This episode explores the role that gratitude plays in education. It looks at ways you can express thanks to shape positive attitudes and effort in your lessons, and how it can overcome the negativity bias and help us to feel positive about the work we do in education. I mention in this episode about wanting to hear from listeners, please get in touch via email: jamiethom123@aol.com

Today’s episode is the 100th episode of the podcast! Great to reach this milestone, and thank you so much to all the listeners for the support.  On this episode I am joined by Dr Kathleen Forbes. Kathleen is a senior consultant clinician for Place 2 Be, a mental health charity. For the past seven years Place 2 Be has been working with new teachers to improve their wellbeing and reflective capacity. In this interview we answer the question: how can new teachers make their relationship with their mentor work? In answering that central question we also answer:   Could you tell listeners about the work Place 2 Be does with new teachers?  From your experience, what are some of the challenges new teachers can face in working with mentors?   What work can new teachers do to prepare themselves for the mentor-relationship before it begins?   What general strategies do you think will help a student-teacher during the mentor relationship? Thank you for listening, please do pass it on! 

Discover the crucial role of focus in teaching and how it's often overlooked in our fast-paced world. Learn practical strategies to create a concentrated environment, like minimizing distractions and embracing restorative breaks. Uncover the importance of role-modeling focus for your students and enhancing relationships. Plus, explore ways to strengthen your 'focus' muscles and avoid the pitfalls of multitasking in the classroom.

Oliver Cook, an experienced teacher and Pupil Support Leader from Scotland, shares invaluable insights on relational behavior management. He discusses the importance of understanding students as individuals and building meaningful relationships in the classroom. Listeners learn about co-regulation, emotional safety, and the role of restorative conversations in addressing behavioral challenges. Oliver also offers practical tips for teachers to enhance classroom dynamics, emphasizing the need for emotional regulation and positive communication to foster a collaborative learning environment.

This ten minute talk explores the vital role that emotional intelligence has to being an effective teacher. It breaks down Daniel Goleman's five key components of Emotional Intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, effective communication and motivation. Looking at practical ways to implement all of them in the classroom. 

This week's episode explores how to be the best possible mentor of new teachers. The guest is the wonderful Rachel Alexander. Rachel is a former English teacher and author, who now runs the English PGDE at Moray House in Edinburgh University. In the episode, which should also be useful for new teachers who are working with a mentor for the first time, we explore: 1. What do you enjoy about mentoring new teachers?2. What do you feel are the qualities of a really good mentor? 3. For anyone who might be listening who is new to mentoring, what advice might you give them? 4. What are some common mistakes that mentors make? We also explore some case studies:How to support a new teacher who is struggling with their mental-healthHow to support a new teacher who is disorganizedHow to support a new teacher who is overwhelmed with feedback. I hope you enjoy it and find it helpful. If so please do pass it on to others! 

Today is the fourth episode in the A-Z of teacher skills series. This ten minute talk explores the importance of being driven as a teacher, and why your own ability to model drive and enthusiasm for young people is vital for success in the classroom. It also gives some practical tools to help you to motivate and encourage young people. 

This week we have a vitally important topic that we hope all listeners will benefit from. Colin McGill interviews Lynn McCann and Catrina Lowri on how we can best support neurodivergent teachers to thrive in school. Lynn McCann is an Autism, ADHD and PDE Specialist teacher and author. She is the owner of Reach out ASC, which is a team of neurodivergent teachers working to support autistic, ADHD and PDE young people in schools. Catrina Lowri is the founder of Neuroteachers. She is a neurodivergent teacher who has over twenty years experience as a SENCO, special needs and advisory teacher. In tackling this question, they explore:1. What are the specific issues faced by neurodivergent teachers? 2. Why is it important that we have neurodivergent teachers in the teaching profession? 3. What can mentors/school leaders/ITE lecturers do to support neurodivergent teachers and student teachers? 4. What advice would you give to a neurodivergent student teacher about to embark on a school placement? 5. What can we do to improve the retention of neurodivergent teachers?Thank you for listening. If you find the episode useful, please do pass it on! 

Calmness is a game-changer in the teaching world! Discover how maintaining a serene presence can enhance the learning environment. The discussion delves into practical strategies to help educators remain composed, benefiting both themselves and their students. Learn why calmness is crucial for fostering deeper engagement and a secure atmosphere in the classroom. It's all about equipping teachers with the tools for success.

The podcast returns this week after a bit of break. Colin and Jamie have been busy finishing off their new book 'The Essentials in Learning to Teach', which you can pre-order here and which will be out in February. This episode explores how you can make a really positive impression in schools. It breaks this down into how you can manage the stress of starting in a school, how you can build positive relationships with staff members, and how you can start to form really positive relationships with students. We hope you find it really useful and look forward to sharing regular episodes with listeners from now!