Episode 1, Season 10 of Talking Teaching begins with a powerful conversation about one of education's most important challenges: creating schools where every student feels safe, connected, valued, and ready to learn.

Host of Talking Teaching, Sophie Specjal PhD is joined by Tom Brunzell, PhD (University of Melbourne) and Bryan Field (Principal, Monterey Secondary College) to explore how schools can move beyond reactive approaches to behaviour and towards relationship-centred practices that strengthen belonging, engagement, wellbeing, and achievement through Trauma-Informed Strengths-Based Education.

Drawing on decades of research, leadership experience, and whole-school transformation, Tom and Bryan unpack what trauma-informed education really means, why belonging matters so deeply for learning, and how educators can create environments where both students and staff flourish.

This episode highlights how schools can create the conditions for students to feel seen, supported, challenged, and capable, while building cultures that can transform school engagement.

Whether you're a teacher, school leader, system leader, researcher, parent, or policymaker, this conversation offers practical insights and hopeful possibilities for the future of education.

Access more resources and show notes and show notes on the Faculty Wepage: https://education.unimelb.edu.au/talking-teaching

Our Guests:

Associate Professor Tom Brunzell, PhD

Associate Professor Tom Brunzell is an educator, researcher, and educational leader in the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne. His work focuses on trauma-informed education, wellbeing sciences, educational leadership, equity, belonging, engagement, and strengths-based approaches to teaching and learning.

Tom has worked extensively with schools, education systems, and community organisations across Australia and internationally to support evidence-informed approaches that improve student wellbeing, engagement, belonging, and learning outcomes. He created the Berry Street Education Model and has contributed significantly to the development of trauma-informed educational practices in schools across Australia and internationally.

His current research explores trauma-informed educational leadership, culturally responsive education, inclusion and disability-informed practice, educational equity, teacher wellbeing, and school transformation.
Bryan Field

Bryan Field is the Principal of Monterey Secondary College and a recognised educational leader in trauma-informed school improvement, educational equity, and school culture transformation and a Faculty of Education Alumni. 

With more than fifteen years of experience across youth work, social care, intervention services, and education, Bryan has led significant whole-school improvement initiatives focused on belonging, relational safety, engagement, attendance, wellbeing, and achievement.

Through the Frankston North Education Plan and the implementation of trauma-informed educational practices, Monterey Secondary College and its feeder primary schools have become recognised as a leading example of how research-informed approaches can be translated into sustainable school improvement and positive outcomes for students, staff, and communities.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

University of Melbourne Faculty of Education
https://education.unimelb.edu.au

Berry Street Education Model
https://www.berrystreet.org.au/learning-and-resources/berry-street-education-model

Frankston North Education Plan
https://www.vic.gov.au/frankston-north-education-plan

Master of Instructional Leadership
https://study.unimelb.edu.au/find/courses/graduate/master-of-instructional-leadership/

Special thanks to the Faculty of Education and Professor Marek Tesar for their support of thought leadership and for shaping these essential discussions and leadership of impactful work at University of Melbourne . Thank you to the UoM Law Faculty for our new studio & Greta Robenstone & John McCarthy.