The Pursuit of Wellbeing

By Maria Brosnan

Conversations with influential figures from the UK’s education sector, about the issues affecting teachers, school leaders, and the wider school system, in a time of tremendous pressure.

Here you’ll... more

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FAQs about The Pursuit of Wellbeing:

How many episodes does The Pursuit of Wellbeing have?

The podcast currently has 51 episodes available.

The Pursuit of Wellbeing episodes:

December 13, 2020Fixing a Broken System with Andy Mellor
At what point are we going to say “the sticking plaster approach is no longer going to hold together a system that’s fundamentally broken”?
Andy Mellor has over 30 year's experience teaching and leading in the state education system in England.
He is a Past President of the NAHT [National Association of Headteachers] and is currently the National Wellbeing Director for the Schools Advisory Service, leading their National Wellbeing Partnership.

In this episode, Andy doesn't pull any punches. It is FULL of practical advice on how to make a positive difference in your school, within a system he believes is fundamentally broken. He shares:
how the “whatever it takes” culture comes at a price, in terms of children’s mental health and staff mental health, and that is a price we can no longer afford to pay
why we need to recalibrate how we understand the role of education
how, when we look after ourselves and our children’s wellbeing, standards and results will naturally improve by huge gains
the keys to a thriving education system: a sense of purpose and autonomy and giving staff freedom to develop the whole child, with examples of schools where this is working well
how and why we need to move away from the "attainment at all costs" culture
what he did as a headteacher to move his school from 'requires improvement' to 'outstanding' in 2 years.
and much more!
You can connect with Andy:
The Schools Advisory Service website
On Twitter @andymellor64
LinkedIn - Andy Mellor
Other mentions in this podcast:
Kagan Structures
ABC - agree, build on and challenge.
James Nottingham’s learning pit
The Leo Trust
Mellor Primary School
Jim Nicholson, president of Northwest NAHT @Jimnich1
Geelong Grammar
Positive Psychology
Connect with Pursuit:
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course.
Connect with Maria on Twitter @MariaBrosnan
...more
34min
December 06, 2020How to be an Assertive Leader with Mal Krishnasamy
"There are lots of good people brought into leadership teams that are poor leaders. A great teacher doesn’t necessarily make a great leader."
Mal Krishnasamy is an Educational Consultant & Coach.
With almost 20 years experience in education as a teacher, middle leader, then Senior Assistant Principal across a multi-academy trust, she’s seen it all.
Being an assertive leader means being able to stand up for your own or other people's rights in a calm and positive way, without being either aggressive or passive.
In this episode full of practical strategies to be assertive (without being aggressive or passive), Mal shares:
why assertive leadership is so vital in schools now
the one thing a healthy school culture boils down to
how knowing your values can help you be a more assertive and effective leader
why working in a toxic culture is so bad for your wellbeing and what to do about it
the skills needed to have difficult conversations without being aggressive,
why leaving issues unresolved contributes to an unhealthy and unhappy school culture
what to do if you're a "people pleaser"
and much more!
"Many people worry that if you have a difficult conversation, it's like East Enders you’re going to be found under a patio somewhere! When you’ve got the tools, it’s much easier."
You can connect with Mal:
Twitter @MalCPD
Her website is: www.malcpd.com where you can find out more about her Assertive Leadership Coaching Courses
On LinkedIn
Connect with Pursuit:
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course.
Connect with Maria on Twitter @MariaBrosnan
...more
38min
November 29, 2020Teacher Empowerment with Kathryn Grice
“The greatest success of the project has come from seeing teachers invest in themselves, recognise their worth and choose more of the life that they wish to live. Teachers: the possibilities are endless.”
Kathryn Grice was a secondary English Teacher for ten years, and Head of Department.

She left full time teaching in 2016 and founded the Teacher Empowerment Project.

In this empowering podcast, Kathryn shares:
The advice she would give teachers who are considering leaving the profession;
Why she felt like a failure when she left full time teaching to raise her young sons;
The huge benefits of incorporating flexible working in schools (options and opportunities);
Helping stem the huge number of people leaving the profession, particularly women in their 30's juggling and struggling with elderly parents and young families;
The importance of giving ourselves time and space (and how to do it);
Why are high performing females not getting to the top of the profession?
And much more!
The Teacher Empowerment Project platform signposts CPD and communities, wellbeing advice, support and new career opportunities.
You can connect with Kathryn on:
Twitter: @teacherempower
Facebook: facebook.com/teacherempower
Instagram: teacher_empowerment_project
Her website is teacherempowermentproject.co.uk

Other links mentioned in the episode:
Flexible Teacher Talent
DId Teach
Teacher5aday
Successful Difficult Conversations In School, Sonia Gill
Connect with Pursuit:
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course.
Connect with Maria on Twitter @MariaBrosnan
...more
35min
November 22, 2020Wellbeing Findings from 8,000 teachers with Laura McInerney
Laura McInerney is the Co-Founder of Teacher Tapp, the daily survey app that asks over 8,000 teachers each day about what they want, need, think and feel.
Laura shares her insights into what's happening in schools right now and patterns that have emerged over years.

In this highly practical episode, Laura shares her insights into:
The high and sustained levels of headteacher anxiety at present, compared to this time last year;
What causes high levels of anxiety for teachers;
The most important (and surprising) predictor of whether you're likely to stay in your job;
The reasons we lose so many teachers early in their career and towards the end of their career;
What’s the smallest 'biggest improvement' you can make in school now;
Being honest about reality for you;
How to find the right role for you in school;
And much more!
Laura was formerly the editor of Schools Week. She is one of the Guardian's education columnists and taught for six years in London state schools.

"We have a finite amount of life; a finite amount of energy and we have to decide where it goes."
You can connect with Laura:
On Twitter @miss_mcinerney
Teacher Tapp's website is teachertapp.co.uk
Connect with Pursuit:
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course.
Connect with Maria on Twitter @MariaBrosnan
...more
41min
November 16, 2020Covid-19 Impact on Schools with Ernest Jenavs
"We were forced into the biggest, most sudden education experiment we’ve ever experienced."

Ernest Jenavs is the CEO of Edurio, the research company responsible for the largest comprehensive multi-stakeholder review of the Covid-19 impact on schools in England to date.

He is co-author of the research which had 45,000 pupils, parents and staff take part across 277 schools.

In this surprisingly practical episode, Ernest shares his insights from the research in 4 mains themes:
Learning
Wellbeing
Community
Leadership
Ernest shares his concrete findings on:
The single most important tool leaders have that makes the biggest impact on staff wellbeing;
The key role of parental engagement;
The correlation between workload and wellbeing, and the surprising insight that it's not related to hours worked;
Two practical skills that make the biggest difference to pupil wellbeing;
And much more!
You can connect with Ernest
On Twitter @ejenavs
His email is [email protected]
Edurio's website is home.edurio.com
You can download a summary of the reports mentioned in the podcast using this link
And find out about how to join their new research on equality, diversity and inclusion via the website.
Connect with Pursuit:
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course.
...more
32min
November 08, 2020Kindness Matters with Kindness Coach, John Magee
The famous quote from Maya Angelou, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel", is the basis of this episode with John Magee.

He says, "If we want to transform lives, we have got to build strong relationships through kindness. Good results are the benefit of good relationships."
John is the "Kindness Coach" and in this wonderful conversation, he shares:
Why he believes kindness matters;
His 'colourful' and poignant personal story;
Why cultivating kindness in the classroom is so important;
How taking care of yourself is one of the kindest acts you can do, as a teacher;
Practical ways to help your pupils be kinder to each other and to staff;
The power of setting intentions;
How we can stop losing fantastic teachers from the profession;
And much more!
World Kindness Day is November 13th, 2020.
John Magee is a speaker, coach and best selling author.
His book, Kindness Matters, has been described as “the one book that will transform your life and the lives of others."
His global movement "Kindness Matters" reaches over 100,000 people daily on social media.
You can connect with John:
On Twitter @KindnessCoach
His website is www.thekindnesscoach.me
YouTube @TheKindnessCoachTV
Instagram @thekindnesscoach
His best selling book, Kindness Matters is widely available.
Read more about Hal Elrod's "The Miracle Morning"

Connect with Pursuit:

Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course.
...more
42min
November 01, 2020The Teacher Toolkit with Ross McGill
Please note: in this episode Ross shares his personal story of being a sexual abuse survivor, which some people may find upsetting.
"We cannot have a world-class education system on a shoestring budget. It's as simple as that. Quality of teaching matters."
Ross McGill is an experienced senior teacher with a career-history spanning 25+ years working in state schools across London. He is the founder of Teacher Toolkit and is an award-winning teacher, author and blogger.
In this wide-ranging episode, Ross shares his:
Tips for a happier working life;
Ideas for taking care of teacher wellbeing in challenging times;
Experiences of life as a teacher and school leader;
Insights into life as a blogger and becoming an "accidental entrepreneur";
Insights from his huge social media presence;
Research and writing;
Experience of being a sexual abuse survivor;
And much more.
In 2015, Ross was nominated as one of the ‘500 Most Influential People in Britain’ for his influence on education with his blog and resources having reached over 11 million people.

And he’s the author of 7 books, including:
Just Great Teaching
Mark. Plan. Teach
60-Second CPD and more, which you can find on his website and Amazon.
He is currently training teachers and studying for his doctorate at Cambridge University.
You can connect with Ross:
On Twitter @TeacherToolkit
His website is www.teachertoolkit.co.uk
Connect with Pursuit:
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course.
...more
45min
October 24, 2020Leading a Culture of Wellbeing with Patrick Ottley O'Connor
Being a teacher, leader or member of the support staff can be tough. So how do you look after yourself first, so you can make the biggest difference for your learners? How do you 'do less, better' in terms of your wellbeing and leadership, whatever your role in school?

Patrick Ottley-O’Connor is a Headteacher. He's been a teacher for 34+ years, including 27 years as a senior leader, and 17 years as a Principal.

In this insightful conversation full of practical ideas, he shares:
The benefits of putting mental health and wellbeing at the heart of school improvement;
How to create a culture of mental health and wellbeing;
Why he is a 'Wellbeing Supermodel' as a Headteacher;
Why wellbeing is not a soft option;
His personal leadership mantra;
How to flip the narrative around appraisal;
The key method he uses to manage and model his own wellbeing;
The vital importance of induction for new staff or staff into new roles;
The key role of governors in supporting wellbeing;
And much more!
Patrick coaches many aspiring, new and experienced headteachers and CEOs, particularly those facing significant challenge both in the UK and internationally.
He leads and facilitates a variety of leadership programmes, ranging from Middle to Executive Leadership courses. He is a DfE coach for the Women Leading in Education initiative. Patrick is also a Trustee of the Wardle Trust and founding Director of Collaborative Leadership Ltd.
You can connect with Patrick:
On Twitter @ottleyoconnor
Find out more about Teacher 5 a day #teacher5aday @teacher5aday
Connect with Pursuit:
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course.
...more
45min
October 18, 2020Holding Steady in Turbulent Times with Beth Kelley
Many of us are experiencing chronic stress during these challenging times, including our pupils.
When we experience chronic stress - that is when our nervous system is activated for long periods of time - it has the same impact on us as trauma, says Beth Kelley, psychotherapist.
Beth co-authored the book, Teaching, Learning, and Trauma: Responsive practices for holding steady in turbulent times.
In this insightful and deeply practical conversation, Beth shares:
A simple definition of 'trauma';
Simple practices to manage stress or trauma in yourself;
Or your class, whether you're with them in person or teaching online;
The most important first step to take in building resilience;
How building resilience as a school community means less heavy lifting on any individual teacher or leader;
A simple way of knowing when you're nervous system is out of balance;
What to do if your system is 'too hot' or 'too cold';
The most critical thing you can do for your own wellbeing;
How to reconnect with your purpose;
And much more!
Beth Kelley is a psychotherapist, consultant, coach, and author. She loves working with schools that are committed to caring for their most valuable resource...their people.
Beth joins us from Colorado.
Connect with Beth:
On Facebook @bethkelleyconsulting
On Instagram @bethkelleyconsulting
Her website is www.bethkelleyconsulting.com

Connect with Pursuit:
Take our 2-minute quiz and get your personal plan to help reduce anxiety and transform your wellbeing at www.teacheranxietyquiz.com
Find out more about our "5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan" online course at www.pursuit-wellbeing.com
...more
37min
October 11, 20205 Ways to Manage Boys with Challenging Behaviour with Mark Goodwin
There are quotes from ancient history, where Socrates is having difficulty teaching boys. There are age-old challenges and in this podcast, Mark shares 5 strategies that teachers can use to help manage boys with challenging behaviour. And by extension, support their own wellbeing. Pupil behaviour is the second highest reason why teachers leave the profession (behind workload), so it's a timely and important topic to discuss.

Mark Goodwin is a behavioural specialist and the founder of Equal Parts Education, delivering turnaround programmes to permanently excluded young people.
In this compassionate conversation, Mark shares;
His philosophy to always 'get upstream' of the problem;
Why it's so important to find out their interests;
The key thing to look for in your planning;
How to see the best part of them;
Why it can help to appeal to his better nature;
Why it's crucial to have high expectations;
Dealing with shame, embarrassment and low self-esteem;
And much more!
For 20 years, Mark was a teacher, school leader, trainer & coach.
Connect with Mark:
On Twitter @markgoodwin8
His website is EqualPartsEducation.co.uk
Download his free guide "Your School Boy Lesson".
Connect with Pursuit:
Find out more about our 5-Step Wellbeing Action Plan online course at www.pursuit-wellbeing.com
Take our 2-minute quiz and get your personal plan to help reduce anxiety and transform your wellbeing at www.teacheranxietyquiz.com
...more
40min

FAQs about The Pursuit of Wellbeing:

How many episodes does The Pursuit of Wellbeing have?

The podcast currently has 51 episodes available.