The School of Wellbeing with Meg Durham

By Meg DurhamHealth & Fitness Mental Health Education Parenting Kids & Family

The School of Wellbeing with Meg Durham episodes

April 16Maria Ruberto: Sleep Matters & Why Big-Hearted Educators Struggle To Switch Off | Episode 163
“What we do during the day is carried into the night time.” Maria Ruberto
In this episode, Meg Durham speaks with Maria Ruberto about the neuroscience of sleep and why so many big-hearted educators and school leaders feel exhausted yet unable to switch off at night.
They explore what is happening in the brain when hyperarousal overrides sleep pressure, why the emotional labour of teaching lingers long after the bell rings, and how common myths about productivity quietly undermine rest.
Maria explains the brain’s nightly cleaning system, the role of REM sleep in emotional processing, and why sleep is not simply recovery time, but a biological process that builds cognitive clarity, emotional regulation and long-term brain health.
For teachers and school leaders navigating constant responsibility, this conversation reframes sleep as a professional advantage rather than a personal indulgence.
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Chapter Markers:
02:00 Why educators’ nervous systems stay “on” all day
08:30 Hyperarousal and the tired-but-wired experience
15:40 Common myths about sleep and productivity
23:00 The brain’s nightly cleaning system explained
29:30 REM sleep, memory consolidation and emotional processing
35:10 Practical strategies to reduce rumination at night
44:00 Small daily habits that improve sleep quality
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Reflection Prompts:
My relationship with sleep is...
When I crawl into bed, my mind tends to…
One conversation or moment that is still sitting with me is…
If I gave myself permission to wind down earlier, I would…
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Episode 163 Shownotes - Click here
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Maria Ruberto Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
Weekly Newsletter - Subscribe here
Speaker Booking - Complete the booking form to start the conversation.
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Your Questions Answered:
Why do teachers feel tired but wired at night?
Teachers experience sustained cognitive load and emotional labour throughout the day. From scanning for behavioural risks to regulating student emotions and making rapid decisions, the nervous system remains activated for extended periods.
When bedtime arrives, sleep pressure may be high, meaning the body feels physically exhausted. However, the brain may still be in a state of hyperarousal. Hyperarousal occurs when the nervous system perceives unresolved tasks, emotional intensity or potential threats. In this state, stress hormones remain elevated, making it difficult to fall asleep even when fatigue is present. This explains the common “tired but wired” experience reported by educators.
What does sleep actually do for the brain?
Sleep is an active biological process essential for cognitive performance, emotional regulation and long-term brain health.
During non-REM sleep, the brain undergoes a cleansing process that clears metabolic waste and neural debris accumulated throughout the day. This process supports memory, attention and mental clarity. During REM sleep, the brain consolidates learning, reorganises memory networks and processes emotional experiences. Reduced or fragmented sleep interrupts these restorative cycles, leading to impaired decision-making, increased emotional reactivity and reduced professional capacity.
Why should educators take sleep more seriously as a profession?
Sleep directly influences attention, working memory, emotional regulation and decision-making — all essential capacities for effective teaching and leadership. Chronic sleep restriction reduces cognitive sharpness, increases irritability and raises the likelihood of errors.
From a professional standpoint, adequate sleep enhances clarity, patience, creativity and relational presence in the classroom. Protecting sleep is not a luxury. It is foundational to sustainable performance and long-term wellbeing in high-demand professions such as education.
How can educators improve sleep without overhauling their routine?
Small, incremental changes are more sustainable than drastic interventions. Strategies supported by neuroscience include:
Establishing consistent sleep and wake times
Reducing late caffeine and alcohol intake
Offloading unresolved thoughts through journaling
Practising sound-free visualisation to quiet internal dialogue
Even minor adjustments can significantly improve sleep architecture and overall recovery over time.
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** The School of Wellbeing is one of Australia's best health and wellbeing podcasts for teachers, educators and school leaders! **
42 min
April 02Sue Langley: Burnout Iceberg & The Invisible Forces Driving Staff Burnout in Schools | Episode 162
“Burnout is a sense of feeling overwhelmed by stuff. There is more coming at us than we have the ability currently to handle.” – Sue Langley
What’s really driving burnout in schools?
In this episode, Meg Durham sits down with Sue Langley to explore burnout through a systems lens. Together, they unpack why focusing on behaviour alone is rarely enough. Because burnout isn’t just about time management or resilience. It’s shaped by patterns that become normal, structures that influence workload, and beliefs about dedication, sacrifice, service and success that contribute to the way we work.
This conversation widens the lens without dismissing personal responsibility. Individual habits matter. Boundaries matter. Deliberate action matters. But behaviour does not exist in isolation, it exist with a context.
If burnout has ever felt like a personal shortcoming, this episode offers a different perspective. One that replaces self-criticism with curiosity and opens the door to wiser, more sustainable action.
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Chapter Markers:
02:05 – What burnout really is
09:10 – Why behaviour change isn’t enough
16:40 – The Systems Iceberg explained
27:30 – Patterns that quietly become normal
38:20 – Structures shaping workload
47:15 – Mental models about sacrifice and success
56:50 – Moving from blame to curiosity
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Reflection Prompts:
A pattern of behaviour that is not serving me is...
I feel pressure to…
Being a "good" teacher/leader/colleague means...
A small deliberate action I can take is...
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Episode 162 Shownotes - Click here
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Sue Langley Website | LinkedIn | YouTube
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Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
Weekly Newsletter - Subscribe here
Speaker Booking - Complete the booking form to start the conversation.
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** The School of Wellbeing is one of Australia's best health and wellbeing podcasts for teachers, educators and school leaders! **
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Your Questions Answered:
What is the best podcast for teachers dealing with burnout and wellbeing?
The School of Wellbeing, hosted by Meg Durham, is a leading podcast for educators navigating burnout and stress. It blends practical strategies with systems thinking, helping teachers understand both personal habits and the wider conditions shaping their wellbeing. Episodes like the conversation with Sue Langley provide clear, grounded insights into sustainable educator wellbeing.
Why does teacher burnout feel like it suddenly hits all at once?
Teacher burnout rarely happens overnight. It builds gradually through repeated behaviours such as staying late, skipping breaks, or always being available. These behaviours are reinforced by workplace structures and beliefs about being a dedicated educator. Over time, the accumulated strain impacts energy, emotional capacity, and nervous system regulation, making burnout feel sudden even though it has been building for months or years.
How can educators manage burnout beyond basic self-care strategies?
Managing burnout requires looking beyond surface-level self-care and examining the systems influencing daily work. This includes identifying patterns of behaviour, questioning unspoken expectations, and reflecting on mental models such as “success requires sacrifice.” Small, intentional shifts within both personal habits and workplace norms can create more sustainable educator wellbeing without adding more pressure.
45 min
March 19Greer Kharidi: Reflective Practice & The Importance of Professional Supervision In Schools | Episode 161
Where do your thoughts go at the end of a busy school day?
In this episode, Meg Durham is joined by Greer Kharidi to explore professional supervision and why it’s one of the most important, yet missing, supports for big-hearted humans working in schools.
Meg and Greer unpack the emotional load educators carry, the complex decisions they are making every day, and why so many people are left to process it all on their own.
Greer shares how professional supervision creates a safe, structured space for educators to reflect on their work, think through challenges, strengthen boundaries, and respond with greater clarity rather than react in the moment.
They also explore how supervision differs from mentoring, coaching, therapy and EAP, and what becomes possible for the profession when we normalise having a space to process and make sense of our work.
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Chapter Markers:
00:00 Introduction
04:40 What is supervision
13:00 Supervision vs mentoring, coaching and therapy
17:00 The emotional load of school life
25:30 The impact on staff and schools
31:00 Boundaries and saying no
36:00 What becomes possible
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Deliberate Actions:
Notice what you’re carrying home and how it’s impacting your life and relationships outside of work.
Give yourself time to pause and think things through before responding to a request.
Ask yourself, what is mine to carry and what is not.
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Episode 161 Shownotes - Click here.
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Greer Kharidi Website | LinkedIn | Facebook
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Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
Weekly Newsletter - Subscribe here
Speaker Booking - Complete the booking form to start the conversation.
----
** The School of Wellbeing is one of Australia's best health and wellbeing podcasts for teachers, educators and school leaders! **
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Your Questions Answered:
What is professional supervision in schools?
Professional supervision is a structured, reflective space where educators can talk through their work with a trained professional. It’s not about performance or being told what to do. Instead, it’s about pausing to think, gaining perspective, and working through the challenges and decisions that come with school life. It helps educators strengthen boundaries, build self-awareness, and show up more intentionally in their roles.
What is emotional labour in teaching?
Emotional labour in teaching refers to the process of managing, regulating and sometimes suppressing one’s emotions to meet the professional expectations of the role. This includes maintaining calm, care and professionalism while responding to student behaviour, supporting distressed students and families, and navigating complex interpersonal situations.
It often involves both surface acting (displaying expected emotions) and deep acting (trying to genuinely feel those emotions), which requires significant cognitive and emotional effort. Over time, without opportunities to process these experiences, emotional labour can contribute to stress, burnout and reduced wellbeing.
How can professional supervision support teacher wellbeing and decision-making?
Professional supervision creates a safe space for educators to process their thoughts before they turn into stress or overwhelm. It allows them to reflect on situations, explore different ways of responding, and make decisions with greater clarity rather than reacting in the moment. Over time, this supports wellbeing, strengthens professional identity, and helps educators feel more confident in what they can and cannot carry.
What would change in schools if professional supervision became standard practice?
If professional supervision became part of everyday practice in schools, educators would feel more supported, more connected and better equipped to do their work. There would be greater clarity, stronger boundaries and less isolation. This would not only benefit staff wellbeing, but also improve consistency, relationships and outcomes for students. It invites a shift from coping alone to working together with intention and support.
33 min
March 05Bianca McLeish: Self-Preservation & How To Honour Our Limits At Work | Episode 160
“Self-preservation is about intentional actions that protect ourselves.” - Bianca McLeish
What if working harder isn’t the answer?
In this powerful conversation, educator and school leader Bianca McLeish shares her personal journey from burnout to self-preservation, drawing on insights from her book, 'Teacher Wellbeing Transformed: Break Free From Survival Mode Before Burnout'.
Together, Meg and Bianca explore the difference between self-care and self-preservation, why understanding our nervous system changes everything, and the subtle signs that dedication may be tipping into depletion. Bianca offers practical, school-day strategies to regulate stress, protect our energy and work within our limits.
This episode reframes wellbeing as essential because learning to work within our limits allows us to stay in this profession longer and without losing ourselves in the process.
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Chapter Markers:
00:00 Introduction
04:18 Bianca’s burnout story
12:02 Self-care vs self-preservation
19:45 Understanding the nervous system
28:10 Subtle signs of depletion
36:40 Practical strategies for the school day
47:25 Working within our limits
55:10 Final reflections
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Deliberate Actions:
List the three signs you're stretching beyond your capacity.
Give one small nervous system regulation strategy a go.
Say: "I would love to help, but I am at capacity" to the next request that exceeds your limits.
Schedule a two-minute self check-in this week.
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Episode 160 Shownotes - Click here.
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Bianca McLeish Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
Weekly Newsletter - Subscribe here
Speaker Booking - Complete the booking form to start the conversation.
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** The School of Wellbeing is one of Australia's best health and wellbeing podcasts for teachers, educators and school leaders! **
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Your Questions Answered:
What is self-preservation in teaching?
Self-preservation in teaching is the deliberate practice of protecting your energy, emotional wellbeing, and professional boundaries so you can sustain your effectiveness over the long term. In a profession where the workload is open-ended and the emotional demands are high, self-preservation means recognising that your capacity is finite, even when the needs around you are not. It involves making intentional decisions about how much you take on, how you manage stress, and when you create clear stopping points in your day.
In practical terms, self-preservation in education might look like setting realistic boundaries around after-hours communication, recognising early signs of teacher stress, regulating your nervous system during high-pressure moments, or saying no to additional responsibilities when your plate is full. It is not about disengaging from students or lowering professional standards. It is about working sustainably so you can continue to teach, lead, and care deeply without gradually eroding your own wellbeing.
What is the difference between self-care and self-preservation?
Self-care typically refers to restorative activities that help you recover from stress, such as exercise, sleep, time with family, hobbies, or relaxation practices. While self-care is important for teacher wellbeing and stress management, it often happens after depletion has already occurred. It is recovery-focused.
Self-preservation, on the other hand, is proactive and preventative. It involves ongoing choices that protect your wellbeing before burnout takes hold. In teaching, this includes workload management, boundary setting, emotional regulation, and understanding how your nervous system responds to chronic stress. Where self-care helps refill the cup, self-preservation helps prevent the cup from cracking in the first place. Both matter, but self-preservation is what makes sustainable teaching possible.
Why is teacher burnout so common?
Teacher burnout is common because educators work in environments where the job is never fully done. There is always more planning, more marking, more student support, and more administrative responsibility. Combined with increasing behavioural complexity, accountability pressures, and limited resources, this creates sustained emotional and cognitive load. Without clear boundaries or structural support, even highly committed teachers can become chronically overstretched.
Burnout in education is not a sign of weakness. It is often a predictable response to prolonged stress, excessive workload, and ongoing emotional labour. When self-sacrifice becomes the cultural norm in schools, teachers may ignore early warning signs such as fatigue, irritability, sleep disruption, or reduced enthusiasm. Over time, this can lead to exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. Understanding burnout as a systemic and physiological issue, rather than a personal failure, is critical for meaningful prevention.
How can educators avoid burnout?
Preventing teacher burnout requires both individual and systemic strategies. At an individual level, educators can practise self-preservation by setting boundaries around workload, noticing early signs of stress, seeking collegial or professional support, and learning practical nervous system regulation techniques. Small, consistent adjustments to how you manage energy during the school day can significantly reduce long-term depletion.
At a broader level, schools play a critical role in burnout prevention by fostering cultures that value staff wellbeing, realistic expectations, and psychological safety. Sustainable teaching practices, open conversations about workload, and leadership that models healthy boundaries all contribute to long-term staff retention and resilience. Burnout prevention is not about doing less work, but about doing the work differently, in ways that protect teacher capacity and wellbeing.
Why is teacher wellbeing important for schools?
Teacher wellbeing directly influences classroom climate, student engagement, and learning outcomes. Research consistently shows that when educators experience high levels of stress or emotional exhaustion, their ability to regulate behaviour, respond calmly, and build strong student relationships is reduced. Regulated teachers are better able to co-regulate students, creating safer and more effective learning environments.
Beyond the classroom, teacher wellbeing impacts staff retention, collaboration, and whole-school culture. When educators feel supported and energised, they are more likely to remain in the profession, contribute positively to school improvement, and sustain high-quality teaching over time. Prioritising teacher wellbeing is not optional. It is a strategic investment in student success and the long-term health of school communities.
37 min
December 18, 2025Meg Durham with David Bott: The Year That Was & The Mantra That Keeps Meg Going | Episode 159
"Our default way of being is so strong, and the more depleted we are, the more likely we are to fall back to these default patterns." - Meg Durham
In this final episode of The School of Wellbeing, Meg is interviewed by friend and colleague, David Bott, in a warm, honest and often hilarious reflection on the year that was.
Together they explore the messy moments, the quiet wins and the stories behind the work. From people-pleasing when depleted, to balcony moments and co-reflection, to advocating as a parent and recognising the crumbs of impact that keep us going.
Along the way, Meg shares the phrases that have saved her, and why doing less, but doing it better, matters more than ever.
This conversation is a reminder that wellbeing is not about perfection, but about being deliberate, human and connected in the work we do.
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Chapter Markers:
00:00 Turning the tables and setting the scene
02:18 What changes when Meg becomes the guest
05:40 The wetsuit story and default modes under pressure
10:51 A massage misadventure and people-pleasing when tired
16:02 The omelette incident and learning to pivot
19:27 What these moments teach us about depletion
20:59 Balcony moments, co-reflection and sentence starters
24:50 A real reflection on the year that was
25:42 Parenting, advocacy and uncomfortable conversations
29:38 The phrases that have saved Meg this year
30:59 What “kicking ten” looks like now
32:18 The crumb theory and invisible impact
37:47 Shifting seasons and reclaiming energy
40:25 Ocean swims, perspective and joy
46:48 Moments of pride from 2025
49:28 Looking ahead to 2026
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Deliberate Actions:
Notice your default patterns of thinking and behaving when you are depleted.
Create regular balcony moments through reflection or co-reflection.
Have a few go-to mantras when life feels hard.
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Episode 159 Shownotes - Click here.
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David Bott Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
Weekly Newsletter - Subscribe here
Speaker Request - Complete the booking form to start the conversation.
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** The School of Wellbeing is one of Australia's best health and wellbeing podcasts for teachers, educators and school leaders! **
41 min
December 04, 2025Kel Innis: Clear Conversations & Moving From Avoiding To Approaching | Episode 158
“Conversations are messy, and that's okay." - Kel Innis
In this episode of the School of Wellbeing podcast, Meg Durham sits down with primary school principal Kel Innis for an honest and practical conversation about the moments in school life that many of us try to avoid. Together they explore the reality of important conversations, the emotions that arise and the skills that help us approach these moments with more care and confidence.
You will hear them unpack the timing of conversations, the role of emotional intelligence and the importance of pausing before responding. Kel shares how she prepares herself for important conversations, how she stays steady in the moment and why following up afterwards is essential for building trust. This episode will support you to strengthen your communication, build connection and create a school culture where staff, students and families feel seen, heard and respected.
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Chapter Markers:
01:30 The tension of conversations we cannot avoid
05:45 Kel’s early leadership experiences and what has changed
11:10 Planned and spontaneous conversations
16:00 Balancing care and professionalism
22:30 Emotional intelligence in challenging moments
28:55 The role of transparency in leadership
34:40 Moving from avoidance to approaching
41:05 Repairing after missteps
47:20 Creating a culture of clear and compassionate communication
52:10 Final reflections
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Deliberate Actions:
Identify one conversation you have been avoiding and write down why it matters.
Prepare yourself by choosing the right time, place and purpose for the conversation.
Pause before responding so you can stay steady and speak with clarity.
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Episode 158 Shownotes - Click here.
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Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
Weekly Newsletter - Subscribe here
Speaker Request - Complete the booking form to start the conversation.
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** The School of Wellbeing is one of Australia's best health and wellbeing podcasts for teachers, educators and school leaders! **
39 min
November 20, 2025Adam Voigt: School Culture & The Daily Interactions That Matter | Episode 157
“Culture is shaped by the behaviours we encourage and the ones we tolerate.” – Adam Voigt
In this episode, Meg chats with education leader and founder of Real Schools, Adam Voigt, for a practical and honest conversation about what school culture really is and how it’s created.
Together, they explore the daily interactions, expectations and relationships that influence the way a school feels and functions.
This is a grounded and hopeful conversation for educators and leaders who want to strengthen connection, trust and wellbeing in their school community.
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Chapter Markers:
01:20 What school culture really means
06:45 Relationships as the first cultural indicator
12:10 The impact of COVID on engagement and respect
18:30 What has changed in schools over the last decade
23:40 Reflection as adjustment, not judgment
28:55 Positive reinforcement vs control-based models
35:20 Restorative Practice 2.0
41:10 Low-energy, high-return cultural shifts
47:00 The role of staff wellbeing
52:20 Final reflections
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Deliberate Actions:
Notice the everyday interactions as you walk through your school. These moments reveal the true culture more than any document or policy.
Acknowledge positive behaviour from students and colleagues. Small moments of thanks build trust and reinforce what matters.
Reflect for adjustment, not judgment. Ask yourself: “What’s one small shift I can make to support a healthier culture here?”
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Episode 157 Shownotes - Click here.
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Adam Voigt LinkedIn | Website | Books
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Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
Weekly Newsletter - Subscribe here
Speaker Request - Complete the booking form to start the conversation.
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** The School of Wellbeing is one of Australia's best health and wellbeing podcasts for teachers, educators and school leaders! **
36 min
November 06, 2025Georgia Park: Cognitive Load & The Impact On Staff Wellbeing | Episode 156
“When the cognitive load is too high, and you're not coping, it really tears away at the fabric of who you think you are.” Georgia Park
In this rich and reflective episode, Meg is joined by Tasmanian instructional coach and literacy leader Georgia Park to explore how understanding Cognitive Load Theory can transform the way we teach, learn, and lead in schools.
Georgia shares her journey from classroom overwhelm to clarity and confidence, offering deep insight into how instructional practices grounded in cognitive science can support both student outcomes and educator wellbeing. Together, they explore what cognitive load actually means, why it matters, and how structure and explicit instruction can unlock greater engagement, equity, and joy in the classroom.
If you have ever felt stretched too thin or wondered why your lessons are not landing the way you hoped, this conversation offers both practical insight and a sense of possibility.
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Chapter Markers
01:48 - What sparked Georgia’s interest in Cognitive Load Theory
03:44 - Defining Cognitive Load Theory in simple terms
05:27 - Why cognitive load matters for student wellbeing
06:49 - How instruction shapes student identity
08:43 - Reflection, vulnerability, and removing shame from teaching
10:13 - Georgia’s shift from inquiry-based to explicit instruction
12:19 - Common myths and misunderstandings about CLT
14:24 - The deeper value systems behind the resistance to change
16:05 - Comparing past and current teaching practices
17:36 - How CLT helped Georgia personally and professionally
19:13 - Learning struggles, self-forgiveness, and grief
22:39 - Literacy success and what changed at a systems level
24:38 - Teacher impact and flow in structured classrooms
26:45 - Whole-school alignment and shared direction
28:24 - Structure is not boring when it’s collaborative and empowering
32:10 -What really moved the needle in Georgia’s school
34:51 - Instruction and wellbeing cannot be separated
36:04 - Georgia’s final reflections
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Deliberate Actions
Reduce the load before raising the bar
Take a moment to reflect on whether your students (or staff) are overloaded. Before introducing something new, consider what you might simplify, scaffold, or step back from.
Use structure to create flow
Try applying a clear “I do, we do, you do” sequence in your next lesson. Structure is not the enemy of creativity, it is what allows deeper engagement and clarity.
Build shared language with your team
Introduce phrases like “Is this in their long-term memory yet?” or “Could the load be too much?” to help depersonalise challenges and support professional reflection.
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Episode 156 Shownotes - Click here.
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Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
Weekly Newsletter - Subscribe here
Speaker Request - Complete the booking form to start the conversation.
----
** The School of Wellbeing is one of Australia's best health and wellbeing podcasts for teachers, educators and school leaders! **
30 min
October 23, 2025Mark Worthington: Non-Work Identity & Life Beyond The School Gates | Episode 155
“Who we are beyond our work shapes how we show up within it.” Mark Worthington
In this episode of The School of Wellbeing, Meg Durham sits down with Mark Worthington, Head of Player Development Manager at the Geelong Cats and former teacher, to explore what it means to have an identity beyond work.
Together they discuss the parallels between education and elite sport including the intensity, the transitions, and the pressure to perform, and why cultivating a non-work (or non-athletic) identity is vital for long-term wellbeing and success.
Mark shares insights from his journey from the classroom to the AFL, reflecting on balance, leadership, self-compassion, and how caring for the person behind the professional transforms how we live and work.
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Chapter Markers
00:00 – Welcome and introduction
04:10 – From teaching to elite sport: Mark’s story
10:35 – The intensity of high-performance environments
17:20 – Developing a non-work identity
23:40 – Balancing personal life and professional demands
31:15 – Self-compassion and sustainable leadership
38:00 – Feeling supported beyond performance
44:50 – Lessons from sport for teachers and school leaders
50:30 – Final reflections: thriving beyond work
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Deliberate Actions
Reflect on what fills you up outside of work.
Schedule time this week for something that reminds you of who you are beyond your role.
Start a conversation with a colleague about how you each protect your non-work identity.
Give yourself permission to rest and recover because it’s part of sustainable performance.
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Episode 155 Shownotes - Click here.
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Mark Worthington LinkedIn
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Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
Weekly Newsletter - Subscribe here
Speaker Request - Complete the booking form to start the conversation.
----
** The School of Wellbeing is one of Australia's best health and wellbeing podcasts for teachers, educators and school leaders! **
37 min
October 09, 2025Andrew Fuller: Neuroadvantage & The Strengths-Based Approach To Neurodivergence | Episode 154
“Turn learning from shame making into thrill seeking.” - Andrew Fuller
Andrew Fuller, Clinical psychologist joins Meg Durham to reframe neurodivergence through a strengths based lens.
We explore why labels alone are not enough, how teachers can think like coaches, and practical ways to change the neurochemistry of a room on purpose.
Andrew explains myelination and unique strengths, shows how language shifts like today’s challenge lift engagement, and walks through the Attach Approach so we can move students from agitation to connection.
We talk school culture that connects, protects and respects, sensory aware classrooms, after lunch resets, and partnering with parents around a student’s strengths.
The goal is simple and profound: help young people feel valued for who they are and set them up for success in school and beyond.
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Chapter markers:
00:20 Welcome back Andrew and why this book
02:00 What neuroadvantage means and why strengths matter
04:45 Teacher as coach building bridges from strengths
07:19 Music and maths the brain bridge we often miss
10:43 How recognising strengths changes learning
12:20 School culture CPR connect protect respect
14:33 Simple classroom tweaks that help every brain
16:48 Language shift from learning objectives to today’s challenge
21:59 The Attach Approach activate agitate avoid attack attach
25:36 Dance rhythm puzzles and the dopamine lift
33:33 Physical environment and sensory experience
35:27 Designing varied break time options to reduce friction
36:59 After lunch strategies that change the mix in the room
43:31 Partnering with parents using a strengths profile
46:24 Calming strategies and learning each child
50:03 Joy the future and being a catalyst
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Deliberate Actions:
Open each lesson with a short challenge on the board to boost motivation quickly.
Give every major instruction both verbally and visually so more students can follow along.
Use quick fast thinking bursts followed by slow reflection to balance energy and focus.
Replace learning objective with today’s challenge in your lesson language for one week.
Introduce a three minute movement or music routine to start or reset a class.
Identify one calming strategy for each focus student and practise it before you need it.
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Episode 154 Shownotes - Click here.
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Andrew Fuller Website | LinkedIn | Books | My Learning Strengths
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Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
Weekly Newsletter - Subscribe here
Speaker Request - Complete the booking form to start the conversation.
----
** The School of Wellbeing is one of Australia's best health and wellbeing podcasts for teachers, educators and school leaders! **
46 min

About The School of Wellbeing with Meg Durham

From the publisher's feed

Modern education is intense, fast paced and constantly changing. If you're feeling stretched, overwhelmed or running on empty, you're not the only one.

The School of Wellbeing is for…