TTS Talking: The Educators' Podcast

In this episode, Lee Parkinson, also known as Mr. P, is joined by Professor Julia Waters – Professor of French at the University of Reading, with over 30 years of teaching experience in Higher Education. Julia spoke to TTS, however, as the sister of Ruth Perry, the headteacher who took her own life in January 2023 as a result of a ‘rude and intimidating’ Ofsted inspection that the coroner describe...

Lee Parkinson, also known as Mr. P, is joined by another exciting and insightful guest, Dr Martin Brunet. Martin is a GP and Medical Educator, who has combined his passion for teaching with an interest in mental health. Throughout this episode, Lee and Martin continue the discussion around the theme of mental health in teaching. They start by looking at burnout, the concept of moral distress and t...

Lee Parkinson, also known as Mr. P, is joined by our incredibly inspirational and insightful guest, Ben West. Ben is a Mental Health campaigner, best-selling author & social media influencer, and one of the most engaging and inspiring young male voices in the UK today. Together, Lee and Ben discuss a range of big topics around the theme of mental health in teaching. They begin by looking at th...

In this series 1 finale, Steven Bollar and education consultant, Matthew Savage conclude the wellbeing data topic with a discussion around identifying the marginalised children in your school and what to do about it.  Exploring “Why should we shift the margins?” Matthew explains that when we change things to support marginalised students, it often benefits everyone else too.  To learn more about M...

In episode 19 of the TTS Talking Teachers’ podcast, Steven Bollar and educational consultant, Matthew Savage, look at the importance of contextualising the wellbeing data that you collect.  Matthew discusses the concept that, too often, behaviour and problems are looked at in isolation. He opens up the idea that rather than trying to solve the obvious problem, teachers should look at the bigger pi...

Steven Bollar and educational consultant, Matthew Savage return to the TTS Talking Teachers’ podcast to introduce the concept of the wellbeing data wheel.  Every child is different so it’s important to measure wellbeing in different ways. The wellbeing data wheel covers 5 spokes to offer a different lens on wellbeing in school.  Observation  Check-in  Surveys  Counseling data  Everything else   ...

Steven Bollar, accompanied by education consultant Matthew Savage, returns to delve into a new topic, adopting a more analytical approach to wellbeing.  This episode introduces one of the main challenges to judging wellbeing – schools being a “performative” space leading to children masking their true feelings and selves.   Steven and Matthew discuss the meaning of being “performative”, why people...

In episode 16, Steven Bollar and Iantha Ussin conclude the classroom management topic with a closer look at why an effective and engaging lesson plan is the best classroom management tool.  What makes up a quality lesson?  Use technology as a tool within the classroom  Hook them in with a great opener  Engage them by focussing on something that matters in their world  Develop a diverse teaching pl...

In episode 15 of the TTS Talking Teachers’ podcast, Steven Bollar and Educational consultant, Iantha Ussin reconvene to share their advice on being firm and taking charge of the classroom in a positive way.   Firm, mean or angry?   Iantha defines what teaching techniques look like when you move from firm into mean and then angry, plus the importance of remaining professional and in control of your...

In this episode of the TTS Talking Teachers’ podcast, Steven Bollar and educational consultant, Iantha Ussin share practical ways to maintain healthy relationships with students and why this is important for positioning yourself as the leader in the classroom.  “It is the role of the teacher to be a friendly adult, not an adult friend”.   Join Steven and Iantha as they discuss what healthy relatio...

Hosting a new segment on classroom management, Steven Bollar joins the TTS Talking Teachers’ podcast alongside educational consultant, Iantha Ussin.  In this episode, Steven and Iantha discuss the importance of rituals and routines in the classroom, including using the EDGE technique, setting and practicing expected behaviours, and more.  With the mantra “we have all year to teach, we don’t have a...

In episode 12, Mark Steed and Chris Birch, the Head of Key Stage 2 at Citizens School in Dubai, conclude the STEAM topic with a deep dive into the F1 in schools challenge.  Leaning on his experiences as a F1 in schools co-ordinator, Chris shares what the challenge involves and why he’s so passionate about the initiative.  📌 To shop for STEAM resources relevant to this week's episode, click here ....

In this episode, Mark Steed and Chris Birch, the Head of Key Stage 2 at Citizens School in Dubai, reconvene to look back at STEM at the foundation stage.  Chris discusses the importance of STEAM from an early age, encouraging children to be curious, creative and fostering hands-on opportunities.  📌 To shop for STEAM resources relevant to this week's episode, click here .  Listened and loved it? S...

In episode 10 of the TTS Talking Teachers’ podcast, Mark Steed is joined again by Chris Birch, Head of Key Stage 2 at Citizens School in Dubai, to discuss AI (Artificial Intelligence) in education.  Dispelling the myth that it is cheating to use artificial intelligence; Chris shares the impact that it’s making in his classroom, from lesson plan ideas to student agency.  📌 To shop for STEAM resour...

In this TTS Talking podcast episode, Mark Steed is joined by Chris Birch, the Head of Key Stage 2 at Citizens School in Dubai. Chris brings 11 years of experience in teaching at various international schools in the UAE.  Sharing his passion for multi-disciplinary learning, Chris discusses why he believes schools still need STEAM and why art is so important for instilling creativity and inclusion. ...

In episode 8 of the TTS Talking Teachers' podcast, Mark Steed and Noha Gaafar from the British International School in Cairo reconvene to explore how schools can provide support for children facing mental health challenges.  Prioritizing mental health   Mental health has emerged as a crucial topic in education, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic. Mark and Noha delve into the strategies...

In this TTS Talking podcast episode, Mark Steed is joined by Noha Gaafar, Assistant Director of Sixth Form at the British International School in Cairo.  Drawing on her experience in both pastoral care and academic progress, Noha shares her insights into the profound and inherent connection between wellbeing and academic performance.  Supporting learners at all levels   Mark and Noha delve into th...

In episode 6 of the TTS Talking Teachers’ podcast, Mark Steed and Bobby Wilson, Head of House at Harrow International School, return to discuss the importance of teacher wellbeing.  Bobby and Mark take a closer look at the challenges to wellbeing teachers face when working abroad before covering practical advice for looking after your mental health and being an advocate for your wellbeing.   📌 To...

In this TTS Talking podcast episode, Mark Steed is joined by Bobby Wilson, Head of House at Harrow International School in Bangkok.  Sharing her experience in pastoral care across multiple international schools around the world, Bobby touches on what wellbeing means to her and the key considerations for an effective wellbeing program. 📌 To shop for resources relevant to this week's episode, click...

Technology is constantly improving and with it the lives and jobs of people all around the world are regularly adapting. Many schools want to ensure that we set children up with the skills they need to be successful in a world that may be different to what we see today.  In this episode, Mark Steed is joined by Andy Tallett and Liam Murphy, Digital Technology Lead, and Innovation Lead at Kellet Sc...

Throughout episode 3, Mark Steed and guest speakers from Kellet School in Hong Kong, Andy Tallet and Liam Murphy, discuss what design thinking is and how it underpins technology-focussed learning.  Liam delves into how children in his classroom are using design thinking to undertake a variety of projects centred around existing local and global challenges, including fitness trackers, hydration ala...

In episode 2 of the TTS Talking Teachers’ podcast, Mark Steed is joined by two members of Kellet School in Hong Kong - Andy Tallet, Digital Technology Lead, and Liam Murphy, Innovation Lead.  Andy and Liam explain how you can drive forward the computational skills learned in Key Stage 1 and integrate technology with the curriculum.   The team passionately dispels the myth that you need a certain l...

In this very first episode of the TTS Talking Teachers’ Podcast, Mark Steed is joined by Andrew Tallet, Digital Technology Lead at Kellet School in Hong Kong.  Sharing his passion for integrating technology across the curriculum, Andy offers his guidance on how robotics can support learning from the Early Years through Key Stage 1.  📌 To shop for resources relevant to robotics in Early Years and...