In this enlightening discussion, Tara Elie, a former secondary drama teacher turned behaviour specialist and positive psychology practitioner, challenges traditional notions of belonging in education. She emphasizes that mattering – the feeling of being valued and adding value – is crucial for staff wellbeing and student engagement. Tara shares insights from her research, explaining how low mattering leads to burnout and disengagement. The conversation highlights practical ways for school leaders to promote mattering, linking it to a more inclusive and psychologically safe school culture.
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insights INSIGHT
Mattering Is Two-Part: Valued And Valuable
Mattering is a two-part psychological construct: feeling valued and adding value.
Balance between the two prevents compromised wellbeing and enables flourishing.
insights INSIGHT
Belonging Is An Outcome, Not The Start
Belonging is an outcome of high mattering, not the starting point.
Chasing belonging alone risks treating a symptom rather than the deeper cause.
insights INSIGHT
Mattering Drives Meaning, Purpose And Longevity
High mattering produces meaning, purpose and longer wellbeing for staff.
Feeling heard and able to add value boosts longevity and reduces illness.
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What if the real driver of behaviour, attendance, engagement – and staff retention – isn’t rules, rewards, or even belonging… but mattering?
In this deep, reflective conversation, James is joined by Tara Elie – former teacher, behaviour specialist, and positive psychology practitioner – to explore the powerful but often overlooked psychology of mattering: the feeling that you are valued and that you add value.
Drawing on Tara’s Master’s research, coaching work with schools, and lived experience as a teacher, the conversation reframes some of education’s biggest challenges through a radically human lens.
Together, James and Tara explore:
Why belonging is not the starting point, but an outcome of something deeper
How low staff and student mattering shows up as disengagement, burnout, behaviour issues and poor attendance
The two-part psychology of mattering – feeling valued and adding value – and why imbalance leads to compromised wellbeing
Why many behaviour systems unintentionally communicate ‘you don’t add value’
How mattering connects to agency, resilience, engagement, meaning and purpose
What psychologically safe schools do differently – for adults and young people
Practical ways leaders can audit mattering in their schools without adding workload
This episode is especially relevant for:
Senior leaders responsible for behaviour, relationships or attendance
School leaders concerned about staff wellbeing and retention
Anyone frustrated by surface-level fixes to deep, systemic issues
If you’ve ever felt that schools are chasing the wrong outcomes – or that something vital is missing from the behaviour conversation – this episode offers a language, a framework, and a hopeful way forward.
‘Belonging isn’t something you can chase. It’s what happens when people genuinely matter.’
The Rethinking Education podcast is brought to you by Crown House Publishing. It is hosted by Dr James Mannion and David Cameron, and produced by Sophie Dean.
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Rethinking Education