Educator’s Corner

Educator’s Corner Ep 11: Wellbeing and Flexible Working in Schools

In this episode, we explore wellbeing and flexible working in education with guest Mark Leppard MBE, Headmaster at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
 
Key Topics Discussed:
How an email protocol can support staff wellbeing
How we receive and give feedback can promote staff well-being
The importance of flexible work arrangements in schools
Risks of not offering flexible options, like losing talent
Examples of effective flexible working strategies in schools
Balancing flexibility with maintaining educational quality
About Our Guest:
Mark Leppard MBE has nearly 20 years of experience as a headteacher of British School Al Khubiarat and, previously, at Doha College.  He is a frequent contributor to educational discussions and conferences.
 
Key Takeaways:
Email protocols and giving and receiving feedback more skillfully are effective strategies to promote staff wellbeing
Flexible working can improve wellbeing and work-life balance for all colleagues
Implementing flexibility requires careful planning and consideration of school needs
Benefits include improved staff retention, productivity, and ability to attract talent
Challenges include timetabling, ensuring consistency, and managing workloads
Join us as we dive into this important topic and explore how schools can embrace flexible working to support their staff while maintaining educational excellence.
 
Resources Mentioned:
5 ways to support ‘professional wellbeing’ in your school https://www.tes.com/magazine/leadership/staff-management/5-ways-support-teacher-professional-wellbeing-schools
‘Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well’https://a.co/d/bUSxB06
Department for Education (England) 2024 pay award:https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/07/29/teacher-pay-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2024-pay-award/
Kai Vacher will be speaking about flexible working in schools on 13 November at GESS Dubai: GESS Dubai 12-14 November 2024: https://www.gessdubai.com/ 

Educator's Corner Ep 10: The International Schools Sector

Welcome to Episode 10 of the Educators Corner podcast! In this episode, we are thrilled to be joined by Grainne O'Reilly, a seasoned leadership consultant with extensive experience in establishing and leading international schools across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Join us as we delve into the dynamic world of international schools, a sector experiencing remarkable growth.
What's Inside This Episode?
Understanding the Growth: Discover the factors fueling the rapid expansion of the international schools sector, which has seen an impressive 8.5% growth over the past five years, with 1,097 new schools opening since 2019, according to ISC Research.
Parental Appeal: Explore why international schools are increasingly attractive to parents worldwide and what unique benefits they offer to students.
Leadership Challenges and Rewards: Gain insights into the challenges and rewards of being a founding headteacher in this sector. Grainne shares her experiences and the lessons learned from setting up new schools.
Different School Models: Learn about the distinctions between working for a school group, an independent franchise, and a standalone school, and how these models impact the educational environment and leadership strategies.
Referenced Organisations:
ISC Research (https://iscresearch.com/)
LYIS (https://leadingyourinternationalschool.com/)
COBIS (https://www.cobis.org.uk/)
BSME (https://www.bsme.org.uk/)
FOBISIA (https://www.fobisia.org/)
HMC (https://www.hmc.org.uk/)
CIS (https://www.cois.org/)
IB (https://www.ibo.org/)
TeachMiddleEast (https://teachmiddleeastmag.com/)
Tune in to this engaging conversation to understand the evolving landscape of international education and the opportunities it presents for educators and students alike. Whether you're an educator, a parent, or simply curious about global education trends, this episode offers valuable insights into the thriving international schools sector.

Educator's Corner Ep 9: "The Mona Lisa Effect" - Unlocking Wellbeing and Belonging in Education

Welcome to Episode 9 of the Educators Corner podcast where I am joined by Matthew Savage, an educational consultant who has worked with some of the world's leading international schools. Matthew is known for his work on the "Mona Lisa Effect," which prioritises wellbeing and inclusivity in education. 
In this episode, Matthew shares his insights on how to create a more supportive and inclusive learning environment.
In this compelling conversation we explore:
The concept of the "Mona Lisa Effect", which focuses on ensuring every child feels seen, heard, known, and belongs without exception. 
The importance of data in measuring what truly matters in education. Matthew explains the need for kind, warm, street, and slow data to ensure every child is seen, heard, known, and belongs.
Strategies for winning over educators who find data intimidating.
How kind, warm, street, and slow data fit into the broader context of education. 
 
REFERENCES:
Matthews website: https://monalisaeffect.me/who-i-am/
Norah Bateson Warm Data (have a read of this article in particular)
Shane Safir and Jamila Dugan's Street Data (Jennifer Gonzalez offers a deep dive into this here), 
Tim Logan's 'Future Learning Design' podcast
Cathy O'Neill's Weapons of Math Destruction 
Caroline Criado Perez's Invisible Women 
Steve Camden https://www.bearstories.org/poems
Carl Honore   ‘In Praise of Slow’ 

Educator's Corner Ep 8: The Global Teacher Recruitment Crisis (part 2): Hybrid schooling and other innovative solutions

The global teacher recruitment crisis is hitting UK schools particularly hard. British international schools worldwide are also struggling to recruit specialist secondary teachers;
How might innovation save us from the global teacher shortage?
Join Mark Steed and I in this second episode of the Educator’s Corner two-parter on the global teacher recruitment crisis, as we build on our discussion that we started in Episode 6:
https://youtu.be/BkRoprirehg?si=B2yKGJijX0uVnpMW
We explore some of the more innovative solutions that might help us embrace the ‘charging rhino' and consider what the silver linings might be for students, the teaching profession and families around the world?
Key topics covered include:
A school employment strategy - what could be included?
How could remote tutoring solve teacher shortages?
How is education being reimagined with online schools?
Is hybrid schooling the future of secondary schooling?
 
We invite you to join us for this insightful conversation where we tackle the critical topic of the global teacher recruitment crisis and explore ways to turn this challenge into an opportunity for innovation.
How is the global teacher recruitment crisis affecting your school and how are you responding to it?
 
REFERENCES
John Howson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-howson-21093129/
Schoolsweek: https://schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-on-track-to-miss-teacher-recruitment-targets-again/
COBIS Teacher Supply Report 2022:  https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1651160654/cobis/fxtlopinmbyhwzixnnry/COBISTeacherSupplyReport2022.pdf
Kai’s article in School Management Plus: https://www.schoolmanagementplus.com/bursars-finance/how-innovation-could-save-us-from-the-global-teacher-shortage/
SteedEducation website: https://www.steededucation.com/blog1/why-hybrid-schools-are-the-future-of-secondary-schooling
 

Educator's Corner Ep 7: Team Coaching: What It Is, What It Is Not, and How It Can Combat Burnout

Team Coaching: What It Is, What It Is Not, and How It Can Combat Burnout
 
In Episode 7 of the Educator's Corner podcast, Linda Berlot discusses team coaching with host Kai Vacher, highlighting its transformative impact and role as an antidote for burnout.
Key Points:
 
Understanding the essence of team coaching and its distinction from 1:1 coaching.
Exploring the purpose and significance of team coaching in organisational settings.
Clarifying misconceptions about team coaching and its practical implications.
Kai's journey from team coaching sceptic to advocate, sharing a personal story of rediscovery and growth.
Embracing new approaches like team coaching can lead to profound transformations and foster resilience in the face of challenges.
 
Resources:
Article: "We all doubted team coaching at first" - A firsthand account of team coaching's impact on rediscovering shared purpose and direction.Source: School Management Plus
TED Talk: "What Makes a Good Life?" by Robert Waldinger, emphasising the importance of relationships for happiness and well-being.Source: YouTube
Harvard Study of Adult Development: Insights on living a healthy and happy life over nearly 80 years.Source: Harvard Gazette
Contact for CRRGlobal’s ORSC coach training program: info@berlotgroup.com

Educator's Corner Ep 6: The Global Teacher Recruitment Crisis (part 1) - Looming Challenge or Opportunity for Innovation?

‘The quality of our children's education depends on how much we value teachers.’ Adam Grant.
Join industry trailblazer and thought leader Mark Steed and me as we delve into one of the most pressing challenges facing international education today – the global teacher shortage. 
This crisis is often likened to a "grey rhino", an imminent threat that has been looming for several years but is now poised to strike with devastating impact. We explore the implications of this issue on the quality of our students' education, echoing the words of renowned author Adam Grant who states, "the quality of our children's education depends on how much we value teachers."
Throughout this episode, we examine the current state of teacher recruitment crises across educational systems and schools worldwide. We analyse existing responses from these institutions and consider potential strategies that could be implemented to address this challenge head-on. Our discussion aims to provide listeners with valuable insights and practical solutions to help them navigate through this complex landscape.
Key topics covered include:
An overview of the global teacher shortage and its causes
Existing efforts by governments and organisations to combat the crisis
Perspectives from international school leaders on their approaches to recruiting and retaining high-quality educators
Innovative practices and initiatives aimed at attracting new talent to the teaching profession
We invite you to join us for this insightful conversation where we tackle the critical topic of the global teacher recruitment crisis and explore ways to turn this challenge into an opportunity for growth and improvement within international schools.
 
Links:
Kai’s article in School Management Plus
SteedEducation website
Mark’s letter to The Times, 29 May 2023
Russel Speirs podcast with Kai on School Management Plus
COBIS reports on teacher supply crisis
"Black swans, gray rhinos, and silver linings" McKinsey & Company

Educator's Corner Ep 5: Creating a coaching culture in schools

Welcome to Episode 5 of the Educator's Corner podcast, where we explore the topic of creating coaching cultures in our schools. I am joined by Nicholas McKie, Director of Persyou and International Executive Coach, who has over 20 years of experience in international educational leadership. He is also the author of the insightful book, "How to Create a Coaching Culture in your School."
In this episode, we delve into the following topics:
How schools can start to build a coaching culture
What will be different as that coaching culture starts to take shape
How coaching cultures might lead to better conversations and better thinking in our schools
How colleagues might be better equipped to have difficult conversations
The impact of coaching chatbots on our capacity for scaling up and enhancing coaching
Join us as we get curious about these topics and learn from Nicholas McKie's wealth of experience in the field.
 
Links:
Amazon link to Nicholas Mckie’s book: All Ways Coaching
Nicholas McKie’s LinkedIn Profile
Amazon link to Nancy Cline’s book: Time to think

Educator’s Corner Ep 4: AI the story so far…

Welcome to Episode 4 of the Educator's Corner podcast. In this solo episode I offer a summary of what I’ve been learning since the first ‘Educators Corner’ Podcast at the start of this term back in September.
I’ll do this by sharing our AI strategy at British School Muscat and British School Salalah for the rest of the academic year.
In the podcast I reference ‘The Coming Wave’ by Mustafa Suleyman.
You might also like to listen to Mustafa Suleyman in conversation with Steven Bartlett on Diary of a CEO discussing key points from the book.
Please offer your thoughts, suggestions and practical tips via my Linkedin profile on how we start to tackle the 21 Century's greatest challenge in our schools and the wider education sector.

Educator’s Corner Ep3: What guardrails could we put in place to embrace AI in schools?

November's episode of the Educator’s Corner podcast comes from @GESS Dubai Exhibition and Conference in the U.A.E. This month I’m talking with Phillipa Wraithmell, Assistant Principal at Rashid and Latifa School, Dubai, Apple Distinguished Educator and author of The Digital Ecosystem. 
We discuss how we can support our colleagues and students to use AI safely and responsibly; how acceptable user agreements could provide appropriate guardrails and how our policies might be adapted as we explore how artificial intelligence might empower learning.
#AI #ReimaginingEducation #Innovation #DigitalSafeguarding #DigitalGovernance 
Related resources and links:
The Digital Ecosystem - Philippa Wraithmell (2021)
The Future of AI in Education (August 2023)
International School Geneva/Ecolint Generative Artificial Intelligence Policy (September 2023)

Educator’s Corner Ep2: How teachers and students can use AI in the classroom and the wider implications for schools.

This week on the Educator’s Corner podcast, I’m delighted to be joined by Dan Fitzpatrick the AI Educator. We discuss how teachers and students can use AI in the classroom and the wider implications for schools.
Dan’s acclaimed book, The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education, imparts invaluable insights and strategies for harnessing AI in education. He is a prominent contributor in the media on all things AI and education, having recently been featured in Time Magazine and on CNN, Good Morning Britain, BBC Radio 4 and ITV News.
Dan’s former roles include serving as Director for Digital Strategy at Education Partnership North East, and as a senior leader at a secondary school. 
This is the second episode in an Educator's Corner ‘AI in education’ mini series where we explore the impact of AI on leadership, learning, our students, our colleagues and our communities. 
Discover more about Dan Fitzpatrick - The AI Educator:
Main website - https://theaieducator.io
AI tool website - https://aieducator.tools
Book - https://a.co/d/anwYslc
𝕏: @theaieducatorX
LinkedIn: TheAIEducator