The Well Teacher

If you are anything like me, I’m sure you would agree that the past half term has been a challenging one. As wonderful as it is being back doing our core purpose in classrooms with young people, we are stretched both emotionally and in the extensive new demands on our time. It is why this interview with Mary Myatt will, I hope, prove particularly helpful. Mary is a towering and inspiring figure in education, a former teacher and inspector, she now works with leaders and teachers to impro...

I’m really pleased that the final espiode of this series of the podcast is an absolute cracker. Bruce Robertson is a Deputy Headteacher and author of ‘The Teaching Delusion’. He also has an infectious enthusiasm for all things teaching and learning – believing it should be central to everything we do in schools.In this episode we look at what really constitutes great teaching, and how schools can generate a culture of continuous improvement. We also examine the kind of professional learning t...

How can we keep teachers in the profession? It is a question that many are wrestling with, and the retention rates suggest that in many ways, we are struggling to find the answers.Haili Hughes, has invested a significant amount of time exploring this issue. She is the author of the excellent new book ‘Preserving Positivity’: Choosing to stay in the classroom and banishing a negative mindset’.As you will hear, she interviewed hundreds of teachers in preparation for the book, hoping to unpick p...

In both of my books there has been chapters on the nature and benefits of a meditation habit. It is something I am hugely passionate about, and has had a real impact on my own stress levels over the past five years. In this chapter from 'A Quiet Education', Tackling Teacher Burn Out, I argued that it is one way in which we can prevent ourselves from becoming overwhelmed by the various demands that teaching places on us. For me, it has become an essential way to manage feelings of stress ...

The nature of our curriculum is a hugely topical and vital conversation for educators at the moment. In terms of our capacity to thrive and develop confidence as teachers, our understanding of the nuances of the curriculum, and how best to deliver it, is a vital exploration.Do we know how best to sequence our curriculum, are we confident pracititioners of our subjects – and what should we be teaching our young people?These are questions at the heart of the fantastic new Research Ed guide to C...

It was a real privilege to have the opportunity to talk to today’s guest on 'The Well Teacher Podcast': Professor Paul Gilbert. Paul Gilbert is a professor of clinical psychology, and the author of over twenty books, including the bestsellers ‘The Compassionate Mind’ and ‘Overcoming Depression.’ He was recently awarded an OBE for his services to psychology, after a forty year career. He established the Compassionate Mind Foundation in 2006 as an international charity with the mission sta...

What if there was a way to take back control and ownership of our wellbeing as teachers? What if we could pause from the busy world of teaching, slow down and take deliberate steps to become more effective and efficient?Dr Lucy Kelly, who is a senior lecture in education at Bristol University, has been wrestling with these questions and has been conducting some exciting research into the potential of reflection for teachers.In this episode we explore the exciting potential of her research on ...

This week is mental health awareness week, and I have two brilliant episodes of 'The Well Teacher Podcast' to share – both of which explore areas central to our mental health.The first is with psychology teacher and deputy head Mark Healy. Mark has developed a career long fascination with exploring the role of sleep in education, and has shared his findings in conferences across the UK.As we explore in our conversation: sleep is absolutely vital to not only our ability to perform in the class...

One thing I know I have been notoriously bad at in my teaching career has been finding a balance. I have always struggled with switching off from the all-consuming nature of teaching, and in proactively managing work demands. This week’s episode is for anyone else who has struggled with this perfectionism strand that haunts so many teachers. Aidan Severs, who writes the very popular thatboycanteach.co.uk blog has made teacher wellbeing one of his major focusses as a deputy head, his work with...

Life is challenging for everyone at the moment. The impact of Coronavirus and the lockdown on young people, however, has been particularly transformative. They can no longer attend school, see their friends, and can only leave their homes once a day. Many have had the opportunity to prove themselves academically removed, and face an unpredictable future.Dr Hazel Harrison (@thinkavellana), a clinical psychologist, has been doing some amazing work to try and support young people through this ch...