Edufuturists Edufuturists #323 Wolfpack Christmas Special
In this very special podcast episode, we are joined by members of the Edufuturists Wolfpack from across the UK, all in festive gear and cheer! We loved being joined in the studio by Dave Leonard, Tara Jones, Christine Mayers, Gaz Lewis, Louisa Rose and Naomi Toland. Poppy Lemar was also due to be with us but got struck down by the dreaded small-child-transmitted-end-of-term-itis. Hope you're feeling better soon, Poppy!
We had loads of fun chatting all about our favourite teachers, funniest education moments, what we hope for in 2026 and why it's important to be part of a community. The hour flew by and we definitely could've gone on for hours!
Thanks so much to these folks for joining us. Who knows, next year we might do an in-person Christmas special?! How good would that be - Corden, eat your heart out!
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Christmas Special
01:10 Meet the Guests
03:06 Why We Love The Wolfpack Community
06:09 The Importance of Connection in Education
09:47 Radical Candour
11:40 Funny Stories from the Classroom
24:32 Teachers Who Made a Difference
26:47 The Impact of Inspirational Teachers
35:49 The Power of Connection in Education
45:03 Wishes for the Future of Education
51:22 Quickfire Questions
Thanks so much for joining us again for another episode - we appreciate you.
Ben & Steve x
Championing those who are making the future of education a reality.
Connect with our awesome guests:
Naomi Toland is a wellbeing specialist and founder of Soshi Emoshi.
Dave Leonard is Director of IT at Watergrove Trust and multiple Edufuturists Award winner.
Gaz Lewis is Reference Program Manager at Google for Education.
Tara Jones is the Director of Education for Greenhouse, winner of our Diversity & Inclusion Champion award in 2025.
Christine Mayers is a former teacher and Head of Education & Training at Elementary Tech.
Poppy Lemar is The Teacher with the Pink Hair, an EYFS specialist and education influencer
Louisa Rose is CEO of youth mental health charity Beyond and the founder of Now and Beyond – a pioneering digital platform relaunching in 2026 that bridges the gap in access between educators and mental health lesson materials. It's forward thinking, giving you access to the most engaging resources all in one place but most importantly - it's youth approved.
Louisa is passionate about creating platforms that empower young people like Beyond's Youth Board to use their lived experiences to shape change. A former social media professional, Louisa reflects on the ways that addictive technology and persuasive design has come to intersect the lives of young people, and our own, with dramatic implications. A regular speaker on the subject, Louisa seeks to empower young people and grown ups with the tools they need to reclaim control of their digital habits.
Join us at one of the stops on our UK Roadshow
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