Run Your Life Show With Andy Vasily

Send us a textA while back I was fortunate enough to sit down and have a conversation with well-known consultant, Tom Costello in my home in Saudi Arabia. Tom does quite a bit of consulting work for the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and it was here that I was able to attend one of the excellent workshops. As I’m very interested in the type of work that Tom does, we connected right away and soon enough discovered that we both have a passion for golf as well. I asked Tom if he would be interested in coming on my podcast to share his own journey and what he has learned from working in the field of leadership and influencing for more than 2 decades. As an experienced coach, consultant, designer and facilitator of development programmes, working with the 2Gether Partnership has given Tom Costello the opportunity to deepen his skills and knowledge of leading and influencing and also the opportunity to research the impact that conversations have on business performance, team performance, and engagement in different types of organizations. Over the past 20 years, Tom has had the chance to work with many different people, organizations, and cultures across the world. Time and time again, he hears how the quality of conversations makes such a difference to performance and engagement. It’s these experiences that sparked Tom’s interest in developing their Authentic Conversations model. Tom is qualified in meditation, negotiation, conflict management and also a licensed user of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. He is qualified as a structural consultant following a 3yr coaching program with Robert Fritz inc in Vermont USA. Tom is a wonderful person with great insight. What I appreciate the most about Tom was his willingness to speak honestly and openly about his personal and professional learning journey. Tom is a critically reflective person who continues to pursue greater purpose in his life through the work he offers the world. Every great leader has the ability to be vulnerable and to share their authentic self without fear of judgement. Tom embodies excellence in everything does and I feel lucky to have had the chance to interview him on my podcast. Tom shares lots of insight in this episode and it is my hope that you walk away from this conversation with a gem or two to apply in your own personal and professional life. Connect with Tom Website: https://www.the2getherpartnership.com/team/tom-costello.htmlThemes Discussed:Influence, Purpose, Leadership, Authentic Conversations, Vulnerability, Organizational Change, Reflection

Send us a textMy guest today is Melissa McQuaid who is from Toronto, Canada and has been teaching internationally, with her husband Jeff for many years. My original intention was to have Melissa on my podcast to share some of the great work she’s doing with her grade 3 students in the classroom, in particular, her dedication to creating a classroom culture and environment that is visually rich in meaning and purpose. As I thought about how I was going to do this interview, I couldn’t help but be drawn to not only Melissa, as a teacher, but also her life journey over the past several years as it has really defined and shaped the person she is today. Melissa’s husband, Jeff Woodcock, is our elementary head of school. Although she is very supportive of Jeff’s role as leader of our school, Melissa in her own right has carved out a very purposeful path for herself, as an educator in our school. She has worked very hard to develop a unique teaching style that is focused on visible learning in the classroom in order to accommodate every one of her learners. She carefully models and co-constructs learning with her students on a regular basis and this is one of the many reasons why I feel she is such a great educator. In today’s episode you are not only going to hear about Melissa, as an educator, but more importantly you are going to hear about some very difficult, yet profoundly important experiences that shaped not only her life but also her husband’s life as well. Melissa will explain, in detail, both of these experiences, but it’s the first experience she talks about that specifically taught Melissa how powerful a role community can play in changing a person’s life. As Melissa told this story, I really wanted to go into specific examples of how the community that she and her husband were a part of helped to be a major support for them through a very challenging and difficult time. I got sidetracked during this discussion and wasn’t able to dig deeper into how community specifically supported her and Jeff during this time. However, I still wanted to mention and give a shoutout to the wonderful community that they were a part of in Bonn, Germany many years ago. Melissa’s love of community continues to this day and she is a very active force in bringing people together to celebrate connection, friendship, kindness and joy here at our school here in Saudi Arabia. I want to thank Melissa for sharing her authentic story in this episode. It’s never easy to talk about things that strike so closely to the heart.Melissa’s BioMelissa McQuaid is an international educator in her eleventh year of teaching, all spent working within the Primary Years Programme. She is passionate about inquiry-based learning and the merits of an education that supports development of the whole child. Walking into her classroom, you will be struck by how well thought out the learning environment is. Her classroom is rich with text, features flexible spaces to support different learners and learning, and is organized with the child’s needs in mind. Developing and nurturing a student’s curiosity and agency are cornerstones of her practice, and have a role in everything she does with learners.When she was 27 years old Melissa experienced a traumatic, life-threatening situation that forced her to rethink her vision of what she had planned for her future. Described by friends and colleagues as “determined and resolute,” her personal story is about over-coming trauma and embracing many obstacles in search of her happiness. Melissa believes that if you can visualize what you want in life, and work towards that vision, anything is possible.  Melissa’s time of trauma took place in Germany while she was working at Bonn International School. The rallying and support that came from the BIS community to support her during this difficult time was unforgettable. One way Melissa

Send us a textIn this episode, Dr. Tim Fletcher discusses the work taking place behind the scenes in helping to develop and deepen the use of the Meaningful PE model that he and his team of researchers have been working on over the past several years. Tim is a part of a great team that is refining this model so that physical education and health teachers can develop the language needed and specific tools to know how to regularly, systematically, and intentionally create meaningful learning experiences related to physical activity and sport for young people. Their ultimate goal is to get young people to take action on leading physically active lives in order to embrace movement for life. At the heart of the Meaningful PE model are 5 features that Tim and his team think are critically important to embed within all physical education and sport experiences in order to help develop lifelong movers; Challenge, Motor Competence, Fun, Social Interaction, and Personal Relevance. We dive into these 5 features and begin to unpack each of them in this episode, so that physical education and health professionals can gain deeper insight into how they can plant the seeds for student success in their programs. Tim and his team do not claim to have all of the answers or are they implying that their Meaningful PE model is the best that there is, but they instead they continue to refine their own understanding of how this model might be applied across different contexts and cultures in order to promote richer and more positive experiences for young people in physical education. You are sure to gain some valuable takeaway from this discussion with Dr. Tim Fletcher. Thanks for listening. Tim’s BioPrior to teaching in universities Tim taught high school health and physical education for five years. Current research focuses on how future teachers and coaches might learn to foster meaningful experiences for learners in physical education and youth sport (the LAMPE project), conducted with Déirdre Ní Chróinín and Mary O’Sullivan. Much of his work involves self-study methodology, including the text Self-study of physical education: The interplay of scholarship and practice (2014, Springer), co-edited with Alan OvensConnect with Tim:Email: tfletcher@brocku.caTwitter: @TimFletcher12 Website: https://meaningfulpe.wordpress.com/lampe-team/Themes Discussed:Meaningful PE, Fun, Motor Competence, Challenge, Personal Relevance, Social Interaction, Differentiation, Critical ReflectionSpecial Credits To:Déirdre Ní Chróinín and Mary O’Sullivan, Stephanie Beni, Ciara Griffin

Send us a textIn today’s episode, Dr. Stephen Harvey and I discuss the roles of self-regulation and self-coaching in education and how to plants the seeds for student success in physical education. Stephen dives deeply into his work and shares the vision that he has based on his own journey in education that has taken him back and forth between the United States and England over the years. Stephen’s expertise lies in the Teaching Games For Understanding model. He finds great value in using creativity to deepen the impact that physical activity and movement can have in a young person’s life. Much of his work lies in the field of coaching but Stephen clearly shows the strong connection and links between quality teaching and effective coaching. You are sure to find a gem or two you can apply in your own teaching practice after hearing this episode with Dr. Stephen Harvey. Stephen’s Bio:Dr. Stephen Harvey has joined the Patton College of Education as an Associate Professor in Sports Coaching. Dr. Harvey is a former junior international field hockey coach and currently works with organizations such as USA field hockey and the United States Olympic Committee in a coach development and education role. Recently Dr. Harvey has successfully completed international coach educator/developer qualification and was previously a coach educator with England Hockey, the National Governing Body of Field Hockey in England. Dr. Harvey is also an experienced, licensed soccer and badminton coach and has coached both these sports at the collegiate level in England. In addition, he is also a licensed physical education teacher in England.Dr. Harvey moved to Ohio from West Virginia University (2013-2017) where he was an Associate Professor in Physical Education Teacher Education. He previously completed hi PhD at Oregon State University (2003-2006). In 2016 Dr. Harvey was honored as a Research Fellow by the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) America due to his extensive contributions to research in both physical education and sports coaching. His main research interest surrounds game-based approaches to teaching and coaching. However, his work in coaching has additionally been focused on the systematic observation of coaching behavior, and how coaching behavior is tied to coaches' biographies. Dr. Harvey has maintained an interest in educational technology and co-developed an app (Axis Coaching) that a trained observer can use to investigate and record coaches' behavior. Finally, Dr. Harvey's interest in educational technology has led to him researching with and about teachers and coaches social media use.Connect with Stephen:Email: harveys3@ohio.eduTwitter: @drstephenharveyThemes Discussed:Self-Regulation, Creativity, TGFU, Self-Coaching, Quality Physical Education, Feedback, Teaching and Learning

Send us a textToday’s discussion is with Todd Stahl. Todd is one of those distinctly unique individuals who not only has a heart of gold, but is willing to take the risk to do the extremely hard work to find out what’s he’s truly made of and how he can honor the gifts and talents he’s been given in order to make a difference in the world through his work and passions. Todd’s life has not been routine or linear in any way which is why it’s important to really listen to his story as you will see that there were key pivot points in his life that that threw specific obstacles in his path.You will also hear how he used these challenges to better understand himself and the changes that he needed to make in order to find more meaning and purpose in his life. You will see that Todd’s faith is extremely important to him and making a difference by serving others is what he feels he has been called to do. He strives to do this through several different capacities including his work as a firefighter, an artist, a children’s book illustrator, an author and the charity work that he and his wife Sherry have devoted themselves to. What is even more unique about this episode is that I have known Todd for most of my life. I can honestly say that in looking back at the 40plus years we’ve known each other, it doesn’t surprise me to see the path that Todd is on.As I sat down this summer to interview Todd, there were several key areas that I wanted to ask him about in order to learn more about his journey. I wanted to learn more about how his faith has carved out a specific path for him. I also wanted to learn about what inspired him to take the leap into becoming an artist and an author, yet how he has been able to balance these pursuits with his work as a firefighter. As well, I wanted to learn more about the internal forces that drive him toward better understanding himself in an effort to strive for both personal and professional excellence in his life. You’re going to hear about Todd’s book, 40 Days in the Mancave and the role that critical self-reflection has played in his life. In particular, you are going to learn about how Todd has had to deal with the gripping hand of depression and the impact that this has had on his life. I commend Todd for being so open about this part of his life. It’s not easy to discuss these things but in sharing our struggles, there is so much to be learned about how we deal with life and with others when we authentically open up.I hope you take the time to listen to the episode in its entirety and that it sparks reflection in yourself. I hope you are left answering these questions about who you are and what you offer the world.What are the gifts you’ve been given in life? How do you honor and develop these gifts? And how are these gifts making a difference to others in your life and in the world?Our gifts and talents need to be embraced and spending the time to better understand what these gifts are can have a huge impact on the world around us.Thanks for taking the time to listen to this episode with my good friend, Todd Stahl.Todd’s BioFor Todd, Art has always remained that 'dream' he has continued to pursue. Todd was involved in a family run business for over 20 years, but the search was there to do something more related to his gifting. taking steps towards pursuing his dreams, Todd became a firefighter in 2004.Moving closer to the heart of his dreams, Todd has rekindled his passion for Art. His desire is to continue creating thought provoking pieces of art.Todd has completed a number of commissioned projects and recently had his art published in a collaboration with his wife Sherry, providing the illustrations within her devotional with study guide 'Water in the Desert'.In 2013, Xulon Press selected Todd to be one of their 'preferred' illustrators creating art for future publications. Just recently Todd il

Send us a textIf you had to create a personal statement that sums up your philosophy, what would that statement be? How can you better motivate yourself to find more value in your daily efforts to do well? What does loving-kindness mean and how can we practice it more in our lives? What role does human connection play in your life, especially with people you do not know very well? Andy and Neila explore these questions in their latest 4 X Mindfulness podcast in order to share their thoughts and their recent learning about themselves and about others. In the first seed of mindfulness, Neila dives into the work of Claire Boothe Luce, one of the first females to serve in the US congress who went on to do extraordinary work throughout her career in politics. In particular, the way she challenged leaders like Kennedy to create their own personal philosophy statements. Neila talks about the strategy of creating these statements and how challenging it can be. For the second seed of mindfulness, Andy discusses Daniel Pink’s latest book: When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing and a specific strategy outlined in the book that helps to assess our levels of motivation to do difficult things in our life in order to be more proactive. The third seed of mindfulness is about loving kindness and Neila takes listeners through a short exercise to help practice more loving kindness with ourselves and with others. The fourth seed of mindfulness relates to human connection and how random acts of kindness can be a thing of beauty that brightens our day when we least expect it. Neila and Andy hope that you find some value from this episode that is applicable in yoru personal and professional lives. BiosNeila Steele and Andy Vasily are international educators who have worked at fully authorized IB schools in 4 different countries over the past 16 years (Japan, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, and China). Andy is a consultant, workshop leader, presenter, and speaker. Neila presents and leads multiple workshops in the area of mindfulness. They have devoted themselves to sharing the powerful effects that mindfulness has on promoting greater mental, social, emotional, and physical well-being.Connect with Andy and NeilaNeila SteeleTwitter: @neilasteeleWebsite: www.mindfulandpresent.comAndy VasilyTwitter: @andyvasilyWebsite: www.pyppewithandy.comThemes Discussed: Personal Philosophy Statements, Motivation, Human Connection, Loving Kindness, Daniel Pink, Claire Boothe Luce, Presence

Send us a textIn this episode, Marina Gijzen, current elementary head at Nanjing International School shares her insight and experience as it relates to her journey in education that has spanned well over two decades.A few years ago, Marina chose to change directions and move into educational leadership as she felt, in her heart, that she wanted to take the risk to share her authentic self and the vision that she had in regards to what quality teaching and learning means. To Marina, teaching is a deeply personal pursuit that is greatly impacted by the language we use with young people, as well the relationships that we build with them.In this episode, Marina shares specific strategies and approaches that she has developed over the years, as well she also discusses how she has changed and what she has learned about herself related to the shifting in gears in her career from a classroom teacher to a leader in education. Marina is all about liberating greatness in others and has built her educational leadership philosophy around living this statement and leading by example day in and day out in order to bring out the best in the teachers she feels so lucky to work with. Marina has brought so much wisdom and experience into her many different roles at Nanjing International School. She will be transitioning over to a new role as head of elementary school at Lincoln Community School in Ghana next year and is sure to bring so much value to that school. Thanks for listening to today’s episode with Marina Gijzen. About Marina: Marina Gijzen is an international educator who is very interested in the discussions about  educational innovation. What does it mean? What does it look like? Why do it? How do we do it? When and where? and Who will be a part of it?She has been teaching primary aged children for 25 years in 5 different countries in two different languages (French and English).Children fascinate Marina. She believes that they are full of potential and are naturally open-minded, sincere, caring, enthusiastic, brave, and so creative. She aspires to be like the students she teaches and works with!She writes a blog to help her think about how to help keep these wonderful qualities in our children and in our world. She would love you to join in on the conversation.Connect With Marina:Twitter: @marinagijzen Website: https://marinagijzen.com/Themes Discussed: Student agency, Empowerment, Lifelong Learning, Thoughtful Language, Educational Leadership, Quality Teaching and Learning.  

Send us a textThis episode is devoted to the power that meditation can hold in helping us to better understand ourselves. My guest, Dr. Mani Sarathy, the Associate Director of the Clean Combustion Research Center at King Abdullah University of Science of Technology, shares his meditative journey with us and how it has helped to transform his life over the past 15 years. We dive into the nuts and bolts of what mediation means and specific strategies that we can all apply in our lives if we devote ourselves to this cause. Mani shares his backstory and the experiences that guided his formative years while growing up, in particular his self identity which was shaped by both Canadian and Indian cultural values. Mani has great insight and wisdom when it comes to meditation. Whether you are a total beginner or seasoned veteran at meditation, you are sure to glean some insight that can apply to both your personal and professional self. Mani’s BioMani Sarathy is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology of Science and Technology (KAUST) in the Clean Combustion Research Center (CCRC). Mani was previously a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Combustion Chemistry group at the US Department of Energy Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. During that time he held a prestigious fellowship from NSERC of Canada. Mani received his PhD and MASc degrees in Environmental and Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto and his BASc in Environmental Engineering Chemical Specialization from the University of Waterloo. In 2015, Mani Sarathy was named a Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher. Mani’s research interest is in developing sustainable energy technologies with decreased net environmental impact. A major thrust of research is simulating the combustion chemistry of transportation fuels. The goal of Mani’s research is study conventional and alternative fuels (e.g., biofuels, synthetic fuels, etc.), so the environmental impact of combustion systems can be reduced. Connect With ManiWebsite: https://ccrc.kaust.edu.sa/Pages/Home.aspxThemes Discussed: Vipassana Meditation, Presence, Self-Awareness, Reflection, Observation, Breath Control, Silent Retreats, Personal Excellence, Regret

Send us a textHow do our personal perspectives shape our lives when we experience upheaval and hardship? How often do we genuinely invest ourselves in others? What role do personal stories play in helping us to connect with other people? Do we show ourselves enough self-compassion? Andy Dutton, an excellent educator currently working in Bucharest, Romania, joins Neila Steele and Andy Vasily in the latest 4 X Mindfulness podcast series. Andy Dutton shares two seeds of mindfulness in this episode which relate to his own journey of mindfulness and the importance of investing in his own mental health through a variety of strategies. In sharing the mantra, ‘This too shall pass.”, Andy discusses the importance of being aware of our own negative thought pattern loops that hold us back from living a more genuinely happy life. As well, Andy also shares the importance of having more self-compassion and taking time away each day to regenerate and recharge in order to be our best personal and professional selves. For Neila Steele’s seed of mindfulness, she shares the importance of investing in others by being curious, by asking questions, and showing a genuine interest in others. When we invest in others, we put our own needs and wants aside to better connect and get to know other people in our lives. For the fourth seed of mindfulness, Andy Vasily shares the power of personal stories in helping to make stronger connections with others. By making ourselves vulnerable and genuinely sharing our experiences, we can better connect with others and give them permission to do the same. Lots of powerful themes discussed in the latest 4 X Mindfulness series. We hope you are able to gain some new insight from this episode with Neila Steele, Andy Dutton, and Andy Vasily. BioNeila Steele and Andy Vasily are international educators who have worked at fully authorized IB schools in 4 different countries over the past 16 years (Japan, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, and China). Andy is a consultant, workshop leader, presenter, and speaker. Neila presents and leads multiple workshops in the area of mindfulness. They have devoted themselves to sharing the powerful effects that mindfulness has on promoting greater mental, social, emotional, and physical well-being.Connect With Neila, Andy Vasily and Andy DuttonNeila SteeleTwitter: @neilasteeleWebsite: www.mindfulandpresent.comAndy VasilyTwitter: @andyvasilyWebsite: www.pyppewithandy.comAndy DuttonTwitter: @PEAndyDThemes Discussed:Empathy, Efficiency, Self-Compassion, Personal Upheaval, Coaching and Counselling, Vulnerability, Human Connection, Relevance

Send us a textThis podcast series is devoted to sharing good teaching practice at Gardens Elementary School which is located on the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology campus in Saudi Arabia. At GES, our student population is multi-cultural, diverse, enthusiastic, engaging and confident. They are also fun loving and happy.Through the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) we provide opportunities for students to develop an understanding of essential concepts, skills, knowledge and attitudes that will enable them to be lifelong learners. Our students are actively involved in authentic inquiry-based learning across all the curriculum areas. They develop confidence in their abilities, think for themselves, question, express their opinions and respect the opinions of others. As students learn to reflect on their learning, they become critical thinkers. We encourage students to voice their ideas and to take action to improve the school and the community. Student achievement and progress is shared through regular assemblies, parent conferences, open houses and activities aimed at making the school a stimulating center for the community.Inquiry and AgencyIn this episode, grade 4 teacher, Jamie House, shares the work and learning he has embarked on with his own professional inquiry at Gardens Elementary School. Jamie has looked deeply at his own teaching practice over the past 7 months in order to identify which area he would like to deepen his understanding of. He identified a particular need to examine more closely how he creates opportunities for each student to develop the skills necessary to move forward with their own learning. A recent trip to Poland to attend Kath Murdoch’s inquiry workshop helped Jamie to consolidate his learning and refine the teaching approaches he uses in the classroom. Jamie discusses a number of things related to inquiry, agency, and how he is striving to help students develop their Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills within their learning journeys in his classroom. Connect With Jamie:Twitter: @jamierhouse Connect With Gardens Elementary SchoolTwitter: @GESatKAUSTWebsite: http://tks.kaust.edu.sa/Message-from-the-Principal-GESThemes Discussed:Student Agency, Skill Development, Inquiry, Kath Murdoch, Content and Coverage, Professional Inquiries