42 Growth Through Change
• 24:31 Learning From Failure
• 25:36 Reflection Habits
• 26:51 School Self Evaluation
• 28:12 Critical Friends Network
• 29:37 Job Applications Lessons
• 33:23 AI Without Losing Voice
• 35:54 Policies And Frameworks
• 42:26 New Principals Advice
• 44:42 Imposter Syndrome Reality
• 45:43 Final Encouragement

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