Beat Teacher Burnout!

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , educator, Montessori specialist and spaces expert Lucy Gibson shares why stress isn't always about workload. Sometimes it's the pace we live at, the spaces we spend time in and the expectations we place on ourselves that quietly drain our energy. Lucy reflects on her journey from Brazil to the UK and explains how embracing change, slowing down and...

What happens when one of education's most respected voices admits that he nearly burned out? In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I sit down with Ross McGill, founder of Teacher Toolkit, to explore the reality of teaching in a profession that asks so much of the people within it. Ross shares the personal experiences that shaped his career, from working unsustainable hours and navigating re...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I sit down with Lisa Lea-Weston from Talking Heads Supervision to explore the connection between leadership, wellbeing, and burnout. Together, we discuss what supervision really is and why it offers something different from coaching. We explore how having a dedicated space to reflect can help leaders process the emotional weight they carry and ultimately su...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, we explore what it truly looks like to create a school culture where not only children, but staff, leaders, and families are all able to thrive. Leaders from the Stour Academy Trust share the intentional changes they’ve made over time to build environments where people feel supported, trusted, and able to do their jobs well without becoming overwhelmed. Wha...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , I’m joined by Paul Collin, a former head teacher with over 25 years in education, for a really honest conversation about something many of us experience but don’t always name…running on adrenaline. We explore what it means to show up every day in schools, even when we’re carrying stress behind the scenes. As teachers and leaders,we often feel we have to ke...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I’m joined by Becky Dawson, National Wellbeing Lead at Twinkl, for an honest conversation about how a passion for teaching can slowly turn into overwhelm. Becky shares her journey from classroom teaching into the demanding role of SENCO, a position that is both deeply meaningful and incredibly heavy. Supporting students, staff and families all at once, ofte...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I’m joined by Sue Lee and Tessa Hawes to explore what it really means to look after ourselves in high pressure environments. This conversation goes beyond stress. It’s about the responsibility we often overlook, caring for ourselves in the middle of busy, demanding lives. When we constantly give without refilling our energy, it takes its toll. Sue shares ho...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I’m joined by four members of the central team from Manor Hall Academy Trust to explore what it takes to build a thriving school culture. I speak with Philip Harrison (CEO), alongside Kate, Kelly and Laura, as they share honest reflections and practical examples of how their trust has created an environment where staff feel valued, heard and supported. At t...

In this honest and reflective episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I’m joined by education leader, coach and author Sarah Hussey to explore the hidden cost of caring deeply in school leadership. Sarah shares her journey in education, from beginning her career in the 1990s to becoming a headteacher committed to building a school culture based on compassion, trust and belonging. But alongside the passio...

In this practical and thought-provoking episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , I’m joined by wellbeing consultant, author and former international principal Helen Kelly to explore one of the most significant yet overlooked drivers of burnout in education: the inability to properly switch off. We move beyond surface-level wellbeing advice and examine the neuroscience, psychology and leadership impact of...

In this honest and deeply reassuring episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , I’m joined by Greg Bookman , an education recruiter with over 20 years’ experience and a rare, people-first approach to leadership recruitment and retention. Rather than focusing on roles, hierarchies or career ladders, this conversation centres on well-being, identity and humanity in education . Greg shares what he sees behind...

In this thoughtful and deeply human episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , I’m joined by Dame Alison Peacock former headteacher and founding CEO of the Chartered College of Teaching to explore the realities of school leadership that are rarely spoken about openly. Alison describes headship as “both impossible and delightful,” a phrase that captures the tension so many leaders live with every day. Toget...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , I’m joined by Bob Benson , a former secondary headteacher and now coach and consultant, to explore a deeply embedded belief in education: that strong leadership means pushing through, coping silentlyand toughing it out. Drawing on lived experience, Bob reflects on the pressures of headship and how ongoing stress can quietly change who we are, pulling us aw...

In this reflective and honest solo episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , I talk openly about vulnerability, near-burnout, and what it has taken for me to finally slow down as 2025 comes to an end. Inspired by Brené Brown’s work on vulnerability as courage, this episode explores how even positive things like building a business, publishing a book, pursuing passion projects can quietly push us back into...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , I’m joined by George Athanasiou , former headteacher and wellbeing consultant, for a powerful conversation about why so many educators are overwhelmed and what we can realistically do about it. George talks openly about the exhaustion sweeping through schools, the guilt that keeps teachers pushing past their limits, and the pressure leaders face in trying...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , I’m joined by Chloe Fox , an Alternative Provision Lead whose powerful reflections on belonging and community have resonated with thousands across education. After a viral LinkedIn post about the “real gatekeepers” in schools, Chloe has become a compassionate voice for putting humanity back at the centre of our work. Together, we explore what sits behind t...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , I sit down once again with Dr Adam McCartney , Educational Psychologist, to explore the quiet but powerful forces shaping staff wellbeing in schools today. This conversation looks beyond workload and policies, and instead examines what truly drives burnout identity, autonomy, culture, and the systems teachers work within every day. Adam shares powerful ins...

In this solo episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , it’s just me reflecting on what a truly thriving school might look like. This week, AI gave me a suggestion of what a “perfect day” in school could be, and honestly… It made me laugh. From calm mornings and joyful lunches to smooth lessons and a stress-free 5 p.m. finish, it painted a picture that felt miles away from reality. So I started to wonder:...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I’m joined by Viv Grant, former head teacher, mother of three, author, and Director of Integrity Coaching. Viv brings deep emotional honesty, lived experience, and decades of leadership insight to a conversation about something many educators silently struggle with: what happens when we stop being whole humans in the profession? We explore Viv’s journey fro...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , I sit down with Hannah, headteacher at Orchards (TCAT). We begin by talking about her unlikely source of calm: her farm animals. Between ducks, pigs, chickens, and her kids playing in the mud, that space is where she truly disconnects and resets. Together, we explore the emotional toll of teaching and leadership, especially the quiet burnout that comes fro...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , I sit down with Rebekah Alsey , a former headteacher and mum of five, who shares a deeply emotional and honest story about how her dedication to education ultimately came at the cost of her health. Rebekah opens up about the moment everything changed: delivering an INSET day in 2023 when she suffered from Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, more commonly known as Br...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , I sit down with Angela, a headteacher with over 35 years in education and 25 of those leading schools. Angela brings her deep wisdom, compassion, and honesty to a conversation that every educator needs to hear. Together, we explore what it really means to keep teaching in a sustainable way, not just surviving term by term, but staying whole as a person whi...

In this solo episode of Beat Teacher Burnout, I turn the conversation on its head by asking what happens when we start with who we are, our strengths, values, and intrinsic qualities rather than what external “fixes” we can bolt on. Drawing on my decades of experience in schools and my own journey through burnout, I share a powerful approach to wellbeing that begins with identifying and using your...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , I’m joined by psychotherapist and author Kim Rutherford , creator of the Eight Wise Method . Kim brings years of clinical expertise and her own lived experience of burnout to a powerful conversation about prevention, recovery, and resilience in education. We explore what burnout really is, why it goes beyond workload, and how unhealed stress in life and wo...

In this episode of Beat Teacher Burnout , I’m joined by Rachel Bates, head teacher at Weldon Park Academy. Rachel brings honesty, warmth, and years of leadership experience to a conversation about one of the most damaging patterns in education: the comparison trap. From staff comparing themselves to colleagues, to schools being compared by league tables, comparison can fuel stress, perfectionism,...